Natural Chemistry

Chapter 30: The End

"I can't believe you asked me out on a movie date." I chuckled handing him the popcorn.

"That's how all this goes, right?"

"Maybe."

"What movie is it anyway?"

"Comedy, I guess." I replied.

The worst experience to have in a movie hall is your Rude Boy ringtone blasting at it's highest sound setting.
"Shit." I cursed, blindly fiddling with my purse to grab my phone.

"I have to take this, I'll be a minute." I told a confused Vince who did nothing but nod.

"Hey, Gran." I answered as I reached a safe distance from the theatre.
"Lissa! How are you, sweetie?" I've always loved Gran, even talking to her I could feel the warmth of her hugs and aroma of her chocochip cookies.

"I'm doing well." I replied, but before I could continue a figure came and stood before me.

Ernesto Montero looked no different than he had a few weeks ago. His face still held the same brutality yet this time his terrorizing eyes were cornering me. The meeting was obviously pre-planned since the movie was playing, there was not a single soul outside, not even the staff.
I won't lie, I was quaking in my boots but I also knew there was no way he could hurt me, right?

"Hey, Gran, I'll call you tomorrow. I'm a little caught up." I said in a hurried whisper but didn't wait for her to reply as I cut the call. I debated for a while, wondering if I could squeeze in a text to Vince but I knew his father was here to talk to me and I would rather not anger him especially with the gun on his person. Though, I was aware of one thing I knew I could do.

"How can I help you?" I initiated, hoping my face didn't show the turmoil inside.
"You know, when I saw you the first time I knew something was up with you. And imagine my surprise when I was informed that you were dating my dear son? One that was plotting against me with your parents." His smirk sent cold shivers down my back, his eyes still threatening me.

"Sounds like old news to me." Why be a smartass now?!

He let out a laugh at my words.

"How about you tell your father to stay out of my business so I don't hurt that pretty face of your boyfriend's?" He nonchalantly rolled a knife in his hand, it's edge glowing under the lighting.

"Why? Can't do it yourself?" I retorted, regardless of the object.

"Listen closely, little girl. I am not a person to be trifled with. Now do as I say." I had two options, running away and risking the chance to explore what a pissed off gangster with a knife and a gun is capable of doing or just listening him out and blurting the rest to Vince.

"Go on." Someone take away my confidence.

"You go and break up with Vince. Get him as far as you can from your family and no one gets hurt." I snorted at his words, getting a raised eyebrow from him.

"You're way too cliche, you know that?"

"You aren't any different from your mother. Actually, forget keeping this meeting a secret, do tell her I send my regards." His smirk returned, knowing that if my mom was to get a whiff of this, she'd bubble wrap me away. With his smirk, his knife made a comeback too, pressing against my forearm breaking the thin layer of skin.
"Look, as much as I love talking to my boyfriend's gangster father, I have a movie to watch." I muttered through clenched teeth, the confidence finally wearing off. Perhaps it was because of the sharp sting I felt on my arm.

"Don't take my words lightly, girl. If I don't see Vince home with droopy ears and a sad face, hell will come to your family." Maybe it was the bulky men standing around me or the red eyed glare Ernesto was giving me, I felt myself cave. One man handed him a cloth that he took and wrapped around my injured arm.
"Goodbye, don't hurt any bunnies on your way out." Mother, why give me so much attitude?
I heard him chuckle while I walked back into the hall. I knew one of his men followed, perhaps to see if I saw the plan through.

The shield I was using to hide my fear vanished into thin air as I saw Vince smiling at me.
"Jinx?" Somehow even in the darkness of the hall, Vince could sense my inner battle.
"Can we go out?"
"Yeah, what happened, baby?" He asked as we both sat down in an isolated park. I had managed to hid the white material on my arm that was coloring red with my blood, so as to no alert Vince.

"I can't do this." I looked into his eyes, I knew he understood but the words I was going to say next would put the pin in the board. I took a deep breath and said a little louder, "I can't live with a killer."
"Jinx, what are you saying? Did something happen? Who called you?" He asked in a desperate whisper, my eyes watering even though I knew I was lying. Those words were set to hurt him.

"This is my choice, Vince. I can't, this is all too much. I have a life to look forward to." He took my hand in his giving me an escape a way to help us, hiding it between us.
He took my hand and drew with his finger on my palm, hoping the darkness that surrounded us hid them from prying eyes.

'Eyes here?' He wrote and and the tears in my eyes remained as I replied a confirmation, our hands pressed between our bodies.
'I love you' I wrote in a haste, wanting him to understand that my cruel words had a reason, none of it came from my heart.

He looked into my soul and I could see he had formed a plan, one I wouldn't like at all. He was about to let go of my hand when I winced in pain from the cut. His eyes widened and I saw the pain in them, the hurt and most prominently the apology. 
'I love you too' He scribbled the abbreviation.

"You can go back to your damned high place."
"Don't drag my parents into your bloodbath." I frowned at how hurtful my words were and if I couldn't read his eyes as well, I would be broken by the expression on his face.

Just as he was about to leave, I held his forearm but he pulled it from my grasp, "Stay the hell away from me, Melissa." And with that I only stared at him leave.

It had been two weeks since that day and I hadn't seen or heard from Vince. My parents remained tight lipped about the whole ordeal and I wasn't surprised. This is why Vince had intended to keep me out of that part of his life.

I no longer saw Vince in school in the last few days left or in my house, his number was unreachable and going to his house was out of the question. So I sat, with prom a day away and me with no date. Not because there weren't any offers but because I didn't want to be in a crowd and smile on the outside.

My phone rang and Ella's name flashed on the screen.

"Hey." My friends were in the dark about the whole matter, I couldn't get myself to explain the situation to them but it was clear what was missing with words.

"Hey, it would be a shame if the one who planned the entire thing would be missing from the pictures." Ella talked as if she were walking on eggshells.

"I can't, Ella, please I don't want to even talk about it."

"Okay, okay." She said, "I'll see you during finals?"

We talked for a while longer successfully avoiding the whole topic.

Not a few minutes later, my mother entered my room with a grim face.

"What is it?" I asked her, not liking the look on her face.

"It's Vince." And those two words froze me.

*************

A few more chapters.
Thoughts?

Love,
Rojesta💜