The cell phone stops ringing again and Christian comes back smiling at me.

—We can go now. —he says as he reaches my side.

—Your cell phone was ringing insistently.

Christian takes it out of his bag and stops smiling as soon as he sees who was calling.

—This is not good. —he whispers as he calls her back.

—What do you need. —Christian has stopped smiling as he listens to what Elena says on the other end. —Where? —Christian stares at me. —I'll be right there. —And he hangs up.

—Is everything all right?

—No. Something came up, I think we'll have to postpone our plans for tonight. —I was afraid he was going to say that.

—That's all right, no problem. —of course there is, but I'm not going to tell him.

—I promise to make it up to you. —he says as he gives me a quick kiss. —I'll call you later. — and he leaves quickly without even giving me time to process what just happened.

I slowly walk out in search of my car as I slowly process what has happened. Elena has called him and he has run off. I don't understand. Would the two of them..., no, he wouldn't do that. Or would he? I don't think we made it clear in our new relationship that it would be a monogamous relationship. I have confessed to him that I am in love with him, but he hasn't said anything. Yes, I know that a week ago he told me that he had been in love with me for some time. But that may have changed after he thought I had slept with someone else. And then he could have gone with her.

I mustn't think about this. I must trust Christian. He wouldn't cheat on me, let alone with my boss. I get in my car and head for the apartment.

I put the bag aside and sit down to think about what happened. Why did Elena call him? Although that's not as important as the other question. Why did he run away as soon as she called him?

I try not to think too much about it, but the truth is that I can't help it. Just the thought that he might have a relationship with her makes me furious. I need to take a bath and clear my mind.

Two hours later I'm sitting on my bed staring at the wall. Kate has left me a message that she's not coming back tonight. I thought so. She's reconciling with Elliot.

And I'm not very calm. Christian leaving the way he did hasn't helped any of the jealousy I'm feeling right now. He wouldn't even tell me why he had to leave, or who had called him. There are so many things I don't know about him. And that is something that I imagine must change in our relationship. It's after 10:00 pm and I haven't heard from him. Should I call him? Will he be with her? I stare at the phone hesitating whether or not to call him. He told me he would. I must trust him.

I stare at the phone, calling me, from the bedside table. I need to hear his voice. I quickly reach out and pick up the phone. I take a breath before dialing his number. But after several rings I get voicemail and hang up.

After several attempts where the same thing happens, I pluck up my courage and when I get his voicemail I leave him a message.

—Hi Christian, I'm just calling to see how you are. From the way you left I imagine something important happened. I hope all is well. I miss you. I'm going to bed now. See you tomorrow? Let me know about the plans. —and that's it.

I put the phone back on the bedside table and go to sleep.

The next morning, my mood has not improved. I haven't heard from Christian all night and that worries me. I walk into the office and Kate greets me with a huge smile.

—I see you had a good night. —I tell her when I see how happy she is.

—You have no idea. How did your plans go? You were in high spirits at lunch yesterday.

—The plans were frustrated by a phone call. —I replied upset.

—What happened?

—I don't know, I just know that someone called him and he ran away quickly.

—Do you know who called him? —she asks me and for a moment I don't know whether to tell her.

—I shouldn't know, but I do. —I pause as I look at her. — Elena.

—Elena? And what does he have to do with Elena?

—They know each other, but I don't know from where, or what relationship they have with each other.

And that's something that is starting to worry me. I say goodbye to Kate and walk to my office. I knock on Elena's door to give her her coffee, but I get no answer on the other side. I open the door and take a look. Elena is not there. How strange. And much stranger that she hasn't informed me that she wasn't coming in today. My phone starts ringing and I reach for it running. But when I look at the screen I'm disappointed. It's not Christian. It's my boss.

—Good morning Elena.

—Hi Ana, I need you to postpone everything I have this week.

—Did something happen? —It's the first time Elena postpones something and for such a long time.

—A family situation.

—If you need me to do something for you, I'm here for you.

—Actually yes, I need you to do something for me.

I listen carefully to everything Elena asks of me and by noon I find myself exiting the elevator on a floor of New York Presbyterian Hospital. I approach the information desk to ask for directions.

—Good afternoon, Amelie O'Connor's room.

—Fourth room on the right. —she says with a smile.

I walk over and find Elena sitting outside the room with her head in her hands. I sit down next to her and place my hand on her shoulder. Elena raises her head and gives me a slight smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

—Thank you for coming Ana. Did you bring the documents I asked for?

—Yes, here they are. —I give her the papers she asked me to sign.

—How is your mother? —I ask her.

—She's fine, it was just a false alarm, but the doctors want to keep her here for a few days under surveillance.

I take a good look at her face as she signs the papers. It seems she hasn't slept at all. She looks exhausted and worn out. She finishes signing the papers and hands them to me.

—Thank you for coming, Ana.

—You're welcome. Is there anything you'd like me to help you with? I think you could use a couple of hours of rest. —I say, offering to keep her mother company while she rests for a while.

—Thank you Ana, someone is already keeping me company.

—I'm sorry I'm late, I went to get some lunch for you.

I close my eyes. It can't be. It can't be. Tell me I'm dreaming, or that I'm imagining it. Tell me it's not true. I slowly turn to where the voice is coming from.

—Ana! What are you doing here? —he's astonished to see me here. He wasn't expecting me.

And I can assure you that I wasn't expecting him either. For a moment, I wanted to believe that there was nothing going on between them, that I was imagining it all. But there's Christian. Standing in front of me with a bag of food for Elena. Christian doesn't react, he looks at me dumbfounded.

—I'd better go back, I have to prepare everything for tomorrow's interview. —I say goodbye to Elena with hardly a smile on my face.

I walk past Christian without looking at him. I swear, if he speaks to me right now, I'm going to do a lot more than punch him in his nether regions. He makes an attempt to speak but I cut him off before he starts.

—Don't you ever call me again. —I whisper angrily as I start walking down the hallway.

—Ana, let me explain! —he pulls my hand and makes me turn to him.

—I've heard that phrase a million times. No thanks. Yesterday everything became very clear when she called you and you ran away.

—You don't understand. —he didn't even deny it.

—What is there to understand? Everything has been very clear from the beginning. I'm a fool! —I unclench my grip on his hand and walk briskly to the elevator.

—Ana! —he shouts behind me, ignoring the fact that we are in a hospital.

I ignore him as I continue walking. I get to the elevator and insistently press the call button as if it will answer faster.

—You must listen to me. It's not what you imagine! There are many things I have to tell you about me that you don't know. —the elevator doors open and I step inside.

Christian tries to follow me.

—No!—I shout at him and he stops abruptly as if he's been hit by my shout. —This is over. Don't follow me, don't call me. Go tell your story to someone else.

The doors close and with it so does my heart, which begins to slowly shrink in pain. I try to hold back the tears, but it's impossible. Not when it's only been a few hours since I confessed my feelings to him.

I walk to my car. Even though I told him not to follow me, I don't know why I was hoping he would. But he doesn't. It's the first time I want someone to ignore my words. But he doesn't. And that just makes everything worse. It only confirms what I've been imagining for a while now. Between Elena and Christian there is something. And it goes far beyond a friendship, as he had led me to believe. I take my phone out of my bag, but he doesn't even call me.

Isn't that the typical reaction you expect from someone who is supposedly in love with you?

If he loved me, he would have ignored my words, he would have pursued me, he would be flooding my phone with calls and voicemails. Even knowing that it's possible that I might ignore them. But the fact that he does nothing only makes me feel worse.

The rest of the day at work, it sucks. I can't concentrate on anything. I can only think about one thing. Christian and Elena. Elena and Christian. I don't know how I'm going to get him out of my mind.

By 2:00 pm, I check my phone again hoping that I've turned it off and missed his messages and calls. But no. It has 89% charge and zero calls and messages from Christian.

It's time for me to leave and I still haven't heard from him. This is absurd. I slam my car door as I lean my head against the steering wheel. Why did I even think to tell him not to call me or follow me? Stupid, stupid, stupid! I say to myself as I angrily slam the steering wheel. I start the car and pull out into traffic as a light rain begins to fall. The rain reflects exactly how I feel. I know that sometimes I can be very stubborn and that I don't listen when I should. I stop at a stoplight as the rain increases in intensity. Should I have listened?

A car honks behind me. The light has changed and I still haven't moved. I get out of the light and change direction. I'm no longer going towards my apartment, I'm going in the opposite direction. I need answers to all the questions swirling around in my mind, and I know where I'm going to find them.