Chapter 14. Mi Vida

Her eyes were closed as he sucked on her neck's flesh. They had traveled from one side of the kitchen the other and Tristan now had Rory pinned up against a counter.

"Tristan," she moaned, "we have to stop."

He showed no sign of comprehension. Instead, he traveled down to her collar bone and kissed there.

"Come on," she tried to reason. She gently pushed him away, but only to the point where he couldn't kiss her.

He begged her with his eyes. She retorted back with her own. He backed away, but still had her in his arms.

"You wanted something to eat?" he asked, acting like this hadn't interrupted them at all.

She smiled; her eyes sparkled. God, he could get lost in those perfect jewels.

"Yes, I wanted something to eat."

"Well, the restaurant is open for business."

"Good, now, I'd like some bacon, please, kind sir." She said in an accent.

"Well, mi lady, I'll try my best to make your wishes come true."

"Oh, my god!" She shifted out of his arms.

"What!" he asked. This was the second time that night she had scared him into thinking she needed to go suddenly.

"Ron…"

"He doesn't know…"

"No – I need to call him, to not pick me up tomorrow."

"Oh… well, the phone's-"

"No, I'll do it on my cell. He goes crazy when I call from other people's houses."

He nodded. His eyes turned dark. He turned on the hall light, signaling for her to go to his room and get her own phone. She did.

After a while, he went up there himself, no food prepared for either of them. He walked in on their conversation. She was pacing.

"God, Ron, I told you I was at Paris's…" she walked to the left, "Yes! I've only tried to tell you for the last…" to the right. "Why don't you fucking believe me?" She stopped and Tristan witnessed her own eyes grow shady and watched her bite her lip. "Yeah, I'll see you at school."

For the first time, she looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. He walked up to her hesitantly and enveloped her in a hug, trying his hardest to protect her, protect them. She gave into him.

-(Later)-

They were lying on his bed, him in just his boxers, and her in just herpanties. His alarm clock went off.

She moaned.

"I'm sorry; I have to go take a shower."

Another grumble on his chest. He chuckled a little.

"Why are you laughing?" she mumbled so softly, still in her dream state.

"Nothing, mi vida, I just need to take a shower," he said back to her.

"No…" she tightened her arms around his stomach.

"I have to…. You don't want me to smell, do you?"

She then loosened her grip and removed her head from his body. He kissed her forehead and left the bed.

-

Rory awoke to an empty bed. This was new. She squinted to look around the room. Nothing of importance. Nothing of value.

"Tristan?" she called out, softly. "Tristan?"

No answer.

Her lips pursed together and she sat up. At that time, the door to the bathroom opened.

She exhaled the breath she had been holding in.

"Hey," he said with a small smile. And when he saw her face relax, he asked, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and let her mouth's edge to curve up. "I just thought… it's stupid."

He, with his towel around his waist, went over to her and sat next to her on the bed, facing her. His eyes pressured on her.

She finally gave up. "I thought you'd left me," looking down at her hands in her lap.

He had to chuckle. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, maybe you had found out how much a waste of time I am, found someone better."

"You know, I don't think that's possible." He started to go toward her.

"You don't?" she smiled fully now, also leaning into him.

"Nope." He closed the distance and she allowed him to enter her mouth, like he had done numerous times.

"I love when you do that," Rory whispered to him, their foreheads touching.

"I love that you can feel that way."

"I didn't mean to sound selfish…" she put her guard up.

"No, no, I didn't take it like that," he tried, "I just meant that I'm glad I can make you happy."

Her eyes hardened, but only a little bit, as if she was in thought. "Is that what this is…?"

He stayed quiet as she got out of the bed and started to dress in the clothes that he had given her the night before. She got a few feet away and faced him.

Rory shrugged her shoulders, "I guess it's been so long, I've forgotten what happiness was…?"

He broke. Stood. Shaking his head, "Don't say that…"

"No, Tristan, it's real. Before you came, I thought every relationship was like that. Everyone had their rough spots. Now, I put myself to shame… thinking like that."

He walked toward her and wrapped her up in himself. He hated to see her like this. So… uncomfortable… with everything going on.

He leant back, but just enough to see her eyes. "You know you can stop this. All it takes is one phone call, that's it."

She escaped from his touch suddenly, and scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "Don't ask me to do that. You know I can't do that. You know. Why would you say that? What the hell is wrong with you?" Tears were now coming out of her eyes as she stood in front of him, having a breakdown.

He didn't know what to do. Crying girls he didn't know, he could handle. But Rory… she was different. He couldn't just fuck them and leave, hoping he'd made their day. No… he knew that he needed to stay… he wanted to stay. He couldn't go through the day, knowing that he wasn't helping her.

"You're right. I don't know what I was thinking." He stayed at his position. He knew when to leave a girl alone, and this was one of these times.

She then looked up at him, her eyes softened to their normal state again. "Tristan," she hesitated, "I don't think just having sex is going to deal with this. I need… more. I need someone that I can talk to… someone that'll listen… and not turn it in…"

"I can do that."

She touched her hand to his cheek. "I don't know if you can…"

It was his time to get confused. "Rory, don't let him do this to you! Don't you see? He's brainwashing you…! And for what I can see, you're taking it. You're buying his crap that he's the only one you can have. Look at me – look at me!" he gestured. "I'm here! I'm here, wanting to help you, and you're just pushing me away! This is what he wants. Don't you see? I'm here."

He noticed now that she wasn't looking at him, but he stayed away. She needed to know. He wasn't about to apologize.

"Please don't yell at me," she said thought her tears, barely audible.

He approached her, cupping her cheek in his hand, taking the water touching it. "What has he done to you, Rory?"

She looked up at him for the first time after his rant. Still crying, "I don't know," she shrugged.

She plunged into his arms, wanting to feel him so bad. She needed to get away. She just had no idea how to do it.

-

"So, where were you last night?"

"I told you, I was a Paris's."

He had abducted her from the hallway, and pulled her into their now empty first period class. Rory had made Tristan drop her off around the corner of the school so that Ron, if he just happened to be there, would not see them. She also didn't want someone telling him through the grapevine.

He forwarded to her. "You know, with you, I never know when you're telling the truth. So I make it so I know. Paris, you know, the one that you said you were spending the night with, had no idea what I was talking about when I called her last night." He slapped her. "How do you explain that, huh?"

She tried to tuck her head in her shoulder, restricting him from looking at her. But he made her look back at him.

She stressed, "I was… at a friend's house."

He hit her again. "Would this be the same friend that you've been seeing quite a bit lately?"

"Yes, it would."

And he slapped her again. "Whoever it is is going to leave you. You're incapable of loving. You don't deserve it. I'm the only one that will take you. The only one that will give up my valuable time and be with you. This person won't be around for long. You can count on it."

He hit her a couple of more times, then the bell rang. As people entered the room, he sauntered back to his seat, leaving her.

"Miss Gilmore?"

She finally came out of her reverie. "Yes?" she answered the teacher, standing in front of her.

"Would you like to go to your seat and get away from mine?"

The class giggled as she dragged her feet back to her assigned chair. Tristan eyed her. This was going to be one hell of a day. Year. Life.

A/N: I love the Phantom of the Opera. I just go the soundtrack to it. It's so good! I'm seeing it for the fifth time this weekend. I love it.

Review please. I haven't been getting reviews lately. Like, any.

Paige