Lovina let out a shrill scream, grabbing the closest item to her- an unopened box of tampons- and chucked it toward the door. She blindly retreated into the bathroom and slammed the door, screaming incoherently.
"Ouch! What was that for?"
"Get the fuck out of my house! Get out!"
Ouside the bathroom door, a muffled sort of groan was heard. "That actually really hurt. You got me just above the eye. And were those tampons?"
Lovina stayed silent, trying to slow her breathing. She crouched against the back corner wall, drawing her pajama-clad legs close to her chest. Her eyes were wide with fear. After a few minutes, the door was knocked. She trembled slightly at the sound, trying to sort her thoughts.
"Lovi, I've got your tampons… would you like them back?"
"A-antonio?"
"Si?"
Lovina let out a slow breath. "You've got to be shitting me…"
The voice outside the door paused. "I didn't catch that, cariño, could you repeat it?"
All of a sudden, Lovina lunged to her feet, flinging the door open and shoving Antonio back before he could fall in. "Fuck you! I said fuck you, god dammit!"
The tall man in the hallway stumbled back. His emerald eyes blinked in surprise. Brunette curls bounced slightly as he took a step backwards. He'd forgotten just what a spitfire the little Italian could b. Faced with the growing rage of the love of his life, his mind short-circuited. Instead of the witty response he'd had prepared, his tongue ran without his permission, laced in a thick Spanish accent.
"Is that my sweatshirt?"
The anger on Lovina's face melted into disbelief. She stared up at him with wide hazel eyes. "What?"
"You're wearing my sweatshirt, cariño."
Lovina glanced down for a moment, then back up at him. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response. Why are you here?"
"You invited me in. So you could slit my throat, remember?"
"But how the hell did you get in?"
Antonio reached under the collar of his shirt, pulling out a gold key on a thread. "I never got rid of the key. It isn't much, but it's really the only thing of yours I've had to hold onto…"
Lovina's gaze hardened, even as her posture slackened. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Why… why would you keep something like that?"
Her ex-boyfriend shrugged. "Like I said, it's one of the only things I have from you. I… I wanted something to remember you by."
She frowned, but it was quickly replaced by a wounded look. Wearily, she leaned against the doorway and ran a hand through her hair. "Why the key, idiot? If you'd have asked back in June, I would've given you something more meaningful."
"I know it's really cheesy, but I used to pretend that the key didn't just take me to your apartment, but to your heart. Besides, I kept a picture of you on my nightstand and another in my wallet. My planner for work is the turtle-print one you bought me before I left. Your picture is both the background and the screensaver on my computer. Alvarez always picked at me about how I had my room arranged- it was exactly like yours. I just… I wanted to be as close to you as I could, especially when I was so far away."
Lovina made a small sound, halfway between a scoff and a sob. She pressed a hand to her mouth, shaking her head. "I can't believe it. Your idiot ass really is back."
"For good, cariño."
"Really?"
"I'm sure of it. Other than visits back to Spain, of course. I belong here. With you. If… if you'll allow it."
"And if I don't?" Lovina shoved past him, struggling to keep herself composed. Antonio followed her to the bedroom, where she began to rifle through her closet.
"I'll beg you. I-"
He was cut off as a pair of slippers smacked him in the face, flowed by a small blanket.
"Shut the hell up already!" Lovina snapped. She stood in front of him, hands planted firmly on her hips. Her hazel eyes flashed, somewhat angrily. Her hair was falling from the loose bun, accenting her distress. "What right do you have to beg me? You're an ass. You cut off contact with me! If you hated me that fucking much, you could have just told me we were over. Do you know how damn much you hurt me? It fucking hurt. It dragged on for months. I felt like I was dying inside." She sniffed, trying and failing to hold back tears. She flung her hands up in defeat. "Felicia noticed before I did. She and everyone else kept bugging me about it. Eventually I knew you wanted nothing more to do with me. I mean, for all I know, you found some Spanish whore and ran off with her! She'd be prettier, anyway. Less awkward and just.. better in every way possible. I'm a piece of shit, after all. I was going to take Toio and Lia back, but then I-"
"Who?"
Lovina paused, looking at him in a disoriented fashion. "What?"
"Believe me, I've much to say on everything else, but first.. who are Toio and Lia?"
"Oh."
Lovina scuffed her foot on the floor, wiping at her tears. She cast a furtive look toward her bed. Following her gaze, Antonio caught sight of a large fishtank that seemed to have been remodeled for something other than fish. A small movement made him look toward the corner of the tank. He caught his breath and walked over. Lovina trailed behind, frowning at the floor.
"Serbatoio and Conchiglia are my turtles."
A small smile came across Antonio's stressed features. He reached into the tank, lightly brushing a finger against one of the tiny shells.
"I thought you hated turtles."
"I do."
"So why do you have two? Not to mention, two adorable babies!"
Lovina flushed a pale pink, despite her distress. "They were going to be your birthday present. I got them in January. I almost took them back when I realized that you're a major sack of shit. But I couldn't do it. Especially not to Toio. The little devil is kinda cute…"
After a moment, Antonio straightened up and turned to face her. "I might be a sack of shit, Lovina, but you aren't. I really wish you would stop comparing yourself to people. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, no matter where I go. I can't find anyone to compare. You are perfection, uttermost perfection, and what I did was wrong. I never should have-"
Realizing where he was taking the conversation, Lovina cut him off. She backed up, shaking her head. "I don't want to hear it. You're a son of a bitch and I don't want to listen to it. I don't want to have to see you anymore. You're an ass. I really just don't care if you meant to or not. It hurt. It fucking hurt. And we aren't together anymore. We won't be. Not after the hell I was dragged though. So just… give me the key and get out."
A wounded look came across Antonio's face as he looked down at Lovina. "Lovi, please, just listen to me for a moment!"
"No! A-and don't call me that! No one calls me Lovi, damn it, my name is Lovina!"
Antonio studied her pained face, looking hurt. With a heart heavy as lead, he pulled the key over his head. For the first time in over a year, he didn't wear it hung around his neck. The Spaniard clutched the key in his hand, swallowed to hide the tightness in his throat, and nodded.
"Alright. Okay, Lovi… Lovina… I understand."
He took her small hand and pressed the key into it. With his other hand, he reached up and brushed hair behind her ear. She flinched away from his touch, eyes sparkling with growing tears.
"Go," she whispered, voice strained, "Get out. Just go. Please."
With one last look into her tear-filled eyes, he left. Standing in the bedroom, Lovina listened to his footsteps making their way through the apartment. The door opening. The door closing. Trembling, Lovina sank to the floor. She let out an involuntary whimper, thumping her head back against the wall. Her body suddenly registered that her heart had been ripped to shreds. She let out a scream, curling into a ball and sobbing herself to sleep.