MI Amor

Chapter 1: When one door is left slightly open

"So if I told you to give it all up right now you would?"

They were at a stalemate. The weight of their words lingering in the air making it hard to breathe for both of them.

"That's not fair Mia."

"This isn't fair Levi. You want me to change everything for you but I can't. The same way you can't. You want me to understand so badly from your point of view but you refuse to listen to reason."

"You're going to the extreme. This is my career my dream you can't ask me to give that up it's ridiculous."

"I'm not asking you to! I would never do that."

"You literally just did Mia! Do you not hear yourself!"

She couldn't stop the tears from falling.

How had they gotten to this point. She never would have believed it if you had told her a year ago. This man wasn't the Levi she once knew this was a stranger. The Levi she met would never have looked at her with such anger. The last few months she had felt so alone she couldn't survive another fight.

She took a second to compose herself blinking away tears before speaking.

"I wasn't asking you to. I asked if me asking would change how you felt about everything you have now."

"No it wouldn't. You know how important this is to me."

She gave him a sad smile.

"I do. I would never ask because I want what's best for you. I know how far you've come and how far you will go. I just wanted you to understand how I feel being asked to give myself up for you."

His face softened his eyes filling with remorse. Mia had to look away. This time she couldn't break. She had to stand her ground.

"Miamor, I'm sorry."

She shook her head willing him to stop. Her tears falling as she stared at the wall. She held herself trying not to let out a sob. This would never change. He would never change. She had to put herself first.

"We can't keep doing this Levi. I can't keep doing this."

"Mia please I said I'm sorry I'll work on not being so busy all the time I promise."

That wasn't the root of this argument and yet again he had missed the whole point. She never cared if he was busy. She was busy too. She had classes and friends and family. She wanted balance. She wanted to be taken into account. Every moment he was free she had to stop everything she was doing to be with him. She had to be everywhere he wanted her to be and nowhere he didn't. Yet if she asked him for a moment of his free time that he didn't want to spare it was a fight every time. She loved him but it wasn't enough.
She inched herself closer to the door not daring to look at him.

"I'm sorry Levi. This is done. I'll get my things when you're not here. I'm sorry for starting your trip on a bad note."

She rushed out the door not bothering to close it behind her since she knew he'd be running towards it anyway.

"Mi amore!" he called out holding on to the door frame.

The way he called after her begging her to come back was once something that would make her heart race it meant that he cared but this time it made her stomach drop. This was the first time he hadn't chased her and scooped her into a hug. As she rushed out of the building his voice echoed in her head. That's the last time she'd hear him call her that. It felt like a knife being twisted inside her after every step she took. She prayed that when she was able to pull the knife out the wound wouldn't bleed for long.