Between Love and Hate - Capitulo 11

Capitulo 11

"Maria, mija. Open your eyes." Maria heard her mom, Teresa, ask her.
"Mom, what's going on? I had the worst dream."
"Oh, mija. It wasn't a dream. I'm so sorry. I really wish it wasn't." Teresa started to cry.
"On, mama, don't cry. It's gonna be OK. I know it is. He doesn't know where I am or who I am now."
"I'm so afraid"
"Don't be. I'm not. See, I'm perfectly fine. He can't hurt me anymore. I had training IF he finds me."Maria was looking for something to distract her mom with."Besides, I have two hot strong guys that are willing to fight for me, well, they can fight WITH me too."
"What two guys? You never tell me anything. And don't think that you distracted me from thinking about him, I'm still going to worry."
"OK, mama. You just worry, but it's pointless to do so. Regardless, the two guys are just new friends that I met at Trauma. Scratch that, one of them is a guy that I met at Trauma, the other one is a friend from school. They're nothing special, mama."
"Are you sure, honey? Maybe they could be?"
"Mama, they're nothing more to me than friends, and I'm nothing more to them than a friend. That won't change." Maria immediately thought about Chris and the kisses that they shared together. She melted.
"Mama, I have to go to work."
"No, you're not going to work. I'm not letting you out of this house."
"Mama, you have to let me go. We need the money and besides, I'll be more secure at Trauma than I will be at home. You know how safe the security system is at Vera's."
"OK, you can go. But I want you to call me every half an hour. If you don't, I'm coming down there."
"Fine, mom."
"Don't mom me, it's mama"
"Fine, mama. I'll see you later tonight OK?"
"You better." Teresa said as she gave her daughter a kiss.

"Esme? Are you there? Open the door." Maria said as she waited outside of Trauma.
"I'm here. Sorry, I was in the back and was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't hear you calling. Are you all right?" Esme came out breathless.
"I'm fine Esme. Don't worry about me."
"OK, well then get inside and start to work. We just got a new shipment from Vera and we need to organize it. Luckily we're not expecting many people today."
"OK, let me just leave my things by the cash register and then I'll come help."


"Maria, will you get that. I'm stuck in these beaded shirts and can't get out" Esme called out from the far back.
"Yeah, I'll get it. Don't worry."
It took Maria a couple of minutes to get through all the boxes and hangers but she finally reached the register and looked at the screen which broadcasted the camera outside the main door.
She couldn't help but smile. Even though her life is a personal hell since this afternoon, Chris still made her smile.
She went to the door and opened it.
"You know, if you make it a habit of opening the doors so late, I'll stop coming here." Chris said as soon as he saw Maria.
"I'm sorry, it took me a while to get out of the back room. Hi Chris! Hi Harry!"
"Hi, Maria. Is Esme here?" Harry asked her. She saw his eyes light up when she said that she was in the back room and that if he didn't mind, he could go in the back and ask if she needed help.
"You know, we should do something to bring those two together. They have eyes for each other and everyone except them can tell." Maria said to Chris as he brought her closer to him.
"Yeah we should. But first, I want to say 'Hi'."
"But you already said it." Maria said even though she knew what was going to happen.
"Well, I want to say it differently." Chris said as he kissed Maria.
They stood there for a long time before Maria heard the bell ring.
"Damn it" she whispered "let me just go check who it is and I'll be back."
"OK. You know, if you want to quit and send time with me that's completely OK with me." Chris said as Maria walked to the register.
"Yeah, that sounds great. Except I need th........" Maria's blood ran cold in her veins. She didn't feel the calm and knew that she was not going to faint.
"Maria? What's wrong? Who is it? Is it that Paul kid?"
"Maria, why aren't you answering the bell." She heard Esme ask as she came in the front room with Harry trailing behind her.
"What's wrong with her, Chris?" Harry asked from behind Esme.
"I don't know. Maria, bebe. Who is it? Do you know that guy? Is that your dad? He looks just like you."
Maria noticed that the three of them had come to see the little TV.
"Yeah, that's him. Do not let him in here. Please don't." And then she broke down and started sobbing while the sound of the bell and soon the sound of something hitting the door forcefully rang around them.