El Bruja (Guillermo)

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"I'm fine. Everything is fine."
Her voice wavered as she spoke through the door.
Soon after the door opened. She stood there, breathing deeply, her face strained.
"I'm fine."
Bull shit. She was not fine.
Rose suddenly threw her arms around him, and he breathed her in, noting how he knew that this was his Rose.
"I-I'm just really tired. Will you lay with me? I-"
He looked down at her coppery haired head, nestled against his chest. Guillermo sighed as he heard her swallow back tears.
"I'm just really tired." Rose repeated, her voice quiet.
"Of course I will, Rose. As long as you want."
He lead her back into his room and laid down, gripping her hand tightly.
Kissing her forehead, he grimaced a bit.
"We shouldn't have done that. You're overly tired and probably stressed. I should have made you sleep right away."
He glanced into her blue eyes.
"Te amo, Rose."

[ROSE MERCER]

"Of course I will, Rose. As long as you want." Rose didn't really want to move, but she didn't really want to stay in the hallway. She felt as if she were going to collapse from the weight of her exhaustion. But all the same, Rose seemed unable to be moved. Guillermo, thankfully, took the lead, pulling her back to the bedroom. As she crawled into the bed, her mind racing, she heard him apologize, another crushing blow. "We shouldn't have done that. You're overly tired and probably stressed. I should have made you sleep right away."

"No!" She weakly snapped, but kept it firm. "Don't be- Don't be sorry Guillermo. You didn't do anything wrong." She snuggled up to his chest, placing her head over his heart, letting the metronomic sound soothe her. "I should be sorry. I was acting like myself." She should have just died in the hospital. She should have never let Bruja into Guillermo's life. It had been selfish of Rose.

"It was selfish Rose. Because we ARE selfish." Rose's body tensed, her jaw clenching as she waited for Bruja to vanish. This was her and Guillermo's time, she had no business here. "We are not creatures meant for love, no matter how much we want it." Bruja spoke softly, dissipating in the room.

Guillermo spoke, making Rose's body go limp. "Te amo, Rose."

"Te Amo, Guillermo." She spoke softly, not trusting herself enough to raise her voice above a whisper. If she said it, like it was a secret, maybe she wouldn't start crying. "No hay que olvidar que, ¿de acuerdo? No importa lo que hago, pero recuerda que Te amo."

Her voice choked a little, as she told him, her eyes brimming again. Could she really do this? Yes, she had to! Bruja had threatened him, and it was obvious Rose wasn't in control here. What would be next? Would Rose have to witness Bruja hurting him, a prisoner in her own mind? If she could just get away, Rose could fix it, and then everything would be okay again. She just had to fix things. "Desde que he estado con ustedes, Guillermo, nunca he sido tan feliz. .... Sólo necesito que nunca hay que olvidar que Te amo. Incluso cuando hago algo estúpido o confuso. Pero no se olvide, está bien?" A tear dripped out of her eye, but Rose made no sound that she had not meant to make. No sniffling, no sobbing. She would stay strong, for him. Even if he didn't know it was for him. Even if he was going to hate her for what she had to do.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"No! Don't be- Don't be sorry Guillermo. You didn't do anything wrong." She snuggled up to his chest, placing her head over his heart. He stroked her hair, feeling confused.
"I should be sorry. I was acting like myself."
He shrugged. She was tired. It wasn't her fault.
"Te Amo, Guillermo." She spoke softly, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her.
"No hay que olvidar que, ¿de acuerdo? No importa lo que hago, pero recuerda que Te amo."
Rose's voice caught in her throat and he held her tighter.
"Te amo, Rose. Te quiero más que mi propia vida. Confío en usted más que nadie que yo haya conocido."
"Desde que he estado con ustedes, Guillermo, nunca he sido tan feliz. .... Sólo necesito que nunca hay que olvidar que Te amo. Incluso cuando hago algo estúpido o confuso. Pero no se olvide, está bien?"
Why was she talking like that? She spoke like she was saying goodbye. It positively terrified him.
"No hables así." He said, trying to hide the plea in his voice. She scared the hell out of him sometimes. But she loved him, and that was all he needed.

[ROSE MERCER]

More tears trickled quietly down Rose's cheek as he spoke, the guilt overwhelming her. But, besides the wetness forming on his chest, Guillermo had no indicators that she was crying. "Te amo, Rose. Te quiero más que mi propia vida. Confío en usted más que nadie que yo haya conocido." Rose wiped away the pool of tears forming, sniffing lightly, feeling like the biggest piece of shit on the face of the earth. But what else could she do? It almost seemed cruel of her to be here now, talking to him. But she needed to savor this. If she was truly selfish, which she even believed she was, Rose had to stay strong and keep this moment locked away in her heart forever. "No hables así."

Yes, she had to stop talking like this right now. He was smart, he would catch on. He would convince her not to take the course of action she was planning to take. "Okay." Her voice squeaked a little, but she forced it back in control. She wiped her face with her hands, the tears stinging her for whatever reason, and she looked up at him, offering a pitiful smile. Nice guys shouldn't have to deal with messes like Rose. Nice guys like him should be happy, not torn to bits. Her eyes started to well again, but she started to talk, forcing them back.

"When I was little, my Mama would tell me little stories to try and occupy me. She denies it, but I think it was really to try and convince me that love exists." Rose laughed a little, finding it a little ironic. "My favorite was about Princesa Roxana y el ladrón en frío." She scooted up, laying her head on top of his. It felt a little, to her, like she wanted him to hear her heart. Surly tomorrow he would believe she didn't have one, she could at least offer some proof. "There was this Princess, Roxana, who was born in some made up kingdom that speaks Spanish for some reason. And her parents loved her dearly, and appointed a Witch and a Warlock to be her Godparents, because they could giver her magical gifts. The Warlock was a kind, older, man. Her decided she was so beautiful that he would giver her eternal youth and life, so that the world could look upon her forever. I always thought he seemed a little shallow." Rose laughed again, lacing Guillermo's hair around her fingers. "The Witch was a sour, old woman, whose husband left her. Presumably for a hot and young little Enchantress or something, I don't know. Anyway, she decided, with the best intentions, that Roxana should have no heart, so that it could never be broken."

Rose envied Roxana a bit. It seemed like some sound reasoning, to be born without a heart. Rose kissed Guillermo on his head, stamping his citrusy smell to memory. "So Roxana lived, and was beautiful, and many suitors came. But she wanted nothing to do with them. As she got older, Roxana began to feel the sadness of not having a heart, and tried to fill it. So she would lure the suitors, and say a little spell to them."

"Yo como tu corazón.
Y robar su poder.
Usted no me puede resistir.
Por mi cara es demasiado dulce."

"And then she would eat there hearts, and she'd feel happy for a while." It, after all, was not a fairy tale without some good old cannibalism in it. "Well, Roxana continued to live, for many years, and she watched as her courtiers all died, and had no mind to replace them. So she locked herself away, and became content with her loneliness. And then El ladrón en frío came. He came at her while she slept, and held a knife to her neck, and asked for all her riches. She said she could have them all, if he could find where they were hidden away in her castle, and so he set off to work."

"He searched for days, room after room, and Roxana kept him company. They discussed many things. Her kingdom, his life, et cetera. Perhaps various allergies or what have you. At any rate, he soon stopped looking, and instead just occupied himself with talking with her." Rose hugged her El ladrón en frío, who had warmed to her for whatever reason. "And Roxana asked him one day: Frío, do you love me? And he said yes. And she told him to leave, for all those that love her were doomed to die. That she would have to eat his heart." Rose's eyes dripped a little, crying into Guillermo's hair, but she kept her voice steady. "And he said he would not leave, so, weeping, she began singing her little spell. But he interrupted her, before she could touch him with the blade and sang back to her."

"Te doy mi corazón.
Para que se han calentado, mi amor.
No es sólo su cara adoro.
A pesar de que es muy dulce."

Rose had to stop for a moment, to collect herself. She didn't know why this story was so important. It was just a little yarn her Mother had spun for her, so long ago, to keep a young Rose from bitching about not having a television like the other kids. "And, with some sort of awesome mega coincidental timing, the Warlock and the Witch watched as their God daughter wept for having to kill this poor boy who loved her so, and they decided to take away there gifts. She would age, and get old, but she also had a heart to give to whomever she liked. And so, they married and lived happily ever after." Rose held Guillermo close, resting her chin on top of his head.

If only Rose's witch could afford that sort of kindness.

"Sorry, didn't mean to go all Mother Goose on you." Rose replied distantly, her eyes falling shut as she took in the moment. Right now, there was no tomorrow. There was only this, only him and her.

Princesa Roxana y El Ladrón en Frío.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

Guillermo listened to her story with mixed emotions.
His mind played out the scene of the lovely, less worn Maria, tucking her light haired, wide eyed daughter into bed. The vision morphed into a castle tower, overlooking a town in a valley. A coppery-brown haired goddess stood by the window, gazing out somberly. The scene flashed to a masked man holding a knife to the beautiful girl's neck, then to the two searching the castle. The dark skinned, brown haired man took his mask off, chatting with her. The woman sobbing, nearly cutting out the heart of the man who loved her.
That part concerned him, paying close attention to the way the man's face was determined, but soft. He was so in love with the princess, so much that he didn't care if she would hurt him.
"Sorry, didn't mean to go all Mother Goose on you."
He shrugged at her, snuggling closer, kissing her neck lightly.
"I liked your story. Especially the ending. I didn't used to think someone could live happily ever after. I used to laugh at it. But I'm starting to think it's possible."
He muttered before kissing her and letting his eyes droop shut, falling asleep quickly.

[ROSE MERCER]

"I liked your story. Especially the ending. I didn't used to think someone could live happily ever after. I used to laugh at it. But I'm starting to think it's possible." Her chest quivered as he fell asleep, trying to hold in her sobs til he was in a deep sleep. The tears trickled steadily out of her blue eyes.

It wasn't fair, it just wasn't fair. Rose finally found someone she loved, who loved her, who wanted nothing from her but her love in return, and she had to give him up.

But it was to save him, right? That made it less terrible! If Rose could just keep him away, at least long enough to get rid of Bruja, then he would be safe. And maybe... maybe she could explain, or at least make up a likely story, when Bruja was gone, and they could be together again.

She laid with him there, holding him tightly, listening to his gentle snore. "I love you, Guillermo. Just... don't forget." She whispered after a while, kissing him gently, careful not to wake him. First she gathered her cloths, trying to find every single piece, the tears never stopping. Then she stalled a bit, watching Guillermo sleep, which he seemed to do soundly. But the sun was starting to set, and he would wake from his nap soon. Rose grabbed a little picture of them, both looking so happy. They had gotten a cute little asian tourist couple to take the picture, there smiles were wide, discernible despite the poor picture quality. Grabbing a sharpe, she wrote quickly:

She never planned to call. Well, not soon at least. Not until Rose was sure Bruja couldn't hurt him. She placed the photo on her side of the bed, kissing Guillermo on the forehead, before grabbing her cloths and leaving.

When she reached her apartment, she looked around, a little stunned at what she had done.

She could... she could go back. Throw away the picture before he sees. Try and get better control of Bruja! "No, Rose. Let him go. Just... let him go, pet."