It was all just a D R E A M (Tinner)

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

"No, not yet. Five more minutes."
Her voice was muffled, vibrating against his chest gently. She was so beautiful. He wanted to stay there forever and let her lay on him. He could die right here, perfectly content.
Guillermo smiled sadly, sighing.
Rose sat up, giving a small yawn.
"Wh-what time is it? I didn't mean to kidnap your bed, Man. My bad."
She shot him a sleepy, sheepish grin.
His stomach lurched.
Why did he have to do this to her?
Rose looked at him with a peculiar expression on her face.
"You okay?"
He closed his eyes, attempting to collect himself.
He had to hurt her. He couldn't give away anything in his eyes or voice. He couldn't touch her. He had to make this count.
Anything to keep her safe.
"No, Rosaline. I'm not."
He hated himself. He was surely going to be dragged to the deepest pit of hell for this. Guillermo stood, glaring at her forcibly. He raised his voice, attempting to appear angry.
"Look, I'm.. I'm sick of this. I can't do this anymore. The constant mood swings are giving me whiplash. What, do you have multiple personality disorder? I'm tired of you being a bitch to me one day then coming and crying all over me the next!"
He paused, seemingly trying to catch his breath, but really making sure his voice didn't crack from the pain of his lies.
"You're using me! And I don't want to be your stupid little cushion to fall back on, every time things don't go your way! I'm done! I quit! I quit being your coworker, I quit being your friend, I quit being your fuck buddy. I quit.. Whatever it was that we were together. I want you to leave."
He looked away from her so his dark eyes couldn't betray him as they plead for her to realize the lie.
"I'm serious. Get the hell out of my apartment and my life. I don't need you and I certainly don't want you."
His voice wavered at the end of his sentence.
He had never lied so much in his life.
Guillermo silently begged to die on the spot.
He looked at the corner of his room, thinking hard.
Life wasn't worth living without her.
"I don't love you, Rose."
His voice was softer now. The way her name sounded on his lips was like heaven. He nearly hoped she could hear the contradiction there.

[ROSE MERCER]

Rose's stomach churned. It was that awful feeling, that creeping dread. Like when your standing on a corner while a horrific car accident takes place, and your helpless to stop it. Something awful was about to happen. She could feel it. "No, Rosaline. I'm not." Rosaline? Rose opened her mouth to inquire further, but no words came out.

Not that she needed words. He carried on none-the-less. "Look, I'm.. I'm sick of this. I can't do this anymore. The constant mood swings are giving me whiplash. What, do you have multiple personality disorder? I'm tired of you being a bitch to me one day then coming and crying all over me the next!" Rose watched as he regressed. Except, when they had fought before, it was her complaining about him. Guillermo had always excepted her brutal tongue lashings patiently, and when he would lose patience, he would simply leave. He certainly had never spoken to her like this. Not so well thought out, not so precise. It was painful. Not because she didn't think she deserved it. In fact, Rose had been counting herself lucky that it hadn't happened thus far. But, there it went, she had finally pushed him too far.

Rose reached out to him, before his next words caught her movement short. "You're using me! And I don't want to be your stupid little cushion to fall back on, every time things don't go your way! I'm done! I quit! I quit being your coworker, I quit being your friend, I quit being your fuck buddy. I quit.. Whatever it was that we were together. I want you to leave." Rose's eyes stung, but there was no trace of anger in her. For once, Rose had no anger to give. Her hand dropped, with her eyes, as she stared at her knee, shamed. Her throat quivered, trying to work on some words to say, to stop this. But what right did she have. "I'm serious. Get the hell out of my apartment and my life. I don't need you and I certainly don't want you." Stung, Rose looked at him, as his face was pointed to the corner of the room. She disgusted him to the point that he couldn't even look at her. She nodded slowly, getting off the bed.

His voice softened, but it was no less waspish in her ears. "I don't love you, Rose." Rose held her back to him, as she forced herself not to cry. Not out of pride. Hell, that was gone. No, she didn't want to make this worse for him. She didn't want to try and manipulate him, to pull on the strings of his tender heart.

Slowly, she removed his cloths, putting back on the tasteful black dress of mourning. How suiting. As she zipped up the dress, Rose turned her head, speaking in a soft, slightly shakey voice. "I'm sorry. It... it was never my intention to hurt you Guillermo. If you think nothing else good about me, try to remember that." Folding the borrowed cloths, she placed them on the bed, forcing herself to stare at the ground. "I promise, I won't bother you anymore. I'm s-sorry." Her voice cracked, as she turned away from him, and walked out the door.

A life without Guillermo.

What an empty life that would be.

Her heart breaking as she gathered her things, she left the apartment, tears trickling down her cheek as she entered her own domain, where she finally let herself be taken by her own sadness.

It was over. He was done with her.

And it was all her fault.

[GUILLERMO SALAS-ORTIZ]

He half expected her to yell back at him. It would be better that way. Then at least she might talk herself through and realize his facade.
Instead she got up and dressed in her own clothes silently, folding the borrowed ones and setting them down.
Her words took Guillermo by surprise.
He looked at her face and instantly regretted it as he saw the hurt he had caused.
"I'm sorry. It... it was never my intention to hurt you Guillermo. If you think nothing else good about me, try to remember that."
I think everything good about you.
You could kill someone and I would still love you.
There is nothing that could change my viewpoint of you.
I know you never wanted to hurt me.
I'm sorry for lying.
"I promise, I won't bother you anymore. I'm s-sorry."
Her voice broke and he squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the protest rising in his throat.
She left without another word.
Guillermo felt a tear slide down his cheek.
"I love you, Rose."
His voice was barely a whisper.
He got off his bed when he heard the front door shut and knelt in the corner of the room. There, he lifted up the loose carpeting and a floorboard that was just barely held down. He withdrew his black pistol and stared at it for a moment.
Guillermo loaded it slowly, then closed it up and ran his thumb lightly over the brand name "Smith & Wesson M&P45."
After sitting motionless for a while, he put the .45ACP caliber gun back where he had hidden it.
He would be ready. It would be there when he needed it.
Crossing back over to his bed, he collapsed and let the emotions overtake him then. He sobbed for a while, then found himself unable to cry anymore. Guillermo sat up. What would crying do? It couldn't make that part of Rose's mind decide to up and disappear, leaving her untouched.
He loved her.
So much.
Pain in his chest doubled him over, so he laid on the mattress, enduring.
His father was braver than he gave him credit for.