Luís was standing behind me as I was opening the door to my apartment in New York. He had insisted on coming with me when I wanted to get some clothes. Oliver was still living in that apartment and I tried to avoid him as long as I possibly could. Of course, he had tried talking to me and he had let me feel how angry he was that I hadn't gone home with him. Whenever he had called me and I had answered, I had put him on speaker, so my brother could hear how Oliver was treating me. "I don't understand why you're not breaking up with him. Kick him out." he said, as I took the first step into the apartment. "I can't as long as he doesn't have a job." I gave back. We were entering the hallway slowly. Even though I knew Oliver was at soccer practice like every Wednesday morning, I was careful. "You can. He has enough friends to stay with." my brother argued against me. "No, I can't. He already hit me because I ran into Benito at the store. Imagine what he is gonna do when I break up with him." I told him and started looking through the rooms to make sure that we were alone. "Don't worry about that. I won't let him touch you ever again." Luís tried to convince me. "But you're not with me 24 hours a day. What if he waits for me at work?" I countered causing my brother to sigh loudly. "So you want to stay with him forever?" he asked. "I have no other option." I responded. A wave of sadness washed over me because I started to realise how fucked I was. "Yes, you do." Luís said sternly. "I don't, besides, I'm too old to find someone else. I'm tired of getting to know people." I told him and suppressed the tears that were brimming in my eyes. "Too old? Some people don't find their significant other until they're like in their 50s, so you got plenty of time." my brother said. "I want kids one day, Luís." I countered and started walking towards the bedroom at the end of the hallway. My brother was following me through the apartment like a lost puppy. "Nena, you're beautiful inside and out, you don't have to worry about not finding someone." he mumbled as I entered the bedroom. "Unless I get married and pregnant right away, I won't be able to have children anymore by the time that I meet someone new." I gave back. My voice was cracking because I hated that thought and so I would've rather stayed with Oliver than start over. "Who says that you have to meet someone new? You know plenty of great guys already." Luís said, then let himself fall onto the bed. "Like who?" I questioned, grabbing the big bag in the top shelf of the closet. "Felix is nice and he shares hobbies with you." he suggested. "Yeah, but Felix is married." I gave back, then I put the bag onto the bed next to him. "Then what about Thomas?" Luís asked. He was obviously going through all my male co-workers now. "If I was a man, he would probably date me." I answered, turning back around to put some clothes into the bag. "Damn it... and Christopher?" he asked, sounding desperate. I shook my head in response and pointed at my left ring finger. "Also married." I told him. "Alright and Bernie or Bysael?" he desperately suggested. I shot him a look because it was absurd to suggest these two. "First of all, both of them have girlfriends and second of all, they're both like little brothers to me." I argued against it and grabbed a stack of hoodies from one of the shelves. "And Benito?" Luís asked, causing me to pause what I was doing. "What about him?" I counter questioned. "Is he not an option?" my brother wanted to know and I could feel his eyes on me. He wanted to see my reaction, so I tried to play it cool. "Did you forget that he didn't want me anymore?" I said instead of giving him an actual answer. "No, I didn't" Luís mumbled. 

About an hour later, we were still in the bedroom of my apartment. I had just finished packing the bag, when we heard the front door unlock. Immediately, I stared at my brother. I was scared because I hadn't seen Oliver since he had assaulted me. It wouldn't take long for him to come into the bedroom. My fiancé didn't know that I was back in New York and I hadn't planned on telling him either. In the second that Oliver walked into the room and spotted us, I could see his face turn red. He was mad and didn't hold back with letting Luís and me know. "Look who decided to finally come home." he commented through gritted teeth. Luís immediately got up from the bed and stepped in front of me. "Did you have fun?" Oliver then asked and let his bag fall onto the floor. "I helped a friend through a hard time. Wouldn't consider that fun." I responded. Oliver glanced at me, his eyes full with anger. "Could you let me talk to your sister in private?" he asked my brother who refused to move. Luís shook his head, reaching for my arm. "I'm not gonna ask again." Oliver said directed at my brother who then looked at me from the side. I feared that if Luís didn't do what he was saying, he would let it out on him and I definitely didn't want that, so I nodded towards him. Luís' face told me that he would've rather died than leave me alone with my fiancé. After a few more moments of staring at Oliver, my brother gave in and started walking outside. As soon as the main door closed behind him, my fiancé turned to me. "No, Oliver, please don't." I whispered stepping back from him. This man didn't love me and had trapped me with him and if I wouldn't leave soon, he would be the death of me.