Nothing

"Okay, this is like the fifth time you look at me like that. What is it?" I couldn't help but notice the way Ana kept side-eyeing me. What I do this time?

"Nothing." She says, in a tone that clearly signaled something.

"What?" Insisting she tell me. I always did wish she would just say whatever the hell was on her mind. I never could tell what was up with her ninety percent of the time.

She gives me the look again.

"Really?" "What is it!" I said, springing up from the couch, throwing my hands in air. Now I was annoyed. She was laying on the love seat on the right of the living room. I moved closer and noticed she was holding onto something. She had it too tucked under the blanket she was gripping for me to even make out what it was.

"What is that?" I asked, in the calmest tone I could manage. And of course, she answers, "nothing".

I took a deep breath before I allowed myself to become too irritated. Whatever she was holding, must have been the reason for her weird behavior. I walked over and sat beside her, lifting her legs onto my lap. As I ask her what's wrong again, she face-plants me with a book before I could even finish my sentence.

"Seriously?" I yell, as she jumps up off the couch. I look down to see a little black book in my lap. My heart quickly stopped once I realized what it was. "Damn it." I uttered.

Ana stormed out the room. This was the angriest I had ever seen her. No words could properly escape my mouth in that moment. My words escaped me as fast as she did.

Anxiously caressing the book, I sat wondering what explanation I could possibly give her. It's as if the room caved and grew smaller. The filter from the fish tank across the room suddenly seemed as loud as a vacuum, while the hand on the old clock on the wall seemed to click in sync with every breath I took.

As I continued twirling the small book around, tracing its edges, my train of thought returned from its departure. Again, I contemplated the right thing to say.

Still, nothing. I knew I fucked up.

I got up, still holding the book in my hand, and slowly made my way to the kitchen. I walked in to find Ana standing against the counter, watching the teapot come to a loud steam. Still, saying nothing.

"Hey", trying to sound as endearing as possible.

She gives me a death stare.

"That book means nothing," I say as I slowly make my way over to her. I could tell she was almost ready to blow up from everything she really wanted to say, from the way her lips were clenched and face beamed red. Wait for it.

"You're really just not gonna talk?" I moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

She proceeds to swing her arm at the innocent wine glasses on the counter *SMASH*

"I'm just some fucking number to you!" Finally, she yells with more fury than a pro wrestler.

"wh-", didn't even get a word in before she interrupts me.

"Why the hell do you still have pictures with girls you used to date?" She inhales then exhales aggressively. "Like, you you really kept those!"

I looked around the room as if the answer to her question was pasted somewhere on the refrigerator. Shit.

"I forgot I even had that." That's it. That was my best answer.

She inched toward me in a way like she was trying not to kill me, then composes herself. "Who forgets they have something like that? You really think I'm stupid?"

Two more questions I wasn't sure how to answer. Maybe I should've stayed in the living room. I knew I should've kept that thing in the attic.

"I did! Babe, I haven't seen that thing since way before we started dating." I tried to move closer to her. She's still not having it.

*SMASH* She breaks yet another glass. "That's bullshit!"

There was no sense in arguing with her. I walked over to the stove to turn off the overly steaming teapot. Folding my arms, I stood up against the counter facing down like a dog that had just been caught.

I look up to see her walking closer, looking some what less angry.

"I'll throw the whole thing away right now." I say, hinting towards the garbage can.

"No, let me see it." She reaches out for the book.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering what she was going to do with it. Then, I handed it to her.

She snatched that thing from my hands then bolted upstairs. I stood for minute, then followed behind her.

"Ana!" I walked in my room to see her looking for something the same way she found that book. "What are you doing?"

A look of victory appears in her body language as she pulls out some scissors she uncovered from an old bookbag.

She throws the scissors on the bed along with the book. "Cut up each picture."

"This is so-" She cuts me off, "do it or we're done."

I exhaled deeply. I didn't care for the pictures, but I was hiding some money behind the photos in the album.

I had twenty thousand dollars tucked behind the pages throughout the entire book. I wasn't going to tell her that.

I had to think of a way to avoid having to tear these pages apart. She seemed firm about her final request.

That's it. It was her or the money. I figured I could always make up with her later. "I don't feel like I need to do this." I said, sounding overly confident.

Folding her arms, she glared at me for what seemed like almost an eternity. The room went completely silent. "Bye." And she left.

There was no point in trying to stop her. I was somewhat hurt but I wasn't going to cut up that money. I walked over to the window and watched and she drove away. Maybe if I let enough time pass, she'll forgive me for this one.

I sat on my bed and thought about her for a while. Figured it would be a good idea to put that money else where. I reached for the little black book on the edge of the bed.

As I lift the book, a small piece of paper falls out. "Fuck you." It says.

Confused, I quickly looked behind the first page of the book. Nothing. I flip to the second page. Again, nothing.

Now panicking, I flip through the rest of the book, And.. nothing.

I rushed toward my cellphone and immediately dialed Ana's number.

The phone rang twice. "You have now reached the voicemail bo-"

Shit.