Respect

Elias shook his head as he took a step back from her. He looked tense.

"Forget it. I have to go," he said as he started to make his way toward the door of her dorm.

Alyssa reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him in place. He couldn't just leave like that. They were having a conversation. Well, more like an argument, but they weren't finished yet.

"Why won't you tell me anything?" she asked him. Her words came out quieter than she meant for them to.

She was faced with the issue of her own boyfriend, the person who she loved, gradually shutting her out of his life. She was worried that he would shut her out altogether.

Elias' face softened for a mere second, like the curtain came down at that moment, but the vulnerability didn't last. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Because it doesn't concern you. I respect your privacy. Can you please respect mine?" he asked. His expression shifted into a pleading one.