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GABRIEL GUEVARA in CULPA MÍA (2023) dir. Domingo González

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deep brown eyes stare daggers at her for the smallest of moments before his hands rub roughly over his face in pure frustration. "you are unbelievable," he mutters and turns to walk away from her. long strides only take him deeper into her place with eyes trailing around to take in everything he's seen so many times before and knows so well. it's all gone to him now though. "i told you this would be hard. i told you this would be so hard and you said you understood that." sharply turning around, he feels his stomach twisting in the most uncomfortable way. "my career is a transition that you said you would understand. i'm not playing anymore, ada. this is a change and you said you would be here with me." hand lifts to wave it in her direction, as if to brush aside everything. "you didn't even want to. you never wanted to be here with me. you were done the second i couldn't play anymore. you were done before that."

" so you're saying that this was me ? that i asked for this ? " the brunette questioned, delicate eyebrows furrowing together. deep down, she knows there's no point in bringing up the past. not when all it does is hurt them and drive them further apart, but she can't help herself. " you never wanted us, you wanted you. you wanted your career, your ambitions, your life ... and i was supposed to just fit into the cracks, wasn't i ? " her voice wavers and she lets out a forced laugh, heart clenching in her chest as a painful reminder of the love she'd given so freely only to feel it slip through her fingers. " you told me it would be hard, you just never told me it would be this hard. "

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the air always feels lighter with him around. she breathes easier, feels more and even wants to. when the world can cause her to feel on edge, he never does. the moment he brushes back a strand of stray hair, lips part ever so slightly before he quickly pulls away and she wishes he hasn't. "milo," he speaks his name softly, then he's telling her everything she wants to hear. a flush brushes over her delicate features, almost bashfully. "you really are the sweetest." the young woman doesn't hold back. leaning closer, she tilts her head to press the softest of kisses to his cheek and lingers, letting herself stay there a moment. only, when she does pull back, she still remains far too close. "i like that you care, but i wish you wouldn't worry so much. i'm okay. i'm always okay with you, milo."

steely blues glance down at her hand brushing against his, the smallest gesture enough to make his resolve falter. she’s always been like this, finding ways to reassure him, to lighten the moment, even when he’s the one who’s supposed to be looking out for her. " you know i never say no to your cookies, " he points out with a soft chuckle. his free palm moves almost instinctively, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face before he catches himself and pulls back. " i know you say you're okay, but … " there's a hint of hesitation in his tone, but he pushes through. " i don’t just worry because i have to. i worry because i care. maybe too much sometimes, but that’s just how it is with you. i can't help it. "

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what if she doesn't go back? what if she stays right there with him instead? that sits better with her than the idea of leaving does, but liv knows it's not fair to him. asher deserves better – he deserves everything and she's not able to give him that. but what if she can? she's shivering, partly because she's cold and partly because she's crying while continuously trying to wipe the tears aside. "i'm sorry ..." how many times can she say that before it has no meaning? olivia is ready to leave and give asher what he wants, maybe even what he needs, but his words bring a sense of hopefulness that she hadn't been able to feel until now. plump lips pout before she nods her head and pushes inside, feeling a sense of warmth the moment the door is shut and she's out of the cold. arms still wrap around her. "i don't know what to say. i don't know ... what to do. i know i shouldn't have come here, but ... i needed to see you."

it took everything in him not to reach out and wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks. he hated seeing her like this, and his heart was hammering against his chest as he struggled to maintain his composure. "it's too late for that, liv. i can't keep being that guy for you while you're still with him," he said, his voice filled with a mix of resignation and pain. it hurt in a way that Asher couldn't begin to explain, knowing that after he filled the void in her heart each night, she would turn around and go home to someone else. he knew the risks he was taking when he entered into this arrangement, but he had gotten in over his head; now he felt like he was drowning. he sighed, letting his inner thoughts take control for a moment. "come inside, okay? it's too cold outside for you to stand there," he added softly, trying to offer her some semblance of comfort despite the turmoil inside him.

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brows pull together and ember can sense something feels off. it's not that ellie is lying to her, but it's not exactly the truth either. not that it matters since they aren't a they anymore, so she has no right to point out the little fib. "yeah ... okay." plump lips press together in a thin line and her head ducks down, making it so she looks anywhere other than at the blonde. "i'm always going to worry, but ..." but what? her head shakes and she forces a small smile, meeting the others sad eyes with her own. "it's fine. i'll go."

she wanted to make sure she was okay. was she ? she wasn't even sure. he past few weeks had been a blur, each day blending into the next as if she was stuck on autopilot , just trying to get through. " i'm fine, " she finally tells the other, though the words feel empty, more reflex than any semblance of the truth. " i just … i need some time and i'll be just fine. you don't have to worry about me . "

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MAXTON HALL S1E6 | A Piece of Happiness

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nicole wallace via tiktok.

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appreciation for this outfit <3

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a thumb grazing along her kiss-swollen lip has a soft breath coming from ember. she doesn't even have to think, only pressing a kiss to her friend's thumb before gently biting down with a hint of a smirk curving at the corner of her mouth. this feels easy and natural with noemia, but she also isn't sure how much they can push it before it's too much. "i was thinking–" cutting off her own words, ember bites down on her lower lip and petite hands slip downward until she's gripping noemia's ass firmly. a soft whimper slips out with ease, lips soon capturing her friend's once again. "you could ... let me touch you," she speaks, panting as the words come from her.

okay is a very loose term, if you ask noemia. what’s happening between them is more than okay if you ask her but the last thing that she wants is to seem too eager for things she shouldn’t want. a soft sound slips from her mouth when her lips meet ember’s again, fingers sliding into her friend’s hair in her endeavour to keep her close. she’s panting slightly when they’re parted, far more worked up than she should be. “hm?” she prompts softly, free hand cupping at her friend’s cheek so her thumb can graze her kiss-swollen lower lip. “what’s your idea?”

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"well, you know i'm going to find a way to thank you. if i can't say it, i suppose i'll have to bake you another batch of cookies." a smile pulls at the corner of her lips until it reaches her eyes that twinkle. this man always looks out for her, always making sure she is safe and happy at the same time. it's one thing having an older brother who protects her at all costs, but having milo is a bonus she prefers. "i really am okay." reassuring him while still holding the ice pack against his cheek, delicate fingers of her other hand reach out and find his, only brushing against the back of his hand. "you don't have to worry so much. i'm all better now. your cheek, however, is not all better." a giggle escapes full lips that she forces into a pout. "your poor face. i think you deal with this more off the ice than on."

the ice against his cheek feels cold and soothing, and the male can’t shake the heat rising in his chest. he hates the way she looks at him, as if she can see right through his facade, as if she knows the weight of everything he’s trying to bury. she always has. " you don't have to thank me for that," he murmurs, a weak smile tugging at the corner of his lips. he'd do anything for her, in a heartbeat. " i don't need you to thank me, i just … i don't like seeing you get hurt. you deserve so much better than that. "

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"what i wanted?" that feels comical to him, making it so he lets out a laugh that isn't filled with an ounce of humor. "don't you dare." the moment she turns to face him, he has to turn away. steps take him a few inches elsewhere, so he doesn't have to stand so close while knowing it was hard enough just to come pick up his things. noah has been putting it off, but only because he hopes he doesn't have to actually do it. "i told you that this was going to be hard. work is going to take over in the beginning. i told you that," he speaks. the man turns just enough to finally look at her, seeing sad eyes looking back at him and it breaks him a little more. "i didn't want this–" a hand gestures to motion between them. the mess that came from it all and the way it broke them. "i wanted us."

the question registers with her and ada can't bring herself to move, honeyed hues fluttering shut as she tries to steady herself. she wants to scream, to lash out at him for the way things ended between them, for making her feel like an afterthought, like someone who could just be discarded when it no longer suited him. but instead, she stands there, frozen, the silence between them growing louder by the second. " isn't this what you wanted, noah ? " she finally murmurs, honeyed hues finally meeting his as she turns around to face him, his taller frame towering over him. " what's there even left to say ? "

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he doesn't miss the way she words things. it causes a knot to tighten in his stomach, but he pushes it aside as best as possible. this isn't easy for her and he knows it. each time he shows up, it's like she wishes he will leave and never return, but benji can't do that. he needs to be here for her, even more so because he knows how much she needs it, no matter how much she continues to push him away. a few moments of silence settled before his deep brown eyes drift away from her, looking in the direction of a photo. it was her and her husband. his best friend. a man far better than he could ever be, but benji wouldn't give up being that man that paul saw in him. "i'm not here because of him," he admits the truth. seconds tick on before his gaze trails back over to her. "yes, he made me promise that i would always look out for you and i'm doing it for him, but ... i'm not just doing it for him. i want to be here. i want to know that you're okay."

the glass of water was a way of having benji somewhere distant, and yet inside the same house. a way to breathe, even. the truth was that help wasn't exactly what she needed; company, though, was something that would take her longer to admit even to herself, but she craved it deeply. rylah was so tired of being alone, of trying to make a house work with maximum effort, and still not being able to make it a home. so she took the glass of water from his hands and drank while listening to his words. for quite a while, she allowed an uncomfortable silence to take place before she finally began to say, "it's not that i don't like you," her hands tightened around the glass as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded. "it's just that you remind me of him, in so many different ways. even though both of you are so different." she smiled, the memory of paul lighting up her mood for a few seconds. she even forgot to use past tense when mentioning her husband, as if he were still there to be talked about in present tense. "you have no idea how hard it is to accept help. because i don't know who's politely here and who's actually here."

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the man sighs in frustration because he's sure she's drunk, knowing she likely wouldn't be there without a little liquid courage to push her along. not that he's any better since he would end up doing the same if he had one too many drinks. shaking his head, he steps aside with the door held open until she walks in, then he shuts the door behind her. "you shouldn't be here," he speaks. long strides carry him towards his kitchen where he grabs her a glass of water and holds it out. "drink it. sober up," he insists. "i haven't heard from you in months and now you want to show up?"

"i am NOT drunk!" she complained, even though she knew that to appear in his doorway this late, she had to take a few shots. in cora's mind, though, the shots weren't enough to fully withdraw her conscience. "i wanted to see you. to talk to you. to... hell, i don't even know! all i know is that i've missed you. and i know you missed me too." with a step forward, she furrowed her brows in a serious expression. "will you please let me in?" though she asked, there's a slight mandatory tone to it.

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"so, don't lose touch with me again." it was easier said than done, but cami hates that it had come to that. the two of them were so close, then it was like there was nothing and she couldn't stand it, but it also felt like she couldn't do anything about it. life wasn't what it should be without having aylin by her side. lips press together and curve upward, finally reaching her eyes for the first time in a long time. "i think we should watch terribly cheesy christmas movies and eat so much food we can't move." delicate fingers wrap around the other's wrists to pull their hands together. "i'll do anything you want. you know i can't cook to save my life, but we can bake enough cookies to feed the world."

her sight caught a smile, a soft and light one that was enough to melt aylin's heart. an acknowledgment followed her own, as if both of them were to blame for their actions - or their lack of it. with a deep breath and eyes closed after camille's kiss on her cheek, aylin took a second longer to open her eyes. "i've missed you a lot too. there were so many things i wanted to share with you but felt weird doing so because i wasn't in touch with you." moving closer to her, aylin's head rested on camille's shoulders. "my cat missed you too." she chuckled "what do you think we should do for christmas then?"

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"right." lips pull downward in the slightest before she forces them to curve upward. "i just ... i don't know." that was a lie. she does know and that's why she's there, but she can't admit how much she misses ellie. "i haven't heard from you in a few days, so i wanted to make sure you're okay."

lips curl into a faint smile, slender fingers tucking a few golden strands behind hear. " it's not that, " ellie assures her softly, a faint laugh escaping her throat. " i just … i didn't expect to see you here, that's all. "

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Hannah Dodd for InStyle