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hide-in-imagination · 6 months ago

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Paris & a Promise | Simbar Oneshot

The studio was pristine and cozy, with bright colors on the walls, white leather chairs, one in front of the other, and a big screen between them on the far wall so that the people in the audience, and of course, the host and guest occupying the two chairs, could see pictures and videos of the topic that was being discussed.

Behind the three cameras pointing at the studio (one on the guest, one on the host, and one holding a general view of everything), the floor manager, a woman in her thirties with a headset to hear and communicate the director’s orders, made a signal to the host, a charismatic man on his forties with black hair, wearing a suit and tie. In the guest chair in front of him, the blonde young woman, wearing a tasteful long-sleeve blouse and a mini skirt, listened to the countdown overhead until the ‘On Air’ sign lighted up anew, followed by a short rendition of the show’s theme song, and applause from the audience on their seats.

“Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! We are here live with Ámbar Smith,” the host resumed the show with a big smile, facing the camera and then focusing on his guest. “Ámbar, once again, thank you so much for coming to our show. I hope you’re having as good a time as we are, but if not, do not worry, your torment is almost over now.”

Ámbar laughed along with the audience.

“Noo, don’t say that, of course I’m having a good time, I’m always happy to be here.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. Now,” the host leaned forward, “I’m sorry for deviating from your achievements but, we simply can not let you leave without talking about—” he pointed at her with his hand, “that huge rock weighing on your finger right now.” The audience started screaming. “Poor thing, she can’t even move her hand— Look how she keeps it on the armrest! Unbelievable!”

The audience whooped and laughed while Ámbar giggled, her right hand coming up to try and hide her grin and blushing cheeks.

“Ámbar, my sincerest congratulations on your engagement,” the host said now in earnest as the audience quieted down.

“Thank you so much.” The audience cheered again, stealing another giddy smile from her.

“Now, I know everyone already knows this, but in case anyone’s been living under a rock these last few years, you’ve been dating the Roller Band’s guitarist and vocalist Simón Álvarez for quite a few years now.” A picture of the couple posing together at a red carpet appeared on the big screen of the studio.

“Six years, yeah,” Ámbar said with a smile.

“Six whole years, and he finally proposed two weeks ago, as we can see in this picture you two posted on Instagram, showing off the ring.”

A screenshot of their Instagram post showed on the screen. The photo depicted their hands together, Ámbar’s hand over Simón’s turned-up palm, the thick diamond ring front and center, shining on her finger, while the background showed an orange and red sky, with the Eiffel Tower blurry but visible in the distance.

The audience cheered and a warm smile curled Ámbar’s lips at the photo.

The host looked at her again. “Tell me, Ámbar, did you see it coming? Did you know he was going to do it or did it take you by surprise?”

Ámbar made a complicated face. “Um, I kind of saw it coming, but no, not really,” she broke off with a laugh.

The host looked at her with intrigue. “What do you mean? Like, you did and then you didn’t? What’s the story?”

“Well. We were in Europe because the Roller Band was touring there, and they had stops in different cities, and Simón was like ‘You should come with me, you could visit Paris’ blah blah blah, so I joined them. He knows that Paris is my favorite city in the world, I’ve always loved it— In fact, I spent some months there when I was in university, as part of an exchange program for six months, and I just have very good memories of the city in general. So anyway, that got me thinking, you know… We’re going to be in Paris…” She started hinting. “He invited me to join… We’ve been dating for 6 years… So, on that front, I did have my suspicions, but I just— The timing didn’t make sense to me,” she said. “That was the problem, that’s what threw me off.”

“How so?”

“Because we were only staying in Paris for one day,” she emphasized. “The guys were scheduled to arrive in the morning at the hotel, then they had their soundcheck in the afternoon, and then their concert, and that same night we had to go to Italy because they had their concert there the next day. So I was like… Yeah, no. No way.” She laughed. “Like, it was a lot in less than 24 hours. How could he even find the time for it? It’s insane.”

“He totally got you then.”

“He did. It took me completely by surprise, it was so sweet.”

“It was like in some sort of balcony, right?” The host checked. “I mean, I remember from the photos you two posted— Those ones.”

New photos appeared on the screen. It was two selfies of the two of them standing close together on a black iron balcony with a view of the sunset, the city of Paris, and the Eiffel Tower. They were taken by Simón, one of his arms around Ámbar while the other extended beyond the frame, holding the phone. In one of them, they were both grinning brightly at the camera, Ámbar showing off the ring, her eyes glistening with emotion. The second was very similar to the first, probably taken seconds apart from each other, except in that one Simón wasn’t looking at the camera but kissing Ámbar’s cheek with his eyes closed. Ámbar was still grinning and showing off the ring like in the first picture, but she had her eyes closed in that one too, basking in the love.

“Yeah, that’s the balcony of the hotel room we were staying at,” Ámbar answered, pointing at the screen. “Simón specifically looked for one that had a view of the Eiffel Tower for us.”

“He had it all planned out,” the host said, impressed.

“Everything,” Ámbar confirmed. “From the very first second. Cause— Look. This is how it all went down.” She leaned forward in her seat, entering story-telling mode, and the host leaned forward as well, giving her all of his attention. “We arrived at around 11 am in Spain. The first thing we did was sleep because we were all dead on our feet, and then around two, Simón asked me if I wanted to go out to eat, and I was like ‘Yeah, sure’, so we went to this restaurant I recommended to him, I knew it from my many trips to Paris, and we just, you know, had our meal, talked, walked around the city for a little bit after— Very normal stuff. Then, Simón had to go to his soundcheck, so he left, and I just kept walking around ‘cause, you know, I was like ‘I don’t know when I’ll be able to come back, better make the best of it now.’”

“Of course.”

“And that was all I was planning to do for the rest of the day really, but then, like an hour or so later, I get a call from Simón like ‘Hey, I’m done with the soundcheck, I’m going back to the hotel now, let’s meet up there’, and I was like… Why didn’t he just stay in the arena?” She said, bemused. “His concert was like in two hours, it would’ve made more sense. But anyway. I got back to the hotel, and I asked him how the soundcheck went, and he was like ‘Well, very well, everything good’— Which was a complete and total lie, by the way,” she pointed out, looking at the audience.

“What do you mean ‘lie’?” The host asked with surprise.

“He never went to the soundcheck,” Ámbar said. “I only found out about it later. The guys went to the soundcheck by themselves, Simón never joined them.”

“Then what was he doing?”

“I’m getting there,” she said. “So, we met at the hotel, and Simón was like ‘Hey, so, I only have like an hour and a half before I need to leave but, what do say if we order room service and eat a little something before I leave?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, that sounds nice.’ So we sat at a little table there on the balcony, and we were just, you know, having like a regular dinner, when suddenly he says: ‘My love. I didn’t want to tell you before, but I have a surprise for you.’ And I was like.” Ámbar made a face of curiosity. “‘What?’ And the very instant— I have this so ingrained in my mind— the very instant the sun started setting, he got down on one knee.”

“Oh my god.” The audience cheered and clapped, joining the host’s excitement. “That’s crazy! So, he had it all timed down to the second.”

“He did! He totally did. I couldn’t believe it. And then he, you know, started saying all these beautifulthings, and once the shock wore off, I just started crying,” she laughed a little bit. “And just, you know, I said yes, obviously.”

The audience screamed. Ámbar laughed, radiantly happy, the camera capturing the emotion in her eyes. “Then we hugged and it was very sweet. I really couldn’t have imagined it a better way; it was perfect.”

“And then you two went to celebrate, right? We’ve got some pictures of you on a rooftop.”

“Yeah! That was the craziest part! We had just gotten engaged and Simón was like ‘I’ve got another surprise for you’ and he led me to the hotel’s rooftop, and the whole time I’m thinking, ‘What now?!’ Like, what else had this guy planned? Fireworks? I genuinely couldn’t put it past him by this point. And then we got to the rooftop, and my whole family was there.” The audience went aww. “With our closest friends too; it was like fifteen people up there. And I was like— ‘What are you all doing here?!’” The audience laughed. “‘When did you get here?!’ It was insane!”

“Simón got them all there without you knowing?” The host expressed with awe.

“No one told me anything! I genuinely don’t know how they managed to keep it from me,” Ámbar said with disbelief. “And the rooftop was decorated with balloons, flowers, there was food— Well, you’ve got the photos there.” She pointed to the screen where the pictures from her Instagram were displaying. “So, like, it was amazing. It was truly amazing, and so beautiful. And our friends started hugging us and giving us their congratulations, and… What got to me the most was that, well, my mom couldn’t go,” she started explaining. “I don’t speak about her a lot publicly but, basically, she’s got a certain degree of blindness, so it’s complicated for her to move around on her own, she has to be accompanied— And honestly, good for her that she didn’t go, I would’ve felt terrible if she had made that huge trip just for me. But she did send me a video congratulating me. I watched it on a tablet. And I just… Well, if I had already cried, that was the moment I finished ruining my makeup.” The audience laughed with her. “But it was sweet. It was all very sweet and moving and just amazing. I had a very good time there with my friends and family until we had to leave.”

“Sounds wonderful.” The host had a sweet smile on his face. “I bet it was a very treasured moment for you two, for your family, your friends—I have a question though,” he said, more serious now, “that I imagine all of us are wondering as well— What about the concert?”

Ámbar nodded like she knew exactly what he meant. “Yeah, you see, that’s the funniest part! Cause like— Just imagine: Simón organized this whole thing— When he was supposed to be at the soundcheck, by the way; he never did that, he was on the rooftop with everyone else getting everything ready— and in the end, he just like, stayed for half an hour and then he left.” The audience laughed. “Because he had his concert! You know?” She said over the noise. “So like. It was crazy. It was really crazy, he totally rushed to the arena. He must’ve put on his outfit and the microphone in record time, the poor thing. But he always tells me that it was worth it. So.” Ámbar shrugged with a little smile.

The audience went aww again.

A mischievous glint appeared in the host’s eyes. “Yeah, he looked very excited the night of the concert. There was even this video that went viral— You saw it, right?”

“I’ve seen many,” she deadpanned, nodding her head.

“Well, here we’ve got the one that made the most headlines on the internet; a little video posted by a fan.” A video of Simón taking the stage started playing on the studio’s big screen on mute. It was a vertical video, filmed from up close, maybe from the fifth row, or maybe using a lot of zoom. “This is the same night you were telling us about, when the Roller Band was playing at the arena.”

The volume went up and the screams of the crowd could be heard as Simón walked up to the front of the stage where a microphone stand was waiting. He had his guitar hanging from his shoulder, ready to play. For everyone watching at home, the video took the whole screen of the TV, replacing the image of the studio.

“Paris, how are you doing tonight?!”

The crowd went wild in response to Simón.

Simón laughed a little and started talking again, so the crowd went quiet to be able to hear him. “You know, I’m the exact same way as you, guys, like, exactly. Because this next song,” he started leisurely playing the guitar as he talked, not a melody but just a simple, soft up and down of his hand on the strings, “is one I wrote about a very special someone to me, many years ago now. And since then, I’ve had the fortune, the pleasure, the utter privilege of having this gorgeous, amazing woman by my side. And this night is very special, Paris, because… This very, very night…” He started laughing and had to take a step back, unable to contain his joy. The crowd was screaming. Simón walked up to the microphone again and yelled out ecstatically.

“SHE SAID ‘YES’!!!!”

Simón began strumming the guitar as the rest of the band joined in, playing together the intro of ‘Tiempo de Amor.’

The studio came back on screen and the video continued rolling in a lower volume as Simón started singing the song, eventually going mute, and then pausing altogether. The audience in the studio was screaming excitedly.

“You do realize that because of this 15 thousand people knew about it before many of our relatives and acquaintances, right?” Ámbar told the host, making everyone laugh again.

“I can just picture them seeing this on Twitter or Tiktok and calling you up like ‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED?’” The host acted out.

“It happened with more than one person,” Ámbar declared. The audience laughed.

“Alright but, putting all of that aside, the important thing is that you two had this magical moment and now you’re going to take this next step together,” the host moved the narrative along. “Tell me, have you set a date yet for the ceremony?”

“We don’t have an exact date yet, but the idea is to have a Spring wedding next year.”

“Love that. So, that means you’ve got plenty of time to plan for the event then. I imagine you’ll need it. Are you planning for a big party?”

“We’ll see,” Ámbar replied. “We’re still deciding whether we wanna do this biiig, over the top wedding or just a small ceremony with our closest friends and family. But, whatever we end up choosing, I think the most important thing is just, our promise to always be together. So,” a serene smile graced her lips, “the rest is just a complement to that and we’ll figure it out as we go.”

“That’s beautiful,” the host said. “Seriously, I’m so happy for you two, congratulations— Give it up for Ámbar Smith, ladies and gentlemen!”

The audience went wild.

“Thank you so much for being here with us today, Ámbar,” the host told her, starting to wrap up.

“Thank you for having me, it was lovely,” she replied with a smile.

The host turned to face the camera and the shot focused on him. “And to everyone watching us at home, you’ll want to stick around because our next guest is an artist who’s been trending all over social media, not only in Spain but in all parts of the world. We’ll be right back!”

…

. * ⋆ . · 　.╰──────༺♡༻──────╯. * * . 　 *

Okay so, originally, I had this idea in the context of my Actress!Ámbar x Musician!Simón AU. It was going to be, like, a second chapter where I mixed different interviews, some of Simón, some of Ámbar, as a way to tell how their relationship developed after the ending of chapter one. But then I thought—Why limit it to just that one context? I really loved the idea I came up with for this proposal, so I wanted it to fit as many different worlds as possible, especially canon for those who aren’t such big fans of AUs, so— Here it is! I really hope you liked it. It’s very different from everything I’ve written before in terms of format, but that’s precisely why it was so much fun to write. What would you even call this type of POV? Second Person or something? Sdfkjn. I don’t know, I don’t remember much of my high school lessons; it’s been too many years.

And speaking of years. It's been 6 years now since the show ended and this proposal took place 6 years into their relationship, so I think it would be sweet to imagine that Simón and Ámbar are engaged right now as we speak and that they’ll be getting married next year in 2025 <3

Our babies have grown up, and so have we.

See you all next time. – C

#simbar #simbar fic #simbar fanfic #soy luna fanfiction #soy luna #My Writing #short writings #Gif divider by anitalenia!

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clockwork-fayz · 2 years ago

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You’ll Ask For My Forgiveness (But You’ve Had It All Along)

A little Gastina Song Fic, for the song “Five Years From Now” by Taylor Thomas. If you don’t think this song just screams Gastina scenario, idk what to tell you.

Find it on AO3

Five years from now, let me set up scene

I'll call you up and you'll say it's good to hear from me

“Nina?”

Her hand shaking, she took a deep breath.

“Sí. Hola, Gastón…how are you?”

“Nina. Hi. I’m fine…I am good. How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you. I’m moved back to town and I saw online that you moved back a little bit ago as well. I was wondering if maybe, well maybe you would want to meet up and catch up?”

She didn’t tell him that she had known he had moved a year ago and had been keeping tabs on his profile since. She didn’t tell him how she meticulously planned on how she was going to see him again, and if it weren’t for pushing from her friends and the new anxiety medicine she was on, she wouldn’t have had the courage to call him. She didn’t tell him that she had spent nights dreaming about what it would be like seeing him again.

“I would love that, Nina, it’s been what? Five years?”

“Yeah. I think about five years.”

She knew it had been five years.

“I am so glad you called Nina. It’s good to hear from you.”

He said her name for the fourth time so far in the sixty second conversation. Not that she was counting, but everytime he said it sent a volt of electricity to her heart.

I'll ask if we can meet at the café by your house

You'll say, "You know I don't like coffee"

I'll say, "I thought you might by now"

You'll suggest that since we're older let's go out for drinks

And I'll make a joke that this is the first time you've paid for me

“Do you want to meet for coffee? We could go to that café that’s near your parent’s house.”

“We could do that, but you know I don’t like coffee,” Gastón laughed. Nina found herself smiling into the phone, his laugh bringing back memories of 1950’s comedies and skating in the park.

“I thought you might by now. You know three out of four adults drink it daily.”

“Well I am that fourth person, I will never grow out of orange juice. However, since we are older, I do like a good beer. Do you want to meet for drinks at the bar down on 6th? I’ll buy.”

“Sure, I have been there a couple of times. It’s nice.” Then she added “Especially if you are paying. There is a first time for everything I suppose.”

She could feel the smile in Gastón’s voice.

“I am pretty sure I paid for most of your drinks at the Jam & Roller. But okay. How does 8 sound?”

I'll arrive at the bar, you'll be waiting in your car

You'll get out and I'll run to you, straight to your arms

I can feel your heart racing but I won't say a thing

'Cause mine is doing the same just like it did when I was 18

She arrived in the parking lot at 7:55 and was surprised to see that Gastón’s car was already in the parking lot. He had always been notorious for being late to everything. She pulled into a spot opposite of him, turning her key to shut off the engine. Then she spotted him in her rearview mirror.

A strangled noise came out. There he was, getting out of his car, wearing worn blue jeans, a red polo and shoes to match. She was afraid he would no longer look like her Gastón, but it was still him. The same face, the same warm brown eyes, the same walk. She could have stayed there, watching him in the tiny mirror, but he was heading towards her car and she forced herself to move.

He stopped in his tracks as she got out. She shut the door and their eyes met.

He smiled.

She ran.

He caught her as she threw her arms around his neck. She breathed in the moment; how he smelled almost the same but with a hint of something new, how his arms were wrapped around her back, squeezing her gently, and how his heart was racing.

But she wasn’t going to say anything about that.

Because she knew hers was also beating out of her chest, just like it did when she was 18 and in love.

“Nina.”

“Hi Gastón.”

Once we get past the awkward how are yous

You'll say you've been dying to know where I went to

I'll say that I've been working on my music in LA

But I won't tell you that my songs are still about you to this day

“How have you been?” he asks her. She shifted uncomfortably in the hard high top chair. She was dreading this part, the awkwardness that inevitably would come before they fell back into their old rhythm.

“I am good,” she said, “Really good. I just moved back here a few weeks ago, living with my dad until I find my own place. Y tu?”

“Bien. I moved home about a year ago, after finishing my schooling in London. Now I am interning while going Law School.”

Nina grinned. “Wow Gastón, that is amazing! What kind of cases do you work on?”

“Primarily for companies. I know, not very flashy. But you, you’ve been in L.A., right?”

“Si. I was working as a journalist. I got to review literature and interview amazing people. I loved it, but I was ready to come home and finish my novel.”

Gastón grinned. “You still write your own stuff then? Poetry?”

Nina hoped he didn’t notice her cheeks tingeing pink as she replied that she did in fact still write poetry and have had some published. A few even have won awards. She didn’t tell him that every poem was about love or heartbreak. She didn’t tell him every poem was still about him.

You'll say you're proud and you're happy for me

And you always knew I'd end up living my dream

“I am so proud of you Nina,” Gastón said, “I am so happy that you are doing what you love. I remember how you would talk about being a published author. I knew that you would follow your dreams.”

She was only living part of her dream. When she had pictured her life future when she was younger, Gastón was always by her side.

And then you'll fill me in on what you've been up to

And I'll probably interrupt you, you know I always do

And we'll both laugh and it's like nothing's changed

When I look in your eyes you'll still make me feel the same

They chatted about the past few years. What living in London was like for Gastón and how it compared to Buenos Aires.

“Nina you would love Europe,” Gastón gushed, “Everywhere you go the history is just so rich, my mates would get annoyed because I would want to read every sign. They would want to go to the club and I would want to go to Hamstead Heath-”

“-and see John Keats’s home?”

“Sí! They have a museum of his letters and his engagement ring to Fanny Brawne and-”

“-his death mask?”

“Sí, his death mask,” Gastón chuckled.

Nina let out an embarrassed giggle, covering her face with her hands.

“Perdón, I’m interrupting you aren’t I? I know I do that too much.”

Gastón reached out to touch her arm lightly.

“No need to be sorry, I love that you still know exactly what I am going to say.”

Nina uncovered her eyes, meeting his. The sparkle showed that he was unbothered by her interruptions and Nina felt butterflies in her stomach as if she was a teenager and was on her first date with him again.

And I'll dread the part when you tell me about all the girls you've been with

I know they're all in your past but it'll still be hard for me to listen

On their second drink, Nina finally got the courage to ask.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

She didn’t know she was holding her breath until he replied that he wasn’t.

“I haven’t been seeing anyone seriously for awhile. My last girlfriend and I broke up a couple months before I moved here.”

Although she was in the past, Nina felt like it was a stab to the chest. She tried to act casual as she asked how long he saw her for, though she was dying to know every detail: who broke up with who, how serious they were, did he love her as much as he had loved Nina once upon a time.

“About a year and half.”

That was a long time.

“I’m sorry that it ended.”

Gastón shook her off.

“Don’t be. There was something missing I think. We gave it a go, but in the end it was a mutual breakup. It’s a common theme in my past relationships, Mariana was the longest I had…I mean besides you of course.”

Nina felt unsure how to respond. She gave a small nod, her eyes drifting down to the chip bowl in front of her, trying to come up with a response. But Gastón beat her to it.

“What about you?”

'Cause after all this time you haven't left my mind

I never moved on, I looked for you in every guy

None. She went on dates, looking for someone to replace what she had with Gastón, but no one could.

But I'll make up some story so you won't have a clue

That I've never put myself out there 'cause I've been waiting for you

“No, I am not seeing anyone. I had been focused on my career and my writing, too busy for serious boyfriends.”

It was a lie. She could have balanced work with personal relationships. But after a while she had given up on anyone but Gastón, dreaming for the day that she would find herself back in his arms again.

“Maybe now that I have moved home, I will start dating again,” she said, silently adding that she would start dating again for him. She would put her life on hold for him.

We'll talk for hours and we won't even notice that the bar cleared out, 'cause it closed at ten

It'll be almost 11, and you'll say, "We should probably leave"

Then you walk me to my car and say, "Let's do this again"

The conversation turned to the books they had read and the movies they had seen and Nina felt like nothing had changed over these past few years except for their age. He made everything so easy. Drinks came and went and hours passed. Chips were ordered, and then another. People trickled in and out, but Nina couldn’t tell you what a single person looked like, not even the bartender.

“We should probably leave,” Gastón said, looking down at his watch. Nina’s eyes went wide when she realized that it was almost 11. Nina grabbed her purse and the two walked out of the establishment. When they reached her car, Gastón wrapped his arms around her for a final hug.

“Let’s do this again soon,” he said, “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she sighed into his shoulder. He let go after a few beats.

“Have a good night Nina.”

“You too.”

He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but turned around anyway to head back to his car. Nina slid into the passenger seat of her own, watching as Gastón turned around twice more to wave. When he finally disappeared inside the driver’s door, she put her car in gear and drove out of the parking lot.

And I'll drive home feeling the happiest I've been since five years ago before our inescapable end

But that's water under the bridge

It's okay that you didn't want me

'Cause before I can even pull in my driveway you'll call me

She tried to focus on the road, but she felt like she was soaring through the air. Tears threatened her eyes as she giggled to herself at how unreal the whole situation felt. She ran through her head the entire night again from that first glimpse of his face to that last embrace.

She was so happy. She hadn’t been this happy since five years ago, when he used to love her.

She jumped when her phone started to buzz, froze for a second when she saw Gastón’s name appear on her car’s screen. She pulled over, nervous as she answered.

“Gastón?”

“Nina.”

You'll say that you couldn't wait 'til the next time you saw me to tell me you're sorry

About all those years ago

He didn’t say anything at first.

“Gastón, is something wrong or?”

“No-no nothing is wrong. Nina I just….I have something I need to tell you and I cannot wait until the next time I see you.”

Her heart thrummed.

“Yes?”

“....I’m so sorry.”

“...for what Gastón?”

“For leaving you five years ago.”

And that you were just stupid and young and the girls that you loved were fine

But, none of them ever felt like home

But I do

“I was so stupid, and I was so young and I thought that breaking up with you was best because spending years thousands of miles from you seemed impossible at the time and I thought I would find love elsewhere. That’s what everyone kept telling me, it was just a high school relationship, it wasn’t meant to last forever. But Nina, I tried dating other girls, I did. And they were pretty and kind but something was always missing. It didn’t feel right because they didn’t make me feel like I did when I was with you. When I held them, I didn’t feel like I was…like I was home. And tonight…tonight I realize that you do. You always have felt like home.”

“Nina…can you forgive me?”

One day you'll ask for my forgiveness, but you've had it all along

'Cause it's always been you

Nina smiled.

She would tell him one day that she had never stopped thinking about him. She would give him the poetry she wrote about him. But for now she just would tell him that she forgave him.

Even though he had it all along.

#gastina #gastina fanfiction #nina x gaston #soy luna #disney channel #disney channel latin america

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hide-in-imagination · 12 days ago

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“Roads That Cross… Not Knowing What To Do"

You can read the previous chapters here: (1),(2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), (27), (28), (29), (30), (31), (32)

Thank you all so much for your continued support, it means so much to me.

Things were fine, but they also weren’t.

That night, after their hug, Simón had insisted they finished the garlands as they had set themselves to do. Ámbar truthfully couldn’t have cared less about the garlands or her original plan of getting them done— Simón had forgiven her. Nothing else mattered to her. All she wanted was to be close to him, hug him more, kiss him, reaffirm herself that they were alright— She had been so scared...

But she didn’t want to be too imposing after they’d just reconciled, so she followed his lead, and agreed to work on the decorations.

Then they had dinner with everyone, and, sure, Simón was a little less talkative than usual—especially when he got asked about his ‘headache’ and Ámbar could feel his discomfort radiating from him— but they’d gone through an emotional moment just an hour ago. It was normal if things were still a little tense.

Then they climbed up to her room, with Simón carrying the cardboard box after having offered, and after he placed it on her coffee table, Ámbar held his hand and asked if he would stay the night with her. Simón hesitated, just a little bit, but then he smiled and squeezed her hand and said, ‘of course’, and Ámbar felt so relieved that she kissed him. She kissed him gently at first, just a tiny thing, but then she sought his lips again and tried to linger, tried to deepen the contact, and that was when Simón pulled away.

“Do you want to use the bathroom first or should I?”

It wasn’t an out-of-the-ordinary question, so Ámbar answered ordinarily as well. “Uh, no, I gotta take off my makeup and do all my skincare, so it’s going to take eons— You go first.”

And he said ‘okay’ and went to the bathroom, and it was normal, seemed just like routine, but Ámbar felt it… off.

Later, as they were lying under the covers to sleep, she soaked in the normalcy of it and convinced herself everything would be fine. They had just fixed things between them, so it was normal if it felt a little weird. They were still snuggled up together in spite of that, with Ámbar’s face on his chest and Simón’s arms around her, and it felt so nice after spending a whole night alone, in this bed that felt too empty without him.

She breathed in Simón’s scent and fell asleep, thinking everything would be better the next day.

It wasn’t. Not really.

Nor was the day after that.

--------------------

There was an air of hesitation that lingered around Simón and every move he made now. It wasn’t constant— it appeared every now and then, subtle, but Ámbar noticed, and it kept her from relaxing fully into their normal routine.

It also didn’t go unnoticed that they weren’t having sex. Which was fine— they didn’t need to do that every day. But they used to. So it was… different.

She couldn’t say it was all Simón because she hadn’t tried to initiate it either. But the mood just never felt right, and that was exactly the problem.

Getting there used to be easy, and now it was not.

And that, she felt, applied to everything.

It wasn’t like Simón was distant. He didn’t avoid contact with her or acted cold— Nothing like that. She also didn’t think he was… punishing her or something because of what happened. Whatever was up with him didn’t seem to be on purpose— In fact, it seemed like he wanted it gone just as much as she did. But it kept coming back.

The worst part was that Ámbar couldn’t address it. What could she say? Ask if there was anything wrong? She knew there was. And she knew it had to be related to her lies and her secrets, so she couldn’t bring it up because that would just lead to questions she couldn’t answer.

It was distressing.

And then, as if Ámbar didn’t have enough problems, Sharon happened.

------------------

The final nail in the coffin came in the form of a phone call— Again. Ámbar was in the mansion, working, when her phone started ringing, and every thought of the upcoming event she was overseeing flew out of her mind when she read the caller id.

‘Vanessa.’

Ámbar rejected the call. It was the middle of the day and the last thing she wanted was to talk to her godmother. After all the trouble she had caused her. After all the pain she kept putting her through because of her inability to do things right.

Ámbar put her phone on vibrate and continued working. But not two minutes passed by before her phone started vibrating, and when she didn’t pick up that call either, her screen lit up with a new message.

Vanessa: Pick up the phone, Ámbar.

When her phone started vibrating for the third time, Ámbar finally gave up and answered it. With a bit of luck, she would make it quick, and then she could go back to try to not let Sharon ruin her life.

“What do you want? It’s the middle of the day, I’m working.”

“Ámbar.” The sound of her name in her voice always brought her an ominous feeling. “How kind of you to finally pick up. Since you’re going straight to the point, allow me to do so as well,” Sharon said drily. “I heard from Rey that not only do you refuse to help me, but you’ve been also wandering around the mansion, searching for ways to stop my plans.”

Ámbar growled internally. That damned Rey— He’d fallen onto her clutches again, right when she’d had hope that Maggie had managed to convince him for good. Not only that, but he had tattled on her to her godmother after she specifically told him, threatened him, to keep his mouth shut.

Must everything go the opposite way of how I want it to?

“I don’t know what Rey told you, but I have no ulterior motives,” she replied as casually as she could. “I’m just working from home because all the noise at the Roller was distracting me.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Ámbar; you’ve tested my patience enough already,” Sharon shut her down with a scathing tone. “I want you to stop this absurd rebellion you have against me immediately. Whether you like it or not, you and I are on the same side. The Valente will never forgive you for helping me, and you know that perfectly well. That’s the reason why you haven’t told them anything despite wasting your time pestering me, or am I wrong?”

Ámbar clenched her eyes shut. Maybe at some point that had been one of her worries, but it was never the main one, couldn’t she see? “I don’t want to have to tell them anything— I just want you to stop this before you ruin your life,” she begged.

All she wanted was to keep her safe. Everyone safe. Was that so much to ask? Couldn’t this war just end?

“And I want you to stop meddling with my plans, so listen carefully,” Sharon said in a hard voice. “Either you let Rey and Maggie do their jobs or I’ll be making a call to your two-bit boyfriend.”

Ámbar’s heart stopped. Every muscle on her body seized, quick and violently with the impetus of dread.

“What?”

She could hear Sharon’s sadistic smile on the phone. “I imagine you don’t want him to know about our conversations. How do you think he will react when he finds out you’ve been helping me since last year, pretending to be Sol Benson when you knew Luna was the real one?”

Ámbar shook her head. “You can’t do that.”

“No? How long do you think it’d take me to get his phone number? Half an hour? Less than?”

Ámbar swallowed her saliva, her mouth as dry as a desert, and took in a shaky breath. “No, you can’t do that because, if you do, I’ll talk,” she said. “I’ll tell them everything I know— Your new identity, that Rey and Maggie are helping you— everything about your plan.”

“So I’ll make another one,” Sharon replied easily, sinking Ámbar’s stomach to the ground. “I have time and resources. Rey and Maggie too are expandable. I could get other people to help me.” Her voice lost its levity then, gaining a dark edge to it. “One way or another, I will have my revenge, Ámbar. Now you can either stay on my side like you’ve always done, or face the consequences all by yourself. It’s your choice. This is your one and final warning.”

She hung up the phone.

Ámbar sat there, frozen from head to toe, trying to convince herself that this wasn’t happening, that it was just another nightmare. But the more she stayed there, the more achingly clear it became that this was reality.

She’s not going to stop.

The feeling sunk in and her chest started clenching. Panic.

She’s not going to stop. There’s nothing I can do. I have to tell them.

But Sharon, the other part of her wept. What will happen to her? I don’t want anything to happen to her. Why does it have to be me?

She could tell Maggie to do it. Maggie could give them all away— it wouldn’t have to be Ámbar.

But even then, the moment they were captured, either Rey or Sharon would make sure to tell everyone that Ámbar knew. They would want her to go down with them.

Simón would find out that Ámbar knew, and once again, she wouldn’t get the chance to explain anything to him because she wasn’t the one who told him.

But I don’t want to tell him. I want to be happy. I want us to continue being happy for a little longer.

Wouldn’t Simón choose the same? Stay in happy oblivion for a little longer instead of going through heartbreak? Anyone would choose happiness, right?

Especially now that the Day of the Dead Roller Jam was coming up. She couldn’t ruin this for him. Maybe she could tell him after, but not right now.

Yeah, after. She could tell him after. At some point. She could do that.

She had to… she had to focus on the event first, and then on fixing whatever weird thing was up with her relationship with Simón, and then when things were good between them again, she could unveil everything, and maybe… maybe he’d understand. Maybe everything would be fine. Maybe…

Ámbar spent was felt like hours trying to calm down her pulse. She had no idea what a panic attack felt like, but she imagined the starts of one felt like this— like shortness of breath and a knot behind her sternum, so she had to calm down, think of something else.

She worked on decorations, one after another, focusing on the repetitive movements, and eventually, it worked. Her mind was getting clearer.

Then Rey walked in through the front door, passing by the lobby, and Ámbar saw red.

She was out of her seat in a fraction of a second. She yanked him into the empty dining room by his suit jacket and turned to him with such a fierce glare it should’ve killed him.

“How could you rat on me with Sharon?” She snarled. “You do know I can talk, right? I warned you, Rey. I told you not tomess with me. Are you out of your mind? Do you truly care more about Sharon than your own damn safety now?”

“I'm going to expressly ask you to calm down,” Rey seethed through gritted teeth, “and to not lay a single hand on me again because we both know you have a lot to lose from all of this.”

Ámbar scoffed and shook her head. “I don’t get it. I swear to god, I can not understand it— How can you not see this is reaching the end of the line, Rey? Any moment now, my godmother is going to sneak into this house because she is obsessed with that stupid chest, and she’s going to get caught, and then she, you, and Maggie are going get sent straight to a prison cell— You should be stopping her, not helping her!”

“Your godmother is not going to back out, miss,” Rey said with certainty, spitting the last word with venom. “She is unyieldingly set on destroying the Valente. And ensuring she doesn’t get caught doing it is my job. All you have to do, as you’ve done until now, is remain quiet.”

“I can’t, Rey, Ican’t— This is wrong,” Ámbar said in agony. “The Valente don’t deserve this— God, not even you and Maggie deserve this. Do you know what she told me?” She expressed with incredulity. “Do you know what Sharon told me when she called me earlier? That you’re replaceable,” she affirmed. “That she doesn’t care if you and Maggie go to jail because she can just pay someone else to do her dirty work. Open your eyes, Rey. This is going to end badly for everyone.”

Rey reared his head back a little. A few emotions flashed through his eyes—Fear, Ámbar was almost certain, and something that looked like hurt— but then all of that was gone as he put his firm expression back.

“I don’t believe a single word you say,” he enunciated strongly. “Your godmother considers me her right-hand man— I’ve spent years supporting her in everything she’s ever endeavored and she recognizes that.” Ámbar closed her eyes and shook her head, frustrated, distraught, but Rey kept talking. “You just want to confuse me because you’re scared of what your little boyfriend might think of all this. Sharon already warned me that you might react this way. But that’s all the more reason for you to keep your mouth shut. And I know you will.”

He leaned forward and looked her right in the eye. “You always do what’s most convenient for you. You can stop pretending otherwise.”

Rey straightened the jacket of his suit and walked away, leaving her standing there.

And Ámbar…

Ámbar hit the spot where he had been on the wall and drowned her fingers in her hair.

She couldn’t take this anymore.

------------------------

Later that night, as they were getting ready for bed, Ámbar put on a smile and turned to face Simón.

“Good news! Well, I hope it’s good news. Starting from tomorrow, I’m going to work in the Roller again.”

Simón finished putting on his sleep shirt and blinked in her direction. “Oh. You’re not going to work from home anymore? I thought you could focus better that way.”

Ámbar avoided his gaze by pulling back the covers. “Mm, maybe, but the Roller Jam is this Friday and I need to be where the action’s at.” She sat on the bed and reached for his hand. “Besides, I miss being able to see my favorite person all day.”

Simón’s expression showed a hundred different questions. He was suspicious—Of course he was. Her decision to start working from home had been abrupt, and now she was coming back to the Roller just as abruptly. It could be just whims. Ámbar was known to have them. But Simón wasn’t stupid.

He wasn’t, but he just showed a little smile and said nothing.

They got under the covers after that, and again, the air between them wasn’t tense, but it was different.

Maybe this different was their new normal. With everything she had done and was still doing, maybe she didn’t deserve more than this. Maybe it was something she had to get used to.

Ámbar buried her face in Simón’s neck and tried not to cry.

-------------------

On her very first day back in the Roller, she was surprised to find people happy to see her working there.

“We were starting to miss seeing you at that table,” Eric told her with a gentle smile. “I’ll bring you your usual juice right up.”

Ámbar blinked as he went to the bar. “Thank you…”

And then Ramiro smiled at her as well. “The Roller’s not the same without you, so welcome back.”

Warmth gathered inside of Ámbar. Everything looked so bleak lately that sometimes she forgot she had good relationships now— She wasn’t in the dark pit she once resided in. She didn’t have friendships based on hostility now. She wasn’t the pariah, completely alone, shunned by everyone. She wasn’t even that girl who only had friends because of the popularity she exuded.

She had genuine bonds now. Because she didn’t pretend anymore, nor did she attack anymore, and, surprisingly, some people seemed to like her without any facades.

Delfi saw her working on decorations in the afternoon and offered to help her with them. Ámbar felt a surge of joy and readily said yes— If there was one bond she was happy to have back, it was that one. This new go at their friendship was still rocky, but she felt like it got better every time they talked, and that was exactly what they did as they made the handicrafts— Talk, leisurely, casually, gloriously light and breezy with no particular direction.

Some minutes after they sat down to do that, Jim and Yam saw them working and asked to join in too. It took Ámbar by surprise, but the Roller Jam was just around the corner and she had to get these done, so the more hands, the better. She accepted gratefully.

Then Jazmín arrived and claimed she didn’t want to be excluded, so she started helping too. Ramiro joined in as well soon after, followed by Nina, and before Ámbar knew it, she had a whole group gathered on the Roller’s stage, all making decorations together. Even Simón and Pedro took a break to join them.

It felt so nice. Seeing everyone talking and working together… Feeling part of a group... Ámbar was pretty independent, and she didn’t mind doing things alone, but it was nice to be able to turn her brain off for a minute and let herself be carried by a cheerful current.

So, of course, something had to ruin it.

“What if we put candles around the rink like they do in México?” Jazmín proposed with sparkling eyes.

“It’d be very pretty, but also very dangerous, so let’s better not,” Simón kindly shot down her well-meaning but poor idea.

“Yeah, did you forget already how the rink caught fire last year?” Pedro said.

It was like a black hole had sucked out all the calm they’d felt until that moment. Ámbar’s chest contracted, and one could’ve heard a pin drop in the silence that followed.

Many stares fell on her at once.

Simón turned to his friend with a reproachful look. “Pedro.”

Even in the awkwardness, it made her a little happy to see him jump in her defense, but Ámbar didn’t want this to turn into an argument, so she hurried to intervene.

“No, it’s okay, you don’t have to censure yourselves for me,” she told them. The fire was something that happened and that affected everyone— It was bound to come up every now and then.

She didn’t want it to be a taboo topic forever. She didn’t want everyone’s eyes to turn judgmental and distrustful every time they talked about last year.

Of course, there wasn’t much she could do about that, but… there was one thing.

Ámbar cleared her throat a little, joining her hands in her lap to stop them from fidgeting. “Since you’re all gathered here, I’d like to take the opportunity to apologize about the fire.” She glanced at them. “I know most of you won’t believe me, but it really was an accident, and I’m sorry about that. And…” She brought her gaze down to her hands. “I’m sorry about the other stuff I did too.” There were so many she couldn’t even count them. She squirmed a little with discomfort and rushed her words, looking up. “I know that just saying it is not enough and that it’s going to take a while for you to see I really changed, but either way, I…”

Ámbar had to look away again. She was not good at this. “I don’t know, I just… wanted to… say that.”

Lame. That ending was so lame.

She stood up quickly. If she had to sit through one more awkward silence, she was going to jump off the roof. “I’ll go check the decorations in the rink.”

Ámbar walked away, fighting a grimace. God, she couldn’t believe she had done that.

But that’s it. I did it. It’s done now.

She knew she had to apologize at some point— it probably should’ve been item 1 on her list if she meant to mend her ways, actually. She should’ve planned more how she was going to do it, maybe rehearse the words or something, but the important part was that it was done, right? Better an improvised speech than nothing.

Once in the rink, Ámbar went over to her worktable, looking for something to do. There were a couple of skull decorations that could use a second coat of paint, so she gathered her brushes and the paints to do just that.

Before she could start working on the first, though, she heard footsteps approaching, and when she turned her head toward the sound, she saw Simón had come after her.

Oh.

She thought she’d have a little more time before she had to talk about it.

Simón stood barely two steps away from her, and her eyes flicked back to the decorations. She couldn’t ignore him though, obviously, so Ámbar placed the skull and the brush carefully back on the table and wiped her hands on her clothes before facing him, even though they were clean.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad was that apology?” She tried to joke, letting out an awkward huff of laughter.

Simón didn’t hold a fraction of her tension though. The smile that grew on his lips filled his whole face with warmth. His brown eyes looked at her with an incredible softness.

“It was great.”

Ámbar almost got speechless seeing such fondness directed at her. Simón grabbed one of her hands in both his own and held it between their chests. He caressed it gently with his thumb.

“That couldn’t have been easy. I didn’t expect Pedro to bring up the fire so out of the blue, I think it took all of us aback, but you handled it so well.” His hands squeezed hers. “You spoke from the heart, and I think the guys realized that too.” He took a step closer to her, his face absolutely beaming. “So, from one to ten, a hundred, bonita. A thousand. I’m very proud of you, my love.”

Oh.

Suddenly, Ámbar tried to remember if he had called her that the past few days. He had, of course, he had. But not like this. Not with that tone in his voice. Not with eyes so affectionate they kicked her heart into overdrive.

“Yeah?” Her voice came out too breathy, so she cleared her throat and spoke again, fast, a little clumsy. “I mean, I should’ve done it a long time ago, really. And maybe better. But it was the right thing to do, and, like I said, it’s not that I think this will fix everything; it’s not that easy. But at least—”

Simón held her face and kissed her. It wasn’t a hard kiss, but it was enough to cut off her nervous thoughts and leave her mind pleasantly blank.

“You were great,” he told her again, close.

Ámbar smiled, a mirror reflex from seeing him smile so beautifully, and welcomed his lips when he kissed her again.

And that night, their kisses did linger, and the contact did deepen, and Simón held her closer and closer. It was heady, and slow, and consuming.

It was easy.

*****************

“I’ll go check the decorations in the rink.”

Simón followed Ámbar with his eyes as she walked away, his heart doing a weird thing where it seemed like it wanted to squeeze and expand at the same time. Around him, his friends were just as quiet as him.

It was Nina who broke the silence. “Wow.”

Simón brought his gaze back to the group and saw similar expressions of surprise on everyone’s faces. The good kind.

“Is this the same Ámbar or did someone switch her with a clone?” Yam said in disbelief.

“I told you guys she had changed,” Delfi said with some superiority.

Simón couldn’t stay to hear more after that, possessed with the need to go to Ámbar.

His heart was thrumming as he walked toward the rink. It was a rush of elation, an invigorating mix of relief and love that started building the moment Ámbar started to speak. See? It screamed. I wasn’t wrong. I’m not wrong for believing in Ámbar. I never was.

It’d been hard the last few days. The constant fight against the voices in his head, rationality and emotion working on different wavelengths, and him, caught in the middle.

But that apology had been a balm to his anxious brain. Empiric proof that Ámbar was different from how she was before. Simón felt aligned again. He had hope. Sometimes, that was all he needed.

Things were much better after that day. They were good, actually. Their time spent at the Roller felt like old times. Everyone was smiling, excited by the upcoming Roller Jam, and the smiles didn’t dim around Ámbar anymore. Everyone worked together on the final preparations for the event. It was almost like they were all friends again.

In between waiting tables, Simón showed off his costume for the party to Ámbar and then stored it in the dressing room, ready for Friday. He was excited about sharing a little piece of his culture with his friends and with everyone who showed up, lured in by the decorations, and the food, and the music.

Ámbar said her costume was ready too. She refused to let him see it though, insisting on keeping it a surprise for the big day.

She really loves her secrets, doesn’t she?

Simón shot down the intrusive thought. He’d been doing that a lot lately. They kept popping up, but he wasn’t going to let them fester, especially for something like this. He loved surprises. It was fun.

Time flew by and suddenly it was the last night before the big event. At dinner, it was all everyone was talking about: Luna told her parents that they had to go check it out, even if only for a little bit. Mr. Alfredo invited himself too, which, of course, everyone agreed with. The guys went over the itinerary with Ámbar, especially Pedro and Simón, who would be on the employee side of things, and Michel marveled about how he was getting the best student exchange experience ever, because he didn’t only get to learn about one new culture, but two.

After dinner, when everyone had finished their food and the first few were excusing themselves to go up to their rooms, Maggie finished picking all the dishes from the table and turned to Ámbar with a smile.

“Ámbar, sweetie, want to do the dishes with me like last time? So I’m not so lonely doing it?”

Ámbar looked a little surprised, and bemused, by the invitation. Honestly, Simón was too. Maggie didn’t usually ask anyone to do things with her. Mónica sometimes offered, and Ámbar offered once as well, but that was it.

“Yeah, sure,” Ámbar replied after a moment, smiling, and got up from her chair. Simón thought of how much she’d changed from the conceited girl he met when he first arrived in Buenos Aires. That Ámbar would’ve never agreed to something like that, much less with a smile on her face. “Goodnight,” she told Simón, placing her hand shortly on his shoulder. She couldn’t openly say ‘See you later’ in front of Luna’s parents.

“Goodnight,” Simón said back, and watched her disappear inside the kitchen with Maggie. He stayed talking with his friends for a little longer and then excused himself and went up to Ámbar’s room.

The first thing he did was kick off his shoes and throw himself on the bed. He was tired from work, but also so excited about tomorrow he wasn’t sure how he was going to sleep. He knew he had to catch some good hours though— There was going to be a lot of movement tomorrow, lots of customers, and then a party. Hell, he even had a performance! He definitely had to sleep.

It was still early though, so he checked social media for a while, and then turned on the TV.

He had just opened Netflix when Ámbar walked into the room.

“Hey, just in time,” he greeted her, smiling. “I was thinking of watching a movie or something. What do you think?”

Ámbar blinked at him for a moment and then at the screen. “Um… Yeah, sure,” she said softly. “I mean, if you want.”

“I think I’ve been picking the movies for a little too long,” Simón joked self-critically. “You pick something.” He offered her the remote. “Whatever you want.”

Ámbar looked at the remote for a moment before taking it. “Okay.”

She went to the bed and Simón scooted over to his side to make space for her. Not like there was much space to give, the bed was small, but that wasn’t a problem when they were used to touching anyway.

Ámbar sat next to him, crossed-legged, and began to scroll through the different titles.

A moment passed. Simón watched her profile.

“You okay?”

Ámbar’s eyes moved from the screen to him. “Hm?” It took her a second to process the question. “Yeah, why?”

“Nothing, just, you’re a little quiet.” Ever since she came in, actually.

“Oh. No. I’m just focused on finding something,” she said, and brought her gaze back to the screen. “I don’t know if I want to watch a movie though— Maybe something shorter. With a faster pace. I don’t know, distracting.”

Ah.

Simón brushed back a lock of her hair and caressed her face softly with his knuckles.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

If he was going to have a hard time sleeping, he could only imagine how she was feeling.

Ámbar met his eyes. There was something in hers, something familiar, like something he’d seen there before, but she lowered her gaze before he could discern exactly what. She could’ve stayed quiet and it would’ve still been obvious something was up. She confirmed it anyway. “A little.”

Simón cupped her face, waited until she looked back at him to give her his most reassuring smile. “It’s going to be amazing,” he told her with certainty. “You’ll see. You’ve worked too hard for it not to.”

Ámbar smiled.

The both of them focused on the screen after that to find something to watch. They ended up deciding on a sitcom, and they settled together with their backs against the pillows and Simón’s arm around Ámbar.

Simón enjoyed the show, but Ámbar still seemed a little distracted. She laughed a little late at the jokes, and was a little restless, moving her fingers constantly, checking her phone every few minutes, sometimes even seconds apart, as if she hadn’t looked at it right the first time.

She had to be really nervous, Simón thought. Ámbar had a tendency of being a perfectionist, and a little workaholic, so he wouldn’t be surprised if she was checking work emails even now. God knew it wouldn’t be the first time he caught her doing that after work hours.

After the second episode ended, Ámbar detached herself from his side and sat up. She shoved her phone into the pocket of her jeans as she turned to look at him.

“You know what? I think I’m gonna make myself some tea in the kitchen, maybe even something to eat, I don’t know— I’ll be back, okay?”

She started to get up but Simón caught her arm.

“Want me to get it for you?” He offered. It was the least he could do. All of tomorrow’s event was basically for his sake. “That way you don’t have to move.”

Ámbar showed him a smile but declined swiftly. “No, thank you, I’ll do it, don’t worry.”

She stood. Simón did as well. “No, really, I don’t mind.” He walked over to the other side of the bed to stand in front of her. “I mean,” he smiled playfully, “what use is the best Mexican boyfriend in the world if he can’t even bring his girlfriend food in bed?” He let out a little laugh. “Come on, what do you want? I believe you said tea. What flavor should I bring?”

“I don’t know, love, that’s why I want to go myself, let me do it.”

“Oh but that’s no problem, I can bring different options for you to choose, like before.” He felt a surge of amusement and fondness, remembering that time. “It’ll take me a little longer but—”

“Enough.”

Simón stopped in his tracks.

“That’s enough, Simón,I said ‘No, thank you.’ I’m very grateful, but I’m perfectly capable of doing things by myself. I’m going. Now drop it.”

Ámbar said it all sharp and fast, in one go, like exasperated.

Simón stood very still. His train of thought had turned to nothing.

Ámbar winced looking at his face and sighed. Her whole body softened and she moved closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders gently.

She caressed them as she spoke. “Look. We’re both tired. Tomorrow’s a big day. Why don’t you stay here, rest, put on a movie like you wanted to, and I’ll watch it with you once I’m back, okay?” She kissed his cheek. “Wait for me.”

With that, she pulled away and walked out of the bedroom.

Simón stared at the door in her absence. Strange. All of that had been too strange. One second, they were fine, and the next, she was snapping at him with a hard voice— She didn’t have to get so defensive over something like that.

Unless it wasn’t about that.

Why was she so desperate for me to stay here?

Simón walked over to the door, and his hand was already on the handle when he stopped himself.

“No.” He let go and turned around, letting out a huff of laughter. “No, come on, what am I doing?”

Why would Ámbar lie about going to the kitchen? It was ridiculous. He was paranoid. What did he want to do? Go down there and make sure she was actually there?

What if she isn’t?

Simón shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He was overthinking it. Yes, she was acting a little strange, but she was nervous. Worried and stressed about tomorrow. That was most probably why she lashed out too, but she realized her mistake and changed her tune immediately. Those things happened under stress.

He decided to stop dwelling on it and walked over to his side of the bed. He picked up his phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It wasn’t that late yet. He placed it back on the nightstand, and was about to put on a movie, like Ámbar said, as a distraction, when a thought struck him.

Her phone.

Simón’s heart stuttered. He flicked his eyes toward the opposite nightstand. It was empty. His feet brought him over to it as if to make sure, and then he looked around, over the vanity, the table. Nothing.

He remembered he’d seen her putting it in her pocket.

His stomach sunk low.

She took her phone with her.

Simón’s mind went into overdrive. Ámbar had been checking her phone incessantly since she walked into the room, hadn’t she? He thought it was work emails—What if it wasn’t? Why would she bring her phone to make herself tea?

Maybe just to pass the time?? A critical voice retorted in his head. You’re exaggerating.

Was he? Because it was all adding up. She’d been acting strange, distracted, checking her phone instead of focusing on the show, and now, suddenly, she wanted to be alone so badly that she basically ordered him to stay here, and she took her phone with her.

She could’ve taken it without thinking, it’s not that big of a deal, the voice reproached again. It sounded like himself. Like his old self. The one who had stronger views of right and wrong.

Good thing that she took it too or you would’ve already gone through it with the way you’re acting right now.

Simón stopped pacing at once. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it.

No. Absolutely not.He was not that kind of boyfriend.

He kept repeating that in his head while he fought the urge to go to the kitchen. I’m not like that, I don’t want to be like that, I won’t do it—

But his eyes kept glancing at the door.

**********************

“Ámbar, sweetie, want to do the dishes with me like last time? So I’m not so lonely doing it?”

Upon receiving Maggie’s invitation, Ámbar immediately got a bad feeling in her gut. Maggie’s expression was sweet and chirpy— overly so, if you knew how she really was, which was a clear indicator that something was up. Ámbar saw it in her eyes. ‘Come with me’ they urged.

Ámbar did so. Once in the kitchen, Maggie handed her a pair of gloves, the same ones she’d used last time, and for a moment, they just washed the dishes normally.

“Sorry about that, but I needed to talk to you,” Maggie started in a quiet voice.

“Yeah, I figured, what happened?” Ámbar said in the same volume.

“Well, you didn’t hear it from me but…” Maggie looked around quickly, making sure there was no one near. She leaned closer. “I overheard Rey talking on the phone with Sharon. She’s going to sneak into the house tonight.”

Ámbar’s heart leaped. “What? At what time? Right now?” She expelled in a rush.

“I don’t know!” Maggie whisper-yelled too. “Rey didn’t even tell me about it— I only heard him because I noticed he was acting weird and spied on him. Clearly, he’s being very cautious.”

Ámbar scrubbed the plate in her hands to let out some of her nervous energy. She should’ve known it was only a matter of time before this happened. She wasn’t expecting to hear about it, though. Now that she had the information, what was she supposed to do with it?

“Why are you telling me?” She asked Maggie. If Rey didn’t even tell her about it, clearly the plan was exclusively between him and Sharon.

“I don’t know, I thought maybe you could do something about it and save us all from going to prison?” She suggested. The fear and urgency in her voice were evident, and in her movements as she washed the dishes too. “I mean, it’s too risky coming here again after she was almost caught twice before. I’m telling you, Sharon has completely lost her mind.”

Ámbar lowered her gaze to the sink. She felt her heart drop to her stomach, wilted like a two-week rose. “I know. But there’s nothing I can do to stop her,” she admitted ruefully. “I’ve tried everything; it’s useless.”

Maggie sighed heavily. “Rey too. For a moment, I thought I had gotten through to him but… Ugh! I don’t know what enchantment that woman pulled him under.” She scrubbed the dishes with more force. “So, what do we do?”

Ámbar watched the suds and food scraps drip down the drain. Her voice came out hopeless. “I don’t know.”

The two washed the dishes in silence for a while. Ámbar got lost in her thoughts. Thoughts of how she wished things had gone differently. Thoughts of all the things she could do… and all the consequences those decisions could bring.

Maggie broke the silence after some minutes. “If they catch her…” Ámbar’s heart faltered. “Could you please tell everyone that I tried to stop this?”

Ámbar looked to the side, meeting her gaze. Maggie drew a tiny smile on her lips. It looked gloomy. “My designer clothes weren’t made for jail.”

Once more, Ámbar was made very aware of all the lives that were entangled in Sharon’s plot. Everything that could be ruined if she talked. Everything that could be ruined if she didn’t.

She wondered if Rey had told Maggie about what Sharon told her on the phone, about replacing them, her disregard for their safety.

Even if he didn’t, Maggie seemed to know. She wouldn’t be asking her this otherwise.

“Yeah, I’ll tell them,” Ámbar promised. She couldn’t control many things, but this she could do.

She went up to her room with a thousand thoughts raging through her mind. Of course, Simón noticed. He always noticed when something was up with her, even if he didn’t know why.

Outwardly, Ámbar tried to seem composed while her pulse galloped with anxiety, harder every minute. She couldn’t stop looking at the time, wondering if Sharon had already entered the mansion or if she hadn’t yet; wondering if she should talk, right now, put an end to everything once and for all, or stay out of it and hope it resolved by itself. Maybe someone else would catch her. Maybe something would come up and Sharon wouldn’t sneak in at all. But if she did— How could she waste such an opportunity to stop her? But if she didn’t, Ámbar would just be ending her peaceful days prematurely for nothing. But it wouldn’t be for nothing— It was the right thing to do. But she had the event tomorrow. But that wasn’t the most important thing. But—

The second episode of the sitcom ended and Ámbar couldn’t have said what any of the character’s names were. She had to leave. She had to do something.

But Simón was being inopportunely sweet, and ugh—

She walked out of her room feeling like a rope frayed to the last thread, tugged in all directions. She had to move, or she was going to break.

Ámbar sped over to Sharon’s room. There was no one inside when she walked in. Was she late? Had it already happened?

She pulled out her phone to call Sharon but then stopped herself short. She couldn’t call her— What if she was already making her way inside and the ringtone alerted everyone of her presence? Same thing with a message. She wanted to believe Sharon wouldn’t be so stupid as to not set her phone on silent mode, but she hadn’t been making the most rational decisions lately, so she didn’t know.

She chose to hide somewhere and wait. Everyone hadn’t gone to bed that long ago— it was unlikely her godmother had been in and out already. The curtains next to the bed were long enough to hide her feet, so Ámbar got behind them and turned to the window, which gave her a view of the front yard of the house.

She didn’t know how long she spent standing there, looking out. It was probably just a few minutes, but her nerves were strung tight, and it felt like hours. She thought she saw something at some point, but it was dark and she was high up, and there was the chance that Sharon wouldn’t even use the main entrance to walk in. All the uncertainty and the waiting did nothing to assuage her heart rate.

Then she heard someone opening the door.

Ámbar held her breath. Her senses zeroed in on every little noise, cataloging each of them, discerning.

Heels. She could clearly hear the sound of heels walking on wooden floor.

Ámbar pushed the curtain aside and stepped forward.

In a red hair wig and a similar dress to the one she’d seen before, Sharon stopped in her tracks and spun around quickly, reacting to the sound of footsteps other than her own, and her wide eyes met Ámbar’s in the semi-darkness.

Sharon’s posture relaxed, just slightly, when she saw it was her. That was a mistake. Ámbar would let her know.

“What are you doing here?” Sharon’s voice was accusatory.

“I should be asking you that.” Ámbar marched across the room, passing by Sharon and standing between her and the bookshelf that concealed the secret chest. “I told you it was too dangerous. But, of course, you wouldn’t listen to me. You don’t listen to anyone but yourself.”

“I don’t have time for sermons, Ámbar,” Sharon said dismissively and tried to go toward the bookshelf.

Ámbar stood in her way.

Sharon glared at her with irritation.

“Step aside.”

“No.”

Sharon’s eyes threatened murder. “Ámbar.”

“What’s most important to you?” She asked. “Whatever’s in that chest or your revenge?”

“Both,” Sharon spat darkly, and tried to push past her, but Ámbar blocked her way again.

“No, you don’t get both.” Her voice was strong and resolute. Her posture firm. “You’re in a checkmate, godmother. One scream from me and all your plans are over— Rey will not be able to save you in time. You’ll have to pay for what you did.”

Sharon looked at her appraisingly, taking her words for what they were— A threat.

Her lips curled into an ironic smile. “So, it’s finally come to this, huh?" She shook her head. "Raise crows and they will poke out your eyes.”

Ámbar didn’t respond to that proverb. This wasn’t a betrayal. She told herself it wasn’t. “I’m giving you a choice,” she made clear. “Take whatever is inside that chest, leave all of us alone, for good, and you can spend the rest of your days building an empire somewhere else or whatever it is that you want. But if you insist on your stupid revenge, I promise you, I will personally make sure to stop you, even if you manage to escape tonight, which seems very unlikely.”

Sharon watched her in silence, and Ámbar could see in her expression that she knew it too— Right now, the cards weren’t in her favor.

“So, I ask you again,” Ámbar said with finality. “What’s more important to you?”

The two took each other’s measure, unblinking, unmoving.

Sharon spoke flatly. “Step aside.”

“No.”

“Move, Ámbar,” she reiterated with annoyance. “I’ll take what’s mine and go. Far away,” she clarified. She was conceding. “So long as you keep your end of the bargain as well.”

Ámbar hesitated. Could she trust her to keep her word? Could she trust her own vow of hunting her to the ends of the Earth if she didn’t?

Ironically, it was Simón’s words that crossed her mind.

For someone to change, you have to give them a chance to do so.

Sharon wasted no time in advancing toward the bookshelf once Ámbar stepped out of the way. The furniture made a clicking noise as the secret compartment was revealed, and Sharon pulled the little doors open to access the chest inside. Ámbar stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, watching as Sharon pulled the key out of her purse, hoping she wouldn’t regret this later.

She had to look away as she opened it. What if this was a terrible mistake? What if whatever was in that chest was even worse than the revenge she wanted to inflict on the Valentes? What if—

The sound of struggle reached her ears. Metal against metal, wood being shaken, followed by an angry tsk of Sharon’s tongue.

“It’s not working— This is not the right key!” She fumed.

Ámbar whipped her head toward her. “What?” How could it be the wrong key? Right when she’d made a deal with her? “Are you sure? Here, let me try—”

She reached for the key, but Sharon twirled around quickly, blocking her way to the chest. “No!” She exclaimed, frantic. “I don’t want you anywhere near this chest, you hear me? Especially you. And Luna.”

Ámbar frowned, both at her exaggerated reaction and the words that came with it. What did she mean ‘especially you and Luna?’

She didn’t get to ask about it because, right then, the knob of the door rattled as someone tried to open it. Sharon had had the good sense to lock it when she walked in, but that didn’t change the fact that there was someone outside the door right now, someone who then knocked when they couldn’t push it open.

“Hello?” It was Luna. “Is someone there?”

Time seemed to slow down around Ámbar. It was over. The key didn’t work, so Sharon couldn’t have what was in the chest, and without that, their deal was void, so she couldn’t risk letting her go— She had to give her away. Now.

Her eyes met her godmother’s, and she knew from the look in them that she was thinking the same thing.

There was fear in them. Ámbar didn’t think she had ever seen her that scared before, with the certainty of doom paling her face, and never with that look directed at her.

Ámbar didn’t think. She just acted.

“Hide.”

Time started moving again.

Ámbar went to the door and turned the key to unlock it. Before opening it, she took a glance behind her back, making sure Sharon wasn’t visible. She couldn’t spot her.

She opened the door just enough to show herself to Luna.

“Luna, hi, sorry for locking the door.”

“Ámbar?” Luna looked at her with her face wrinkled in confusion. “What are you doing in Sharon’s room?”

“You have no idea what just happened.” Ámbar walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Years of pretending to be good paid out now, fueling her improvisation. “I was coming back from the kitchen when I started hearing some weird noises. I thought they were footsteps and I got scared— I thought maybe Sharon had come here again, so I came to her room, but there was no one. I haven’t seen anyone else either, or heard anything since then. I think maybe I imagined it all. I’ve been paranoid since the last time she came here.”

Luna’s eyes fluttered with surprise. “Wow, I— I haven’t heard anything. I was in my room and wanted to come here, and I didn’t see anything on the way either, maybe you did imagine things.” Ámbar nodded her head. Luna frowned. “Wait— And why did you lock the door?”

Her heart jumped to her throat. “Because I’m paranoid,” Ámbar said. “Like I said, I got scared that maybe someone was here and they were going to try and come for the chest, so I locked myself inside, and then you knocked on the door and almost gave me a heart attack.” That part was actually true.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Luna apologized. She lowered her gaze a little shyly, fidgeting with her fingers. “I just— Since tomorrow we’ll be celebrating the Day of the Dead at the Roller, I got a little sentimental and I thought maybe I could search for some pictures of Lily and Bernie.” Her eyes looked at the door wistfully. “This used to be their room, before. Would you help me look?”

Her hand reached for the handle but Ámbar blocked her way. “No, no, I don’t think it’d be a good idea.” She contorted her face into an image of empathy. “I mean, if you’re already feeling kind of sad about it, I think seeing pictures would only make you feel worse. Maybe tomorrow,” she suggested, “with the whole Roller Jam and everything, you’ll be in better spirits and you can search then.”

“Well, I’m not feeling that sad really—”

“And now that you mention it—” She needed to get her away from here, now. “You know, I have a problem with my costume for tomorrow, you think you could help me?”

Luna frowned. “Me?”

“Yeah, I mean, you’re from México, and there’s something about it that doesn’t seem quite right to me. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but I’d like a second opinion. Could you come to my room and check it out with me?”

“Simón is from México too, why don’t you ask him?”

“I’m keeping it a surprise from him, he hasn’t seen it yet.” Again, all the better lies always had a kernel of truth. Ámbar joined her hands together. “Please, Luna? It’ll be quick, I promise, I’ll let you be after that.”

Luna hesitated, still looking very confused, but she agreed. “Okay, sure.”

Powerful relief flooded Ámbar as they started walking and left Sharon’s room behind, further and further with each step they took. She had no idea what minimal detail of her costume she was going to point out to Luna once they got to her own room, but that was unimportant— The coast was clear now. Sharon would be able to escape.

As soon as that thought registered in her mind, her chest hitched with a sharp pang. Her stomach sunk along with her relief, both crushed under a wave of guilt so potent it was almost asphyxiating.

Her brain reproached her without mercy. You weren’t supposed to let her escape— You had to stop her!

Ámbar’s pulse went wild again, and she became very aware of her own breathing. She tried to keep it normal, but now that she’d stopped moving by instinct, her mind was frantic, urging her to action so loudly it was like a blare in her ears.

It’s not too late. Turn around. Tell Luna to go get her parents. You have Sharon right there, served on a silver platter— What are you doing?

But Sharons’ face. The fear in her eyes.

Who cares? You’re not at fault for everything she has to pay for. Hand her over, help getting her captured, and the Valente will be grateful. Maybe even Simón will be happy. Maybe he’ll be proud of you, for doing the right thing, like when you apologized in the Roller.

Ámbar felt her stomach so tied up in knots it was like she was going to be sick.

“Ámbar?” Luna spoke to her. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Her heart pounded even harder.

“No.” Her natural instinct was to lie. Hide everything behind a smile. “Everything’s fine, I’m okay.”

“Is the issue with your costume that bad?” Luna ventured, clearly not believing her words.

A breathless laugh burst out of Ámbar. “No, no, that’s just a tiny thing, you’ll see when we get there.” Her hands fidgeted. “It’s just…”

She could feel Luna’s stare on her face. Ámbar swallowed.

“It’s just that… thinking that Sharon had sneaked into the house again left me a little rattled, that’s all.”

Lie. Liar. Say the truth. Stop this. Stop this.

“I didn’t know that Sharon’s appearances had affected you so much,” Luna said with sympathy, but there were some strong undertones of surprise and bemusement. “I mean, with how close you two used to be, I would guess you’re the one with the least reasons to worry. She would never do anything to you.”

Thump.

A dagger ran through Ámbar’s heart.

It took her a while to regain her composure. She had to remind herself how untrue that was, all the things Sharon had done, everything she had threatened to do.

“You forget she lied to me about my identity,” she said to Luna. And that’s only what you know.

Luna looked down, embarrassed. “Oh. Right. You’re right,” she said quietly, and remained quiet all the rest of the way, which suited Ámbar just fine.

She didn’t want to talk. She wanted to wrap up this ruse as quickly as possible and then get into bed. She had a big day tomorrow after all. That was the only thing she had to focus on right now.

Coward, her brain grumbled at her.

‘You always do what’s most convenient for you,’ she heard Rey’s voice. ‘You can stop pretending otherwise.’

She was sure that was how it looked from the outside. But Rey was wrong.

Ámbar didn’t do what was convenient for her, almost never. She did whatever poured out of her in the moment— Whatever she could. She told herself she was smart, and cunning, and calculative, but she wasn’t. She followed her emotions more often than her head. She got things wrong. Over, and over, and over.

Maybe she could break that cycle if she weren’t so stupid, she thought numbly. She would never know, she guessed. She was too emotional to do things right, too much of a disaster to stop making more messes.

I deserve everything coming my way.

She opened the door of her room and saw Simón on the bed, already wearing his pajamas. He did a double-take when he saw she wasn’t alone, surprised and confused.

“Luna?” He said, blinking. “Wha…?”

Ámbar drew a smile on her face.

Time to perform! Don’t you just love that, you lying bitch?

“I found Luna on the way and asked her to help me with my costume, sorry for startling you.”

She closed the door behind them.

**********************

Simón didn’t go to the kitchen.

He didn’t leave the room at all, mainly because he had made a decision, long ago, regarding Ámbar. He chose to believe in the good in her. He chose to trust her when he started this relationship, and chose it again when she apologized about the phone call. He had to stick by that choice. He couldn’t keep wavering over every little thing.

Ámbar wouldn’t lie to me again, he stated in his mind, with conviction, with logic. Not after what happened the last time. She knows better and she wouldn’t do that to me. She loves me.

Since she loved him, she wouldn’t purposely do something that would hurt him, right?

Simón went to use the bathroom and do his nighttime routine— brush his teeth, wash his face. Ámbar had a wide variety of products and she’d told him to just help himself to whatever. There was a cleanser he liked, so he’d taken to using that one. It definitely made his face feel better than regular soap.

He usually would take a shower, but he wanted to be present when Ámbar came back to the room (he told himself there was no particular reason behind that). He could take one in the morning, he decided, and walked out of the bathroom.

He changed into his sleep t-shirt and pajama pants, a soft cotton combination he fancied in the colder months. Well, usually he wore a little more, like thicker pants or a long-sleeve shirt, but that was in the loft when he slept with barely a sleeping bag on top of him, and most importantly, that was when he slept alone, because Ámbar might use him to warm up her cold feet every night, but that didn’t mean her body didn’t produce heat. If Simón tried to sleep more covered, he would lie awake in a puddle of sweat.

Ámbar still hadn’t come back when he laid back down on the bed. He scrolled through Instagram for a few minutes, checking the passage of time, until he realized he was doing that and put his phone down. He grabbed the remote and searched for a movie to watch (he didn’t really want to watch anything but…)

He had just selected something when the bedroom door opened. Simón looked toward it, expecting to see Ámbar, but he didn’t expect to see—

“Luna?” He sat up. “Wha...?”

“I found Luna on the way and asked her to help me with my costume, sorry for startling you,” Ámbar said to him, and closed the door behind them both. “Thank god you were dressed.”

Luna grimaced so hard after hearing that.

“Oh,” Simón said, taking that in. He crossed his legs, leaning slightly forward. “Does that mean I finally get to see it?”

“Nope,” Ámbar replied humorously. “We’re gonna be in my en-suite— No peaking!” She started crossing the room and looked behind her. “Follow me, Luna.”

The two disappeared inside the bathroom seconds later, leaving Simón alone again.

He frowned.

Well, that was weird.

Ámbar left to serve herself some tea or something and then she showed up around twenty minutes later with Luna in tow?? Had Luna ever even been inside Ámbar’s room before? They never had the best relationship. They got along well enough now, but enough for Ámbar to bring her here and ask for her opinion on her costume? A costume that she didn’t even show him?

Well, if she doesn’t want to show it to you, it makes sense she’d have to ask someone else.

But now? The night before? When Ámbar liked to be prepared for everything and always tried to leave things ready in advance?

You’re overthinking again.

After some minutes, he heard the bathroom door open, so he quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression. Luna and Ámbar reappeared in the room, the latter stopping by her closet to put back a hanger with a black garment cover on it.

“Thank you again, Luna, sorry for bothering you.”

Luna chuckled. “I really didn’t do anything— I don’t know why you thought there was something wrong with your dress.”

“Ssh.” Ámbar tilted her head pointedly toward Simón.

Luna’s eyes widened. “Dress, pants, blouse—Who knows?” She corrected, letting out another light laugh. She smiled at both of them as she walked to the door. “Goodnight, Simón, see you tomorrow.”

He smiled at her. “Goodnight.”

Luna left the room, letting the two of them alone. Simón’s eyes immediately focused on Ámbar. He saw her sigh, the slightest bit of tension dropping from her shoulders, and she ran her fingers through her hair, probably in an unconscious gesture.

“How was it that you ended up with Luna again?”

He made his voice sound curious and not suspicious— Just conversational. Ámbar’s back still straightened before she turned to look at him.

“I was coming back from the kitchen when I heard some weird noises,” she started saying. “Or, well, I thought I had heard weird noises. Evidently, I was wrong.”

Ámbar bent down to take off her shoes. She kept talking as she put them back in her closet, and then as she walked toward her vanity and started taking off her jewelry. “But when I went to check Sharon’s room to make sure everything was fine, that’s where I met Luna. She wanted to look for photos of Lily and Bernie. She said that since we’ll be celebrating the Day of the Dead tomorrow, she was feeling melancholic. I told her it’d be better if she saw them some other day, since looking at their pictures now would only make her sadder, and that’s when I asked her to come help me with my costume.” Now that she’d stored everything back in its place, she spun to face him with a smile. “What better way to take her mind off such sad topics, right?”

Simón’s shoulders slumped a little. “Right.”

He felt a little bad after hearing her explanation. It all sounded perfectly reasonable— even nice toward Luna.

I’ll have to ask her later to see if she tells me the same story.

Simón shook himself internally right after finishing that thought. What was wrong with him? He was blowing this whole thing way out of proportion— He just had to believe her and that was it.

Ámbar went to her nightstand to leave her phone charging. Simón finished processing her words.

“So… there was nothing wrong with your costume, actually,” he concluded.

Ámbar turned her head toward him, and her whole posture revealed she’d been caught. She showed him an apologetic smile with a tint of playfulness. “Could you keep it a secret from Luna?” She asked. “I don’t want her to think I was just messing with her like I used to do; that wasn’t my intention.”

Simón smiled. “Yeah, sure.”

So, there was a lie, but just a little white one. Maybe that was what his intuition was picking up on and it was nothing bad after all. It definitely was more believable than Ámbar seeking help with her costume the night before the event.

And her doing all of that just for Luna is more believable? His brain mocked. They’re not even friends.

Simón tucked his hands under his thighs and curled them into fists. Stop it.

“Thank you,” Ámbar said. She glanced at the TV. “I see you found a movie.” She climbed onto the bed and sat next to him. “Did you start watching it already?”

“No, not yet.”

“Good, so we can watch it together,” she said smiling. “Although,” she checked her phone briefly, “it’s a little late now. I better take off my makeup first, so we can just turn off the TV after and sleep.” She slipped out of her side of the bed. “I’ll brush my teeth too. I’ll be right back.”

Simón got up. “Wait.”

He intercepted her on the way. Ámbar stopped and looked at him curiously.

He wrapped his arms loosely around her and put on a smile. “I want a kiss first.”

Ámbar’s face filled with tenderness. With her hands on his chest, she tilted her head up to give him a kiss, sweet and short. Too short. “Are you charging me a toll to pass through now?” She said with amusement.

“Yes,” he said, and leaned in to join their lips once more.

He kissed her longer this time. Softly at first, then a little more insistently, tilting his head and parting her lips with his. He sucked on them slightly before pulling back.

She didn’t taste like tea.

Simón held her head between his hands and kissed her deeper. Ámbar’s hands went to his back, and when his tongue entered her mouth, her fingers dug into his skin and she let out a little moan. Simón felt an answering shiver go down his body. Heat pooled low in his stomach, but she didn’t taste like anything. She didn’t smell like anything. Nothing.

Then what did you do for twenty minutes?

Ámbar pulled back, panting a little. Simón’s breathing was accelerated too. Her hands held his shoulders. “Um.” She looked down momentarily. “Not that I don’t like it, but maybe we should just watch the movie,” she said slowly. “We have a long day tomorrow and it’s already late.”

Simón knew the twinge in his chest wasn’t rational. He felt it anyway.

“You don’t want to?”

Ámbar looked a little troubled. Maybe it was an unfair question to ask. Maybe it wasn’t. Simón felt like he didn’t know anything at the moment. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…”

She looked to the side and— Oh… There was that look on her face again. The one she always denied that existed.

She blinked it away soon. She always did. “Actually, you know what?” She cupped his face. “It doesn’t matter.”

And for once, Simón instinct wasn’t to ask. He didn’t want to know what was causing her hesitation. He didn’t want to talk. He wanted to drown himself in a feeling.

So, when Ámbar kissed him, that was exactly what he did.

He poured all of himself into the meeting of their mouths. He held her against him and moved them to the bed, and with every layer they took off, he reminded himself of something.

She loves me.

Ámbar pulled him down and closer, pressing her body against his and circling him with her legs.

Even if sometimes I annoy her. Even if I don’t have that much to offer. Even if I don’t have a place of my own. She doesn’t care about any of that. She doesn’t want anyone else. She loves me.

He entered her in one slide, groaning at the tight, melting feeling, and Ámbar moaned, sighing as he bottomed out as if it was a relief to have him this close to her. She kissed the side of his neck, his jaw, his temple, and Simón started to move, stealing a gasp from her kiss-swollen lips.

Ámbar loves me.

He kissed her mouth and her neck. Heard her moan.

I know she does.

He thrust harder.

I know she does.

“Hey.”

Ámbar grabbed his face. Simón stopped.

“What’s the matter? Is it a cramp?” She asked breathlessly. “Why the painful face?”

Simón’s chest seized. Ámbar was looking at him with worried eyes.

He didn’t want to talk.

“Yeah, it’s a cramp,” he said. “But it’ll go away, it doesn’t matter.”

Ámbar’s face softened with sympathy. “Let’s switch positions.”

She guided him gently to lie on his back while she got on top of him. She arched up with her hands on his stomach and moved her hips, getting fully seated on his cock. A little trembling sigh left her lips.

“Better?”

Simón reached for her. “Can you kiss me while you do that?”

Ámbar lowered her upper body, moaning a little at the change of angle, and pressed their lips together.

Simón held the back of her neck and kissed her fervently as she moved.

Ámbar loves me. I know she does.

…

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I played a little with the timeline in this chapter, doing some back and forth, which is something I hadn’t done before. I hope you liked it. I personally love this chapter a lot.

As a fun fact, I’ll tell you that this changed drastically from my first draft back in 2020. The ending, though, with the ‘Ámbar loves me, I know she does’ is the one thing that didn’t change, and I’m very happy I could keep it.

I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT NEXT CHAPTER !!!!

Coming up -> Roads that cross… with the Day of the Dead (Part 1)

#simbar #soy luna #simbar fic #simbar fanfic #soy luna fanfiction #My Writing #roads that cross #I love so many things about this- Especially Simón's last POV- like uggghhhh love this so much #I know I wrote it but I dont always love what I write so let me enjoy this ksjdnf

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