44NEXT DAY: BRIAR HIGH SCHOOL***“Brett,” Isabella called out as she chased after Brett when class was over. It was her only opportunity to talk to him and find out why he had been avoiding her.“Brett,” she called again. This time, he stopped running but didn’t turn to face her.“Shouldn’t you be with your boyfriend, Ace?” he replied, his voice tinged with jealousy.“Is that why you didn’t reply to my messages and have been avoiding me? Seriously, Brett, I thought we were friends. I thought you were different,” Isabella said, her voice full of disappointment.Brett finally turned to face her. “What do you expect from me? To just compliment you while you’re with another man? Fine, you looked breathtaking that night. You always do, Isabella, and damn, I—” He stopped himself when he realized he was saying too much.“I don’t even know what’s wrong with me,” he mumbled, and Isabella just stared at him, speechless.“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he sighed and began to walk away.“Did you me
------45------LUCIA'S PLACE **"The dry cleaner is this way, but just drop it there. My help will arrive soon and take care of it," Lucia said, leading Camila upstairs."Are you sure I can't just do it?" Camila asked, looking uncertain."Come on, you’re a queen! Does Alejandro let you do these kinds of things back in New York?" Lucia raised an eyebrow."Well, no, he doesn’t, but…""So, don’t worry about it," Lucia said, grabbing Camila's hand and leading her down the stairs. "You know, I wish to get married one day. I know your marriage didn’t start with love, but there's no denying the love you both have for each other now," Lucia sighed."Do you have someone you’re seeing?" Camila asked. Lucia shook her head."What about Chandler?" Camila asked again."Oh my!" Lucia burst out laughing."Did I say something wrong?" Camila blinked innocently."Chandler is my brother," Lucia said amidst laughter, and Camila's eyes widened."I’m sorry! I didn’t know that," she mumbled."It’s cool, we’
46"Oh my…" Lucia pretended to faint."How do I look?" Camila asked, looking unsure."So hot! If there’s something hotter than hot, then you look like fire. Damn, I’m not Alejandro, but I’m already speechless," Lucia admired her.The black lingerie had plenty of mesh and sexy belts. It was perfect for Camila’s body, showing off her curves and long legs, making her appear more seductive than usual."Trust me, Alejandro won’t be able to resist you. We’re taking it," Lucia told the worker."No, we’re not," Camila shook her head."Yes, we are!" Lucia argued. "Don’t you want to drive Alejandro wild and see him worship your body? Don’t you want to see that man on his knees? Camila, you’re the only one who has the power to do that!" Lucia persuaded her."I’ve never done this before," Camila mumbled."And that’s why you have me," Lucia winked.Camila reluctantly took off the lingerie, and they both went to the cashier to pay. The line wasn’t long, but Camila kept talking to Lucia about why li
47“Camila…” Alejandro gulped, his heart racing. “What are you wearing?” He asked, even though he could already see it, his mind too scattered to process anything clearly.“Do you like it?” Camila asked seductively. A plate of cherries sat next to her, and she picked one up, slowly putting it in her mouth, sucking on it teasingly.“Fuck…” Alejandro’s voice trembled as he wiped his eyes, making sure he wasn’t dreaming. He confirmed it; he was still sitting on his bed, wide awake, as he moved towards her.“What are you doing, Camila?” He placed his hands on her face, gently caressing her. “If this is some kind of stunt, you’ll regret it.” His thumb traced her lips, and she opened her mouth, sucking on it slowly.Alejandro’s eyes darkened with lust, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard. "You’ll really regret this, Camila,” he muttered, pulling her head toward him for a deep kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth, exploring, desperate to get deeper.Camila’s fingers tangled in his ha
48 She was tight, making it difficult for him to go in."Damn it, Camila, am I the first man?" he asked, unable to stop himself. Camila shyly nodded.His excitement surged alongside something else—something he couldn’t quite identify. He kissed her deeply, pouring his gratitude into it."Thank you for trusting me, Camila. If it’s too painful, push me away, okay? It’s going to hurt a lot," he mumbled, pushing himself in a bit more."Ouch!" Camila cried out, her face contorted in pain. Alejandro paused, giving her a tender look."Keep going, I can take it," she assured him, her voice wavering."I promise it’ll feel better soon," Alejandro murmured as he thrust fully inside her. Her cries filled his ears, but he wiped her tears and began moving gently."It’ll feel good, I promise," he whispered, thrusting deeper. "You’re so good, babe, so divine," he gasped, his movements quickening.Camila cried until his words started coming true. Pleasure began replacing the pain, and she clutched hi
49BRIARWOOD SCHOOL** Isabella had just finished arranging her books in her locker when she turned around, only to find herself face-to-face with Elijah."Isabella, I need to talk to you," Elijah said, his eyes filled with remorse.She rolled her eyes, attempting to walk past him, but he blocked her path."I know I was a jerk, but I really need to talk to you. Please," he pleaded, grabbing both her hands. "I miss you... I miss us," he added hopefully."Us?" Isabella raised an eyebrow. "Was there ever an 'us'?""I know I messed things up, but—""You're with Valeria now, and I'm with your buddy, Ace. Do you even have common sense?" Isabella’s tone sharpened, her irritation growing."I—""If Ace finds out about this, he’ll never forgive you. Honestly, I didn’t expect this from you, Elijah. Thank God nothing happened between us." She shook her head, walking away. Before leaving completely, she turned back to give him one last incredulous look.Elijah rolled his eyes and began to leave w
50Camila stared at Lucia, speechless. "Love?" she repeated. Alejandro could never love her. They hadn't married for love, and the thought troubled her. What if this was all part of his revenge? A cruel way to make her feel something, only to remind her of what she did years ago.Her chest tightened at the thought. "I don't think it's love. We just had sex, that's all," she mumbled."Keep lying to yourself. You’re both in love with each other, but neither of you wants to admit it. Are you seriously trying to tell me that after all this time with Alejandro, you don’t feel anything for him?" Lucia moved closer, eyeing her curiously.Camila blinked. "We’ve just grown closer, that’s all.""Fine," Lucia said, folding her arms. "Tell me what happened after last night.""He went for a morning run, and I woke up late. He wrote me a letter asking me to meet him downstairs, and," she smiled at the memory, "he tried to cook pancakes. They were terrible, and he almost beat himself up over it for
51Camila was brushing her teeth, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, when Alejandro came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn’t flinch or acknowledge him, continuing to brush her teeth in silence."How are you feeling this morning?" he asked softly.She remained silent, causing him to sigh."If I told you where I was last night, you'd never believe me," he muttered.Camila spat the toothpaste from her mouth, turned, and folded her arms beneath her chest, fixing him with a serious look. "Where were you? I waited all night, but you never showed up. Then suddenly, I wake up to find you sleeping next to me," she said, her tone sharp."At least tell me you ate something," Alejandro pleaded, his expression softening."I don’t have much of an appetite when I’m worried about someone," Camila replied, rolling her eyes as she washed her face. She left the bathroom, but Alejandro followed closely behind."You must be hungry. What do you feel like eating this morning