- "If I were enough, you wouldn't be treating me like a business. I'm worth more than a piece of paper, Banks."- "I never disagreed. The point is that you ignore all the security that a contract guarantees us"- "The assurance that you will be free to replace me at any time? No thanks, I'll pass."The exchange of glances was intense, but very comfortable and peaceful. It was as if they found in each other a peace they had never had before. Blair knew Ethan was a broken person. A broken heart recognized another.- "Angel, I can't give in on every aspect." Ethan slid his fingers through Blair's hair again, using the movement as a subterfuge to continue touching her.- "You don't have to give in. There are women like Mariah Donovan who would use their tongues to clean the floor under their feet. You don't need my signature." Those words were bitter on Blair's tongue, but they were still true.- "You are wrong"- "You like the challenge, Ethan. You like knowing that there's someone out t
- "Rivera, I'll only say this once. For every act, there is a consequence. If you don't help me, I can't help you. So don't make my work in vain and give me what I came for," she bluffed.- "That's not how police officers usually act"- "I never said I was a cop"- "So you're with them"Blair thought about what those words could mean, and couldn't understand half of them. Them; Ethan, Spencer, someone else? The redhead couldn't tell, and she didn't have the privilege of asking. To this man, she had to show that she knew everything.And then, just as Blair prepared to mutter her next lie, the bathroom doorknob turned, but the door was locked from the outside. She glanced at the carved wooden door, and then looked at Rivera, understanding that he had a lot to hide.- "Daddy?" a sweet, feminine voice sounded, somewhat scared.- "Just a minute, dear. I'm still busy," the man replied the next second.It was then that Blair understood the mystery. Rivera was hiding in that luxury hotel, in
- "You're going to live with her"- "Does she want me?" I ask.I once heard a girl say that no one wants abandoned children. We only have one family, and when we lose that, we don't get a new home. Only very lucky people get new homes. I didn't quite understand, but I think she meant that we stay here because other families are too busy taking care of their children.- "Yes, Blair. She wants to take care of you."Amelita reaches out her hand to me, and I can accept it. She's nice to me, unlike many other people. Well, I've never said it before, but I don't like nurses for this very reason. When my mother was in the hospital, the doctors took care of her, and they were nice to me. But the nurses weren't, they were never nice to me.We walk out of the room. The house is big and very dark, it looks like it has been abandoned for a long time. Even with the laughter of the children in the garden, the house still looks gloomy. This is not a happy place, not like the place where Mommy is.In
Deep down, she didn't want to talk about Banks anymore. He was someone who was both too close and too distant. Sometimes they felt like the closest people in the world. Other times, they felt like strangers.- "She called me, and the conversation was promising. I need to go back to Las Vegas, then I'll know if we have a future together."With Drake's response, the conversation continued smoothly, on a path that was comfortable for Blair. They continued talking until they reached Jean's car. Various topics, superficial conversations and light smiles. These were the aspects that defined the friendship between Drake and Blair very well.*People don't know what loneliness means until they feel it. The empty feeling that no soul in the world is compatible with yours. The fear of not finding someone else, another feeling, another moment. The desire to be better, the inability to change.Ethan felt like he was in the middle of a desert, even surrounded by crowds. The words of affection didn
It was an ordinary dawn in the city of angels. The streets never fell asleep, the lights were never turned off, and the sounds never fell silent.Blair sat amidst the white sheets of her bed, still working. Even though she was away from the office, she liked to keep up with her commitments. In this luxurious hotel room, she was alone, bathed in the incessant lights of downtown. Jean always made a point of reserving the best rooms for her daughter.She heard repeated knocks on the door, and found it strange at first. It was late for room service, and she wasn't expecting Drake. They would see each other the next day, on the boarding runway.Blair got out of bed and walked to the door. She didn't bother putting on a robe over the red nightgown she was wearing, even though the fabric barely covered her legs. When she opened the door, the redhead found a uniformed woman carrying a tray. Although unexpected, it was room service.- "Good evening, Miss Collins. Your father has sent you a cup
- "I need you in a red bikini"- "I like you drunk. At least we're more than friends when alcohol runs through your veins."- "Don't exaggerate. I'll remember this conversation." Ethan smirked.The truth was, neither of them knew for sure if this moment would still make sense in the morning. Blair was afraid that the sun would kill the magic that the night had carried away. Because every other time, Ethan had seemed like a different person when he woke up. It seemed like he regretted giving in, regretting doing more than he was used to.- "I doubt it"- "You bet, Angel. We're going to Malibu next weekend. Buy a red bikini, no strings."Ethan owned many properties. Some had belonged to his father and had been transferred to him when he took over the helm of Enterprise Banks. But there was one house in particular that he didn’t see as just a piece of real estate. It was like a home, or something. Like the cave that had sheltered him when the world was too cruel. This property was locate
- "Maybe dinner, so you don't think I'm a complete jerk."With that answer, she was sure that he didn't remember the promises, the words full of feeling and the sincere looks. It was a typical effect of alcohol, not something he wanted.- "That would be... lovely"When the man removed the hand covering his eyes, it was only to stand up. Ethan took off the leather jacket he had been wearing since last night and left it on the bed. His clothes were disheveled, as was his hair, and it made him look even more attractive than usual.- "I'm going to wash my face, and then I'll leave you alone."Blair turned to face Ethan. He was peaceful, and he didn't seem like he was going to act like he used to. The truth was that the man was used to waking up alone. He had never slept with a woman in his entire life. Ethan considered sleep a time of vulnerability, and sharing his weaknesses with someone didn't seem pleasant.- "Go for it"- "You bet," the slight smile that formed on the man's lips didn'
- "My babies have grown up," she said, her voice already cracking and her eyes filled with tears.The wrinkles on Mirtes' face showed how experienced she was. A woman with history, with experiences. She was wearing one of her classic floral dresses, which only made her more adorable.- "Got room for my hug?" David complained, and then approached the small group.And then, only then, Blair really saw him. Those blond strands of hair, the yellow-brown eyes. David was a man, no longer a college kid. He seemed to have grown bigger, with more muscles on his body. But the essence; the essence of the man hadn't changed. He walked up to Blair, especially to her, and didn't hesitate before hugging her.The contact was strange at first. It wasn't bad, it was different. A lot had happened since the last time David had touched Blair. They had a relationship, or something like that. The truth was that the man loved the redhead like his lungs loved oxygen, but he had never felt the same way he woul