Warning this chapter mentions sex and self harm.

Pedro

***

I can't believe who I've come face to face with after all these years. Its..it's. Ana. She looks terrific. Like she hasn't aged a day since we've been apart. As we're standing there, time feels frozen as though none has passed. None whatsoever.

I try to smile and Ana contorts her face to do the same. I move in, wanting to kiss her on the cheek, but I realize that's probably taboo after such a long time.

"Ana, it's good to see..you. You're looking incredibly well." Ana's beautiful dark eyes widen at the sound of my voice and I wonder if it's tormenting her.

"Pedro, yeah. You're looking well yourself." The tension between us is so damn thick, it makes hard to breathe in here. Isla saunters over, holding a flute of champagne, nearly shoving it in my face and smiling pleasantly.

"Champagne, Pedro? We're celebrating." I smile, taking the glass of champagne and forcing my gaze away from Ana.

Damn. She looks good enough to eat. I'd love to just grab Ana and push her against the wall and do...some inappropriate shit to her. She'd be screaming my name in a matter of seconds.

"Pedro! Earth to Pedro! This is the control tower! Come in for a landing!" I snap out of my inappropriate reverie and stare blankly at my best friend, Oscar, who's grinning.

"Sorry." I rub the back of my neck. "I zoned out there for a second."

"No shit," Isla remarks shaking her head. I toss back the champagne in the glass,instantly getting a slight buzz from the alcohol.

"What are we celebrating?" I ask, mechanically walking over to the champagne bottle and pouring myself some more.

"Ana is renting an apartment in this building," Oscar answers. Even though I'm not facing him, I can feel his gaze on me.

"Nice." I turn, noticing how Ana has retreated to the other side of the room, her arms wrapped around her in some kind of protective stance. Her expression is neutral but I don't miss the desire lurking in those dark eyes of hers.

"Congrats," I say, smiling half heartedly at Ana and lifting the empty champagne flute. She gives me a fleeting smile and the tiniest nod of her head. She's trying to be decent but I know her too well to recognize how hard it is for her, seeing me like this, without warning.

"Thanks." Ana moves to set her empty glass on the table in the living room and heads for the door. She can't get away from me fast enough.

"Thanks for the champagne, Oscar. I really should be going now. I have an entire apartment to pack up."

"Of course, chica. I wish you luck and I'll see this weekend?"

"Yes. Isla, are you coming?" Isla casually sets her empty glass down as well and joins Ana by the front door.

"We'll catch you later, Oscar. It was good seeing you, Pedro."

I nod at Isla, trying hard not to stare at Ana as she opens the door, slipping out without another word to me.

"Did you just set me up?' I demand, pouring myself a third glass of champagne.

"You know," Oscar says, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I never understood why you broke up with Ana. She's perfect for you."

"I have my reasons," I mumble into my glass.

"Yeah, the reason being you're a idiot, asshole." I close my eyes. I can still smell her perfume lingering in the air. God, she was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Funny, charming, kind hearted and she knew just how to make me happy.

"We're not getting back together." I gulp down the third glass of champagne before setting it on the kitchen counter and facing Oscar.

"Maybe I'll have Bella talk some damn sense into you, asshole."

"No. I gotta go. If Ana comes by here again, don't bother to invite me."

"Stop being so stupid and stubborn, Pedro!" I walk to the door, the alcohol is slowly dulling my senses and I'm grateful.

"I didn't ask for your damn advice, Isaac." Then I'm gone.

****

Several years ago:

Ana, that sexy little vixen has her legs wrapped around my middle. I'm so damn aroused. I just want to make her scream my name over and over.

"Quit teasing me." I know I'm pouting and that Ana loves it when I pout. She says it makes me look hot.

"Shut up," Ana snaps, grabbing a fistful of my hair and pulling on it some.

"Ow!" Ana smiles. She reminds of a predator about to pounce on their prey, eager to devour them.

"Are you gonna screw me or simply torture me?" I ask, grabbing her by the wrists. Ana smirks and begins thrusting her pelvis against my waist. I groan, gritting my teeth as I flip Ana down, positioning myself just above her. She looks good enough to eat.

"I'm ready whenever you are, asshole." I lean in, roughly kissing her, the intensity growing with each passing second.

"It's gonna be hard," I whisper in Ana's ear, teasing her by dragging my lips across her collarbone. She squirms and releases a frustrated moan.

"You know that's how I like it, Mr. Pascal." I violently thrusted into her and Ana cries out, her fingers scraping my bare back as I make everything fall away for the both of us.

****

I'd stumbled home, and fallen asleep on the couch after returning from Oscar's place. What a little shit he is! He purposely called me there so I'd end up seeing Ana again. My head is pounding and I groan, struggling to stand.

I knew drinking all that champagne wasn't going to go well for me. Especially since I'd decided to grab some whiskey after I returned home. I know it was a bad idea. I just needed something to dull the ache from looking into her beautiful eyes.

I head into the bathroom, flipping on the light and opening the medicine cabinet, desperate to get rid of this throbbing ache, pulsing into my brain. I grab the aspirin, twisting the cap off amd dumping some into my hand before filling up a glass of water to swallow them down with.

I lean against the wall, eyes closed, recalling Ana's beautiful face. I used to be so close to her, we were a part of one another. But I'd had to let her go. It wasn't fair to her to have to go weeks, possibly months, without seeing me in person. She deserved better than me.

I push off the wall, flipping off the light in the bathroom as I trudge back to the living room. I plop down, falling over, wishing that Ana was beside me now, her body pressed into mine. I shove the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts away. It'll do no good reliving the past. It's done and over with.

Permanently.

***

Bella Ramsey and I are having lunch together this afternoon. I'm thankful it wasn't yesterday otherwise they would have honed in on me right away and would have probably started lecturing me on how stupid I was for breaking up with Ana.

As we're sitting in the sun, Bella is recounting a funny tale about when a fan stopped to ask for their autograph and things got kinda awkward. (Must be something in the water.) I'm trying to listen but my mind keeps wandering to you know who.

"You're not listening!" I laugh, trying to downplay it. Bella isn't having it.

"What's wrong with you today?" Bella fixes a keen eye on me, scrutinizing my every move. They might not be very old, but Bella isn't stupid.

"Nothing," I say taking a big bite of my chicken sandwich. "I just didn't sleep great last night."

"You're such a damn liar!" Bella leans over, lightly smacking me on the wrist.

"Okay, okay! I accidentally ran into one of my exs yesterday. It was awkward."

"I hope it wasn't that bitch you just broke up with," Bella lectures, somehow managing to sound like my parent. "She was bloody awful!".

"No," I say. "You haven't met this one. We dated before. Years ago."

"Is it anyone I've heard of?"

"Maybe. Does Ana Delgado ring a bell?" Bella frowns thoughtfully before grabbing her phone and typing in Ana's name.

"Oh yes. I've seen her before. I think we actually had a photo shoot together a few years back. She was really sweet." I feel my face softening. Yes, Ana could be really sweet. Unless you pissed her off. And I'd pissed her off big time.

"She could be sweet," I agree.

"Why did you break up?" (See, this is exactly why I didn't want Bella to know. They'd poke and pry until I gave in, telling the truth.)

"That's none of your business." I smile charmingly at Bella, who frowns disapprovingly.

"Do you think you'll get back together?" I shake my head. Hell will freeze over first.

"Gosh, it must have been something really drastic for you not to consider getting back with her." You have no idea, Bella.

I check my phone. There's a voicemail from my agent, asking if I'm interested in doing another interview to promote my latest work. I quickly return the call and by then, Bella has lost her desire to continue cross examining me.

"I need to go." Bella wraps their arms around me and I hug them back. I close my eyes. I remember how much I miss seeing them on a daily basis.

"Thanks for lunch, Pedro. I'll catch up with you later?" I nod, giving Bella one last hug before we part ways.

"Yeah. I'll catch you later."

As we each hail a cab, going in out separate ways, my mind immediately returns to...Ana.

Shit, shit, shit. Damn Oscar! This isn't going away any time soon. I'm too far gone and I only saw her for ten minutes.

***

I get an unexpected and unpleasant surprise when I return home. My ex girlfriend, Sasha is waiting by the front door, looking like she'd been crying. Shit. I am so not in the mood for her.

"Pedro, can we talk?"

"No." I don't even look at Sasha. I can't. Every time I do, I want to bash my head against the wall, repeatedly. I let myself inside my apartment, quickly closing the door before Sasha tries to squeeze through.

"Pedro, I know I'm not perfect. I know I made mistakes. But I want you back, all right? We can start over. It'll work this time, I just know it."

I don't bother even answering Sasha. She'll start crying and screaming any moment and I'm too damn drained, emotionally to deal with her shit. I hear Sasha continuing on, eventually she takes the hint, leaving. But not before she threatens to harm herself. I've heard it all before and it's nothing but a damn act. And even of it weren't, would I honestly care?