MATEO WENT ON HIS knees for her, gesturing at his back. Gabriela just watched him for a second. Her head was as far from clear as it could get, all her thoughts a chaotic mess in her mind. Everything felt as if it was going very slow, everything but him. In the shadows of the empty hallway he seemed most at home.

"Get on, princess," he said.

She held his gaze when she bent down in front of him, the distance between them so small that she couldn't help but think she was walking down a very dangerous path right now.

"Princess?" she drawled as she let her arms rest around his neck," not baby girl?"

"Isn't it fun to switch it up once in a while?" he grinned, his hand grazing across her wrist.

Fireworks exploded with every touch and she leaned more into his touch. He had avoided her, earlier. She had walked towards the school, he had seen her and gone inside. It had made her even more determined to just let loose for once, mostly just to get her mind off him. Thinking about a guy all the time was not like her, but Mateo hadn't acted like himself either today. After a cup too many with Penelope though that thought had left her head and she had murmured something incomprehensible to her friend, before going inside to look for Mateo.

And there he had been, having fun with Chase without a worry in the world. In revenge she had chucked a ball at Chase's head, but as for him...

She looked at him through her eyelashes, his caramel skin and dark hair. And then there were those eyes - he always had had the most mesmerizing eyes. They were the color of morning dew on fresh earth, a rich yet soft brown. She could get lost in them for days. How could she stay petty at him if he was this handsome? It wasn't fair.

"What are you looking at?" he said.

"You have the prettiest eyes," she said.

His lips parted, but his expression recovered quickly.

"You should be drunk more often," he smirked," I see you're finally appreciating my beauty."

Her hands moved from his neck to his cheeks, his skin hot under her cold fingertips. For some reason she had wanted to do this for the longest time and right now she couldn't see a reason why she shouldn't.

The third floor was empty, save for them, the sounds from the party below softer here. They were sitting in the middle of the hallway, the moonlight washing over them through the row of windows on their left. Time didn't feel real right now, the whole setting just throwing her off, like she was in a supermarket after midnight.

She glanced at the watch on his wrist and as if they heard her thoughts they turned to twelve then.

"It's midnight," she said softly.

"So, Cinderella?" he chuckled," are you going to run away from me?"

"Ella," she said, the name rolling off her tongue easily," I like that name."

"What are you on about?" Mateo said.

She just tapped her fingers on his cheeks to the rhythm of her heartbeat, her eyes focused on his lips.

"Nothing," she murmured, leaning in closer," it's just a pretty name."

"It is," Mateo said, though he sounded a bit breathless," so, did I just give you the genius idea for your firstborn child? Ella Ruíz?"

Perhaps it was the glittering sense of reckless decisions in the air or perhaps it was that she had wanted to do this all along, but always held back just in time. Most likely it was the vodka in her veins.

"Or Ella Martinez?" she said.

He was silent then, as if lost for words, but she didn't break eye contact. Instead she just let her finger trail over his bottom lip, before biting her own.

"I want to kiss you," she said.

Now he looked like he was going to faint.

Gabriela tipped her chin up, their noses brushing now, her breath almost mingling with his. All she was waiting for was permission now, permission to break whatever was going on between them.

"No," he said.

She blinked, before pulling back, surprise and hurt washing through her in waves. So she had read it wrong after all?

"No, wait," he said quickly then, when he saw her getting to her feet," you're drunk, Gabriela."

"I get it, Mateo," she said, grabbing the wall to steady herself," it's fine."

She had been stupid, so stupid. Oh God, after this she was never drinking again. He had even called her Gabriela. This time she couldn't hide the hurt on her face.

"No, I don't think you do," he said as he jumped to his feet," listen to me -"

"Just leave me alone, Mateo," she said, pushing past him as she headed towards the stairs.

Suddenly the world disappeared beneath her feet then, making place for air as she was lifted up high. Her eyes widened and she yelled, but Mateo didn't let go, his arms wrapped around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she said.

"You're not listening," he said as he turned around and walked further in the hallway with her in his arms.

She reacted quickly then, her leg lifting up before she kicked him against the knee. When he winced, she took the opportunity to pull his arms off her and turn around, before placing her hands against his chest and push him down. With one of his knees weaker now he went down easily, though she suspected he probably went along because it was her anyway.

That made her angrier.

He landed on his back, his expression undecipherable as she sat on his torso, her hands flat against his chest. His breathing was irregular when she dipped her head, a curtain of hair spilling down like ink beside his face.

"So?" she said," I'm listening."

"Gabriela Valentina Ruíz," he breathed out, her name like a prayer on his lips," what do you do to me?"

"I honestly don't know, Mateo," she said," what do I do to you?"

He placed his hands on her hands then, his warm hands always a contrast to her own. A moment later and she was with her back against the wall, Mateo having moved so quickly she didn't have time to resist. Her wrists were in his hands, both up beside her head, her legs between his as he sat on his knees in front of her. She felt calmer than she ever had before though and when he didn't speak, she raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't answer my question," she said.

"Shit, Gabriela," he said softly," you don't know how much effort it costs me to keep myself from kissing you. You want me to say it? Fine. I will."

He tilted his head to the left, his lips grazing against her cheek.

"I love you, baby girl," he said, goosebumps rising across her skin," I love you to death."

He pulled back then, though his hands still remained on her wrists.

"And that's why I can't kiss you right now," he said.

She was still too baffled by his declaration to say anything, her heart racing and her breath catching in her throat. Did she just hear him right? All her thoughts were going way too fast and way too slow at the same time, the alcohol not helping her process this at all.

He took her hands in his then, before placing a kiss on the back of them.

"I've waited too long for this moment, baby girl," he said," I won't ruin it by kissing you when you're drunk."

"Since when?" she said.

"Since we were twelve," he said, before frowning," didn't you notice?"

Her lips parted, but no words formed. It seemed like her obvious surprise confused him even more and he shook his head.

"I call you baby girl!" he exclaimed.

"So?" she said," I always thought you were doing it to annoy me."

He blinked, before running a hand through his hair.

"Jesus," he said," did you really not know?"

She looked at him then, this guy who had only been her childhood friend before midnight. And now - what was he now? What had their friendship become? What - oh God, she was going to puke.

Her thoughts all disappeared as the drinks she had downed way too fast earlier rose up and she quickly jumped to her feet.

And then, as the clock struck half past midnight, she ran away.