Ruben and Carla have grown apart. With Rubens career taking off he leaves Portugal to live the life of his dreams, breaking Carla's heart doing so. Years later, upon his return home, Ruben learns that Carla has moved on, happily engaged to another man, but not any man, Ruben's childhood bully João Mendes.

Enjoy!

Carla trudged through the cemetery, the weight of her grief heavy on her shoulders. It had been three years since her father's passing, and yet the pain still felt as fresh as if it had happened yesterday. As she reached the grave, she knelt down and gently placed the flowers she had brought on the headstone.

"I miss you, Dad," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I wish you were here."

"We all do, querida."

Carla stood and was immediately wrapped up in her mother's embrace. She couldn't fathom the weight of her mother's grief. Seeing her tears almost made Carla regret her decision to meet with Ruben behind her back. However, it had to be done. She had to break their promise.

"Should I pick you up later?" Maria asked, who was kind enough to drive Carla to the gymnasium where she agreed to meet Ruben.

"No." Carla sniffled, wiping away the last of her tears. "And don't wait up for me either."

"But..."

"I'm serious Maria. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow."

"Fine."

Carla leaned forward to hug her cousin. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do anything you'll regret."

Carla stepped out of the car, Maria's words haunting her as she made way towards the stadium around back. The gymnasium was the local sports center for kids. Carla used to come there to play tennis. She wasn't any good but continued to show interest in the sport well into her teenage years. It was mostly due to the fact that Ruben would accompany her there every week. He had football training in the stadium located behind the gymnasium. At first Ruben was shy to let Carla watch him play, but after sometime, as their friendship grew, as well as their feelings for each other, it became their thing, hanging around the stadium after training. They'd talk for hours about everything and anything. Those were some of Carla's most cherished memories from her childhood. Funny how Ruben was included in the majority of them.

"Carla?"

She arrived to the stadium assuming that she was early. However, as she walked through the gates she noticed a figure puttering around on the football pitch.

"Ruben?"

He made his way towards her. Carla gasped as she had yet collected herself from her visit to the cemetery.

"Carla, you came." Ruben marched with big steps. He crossed the field within seconds and before she could flee he was standing in front of her, happy to see her.

"Ruben I..." She wasn't prepared for the wave of emotions that hit. The close up sight of him, even the smell of him, made Carla lose her trail of thought. "I shouldn't have come." She whispered and made the motion to return to the gates. Ruben's hand caught her wrist however, making her spin back around and face his furrowed expression. "Carla, what's wrong?" His dark eyes searched her face, perhaps noticing her stained eyes and runny nose.

"Nothing I..." Ruben wasn't supposed to see her like this. He was supposed to see how well she was doing without him. How happy she was to have moved on. Carla had to redeem herself. Fast.

"Why are you crying?" Ruben was pulling her towards him. Carla was too numb by his touch to fight. He was reaching for her face, his fingertips bracing her skin.

"Ruben?" she gasped. But he ignored her, his palm cupping the side of her face, his eyes inspecting the outlines of her head, hoping to find a wound, something, to explain why she was already so upset.

"Ruben I'm not...."

He stopped to look at her.

"I'm not hurt." She nodded. "I'm just....my family just...."

"Yes?"

"We were just at the cemetery."

"Oh."

Ruben's shoulders withered, however his hand remained on her cheek.

"Yeah."

The openness of the stadium enclosed around them and so did the darkness of the night. If only the clouds would scatter to reveal the hidden stars in the sky.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Carla." Ruben's hand left her cheek and suddenly reality hit. "I know how much your father meant to you."

Carla was taken aback by his kind words. But it also made her remember why she was there in the first place. "He's been gone a long time, Ruben. "

"Three years, no?"

"Exactly, a long time."

Three years was also how long it was since Carla last saw Ruben. After their last rendezvous on Christmas eve he left the country and made it clear that Carla was nothing but a bump in the road to him, a taste of home which Ruben felt that he needed at the time.

"How have you been?" He asked, hands shoved into his pockets.

Carla shrugged. "I've been alright. How have you been?"

Ruben mimicked the shrug of her shoulders, a sly grin on his lips. "I've been alright."

Carla realized that she wasn't in any type of mood to be playful with Ruben, turning the charm bracelet on her wrist. She was prepared to get straight to her point in meeting him. However, Ruben ruined everything by talking.

"Look, I know I haven't exactly been there for you during this time."

"You didn't have to Ruben, we weren't together."

"Yeah, I know that. But you are still my friend Carla, I still care about you and your family."

"Do you?" She said, not Carla's intention to snap at him. Ruben stepped back, a skeptical expression on his face. "Like I said Ruben, three years is a long time. I would never let a friend wonder why I haven't been in touch with them for so long."

"Here we go again." Ruben scratched the bridge of his nose, sensing the start of a fight. "Haven't we been over this Carla? It's not like I didn't want to see you for the past three years, but after Christmas Eve your family made it very clear that you wanted nothing to do with me."

It was true. Christmas Eve three years ago was the start of Carla's one year depression. Since Ruben was the blame for it her family did everything in their power to keep him away from her, mainly lying about Carla's whereabouts whenever Ruben's family would ask of her. Carla felt bad. She loved Ruben's family, but it was all for the best to cut ties with them too, at least in order for her to truly heal.

"They are right Ruben, I want nothing to do with you." Carla said, hoping that Ruben didn't noticed the strain in her voice.

"Then why are you here?" He said, looking truly defeated.

Carla removed the ring from her bracelet and held it out in the palm of her hand. "To give you this." She said, failing to meet Ruben's eyes, although she imagined that they were looking down at the palm of her hand, at the ring.

He stepped forward, hands out of his pockets. Carla flinched at the touch of him, of Ruben, closing the palm of her hand with his own. The ring was left buried beneath.

"What are you doing, take it." She said, looking up at him. His expression was hard to read but he was far from angry with her. "I gave it to you, it's yours." He said.

"Well, I don't want it anymore."

Ruben's lips parted with her words, a silent gasp leaving his mouth.

Carla almost wanted to take back what she said, the expression on his face striking her heart.

"So it's true then?" He said.

"What is?"

They were still holding hands, Ruben's enclosed over Carla's. If he would just take back the stupid thing and set her free, she thought.

"You're marrying João Mendes."

Carla's eyes widened. "Who.. ?"

"Your mother was happy to tell me when we stopped by her salon the other day."

"Right. Ruben, it's not...."

"It's okay, Carla. I'm not angry."

She frowned. He should be. Ruben had every right to be angry with her for being promised to another man, breaking theirs in the process. How come he wasn't, Carla frowned.

"I'm not taking back the ring." Ruben said, letting go of her hand.

"But..." Carla stomped her feet. Very childish indeed. "You can't do this to me."

Ruben stepped back, but kept his eyes on her. "I'm winning you back, Carla, whether you like it or not."

"What?" She couldn't believe her ears. "Ruben?"

He hesitated, but allowed himself to step up to her again, this time with less distance between them. "I'm not letting you break our promise Carla, do you hear me?" He put a finger to her chest, just above where her heart would be. A touch that made Carla's knees buckle. "I'm winning you back. Whether you like it or not."

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