It's been haunting me.

Taunting me like a Greek yogurt in a dessert shop.

Its short, sculpted body engulfed in a caramel-color liquid. Its sinister voices slither into my thoughts like a snake to Eve. I haven't gotten a wink of sleep since Isabela and mine's conversation last night, and I never wanted to break a pact until tonight.

An obnoxious yawn from behind me captures my attention enough to tilt my neck to the side and side-eyeing the shit out of the incoming human being. He stretches his arms over his head, dropping one into his head and ruffling up his hair. His dark eyebrows knit together until they loosen after he finishes digging through his scalp.

"Oh." His face tilts to the side for a split second until he seizes the bottle in front of me with a smile stretching across his face. "What the fuck? I've been looking for her all night. You don't understand the killer headache I endured because I haven't consumed my daily glass of scotch."

His bare shoulders shrug as he heads forward, grabbing a tumbler from the cabinet. "Wait..." Lorenzo twists his neck, side-eyeing me heavily. "Why do you have my scotch? Isa told me you didn't drink."

My nose scrunches.

Isa.

He even uses my nickname for her.

Is there anything left that's mine?

That's ours?

I clear my throat. "I don't, but I thought about it."

A trickle of rough laughter escapes his throat, but he stifles it by pretending to cough. "Don't tell me you were contemplating drinking because Isabela doesn't want your dick anymore."

My lips pull into a straight line as my jaw clenches so tight. Apparently, my pain is a joke to everyone in this godforsaken world. Holy shit, when did I start whiny like a five-year-old? Swallowing, I take a deep breath and drop my face in my palms.

"It's more than that."

I deserved this.

The backlash, the silent treatment, all of this.

I brought this upon myself, and I shouldn't burden others with my own problems. Yet, mom's advice keeps circulating through my head-- "don't be afraid to be a real man and discuss all the feelings flooding through you." But to Lorenzo? I might as well confide in a squirrel. His brainpower couldn't handle the things I needed to get out.

Lorenzo sighs and pats my shoulders. "I don't blame you. Her mouth does wonders on my cock."

My eyes narrow, and a bright flare of annoyance and anger travels through me. "Could you not speak about her in such a vulgar way?"

He places his hands up in defense and chuckles. "I'm joking." Lorenzo digs his elbow into my side. "Isabela is off-limits. I value guy code, especially in these predicaments. My legs are closed."

A fresh whirl of strawberry mist slips into the room like a sudden gust of air. It's familiar-- heartwarming. My eyes fall shut for a split moment, enchanted by the scent in the air. A smile almost surfaced on my lips. Any resemblance to the vague emotion called happiness fades into oblivion when my eyes open to a heart-wrenching sight.

My girl.

Her arms loop around Lorenzo's waist as she struggles on her tippy-toes to rest her chin on his shoulders. A smile that no longer occurs when I'm around frames her face. It's like I'm witnessing a nightmare, but in a cruel, sickening way, I love to see a grin on her lips. She had a smile that could lighten my life like a thousand stars in the sky-- those soft red cheeks, her sweet, plump pink lips, and her pearly white, toothy grin.

What body part do I have to sell to be the cause of that again?

Isabela snuggles into the crook of Lorenzo's neck. "Enzo, you said you were coming back! I stayed up waiting for you. Remember? It was my turn to go down on you."

Lorenzo hesitates for a second, his hand wavering over the scotch bottle as he looks at me from the corner of his eye.

"Bella-boo, maybe right now isn't the time for this," his sentence trails off into silence.

Her head tilts to the side as her brows furrow in confusion. "Why?"

Lorenzo's eyes widen, darting between Isabela and me until she catches wind of what he's referring to. Isabela's brown eyes narrow in my direction before rolling into another dimension when I wave at her with zero energy.

She scoffs. "I still don't understand. The only important thing in this room is my cereal. At least the only thing that has a right to their own opinion."

Lorenzo drags his palm down his face. "I'm not fucking drunk enough to deal with this shit. Can't you guys just kiss and make up instead of making everything so awkward?"

Isabela folds her arms over her chest with an irritated crease between her brows. "It wouldn't be so awkward if someone got the gist of fucking leave instead of moping around like a little bitch."

Ouch.

Another piece of me snaps in half.

If Isabela wants me to be her punching bag, I will. I'll let her do anything to me. It might've been a little too late, but I want-- need Isabela in my life in any shape or form I could get her in. She would point a pistol at my head, and I wouldn't dare move an inch.

Lorenzo audibly gasps, his eyes jerking wide open in shock as his palm slaps over his mouth. "As your best friend, I'm so proud to see how much I rubbed off on you, but as an unbiased third party— that was cruel. How can I have my threesome if you guys are arguing?"

Isabela bites her lip, dragging her finger down the slope of his shirtless chest. "There're millions of other options in the world. Better options. We can find someone tonight— if you're up for what you mentioned last night."

Lorenzo's eyes light up. "I get to pull all the strings?"

"Every single one."

Confusion swims in my head. "What's going on?"

Lorenzo sips on his scotch glass. "As a tradition, every crowned Jefe gets their own celebration for their victory. Her Abuela mentioned it to me. I secretly made tons of calls last night, so I'm grateful you're actually okay with the idea because it was happening, regardless."

Isabela snorts. "I'm not even surprised." She hops onto the countertop, exposing the soft flesh of her tan skin as her night gown rises up her thigh. "So, what should I wear for this party? Sassy or sweet?"

Lorenzo downs the rest of his glass of scotch. "Definitely sweet. Your eyes already scream fuck me, I'm damaged."

Isabela's mouth drops open as she tosses a towel at Lorenzo's torso. "Yet you refuse to help me out." She laughs, a full hearty grit that sounds like music to my ear. "I can't believe you just said that. You seriously need a filter."

"Sorry." Lorenzo shrugs his shoulders. "That doesn't come with the packaging."

A piece of my soul collapses to the ground, like leaves from a tree when fall hits. It declines at a snail-pace, dancing through the air until it hits the stone floor tiles. To Isabela, I'm just an insignificant fuck up-- it's easy to replace me. It's a bit of an irony. Our connection meant the world to me, but she wants to wander through the earth like we had nothing.

She does it so effortlessly.

No one could tell she's ever been heartbroken.

Isabela doesn't wear it on her face like I'm doing.

I understand.

It just hurts.

Pain jolts through my veins, and my throat feels like it's closing in. I'm a fly, a spectator between the duo. I could disappear, and no one would notice. What's the point of even trying? It seems pointless. I don't see any positive outcome coming from this current situation.

But I saw a glimmer in her eyes last night.

It's deep down, buried under all the vibrant hatred for me, but I know she still cares for me. The emotions could be one percent, and I would still persist until my last dying breath because I know she's the one for me.

My one in a million.

Apparently, I've been a fuck-up since the day I was born.

Not only had I lost the girl of my dreams, but my mother and baby sister were suffering in a torture chamber because of my mistakes.

I glance above me and meet a pair of honey-brown eyes that shine with underlying pain before morphing into coldness. With that, Lorenzo walks around the table and grabs the small chair from the table, sitting in it. He munches on his bowl of cereal, craning his hand back to feed Isabela on the countertop. The milk trickles down her chin, and she wipes it with the back of her hand.

She bobs her head with her eyes closed. "Mmm, I love Captain Crunch almost as much as your dick."

Lorenzo audibly chokes on his spoonful of cereal, spitting a mouthful of food back into the bowl. Isabela jumps off the counter and circles her arms around his neck.

My heart falls to my gut as Isabela presses her full lips against Lorenzo's cheek. "I'm going to go get ready, starting with a long, steamy bath... feel free to join me, Enzo." She doesn't look me in the eye, but the grim line of her mouth is all I need to know to decipher her feelings about me. "Since you decide to lay refugee here-- feel free to attend the party, or do everyone a favor and go burn in hell."

She ends her sentence with a tight-lipped smile and escapes through the opening of the kitchen. Lorenzo slurps up the rest of his cereal, and ends his breakfast with another glass of scotch. From his pocket, he pulls out a cigarette pack and hooks one between his lips. I don't say a word, watching him take a slow drag of the cigarette before blowing it into the air.

"She'll come around," Lorenzo mumbles. "You just have to give her time. We both know she's stubborn as a horse."

"Yeah... that's for sure."

My body tenses when Lorenzo drops his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it. "Take it a day at a time." He taps his cigarette, causing a bit of ash to fall to the ground. "It's a journey. Let loose for the night. If you really warrant a reaction from her— beat her at her own game. Have fun. I don't want no pissy face at the extravagance."

"My face doesn't look pissy," I let out in a low hum.

"Yeah, and I have a big, fat dick," he laughs. "Sorry, I thought we were stating things that were true. Just have fun for the night. There's always time to cry tomorrow."

My mouth parts, uttering the words, "Fine."

Although, I don't deserve a carefree night, I can sense how uneasy my tension is making everyone. I'll try to not be a party pooper mainly for Isabela. It's her day, her celebration, her event for being the Jefe. For once, I'm glad to sign myself away to someone and would gladly die to protect her.

"How do I have fun?"

Lorenzo's face turns tomato red until he burst out into laughter, spitting a wad of saliva all over my face. "Now that I can help you with."

What in the right mind gave me the bright idea to ask Lorenzo for help? Clearly, I was high off something because I'm fucking regretting it right now. Empty darkness turns into a ray of flashing colorful lights illuminating the house. Random patrons seek adventure as they rush in from the front door.

The marble wall behind me takes my weight when I lean back, away from the crowd, and I breathe in a smell of smoke. I've never been into the party scene, even as Asiel's bodyguard, I always struck strictly to what I was ordered and expected to do. During nights like these, I feel like I'm a bird in a cage, lost and needy, desperately searching for an escape.

The house is loud tonight. Everyone in town is here because this is their version of an escape. Sex. Drugs. Deals. All of them drowning their sorrows in anything that will bring them to a place of nothingness. I can't even blame them when I almost went down that track last night.

As some space clears, I move an inch until I'm in front of the circular mirror, exposing the state I'm in. My dark hair is whisked into Lorenzo's infamous hairdo. I'm in Lorenzo's baggy white dress shirt, however baggy is an understatement. The fabric clings to my skin, the buttons holding onto dear life. I can barely raise an arm in this shit.

What the fuck did he do to me?

"Julian," Satan shouts. "Where are you sneaking off to? You asked me for help, so you're getting my help."

My lips cringe into a scowl. "Yeah... I think I was in over my head when I asked that." My skin stings as individuals bump into us. "I might just spectate. You know, watch over everyone."

Lorenzo lets out a harsh laugh. "No, No, No. Everyone is here to have some fucking fun. Look around... doesn't this make you excited?"

I toss him a bland look. "Not one bit."

Before I could forage for an escape, I catch a glimpse of beautiful curled black hair flying across the Medusa tattoo on her back. Her curves are heightened in the soft satin fabric of her light pink dress. The contrast of the softness of the color and dark ink of the tattoo on her back explains Isabela perfectly.My heart fumbles in my chest. God, why does she have to be so beautiful?

Frustration consumes everything in sight when two different guys wrap their arm around Isabela's waist. She's sporting a wide smile, lingering her French tips on their chest. The brown hair guy helps Isabela down a shot, causing a bit to drip down her chin. The other guy, whose tips are dyed green, licks her chin. She giggles, enveloping her arms around him as the other drops his hand lower on her ass.

God, I so badly want to rip their arms off her.

As if she can feel me looking at her, Isabela's body visibly tightens before she looks over her shoulders. Her eyes lock with mine from across the room and even from here, I can see a mixture of spitefulness and a hint of guilt. She knows I'm head over heels for her, but we both know I deserve this treatment.

"What's the plan?"

Lorenzo's face perks up. "Let's start with this." He pulls out a small ziplock in this sleeve pocket.

Fucking hell, I guess it's time to get out of retirement.

Hey my little chicks!!! I'm back!!!! And I'm going to be really honest with you guys... I haven't been uploading because I couldn't figure out how I wanted this chapter 🥲 I had writer's block.

Like I know what I want to do in the future chapters and even the next one, but I couldn't seem to get the words to look nice on the page with this one, so I hope you guys still like it I think I'm satisfied enough with it to upload it and get to the juicy next chapter 🤪

Any guesses on what's going to happen next? Who's missed Julian and Isabela and even Lorenzo ? Because I have 🤪🤪

Thank you for waiting so patiently and I will be more consistent since I'm not working and I don't have uni, so that's means my schedule IS FREE lol...

Love ya and can't wait to read your comments they truly make me so damn happy!!