|chapter thirteen:: home|

"IT'S crazy," Ander sighed, choking on his words slightly as we sat at a separate booth away from our friends, "I've talked about death for months, believing that I was prepared to deal with it myself and all on my own, but- but after what happened, I have just been scared shitless."

He turned to me and I eyed him as his eyes began to well up in tears, so I grabbed his hand and squeezed it slightly, "What do you need me to do?"

He smiled lightly at my question, glancing down at our hands, "I just.. I just need you right now." He then rested his head in the crook of my neck and I place free hand on the back of his neck, caressing it gently with my thumb, "Adriana, I'm so sorry."

I raised a brow at him as he sat up to meet my eyes, "For what?"

"This whole 'wanting you to be happy' thing," He sighed, "It was just for me for me to push you away. And I lied earlier, that wasn't my opinion. I do want you to be happy, but I want you to stay here."

I smiled a little at his words, but I could even respond to him because the detective cleared us all and allowed us to leave. "It worked," I sighed out, glancing at Ander, "It really worked."

He smiled back and stood up, my hand still in his, "Let's go." I stood up, nodding before we walked outside. I stared down at our hands, but as we walked out of the club, I couldn't help but look back at the taped off crime scene and the broken window above before we made it outside.

Lu and Valerio was ahead of us as Nadia soon came up next to me, smiling softly at me before walking away, though Guzman caught up to her. I break my hand away from Ander's to sit down on the steps as he stood in front of me, allowing us both to take in the fresh air.

I looked around as everyone began to leave and go home, but my thoughts were creeping back up again causing me a sigh to escape from my lips, "Ander," I called out and he looked back at me as I met his eyes. I bit the inside of my cheek, briefly glancing away, "I'm going to take the offer in California."

When I look at him to see his reaction, all I saw was hurt, "Can I ask why?"

"I can't be here anymore," I whimpered, holding back my tears as I turned my attention to the inside of the club, "I've dealt with so much these past two years and I can't- I can't do it anymore. I need a fresh start."

"So you're going to go with Niccoló?" He asked and I nodded, so he sat next to me, resting his head on my shoulders, "If it makes you happy, Adriana.." He trailed off as I sniffled softly at his words as I smiled a little.

"I want you to know that I will always love you too, Ander," I told him, my voice croaking, and I could sense him smile before I stood up and stepped down the stairs to look at him, "No matter what."

He held onto his smile and stared at him to keep it in my head before I turned on my heels to walk away from him and go to my car to see Guzman leaning against it, "I think we're both sober enough to drive."

I chuckled and it felt weird because all night I've been crying. I dig in my purse and pull out my keys to toss them in his direction, "Just drive us home, loser."

━━━━━━
few weeks later
━━━━━━

"Is that everything?" Guzman asked me, coming into my room after just shoving my suitcase in the back of my car, "I'm hoping you're not trying to bring your entire room because you do know college is only four years."

I laughed, looking around my room for reassurance, "Yeah, I think we got everything."

"Good, because I think your suitcase made me pull a muscle," He claimed, wincing as he tried to stretch, "What's in it, bricks?"

"Why, did you want to go inside it instead?" I joked, grabbing my purse.

"You wish," He scoffed, "I'm actually going to see Ander." At his name, I raised my head. He's getting his last results today- the day I'm supposed to leave. "I'll tell him you said goodbye."

He hasn't spoken to me much after me telling him I was going to California, but I've been so busy trying to pack half my life in such a short time span, that I haven't been able to talk either.

I lowered my head, but Guzman was quick to pick it up, "Hey, Ander is going to do great, okay? Don't worry about it. Just focus on spending even more time in the sun and at the beaches."

I smiled at him, before we heard a knock at the door. I looked past Guzman to see Nic at the door, "You ready?"

I nodded and hugged Guzman tightly, "Please, don't destroy my room and turn it into some bachelor pad." He only laughed before I pulled away and gave him one more smile before walking away with Nic.

He grinned at me, "I was thinking that we can do a bit of sightseeing when we get there." Nic was very excited when I finally agreed to go with him, so he was quick to come up with plans on what we would do there.

When we get in my car, I let music play in the car because Nic was too focused looking at brochures, causing us to be quiet. I hated it because it was causing my thoughts to surface. I wanted to see Ander before I left but Nic had got us early flights, leaving me no time. Yesterday, I spent the entire day with Lu, Rebeca, Nadia and Carla, considering it to be our last girl's day together.

I've been to warm up to Carla again in the meantime, seeing that I was too tired to hold onto grudges and mistakes. Life is too short for that.

What if this is a mistake? I suddenly asked myself, what if I'm making a huge mistake right now? I didn't even notice how fast time flew by before we reached the airport and Nic was helping take out my luggage along with his that he placed in my car a couple of days ago.

For some reason, slow panic began to rise inside of me as if I was forgetting something after I signed my car off to be shipped. Passport? Yes. Ticket? Yes. Luggage? Of course, I responded, glancing down at my suitcase as I gripped the handle tight in my hand. What am I missing?

"Want to start at the Golden Gate Bridge?" Nic asked me as we were about to reach airport security, but I couldn't even think of a response as I was too busy in my thoughts again, "Addy?"

I looked up at him, "Huh?"

He raised a brow at me, "You alright?"

"Yeah, just nervous," I nodded, exhaling deeply. What if I regret going?

He hummed, "Not a fan of flying?" I shook my head, so he smiled, "Don't worry, it's not that bad when you get up there."

Ander wanted me to stay, I thought, It's what I wanted, so why the hell aren't I staying?

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks, causing Nic to stop slightly ahead of me, confused, "Addy, what's wrong?"

"I can't go," I abruptly told him.

He grown even more confused, "You can't or you won't?" When I didn't respond, he let out a deep sigh, silent for a moment, "It's always going to be him, isn't it?"

"I thought that me going to California and to Stanford was what I needed," I explained, "But it's not what I want, Nic. It never was."

He looked down and placed down his bags to come up to me and engulf me in a tight hug. I hug him back as he laughed lowly, "A part of me knew this would happen. I just didn't think so soon, I was kind of hoping while we were on the plane or already landing in California, so it would be too late to back out."

I chuckled at him, pulling away from him, "You're such a great person, Nic, and I don't deserve you."

"I know, I know," He joked, "But, you know, if you ever change you mind, you know where to find me, Addy." When we fully pull away, he reached for his bags before looking at me, "The love of your life awaits you, Addy."

I nodded and grabbed my luggage, looking at him one last time, "Send pictures?"

"Of Cali or of me?" He teases and when I rolled me eyes, he laughed, backing away from me to go to the airport security, "Love you, Addy!" I blow him a kiss before he turned around and I did too to hurry off to my car again before they took it off the lot. I quickly shoved my luggage in the back of the car and got into the driver seat before speeding off to the hospital.

I had to shove my thoughts away and hard as I was doing this as a spur of the moment kind of thing and I didn't need anything to stop me. This decision that I was making was far from rash, but close to idiotic. Though, nothing was going to prevent me from turning around especially as I parked in front of the hospital within 15 minutes.

I looked at the hospital on my right before getting out of the car to rush inside. My legs went faster than my mind that was still taking time to process it all as I went upstairs to where usually Ander would be treated. Please, be cured.

When I reached his doctor's floor, I was quick to see Guzman, Azucena and Ander down the hallway talking to each other, causing me to head their way. Guzman was the first to notice me, his brow raised as he seen me, "Adriana, what are you doing here?"

Ander quickly raised his head at my name as I looked at my brother, "Can I talk to Ander for a moment?" I asked as a response to his question and he looked at Azucena before they both nodded and walked off.

I stood in front of Ander as he held the same confused face at Guzman, "Guzman asked a very good question. What are you doing here? Aren't you going to miss your flight?"

"I'm not going," I sighed and he furrowed his brows.

"What, why?" He asked, "I thought that's what you wanted."

"I did too, until I stood inside the airport and I realized I couldn't go," I explained to him, but his worried expression didn't falter.

"What changed your mind?" He asked, "What's making you stay?"

"I couldn't," I paused, glancing down as I cleared my throat and pushed my hair behind my ears, "I just couldn't leave Guzman and my family so soon. And I wanted to be there as support for Guzman since he's repeating high school."

"That's it?" He wondered, "That's the only reason you're not going to a whole other continent?"

"No," I shook my head, scratching the back of my neck as I began to rant, "I'm also staying because in all honesty, California isn't all that. It's just the perception of the American Dream, so I feel like after a month I would hate it there and already want to come home. Plus, there are schools here that are just as good as Stanford, distance is the only difference, so why even go so far?"

"You wanted to go to Brown, though, Adriana," He mentioned and I cursed, causing him to laugh, "What's the real reason?"

I studied him and his unchanged demeanor before I sighed, "I gave up Stanford to because... because I wanted to be here with you instead." A small smile suddenly approached his lips as I continued, "I just couldn't leave without saying goodbye and then I just couldn't leave at all. In that airport, I could have sworn to myself that something was missing and it was because I realized that you and I were the ones that were supposed to board on a plane together and spend our college life together. And I know it can't happen because you also have to repeat too and you probably don't care to because you feel like you're dying, but just know that I care. I care a lot and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. No relationship is a relationship if there hasn't been at least one fight, one break up and one makeup."

"Adriana-"

"I know that this test might say the worst thing imaginable, but I still want to be here for you because I love you." I interrupted, pulling out my necklace from underneath my shirt, "Clearly, I won't ever stop loving you, Ander, because I believe that we are meant to be, even if that means one of us could die tomorrow. You once said that 'life is too short' and so, I don't want to do things I will regret- not anymore, starting here because you are the one and only thing I would never regret."

Ander grinned at my speech and stood up to stand in front of me, holding the A of the necklace in his hand, "Are you done?" I smiled and nodded, causing him to laugh, "Good, because though it was an Oscar Award winning speech," He then met my eyes, "I'm in remission. They just told me."

It felt like my heart could burst at his words before I quickly pull him into a hug, practically pouncing on him as I hugged him tight. He hugged me back, but when we pull away, I was quick to place my lips onto his. I put my hands on both sides of his face as he held onto my waist and kissed me back as if we were dying for this to happen.

It was minutes before I pulled away slightly, only for our foreheads to rest on each other. His eyes locked with mine as we both shared a wide grin, "I love you, Adriana."

I pulled him in a hug again, wanting to stay in his embrace forever. This was nice and it reminded me how much I missed it. It felt like something I could always come back to and enjoy every moment of it. It felt like home. I rested my head in the crook of his neck, unable to contain my smile, shamelessly taking in the scent of his cologne, "Te quiero, Ander. Always."

|END OF BOOK THREE.|

{author's note:: can i just say that this was my most favorite series to ever write out of all the one i has written before. never had i enjoyed something like or writing like this in a very long time. for a while, in january, i thought my hiatus would be permanent but i'm so glad i came up with this idea

i cannot wait for the fourth season because once that comes out, i will definitely make a fourth book because i'm so in love with this series! thank you guys so much for the unconditional love and support and i really couldn't have asked for more!❤️}