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C. Sainz Jr.

My heart was pounding. It's not like I've never seen my own place before but it was who was waiting behind those doors. Esme looked at me as if her own heart was about to burst. She hesitated and took a step back then said, "Maybe I'll sit this one out." I shook my head and said, "No, I'm going in to see my wife and you are going in to apologise to your friend."

She nodded and I knocked on the door. At first there was silence but finally the door opened revealing Salomé who'd clearly been crying. When she recognised who I was, she dragged me into our place and started shoving me in the chest as she said, "I was gone for a few days and you move on so quickly?! How could you! HOW COULD YOU!" I couldn't even answer because she spotted Esme and yelled, "AND YOU BROUGHT HER HERE TOO?! YOU LITTLE-."

She just kept on hitting and hitting and I gladly took the hits. I was just happy to see her. I wrapped my arms around her and held her close to my chest. She still kept on trying to shove me around like a rabid dog but I held on tightly and said, "I missed you." Salomé scoffed, "Are you crazy?! You're out here going back to Esme and think you can have me too?! LET GO OF ME!"

I couldn't even bring myself to speak because I was just overwhelmed with seeing her. Esme thankfully explained, "Sal, he asked my help to find you and we staged that date because I knew you were going to be petty about it." Salomé finally stopped hitting me and groaned, "This was all part of your grandiose plan to find me?" I chuckled and kissed her on the forehead and said, "Of course. I'd do anything to find you, although Christian might kill me when I get to Saudi since that was very public."

But then Sal let go of me to get a good look at Esme, "Didn't think you'd ever want to see me again after all the horrible things you said and horrible things you admitted you did?" Esme gave out a deep sigh and said, "Look, I'm sorry and I realised I was wrong and that...I threw away a good person in my life because I kept on thinking you had a perfect life when you were just holding it together so you could be there for me."

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S. Sainz

My eyes filled with tears as Esme said, "I'm sorry and I know that you probably don't want to talk to me but at least talk to Carlos about what happened." I brought myself down to the couch, overwhelmed with emotions. Isa was right, running away from my past is keeping me away from a good future I can have. I don't know what the future holds and that's the beauty of it. I just need to try.

"I can leave," Esme said as Carlos took a seat next to me but I shook my head and said, "You might as well stay, that way you can know the truth about what happened. Not some fantasy you cooked up about me having a perfect life. How dare you, how dare you say that I have a perfect life?" Esme backed up and I was thankful that Carlos did nothing to stop me.

I've always found myself holding back but now I had no reason to. "Every breakup, every bad test, and every time you needed someone," I said as I wiped away the tears that I hadn't realised were already there, "I was there for you. You needed me, I dropped everything. And even when I was in so much pain, I kept it to myself because I still wanted to be the friend who could be strong for the both of us but behind all the things I do for you...you betrayed me and thought I WRONGED YOU!"

I stood up from the couch and pointed a finger at her, "How dare you, accuse me of cheating on Luka when he cheated on me with you! Did you know what he took from me in those 4 years?! He took everything! He took my girlhood, he took my dignity, and he took away my pride. He peeled me bit by bit until I was just nothing. And you say I'm the bad guy?"

"Why do I have to pay for your insecurities?! Do I deserve to suffer just because you can't accept that you and I are never going to be the same people?!," I yelled and Esme wasn't quiet this time, she fought back, "What am I supposed to do?! You get handed everything you want, while I have to work hard for it!"