♱Recommended song: Hold On, We're Going Home By Drake♱
My heart thumped in my chest as we approached the familiar brick building that I would practically consider home—suddenly feeling like bringing Noa here was a big deal.
I mean... was it a big deal?
One of the suited men guided the door open for us while the others stopped in place to let us walk through.
The place was as busy as usual with people filling up all the tables as they conversed excitedly.
However, everyone's attention managed to drift over to us due to the guarded men surrounding us.
Then again, I was used to the attention, especially as a model.
"Lundy mi dulce niña!" Her familiar voice echoed in the restaurant, easily making a smile grow on my face.
"Teresa," I said, practically beaming as I made it over to the counter.
The short brunette woman walked around the counter, pulling me into a deep hug as she kissed my cheek.
"We've all missed you so much—how have you been? How's modeling?" she asked excitedly, pulling away from the hug with a wide grin.
Even the sight of her familiar face managed to make my smile grow, "It's good. I'm taking a break right now, but I'm scheduled to be in the next Dolce show later on this year."
Teresa's grin grew, "I'm so proud of you," she said, pinching my cheeks as her eyes glanced over behind me. "And who is this?" she suddenly asked, causing me to follow her line of sight.
Noa extended a respectful hand as her demeanor remained entirely serious—I swear she looked so out of place here.
However, when Teresa pulled Noa into a hug instead, Noa's eyes widened slightly—furrowing her brows as she hesitantly hugged her back.
"Ay, dios mío—you got a girlfriend?" She asked, her tone clearly excited as she pulled back from Noa.
My eyes immediately widened, realizing how this looked—and with the way Noa's eyes widened too, it seems she realized it too.
I awkwardly clear my throat, "Oh, uh, no—she's..." I trailed off, not exactly knowing how to label her.
Calling her a friend felt too offensive to me.
Teresa only nodded a few times, "Ah, I see," she said, giving us a knowing look as she walked back behind the counter, which easily made my face grow hot, "What do you guys want to eat?" she asked.
I hummed to myself, pushing my shyness away, "I want the strawberry and banana smoothie and..." I briefly glanced over to Noa who raised a slight brow, "And a breakfast burrito—only eggs and steak please."
Teresa's brows raised slightly, "Wow, it's been so long since you ordered food," she said, inputting the order with a clear look of surprise.
I subtly smiled, knowing there was only one reason behind my order—or one person.
When Teresa looked at Noa, she said, "I'll have the breakfast tacos—hot sauce on the side please," she said respectfully, which earned a firm nod from the woman.
"I'll have it out for you guys in a few minutes," Teresa said, and when Noa began sliding her wallet from her pocket, Teresa firmly shook her head a few times, "No-no, it's on the house," she insisted.
But Noa only raised a challenging brow. Here we go.
Noa slid the crisp one hundred dollar bill across the counter, "Consider this a tip then," she said, and before Teresa could decline she was guiding us both away toward one of the empty tables.
I shook my head at Noa as we sat down across from one another, causing the guarded men to stand by us stiffly.
"You didn't have to do that," I said, knowing that Teresa didn't mind giving it to us for free.
Not only is the restaurant in good business, but her husband is an investor—she was simply doing this on the side to keep busy.
Noa shrugged lazily, reaching over the table to grab my hand, "I know I didn't have to," she emphasized, gliding her thumb over the soft skin of my hand.
I hummed in acknowledgment, "Why am I actually excited to eat," I said, knowing I hadn't had food from El Amor's in so long.
If I was on death row, I'd definitely be choosing a meal from here.
Or Noa.
Noa's lips twitched upward slightly, "Because you're eating real food," she pointed out, which earned a slight laugh from me.
"I still stand by a smoothie being real food," I said, watching as Noa's eyes sharply glanced behind me.
Noa hummed, looking back at me, "I forgot to tell you about the surprise I left in the car for you," she suddenly said.
I tilted my head, "Surprise? When did you do that?" I questioned curiously, but Noa only motioned one of the men over.
"You'll see—Terry will escort you to the car to check it out," Noa said, motioning me up.
I furrowed my brows, "But what about the food?" I asked, hesitantly standing from my chair.
"It won't take but a moment to go look," Noa assured me as the man named Terry began guiding me away from her.
Confusion etched onto my face completely as I was basically forced to exit the restaurant out to the G-wagons lining the streets.
That was so weird of her.
I mean why—
But my thoughts were quickly cut off when I heard gunshots ring from inside the building.
"Ma'am—Ms. Spade!" Terry called from behind me as I practically ran back into the building.
But with all the people practically flooding out in terror, it was entirely hard to get there quickly enough.
I felt anger practically swallow me whole—feeling completely upset that Noa sent me away like that.
And that I fell for it.
My eyes widened when I made it into the building, taking in all the men laying limp on the ground with bullet holes prominent on their foreheads.
I searched around for Teresa, but upon seeing a few of the guards escorting her away, I felt relief flood through me.
Well, that was until one question glided through my head—where's Noa?
I walked further into the building, feeling my heart race in my chest completely.
We shouldn't have left the estate—I was so naive for even suggesting we do so, especially with a war going on.
This is all my fault.
My mouth fell open when I caught sight of a random man and Noa—pointing guns at one another with determined looks on their faces.
Based on the way the man was dressed, it was clear he was sent with all the other men laying dead in their own blood.
When I heard the safety on the man's gun unclick, I felt my heart practically plummet to my stomach.
I knew Noa was more trained than me—I knew she had it handled.
But I couldn't risk it, I couldn't risk an outcome where she didn't have it handled.
So before I could process it any further, I was grabbing one of the many guns clattered to the ground—not hesitating to aim for the man's stomach.
I squeezed my eyes closed as I pulled the trigger, realizing that I was actually shooting someone for the first time in my life.
And when I heard the man let out an antagonizing scream, my heavy eyes shot open—realizing that my aim was entirely off.
The bullet went through his chest instead.
Which meant I just...
I just killed him.
My breathing grew shallow as my eyes burned, meeting Noa's widened eyes.
Everything felt slowed—the men in suits rushing in, Teresa's faint voice among the workers, the echo of Noa's footsteps toward me.
"Lunden," Noa carefully said, gently taking the gun that had practically burned into my shaky hands.
I blinked a few times, trying to push the tears back, but failed when I felt them slide down my warm face.
"Fuck," Noa said, handing the gun over to one of her men.
I let out deep breaths, trying to push the weird heaviness in my chest away as I stared over at the dead man.
The man that I killed.
"I didn't mean to kill him."
The words were forced and weak—and so unlike me.
"I know—" Noa gently wiped the tears from my face, "Trust me, I know baby," she said, pulling me into her chest as my tears grew uncontrollable.
"I just-I just," I breathed out, gripping onto Noa's shirt I was soaking with tears that I didn't want to cry, "I just—you looked..."I trailed off when my throat closed up, feeling everything in me crumble at the realization of what I had done.
"I didn't mean to kill him, Noa," I said yet again, but we both knew it was only to comfort myself.
To tell myself it was an accident.
I accidentally killed a man.
"It's okay—I promise it's okay," Noa said, holding me tighter as I began to full-on panic.
It all happened so fast—hearing the gunshots from outside, running into the restaurant past all the scared civilians, taking in all the dead men on the ground, before finally noticing the predicament Noa was in.
And where the predicament could've led her.
"I just—I couldn't let him shoot you," I forced out, feeling my body full-on tremble in her arms.
Noa sighed, gently rubbing her hand up and down my back as she said, "How about we go home?"
I nodded weakly—even if at the moment, home suddenly felt like it was right in front of me.