It was the morning of the Open Music. Or "Flash Open", as Ámbar had called it, because it had really been planned on record time. She'd announced it one afternoon and two days later here they were. That meant they'd only had one day for rehearsals (more like 3 hours because many of them worked), but Simón was confident that their performance with the guys would be a success. They sounded amazing and the moves they had come up with were great— They were gonna rock it.
He was at the bar while Pedro worked in the lockers when he heard someone call his name.
"Simón!"
He turned to find Ámbar approaching the back of the bar rapidly with a pen and clipboard in hand. She looked pretty with her thin-strap black top over her grey t-shirt (if he was honest, she always did), but she also looked agitated.
"I need you to change the graphics of the screens," she told him, pointing at the televisions around the cafeteria. "From now on, they should only show the Jam & Roller logo. The Red Shark's one is outdated and has to go, it's about time."
Simón smiled. Finally, things in the Roller were getting back to how they used to be.
"I love that idea, I'll get to it right now," he said and turned around, but she called out to him before he could take a step.
"Wait! Did you do the soundcheck?"
"No, but I was going to do it n—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence before Ámbar started speaking again. Or, more accurately, throwing inquiries at a high speed.
"Did the delivery guys arrive with the costumes yet? Are were loaded up on food? Big audiences mean more food than usual. The lighting of the stage background is on point? I would hate for one of the light bulbs to go out in the middle of a performance." Her eyes widened. "Oh god, what if half of them end up going out and the stage just reads 'Open'? Like, 'Open nothing', what would I do?"
He had been right, she was agitated. It got him worried, he didn't like seeing her like that.
"Hey." He took a step closer to her, leaning over the bar's counter so she looked at him. "Hey, slow down. Everything's going to be fine," he told her in a calming voice, but Ámbar shook her head.
"I can't slow down. Look at this huge to-do list," she said, pointing at her clipboard. "There's still a hundred things that need to get done and time's flying by."
She left the clipboard on the bar, staring at it in distress. Simón reached over and placed his hand over hers in what he hoped would be a comforting gesture.
"Well, I'm here for you. Whatever you need," he told her honestly.
Her eyes danced between his, and it was only then that he realized the moment was turning into something deeper than it should. He'd been so focused on making her feel better that he forgot he was meant to keep his distance.
"...Boss," he added to his sentence, pulling his hand away from hers. It was his job to help her after all, so that made it less personal. Right?
Ámbar didn't seem to pay any mind to those things though. She just gave him a little smile. "Thank you. And sorry for attacking you with all this but I'm stressed. Like, really stressed out because it's my first event as manager of the Roller and I want everything to be perfect, you know? Like, not a thing out of place, not a single mistake made and— ... Why are you looking at me like that?"
A smile had grown on his face without him being able to help it. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking how much of a perfectionist you always are with everything you do. It's kinda—" He was gonna say cute, but he managed to stop himself before it slipped out. He really shouldn't be calling her cute right now. Actually, he shouldn't be thinking it. Couldn't he focus for once in his life?
He shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Go on, boss,tell me what else you need, I'm listening," he said in business mode. Work.Just work. You're working.
"Right, um..." Ámbar checked her list again. "...Actually, I think I already told you everythi— Wait, almost forgot. That guy, Michel? He can sing with you guys, no problem."
Simón nodded, glad to hear it. "Perfect." After some seconds without new instructions, he asked, "So... would that be all, boss?"
Ámbar rolled her eyes with a smile. "You don't have to call me boss every single time," she said, amused. But then her smile took a coquettish turn and the look in her eyes grew seductive. "...Unless you have a thing for it?"
Simón raised an eyebrow. Was she insinuating he had a boss kink?
It should've been laughable. He hadn't had many good experiences with previous bosses, la generala being the perfect example of it. But his heart beat faster as he drowned in Ámbar's eyes. She had inched closer, leaning on the counter on her forearms, and he found himself doing the same, as if pulled in by her.
"A thing?" He mused low, as if considering it. "... I don't know, boss. Should I?"
They kept each other's gaze intensely. Simón could see a fire surge in her ocean blue eyes. He had seen that look before, and his heart accelerated as the images flooded his mind. Her gaze moved down to his lips, and her tongue came out to wet her own. The pure gesture almost made him groan, and that was when alarm bells exploded in his brain.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STOP FLIRTING WITH HER!
Rapidly, he took a step back and cleared his throat.
"Well, if you don't need anything else right now, Ámbar..." He said as he moved random food displays on the bar as if he was arranging them, calming his heart and focusing on what was important before he turned to her once more. "Could we perhaps talk a little about the Felipe Mendevilla thing? Please?" Before I lose my mind. "Because I feel like giving Luna a solo performance at the Open isn't enough to make up for what you did."
The guilt of not telling Luna the truth that night had made it hard to sleep. He had just watched as Ámbar made up something to avoid coming clean. Did that count as lying to Luna? He wasn't sure. All he knew is that the sooner Ámbar talked to her the better.
For a second, he thought Ámbar looked disappointed at the change of topic, but she schooled her expression quickly to one of detachment.
"I didn't say it was either," she said pursing her lips.
Simón nodded. At least she knew it wasn't going to be that easy. "Alright. Then, could you please talk to her?" He asked, sounding like a broken record even to his own ears but he couldn't keep on hiding this from Luna forever, she needed to know.
Ámbar grimaced. "Oh no, I can't right now, Simón, I told you. I'm this close to collapsing. I have a ton of things to do, look at this list—"
"Hey, what's up?" Ringed out a voice suddenly. It was Matteo, who was walking towards them with a smile on his face.
Just as he arrived, Ámbar grabbed her stuff from the bar to leave. Before she did, Simón looked at her once more.
"Everything's going to be alright," he assured with a smile.
Ámbar smiled back at him and turned, leaving the cafeteria to keep on preparing everything for the Open.
Matteo watched her leave and then turned to face him with a teasing smile. "Anything going on over here?" He asked, pretty much wiggling his eyebrows at him. Simón scoffed internally.
Oh, he had no idea.
*******************
It had been tough, but Ámbar managed to have everything ready and running smoothly by the time people started to arrive. The place was packed, not only by regulars but also by new faces, which was great because more people equaled more revenue, which equaled she was already doing her job as manager fantastically.
Once everyone was seated and the appointed time arrived, Ámbar stood straight and channeled her characteristic confidence.
Let the show begin.
Ámbar walked up the stage and stood in front of the microphone like she had been born to do so (and she pretty much was).
"Welcome, everyone, to my first Open," she greeted the crowd with a proud smile. The audience applauded. She started her opening speech by thanking VIDIA for the opportunity, promising she wouldn't let them down and that she had many other ideas for the Roller. Now that she was in charge, things were going to change for the better.
"The purpose of this Open is to unite us once and for all. I'm tired of fights." Especially fights with someone in particular, she thought. "I don't wanna see any more conflicts, I wanna see close groups and I know you all want that as well, right?"
The crowd clapped and yelled their agreements. The whole point of this Open was to show Simón that she wanted to fix things, that they didn't need to be enemies just because they were on different teams. It hadn't exactly worked since he had found out about the Felipe thing, but looking at how happy and excited everyone was, she was sure he'd appreciate this gesture, there was no way he wouldn't.
She continued her speech, explaining how the performances were divided, two groups and two soloists, before presenting the first one: the boys' team. Asking the crowd for a round of applause, she called all their names before walking down the stage and towards her seat next to Emilia.
The guys appeared on stage with the crowd's cheer surrounding them. They all looked great in the costumes she had chosen (obviously), but Ámbar couldn't stop her stare from focusing immediately on Simón. He looked very hot in those clothes. Choosing him a t-shirt one size smaller than usual was the best idea she ever had. The tight black fabric accentuated his chest, shoulders and strong arms just right. Her mouth watered. It was so distracting that she almost didn't notice how he called Matteo up to join them on stage until she saw him climb up and stand beside Simón.
Once they were all in their positions, the intro of "Nadie como tú" started playing.
Nunca creí en historias del corazón...
Estar enamorado para mí era sólo un juego...
Did he just look at her as he sang that? Yeah, he definitely did.
Ámbar found herself following him with her eyes through all the song even if it was another guy who was front and center.
Tú, me haces sentir
que esto es el cielo y que en la tierra ya no hay como tú
Me tienes así, rogándote please, oh baby
I need nobody but you
God, that choreography was marvelous. Marvelous in the way that had him flexing his arms and showing up his biceps every five seconds. 10/10.
When Benicio came to the front, he pointed at her, calling her attention, and when her eyes landed on him, he winked.
She felt a little bad. Just a little.
When they got to the bridge of the song, Matteo froze, lips parted but no words coming out of them. The change in the air was instantaneous. He forgot the lyrics.
It was just about five seconds before Simón kept singing the song and encouraged Matteo to continue as well, but everyone noticed. Glances were exchanged. Ámbar couldn't help but worry a little about him. Sure, they had little to no communication now and their relationship had ended quite badly, but they still had cared for each other once and she didn't wish him any harm. Not anymore at least, she had moved on. She hoped these after-effects of the fall would only be temporary.
Tú, me tienes así,
rogándote please, oh baby
I need nobody but you.
By the end of the performance, it was like that slip-up had never existed. The energy of everyone on stage was contagious, and when the song ended, the whole audience cheered and applauded, Ámbar included.
The boys went down the side of the stage, joining their friends on the tables or getting back to work. Ámbar stood and took off her coat.
It was time to shine.
******************
Simón was a little breathless from their performance, but it was a great feeling. It was the kind of tired that brought satisfaction because you knew you had given it your all and it had been fun doing so.
He joined the bar along with Pedro and Eric, ready to go back to taking orders and serving tables, when the girls started filling the stage. He turned towards them, and that was when he really lost his breath.
Ámbar was in front of a row with all the girls behind her, and she had discarded her long coat. It turned out that underneath it she had a skin-tight black costume; pants that hugged her long legs to perfection and a top that left her shoulders bare. All in all, the clothes accentuated every curve on her body. His brain short-circuited for a moment.
Wow.
"And now, I wanna hear you clap your hands even louder for all of us!"
The crowd acclaimed as Ámbar put the microphone away and all the girls took their places on the stage, pompons in hand. The music started playing, the girls started moving. God, that hip movement was illegal.
Sé quién soy, quiero una tregua, mi cabeza no da más...
The more the choreography advanced, the more Simón had to fight to not let his jaw drop. He was conscious that he was following Ámbar's every move with his eyes but he couldn't stop himself. She had always shone on stage, he had noticed since the first moment he saw her, and right now wasn't an exception. Even the pompons surrounded her in the choreography, as if her presence alone wasn't enough to center all of the attention.
Mano a mano
¿quién es el villano?
Soy la que te enseña más
She threw a glance at him. Simón's heart jumped. She always sang the parts that talked about being bad, which he usually wouldn't have considered that ironic, but at that moment he did, because she looked good. More than good. Maybe he was biased, but he could swear she looked the prettiest of them all. And the sexiest, because while all the others were wearing floaty dresses, her tight black clothes left little to the imagination.
The urge to press her against his body assaulted him and he had to shake his head to stop those thoughts. Focus on the choreography, he told himself. But she kept looking in his direction with a tiny, bewitching smile and it was hard not to return her gaze.
Buena o mala, siempre señalada
Mano a mano estamos hoy.
The crowd erupted in applause as the performance ended. Simón couldn't help but clap as well, and with a smile on his face nonetheless. It had been amazing. His competitive side wanted to say that his performance with the guys had been better, but he knew his heart was with the girls.
More like with one in particular.
The girls walked down the stage and Ámbar stayed behind to face the audience. Seeming a little nervous, she announced there would be a little break and asked Eric to put on some music before descending the stage as well. Simón saw her walk towards the dressing room. Just two seconds later, he was following her. He didn't really know why or for what, just that he needed to.
She was turning around just as he passed through the door and she collided with him, taken by surprise.
"Simón."
She looked even more beautiful up close (if it was even possible). He thought of maybe saying it, congratulate her on her performance, tell her she had been great. He felt like he was vibrating with energy; the excitement of the spotlights, the music, of having her in front of him with those little, perfectly shaped curls. But just a second after he arrived, she asked him—
"Have you seen Benicio?"
—and his heart fell.
It was stupid, really. She was looking for him for the next performance, so of course it was logical that she needed to find him. But the fact that the first words that came out of her mouth were about him was like a slap to Simón's face.
It stung. But it also made him snap out of whatever stupid spell he had been under, so he guessed he had to be grateful.
Now the only reasonable reason why he could've followed her there was clear.
"No, I haven't seen him," he replied coldly. "Sorry for not being who you're looking for, but I need to ask you a question."
Ámbar blinked at his tone. She could've sworn that just a minute ago he was smiling as he watched her on stage, what had happened?
"What question?" She said.
He looked at her with a serious expression.
"When are you gonna speak with Luna?"
Ámbar did a double-take. Was he serious right now?
"I can not believe this. I mean, do you really think that in the middle of an Open that I participate in, host, and organize I can talk to Luna? For real?"
The sole idea was ridiculous— She had enough on her plate as it was, what was up with him?
"No, of course not. I mean, you always find the perfect excuse, don't you?" He accused sarcastically. It was true that she was busy— He could see that, he understood that. But he also knew that if she really meant to talk to Luna, she could've done it by now, it was only a few minutes of her time.
She shook her head. "No, no, it's not an excuse, Simón, I really can't right now," she insisted, stress painting her voice. "Look at me. Don't you see how I am?"
He knew that she meant that she was practically in a Grease costume and in the middle of hosting a show, but Simón couldn't stop his eyes from roaming her figure from head to toe. Her beautiful blue eyes that never failed to muddle his mind. The line of her neck that she shuddered when he kissed. Her smooth skin that he knew was soft to the touch. Her chest, tightly outlined by the black fabric, that almost made his hands itch because they knew how it fit under them and they wanted to relive it. The thin waist he could grab her by and her long, slender legs that he remembered wrapped around him, holding him as if to never let him go.
"Yeah, I see you," he breathed, voice husky.
The urge to touch her was back. It was always there on some level, buried, but sometimes it was stronger and fought for control. Simón met her gaze and she noticed; he knew she noticed. He looked away quickly, cursing himself internally as he cleared his throat. He couldn't let her see that, he needed to stay focused.
"I see it, but you could've talked to her yesterday, or today before the Open, and you didn't," he remarked reproachfully. "You had plenty of chances and you didn't, so I'm starting to think that you won't."
Ámbar took a deep breath. His wasn't the best timing, but what he was saying was fair, so she decided to reassure him.
"Alright. Alright, let's do the following, Simón," she proposed. "I promise you that the moment the Open is over I'm gonna talk to her. Okay?"
He pursed his lips.
"Right. And why should I trust you?" He said, skeptical. "Why shouldn't I just tell her myself?"
His words hurt her, in tone and meaning. So that was what it all came down to? He still didn't trust her? That was why he was always pulling away?
She had suspected that, and she could understand that it was complicated but...
"Simón," she started, "ever since I've become the manager of the Roller, all I've tried to do is reunify everyone. Haven't you noticed? I'm really trying here," she said, and couldn't avoid a little pain to filter into her voice. "Don't you think that's enough reason to trust me again?"
Simón looked at her fixedly, searching for any trace of lies or deception but he found none. All he saw was genuine hurt from his words and he felt bad for it. She really had made an effort. She had made all this Open so everyone could have fun together just like in the old days and it had worked.
"You're right. Sorry," he said after a moment. She did deserve some credit, and he wanted to trust her, more than anything. "But Luna is my best friend and I have to protect her," he argued. "I can't keep on hiding this from her—"
"I know, I know, just—" Ámbar interrupted him, knowing where he was going with it. "Wait until after the Open, okay?"
He gave her a grave look, then nodded.
"Okay. I'm gonna give you a second chance. But either you tell her, or I will," he warned, before turning around towards the door.
No.
No, she couldn't let him leave.
She had seen the way he looked at her, since the moment that he came into the room. That wasn't the look of someone who just wanted to remind her of a promise. His expression could be cold but his eyes didn't show indifference. He was using the Luna thing as a shield to not let himself get close, again, even when it was clear that he wanted to.
Ámbar was done letting him run, and she was tired of waiting.
"What about us?"
The sound of her voice stopped Simón in his tracks. He turned around to face Ámbar again and found her eyes boring into his.
"Do we get a second chance?"
Simón's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to get back tog—?
No, don't even think about it.
"Ámbar..." He uttered in a tired voice.
"What?" She asked defensive against his tone.
He licked his lips, looking away from her. "We talked about this."
"No, you talked," she retorted. "You said that we should forget about what happened, and I don't know if you'd really be capable of it, but I'm not. I don't want to forget. It was important for me."
Simón met her gaze. The emotion in her voice matched her expression. Her eyes seemed to beg for him to listen, and as she took a step closer, he found himself captured by them, unable to move.
"I know that you think we're too different," she said, "or that I'm only playing with you, but I swear to you I'm not, Simón. If you can trust me on anything, trust me on this; I care about you for real. I like you, not anyone else." She shook her head slightly. "I don't just like you, I... I've never felt anything like this in my life."
Simón could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage. He could hear the drumming in his ears, and he was tongue-tied. She was looking right into his eyes, telling him how she felt, how deeply her feelings ran towards him. She was speaking from her heart, he could see it in her gaze. She was opening herself up to him, leaving her heart bare, and wasn't that what he always wanted? For her to be sincere? For her to truly want him? Wasn't this what he always wanted to hear?
It was. It really was, but...
"And even if you try to deny it," she continued, taking one more step towards him, making it so their eyes were centimeters apart, as if he weren't drowning in them already, "even if you want with every fiber of your being to believe otherwise, I know you still have feelings for me too. More than just plain lust; I can see it. So I have a question for you too: Are you gonna face them straight on? ... Or are you gonna tell me again that we'll never happen?"
As the words left her mouth, Ámbar focused on Simón. She had tried to pour everything she felt in this moment, show him how important he was to her, even if it terrified her to take that step. Admitting her feelings left her in a vulnerable position, one she had tried to avoid at all costs all this time, but she had reached a point where she knew it was the only way to move forwards.
She couldn't keep living in this limbo where one moment things were great and the next they were apart again. She couldn't keep tasting his lips and feeling his embrace only for him to pull away seconds later. She knew he had his reasons, she knew she hadn't exactly made it easy, but this back and forth wasn't good for her, nor for him either.
So she gave him a choice: to give her a chance or not, as simple as that. Because she couldn't stay like this. Because she knew it was eating at him too. And because she was hoping that, now that she'd taken the step, he wouldn't let her fall alone.
Simón's eyes flickered with many emotions as he stared into hers. Something that looked like longing, something that looked like fear. Hope and hopelessness, over and over.
It was a long moment before took a deep breath, and then, finally, he spoke.
"I should go, it's the right thing to do."
Simón saw Ámbar's eyes shine with pain before she lowered them to the floor, but it was the truth. Walking away was the right thing to do, the rational one. She had a boyfriend, had slept with him while still being with said boyfriend, had conspired against his friends, had hurt him deeply before... Everything pointed him to the opposite direction.
His friends had told him countless times to forget about her. To move on, to not trust her.
"But..."
Her stare returned to his. Those beautiful, beautiful blue eyes that haunted his dreams and every waking moment.
Turn around may have been the right thing to do.
But he loved her.
And he really wanted to kiss her right now.
Closing the one step that separated them, he grabbed her waist and leaned into her lips, sealing them against his own as he held her against him. Ámbar moaned against his mouth and held his face as she kissed him back hard. He could understand her relief; he almost felt like crying from it too. He had been dying to do this, he always was.
As his tongue delved inside her mouth and another tiny noise emerged from her, a voice in the back of his mind attempted to tell him that what they were doing was wrong. But how could it be wrong when it felt so right? How could it be bad if both felt the same?
Her hands threaded his hair and her teeth pulled on his lip and he felt fire on his veins. He pushed her against the wall, needing to feel more of her.
How could it be wrong if their bodies fit so perfectly together? If her hands roamed him and held on to him just as desperately as his did her? How could it be wrong if he loved her?
Maybe because it's selfish, his brain handed to him.
He had never considered himself to be selfish before. He never threw caution to the wind either, had never been this reckless... but as he felt her curves under his hands and her nails digging on his back, not an ounce of him regretted it.
Maybe she wasn't the only one who had to change a little.
He parted from her lips and left a trail of kisses down the bare skin of her shoulder, just like he had been wanting to since he first saw her in the costume. It was almost cathartic. The smell of her perfume was intoxicating. Ámbar gasped when he nipped her collarbone, and then moaned as he tasted her neck.
"Simón," she breathed, and grabbed his face to pull him back into her lips. He let her, gladly, drowning one hand in her hair and gripping her hip with the other. There was no space left between them. They kissed deeply, her chest flattened against his own, their breaths merged together in fleeting intakes that lived and died between their mouths.
They were in a world where only they existed. Until a voice erupted with a cry.
"What the fuck is going on here?!"
Both sprung apart abruptly, and their hearts stopped when they turned to the sound.
Ámbar stood wide-eyed.
"Benicio."
It was all she managed to say. Her technically boyfriend was standing in front of them, furious, and with good reason because he had found them at the worst possible moment.
"Ámbar, what the hell are you doing with this loser?!" Benicio roared as he advanced, towering over her dangerously. His eyes screamed betrayal and she was frozen.
"Hey, don't scream at her!" Simón surged by her side, moving in front of her protectively.
Benicio turned to him with rage. "You don't have the right to tell me what to do, you son of a bitch!" He shoved him with force, making Simón stumble backward, his back colliding hard against one of the mirrors. "How dare you touch my girl—"
He took a step towards him with all the intent of breaking his face, so before he could, Ámbar stood in his way. She planted herself firmly in front of Benicio, placing her hands on his shoulders to stop him from moving forwards in his act of rage.
"Stop it, Benicio! Your problem is with me!" She willed him to look at her. "I was the one who sought him out, not the other way around."
"Ámbar," Simón started, not comfortable with her just taking all the blame, but she silenced him with a look.
Ámbar focused on Benicio, who had finally turned to her, his eyes boring into her own with spite. When she was sure that he wasn't going to lunch at Simón again, she took her hands off of him and curled them into fists at her sides. This wasn't how she wanted it to go. This wasn't how she wanted anything to go. But gotten to this point, she had no other choice.
Squaring her shoulders, she lifted her chin and spoke with resolution.
"I'm sorry it had to be this way, but the truth is that I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now. I was never interested in having a serious relationship with you. We had our fun, but that's it. I don't wanna be with you anymore. We're over."
Simón's eyes widened. Had she really-?
He looked at Benicio, whose face looked like he had been struck. Simón suddenly felt awfully like an intruder, witnessing their breakup like that. Except he wasn't really just an uninvolved third party, was he? He was more like the 'other man', who'd come between them and made them break up in the first place. He knew that they weren't truly romantically involved and so their relationship had close to no meaning, but still he felt the weight of responsibility as he realized that he had, technically, played the role of the illicit lover.
In that moment when he kissed her, he knew she was dating and he didn't care. He pulled her close, consciously disregarding the fact that she had a boyfriend, because she said she had feelings for him, only him, and he decided that was all that mattered. His heart was screaming at him and for once he just listened.
Even now, feeling guilt over Benicio because he didn't wish this situation on anyone, he couldn't help but also feel happy because they were done, Ámbar was free.
Did that make him a terrible person? Or was that just how love worked?
Either way, he had done something he couldn't take back, and the same went for her right at this moment.
Benicio clenched his jaw and glared daggers at Ámbar, every inch of his posture showing how outraged he was by all of this. With tight fists, he moved closer to her face and looked into her eyes menacingly.
"No one plays with me, Ámbar. No one. You're going to regret this," he warned, his voice dripping with venom. "...Starting right now. Good luck finding a new soloist for your stupid Open. I'm out."
As soon as he expelled those words, he turned and stormed out of the dressing room in fast strides. Ámbar's eyes blew wide with panic.
"What?! No, Benicio, everything's already set up, you can't leave now!"
She lurched forward to go after him, but Simón stopped her, grabbing her arm.
"Let him go, he's not worth it."
She turned to him, looking desperate. "You don't understand, this is my first event as manager of the Roller, I need it to be perfect. Everyone's already waiting outside, what am I gonna do?"
She held her head as she started pacing. God, what had she been thinking? Of course, if she broke up with him he was gonna leave! But what else could she have done? He'd found them red-handed. This was a disaster. What was she supposed—
"I'll do it, I'll sing."
Ámbar's spun around, meeting Simón's earnest gaze.
"Really?" She breathed with hope. But just as fast, she fell discouraged. "But you didn't prepare anything," she noted. She loved that he wanted to help her, but this was very last minute.
"It doesn't matter, I'll make something up," Simón assured her. This was very important to her, he wasn't going to let it get ruined. He took a step forward and cupped her face, smiling reassuringly. "You just relax. This Flash Open is already a success and it's all because of you. Be proud, bonita. I am."
All anxiety and worry quietened as she stared into his eyes. He was right, everything would be okay, she trusted him. Music was his thing; he wouldn't let her down.
And he was proud of her. Those words warmed her heart in a way she couldn't explain.
Ámbar wished they could stay like that for longer. She wished they could talk about what happened, or kiss some more, or just stare into each other's eyes for minutes straight.
But the show must go on and they didn't have the time.
She could feel though that he wasn't eager to run this time. He hadn't fled the instant Benicio walked in, nor had he run afterward. He was here, with her, comforting her as his thumbs traced patterns on her cheeks, and that was all she needed for now.
With her conviction restored, she placed her hands on top of his.
"Alright. Let's do this."
They walked out of the dressing room and Ámbar turned to the stage. She told him that the laptop had the tracks to all the songs they had ever sung in the Roller, so he could choose whichever he wanted as she talked to the audience— She'd buy him some time. He nodded and went for it as she quickly fixed her hair and climbed up the stage.
Simón checked the song list rapidly, debating over which one would be the best right now considering he hadn't rehearsed.
"Hello, everyone! I hope you're all having a great time enjoying today's performances," he heard Ámbar say in front of the microphone.
Maybe 'Yo Quisiera'? No, that one without the guitar wouldn't have much merit. 'Tiempo de amor'? But I already sang that one in the last Open, and besides, that song is from the band, I can't just sing it alone.
... Alone ...
An impulse began to rise inside of him. He looked up to see Ámbar, just as she started presenting him.
"For the first solo number, we have the representative for the boys' team. He's a very talented person, and someone who I personally appreciate very much..."
As if they were in synch, she brought her gaze to him at that moment and their eyes met.
It was like for that one second everything vanished except for them.
She gave him a little smile.
And he chose his song.
"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for: Simón!"
The new faces in the audience clapped vigorously while the regulars of the Roller were slower to react, confused by the turn of events. They exchanged surprised looks but applauded either way, supporting their friend excitedly. Emilia, who had been smiling thinking Ámbar was talking about Benicio, glared at her when she sat back at their table, clearly not happy with the change. Ámbar just ignored her.
Simón climbed up the stage and stood behind the microphone stand, curling his hands around it. His eyes found Ámbar's briefly before he ducked his head, looking down as he waited for the song to start.
As the first chords of the electric guitar filled the place, he swung the mic stand from one side to the other. Diagonal to the right, diagonal to the left. He held it straight once more at the tempo of the music, and only then did he lift his head, facing the audience as the final notes of the intro ringed out.
Ámbar was wide-eyed.
It was "Solos".
Puedes en mi confiar, puedes dejar que todo fluya...
Ya no hay ingenuidad, no es el momento de que huyas....
Ámbar watched baffled as Simón moved through the stage, singing what she could even call their song. She had almost forgotten that that track was in there. It had been a long time since they sang it together, and she thought they never would again. Now he was singing it on his own in front of all these people.
Buscas en mi corazón y confundes eso...
Why had he chosen this song? Was it the first one he saw? Was it the easiest to sing?
Ámbar didn't believe he would choose this particular song for a reason as coincidental as that. Then again, she couldn't believe he had chosen it, period. Out of all the things he could've done, she wasn't expecting Simón to do this. She had a mix of emotions and couldn't pinpoint one.
Juntos solos contra el mundo, una voz por un segundo
En silencio, una mirada, llévame
Juntos sin decirle a nadie, tómame yo soy culpable
Con un beso, una mirada, llévame
He was singing to her.
Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it. It wasn't just a hint that only she would understand. At first, she thought that, since only Luna, Benicio and them knew it was their song, it would pass as a simple performance for everyone else. But he was looking at her. Not always, he also looked at the crowd, but when he focused on her, the direction of his gaze was so clear and purposeful that everyone could see to whom it was being dedicated. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed many people glancing at her, probably wondering what was going on, but she didn't turn in their direction— Her eyes were fixed on him.
En silencio una mirada...
Juntos solos contra el mundo...
Wow, wow
Juntos solos contra el mundo.
The crowd erupted in applause and whistles as thesong came to a close. Seconds passed and Ámbar knew she had to stand to presentthe next number, but he was still looking at her intensely and she couldn'tmove.
Simón finally parted from the mic, but instead ofdescending by the side of the stage, he moved forward, climbing down the front.
Ámbar heard the pounding of her heart in her ears ashe stood in front of her, and before she could say anything, he grabbed her bythe hand, pulled her to her feet, and kissed her right there in front ofeveryone.
...
..
.
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(Edited: 30/08/21)
Sorry for the delay!!! I hope this makes up for the long wait 🌷
Any thoughts? Did you like it? Did you hate it? You can tell me anything, the idea is to get better each time.
See you next chapter ✨