A complex dance of emotions

The room was filled with a deafening silence after Marisa's deafening slaps. Marisa was still seething with anger and disappointment. Her heart ached at the sudden turn of events, and she felt Alejandro was responsible for it.

Alejandro had an indifferent expression on his face even after the hot slaps he received from angry Marisa. He slowly rose from his seat and buried his right hand in his pocket without taking his gaze off Marisa.

Jeffrey, the young boy who was blissfully unaware of the intricacies of the adult world, sat there, puzzled by the way Marisa slapped Alejandro. He looked from his mother to Alejandro, his innocent eyes searching for an explanation.

Marisa, taking a deep breath, tried to regain her composure. She realized that she needed to have a serious conversation with Alejandro to clear the air. However, the storm that had just erupted between them and the aftermath of her confrontation with Dave still weighed heavily on her mind.

The room was still charged with tension, and Jeffrey, sensing the unease in the air, looked up at his mother and Alejandro with wide, concerned eyes.

Marisa, trying to shield her son from the complexities of the situation, gave him a reassuring smile and said, "Jeffrey, why don't you go to your room and play for a while? Mommy and this man over here need to have a grown-up conversation."

Jeffrey hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to understand what was happening and the instinct to obey his mother. Eventually, he nodded and left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

Once they were alone, Marisa and Alejandro faced each other, both unsure of how to begin this difficult conversation. The anger and frustration from their recent encounter was still fresh in Marisa's mind.

Marisa inhaled deeply before speaking, "Alejandro, I've had enough. I'm fed up with this. I'm fed up with you. Why can't you simply stop interfering in my life? Why can't you just stay away?"

A sly grin gradually appeared on Alejandro's lips, and Marisa seethed with frustration, angered by his audacity to smirk despite his actions. She had the urge to wipe that smirk off his face with a slap, but the memory of his dangerous disposition compelled her to restrain her anger.

"Do you want to know why I can't keep away from your life, my dear?" Alejandro inquired as he began to approach her, his mischievous grin widening.

Marisa's anger slowly transformed into nervousness as his smirk gave him an intimidating aura. The way he advanced towards her resembled a predator closing in on its prey, causing her to step back as he continued to approach.

With his mischievous smirk, he continued approaching Marisa, inquiring, "Marisa, do you want to understand why I consistently appear wherever you happen to be?" As he drew nearer, she continually retreated.

He then took her by surprise by seizing her waist, drawing her nearer to himself. He softly uttered, "You are my possession, sweetheart. This is the reason I cannot stay apart from your life. You belong to me, not any other man. You are mine, and you will always be mine."

Alejandro's words elicited a series of shivers coursing down her spine. Upon concluding his statement, he bestowed upon her a moist, lingering kiss on her neck, which ignited intense, electrifying sensations throughout her body. He proceeded to imprint her neck with passionate hickeys as he traced a moist trail of kisses down to her collarbone.

Marisa had to nibble on her lower lip to stifle any moans as the sheer pleasure from his kisses overwhelmed her. Alejandro was keenly aware of the impact he was having on her. With that understanding, he gently withdrew his lips from her neck and shifted his gaze to her lovely face.

With a gentle tone, he spoke, "Sweetheart, there are hickeys o your neck, and those hickeys on your neck are evidence that you're mine, and no one else's." Marisa's face turned red with embarrassment, and she lowered her head in shame, fervently wishing that the ground would magically open up to spare her from this humiliation.

Right on cue, the door made a creaking sound as Alejandro's trusted associate, Bruno, entered the room, emanating an aura of perpetual danger. Bruno had something crucial to communicate to Alejandro, but it was something he couldn't say in Marisa's presence. Instead, he used a precise system of sign language that Alejandro fully understood to convey his important message.

Alejandro understood Bruno's message, then he turned his attention back to Marisa and said, "It seems like it have to leave now, sweetheart. But I have just one warning for you. If you truly care about that bastard called Dave, stay away from him, or else he'll face my wrath."

With that, Alejandro gently released his hold from her waist and exited the house, with Bruno following closely behind. A sigh of relief escaped Marisa's lips the moment Alejandro stepped out. She felt a sense of liberation from who she considered the the devil.

Yet, her thoughts soon drifted to Dave, and she couldn't help but express her frustration with Alejandro for jeopardizing her blossoming relationship with him. "Dear God, if only you could deal with that devil, he's causing me so much grief. Now, I'm uncertain if Dave would still be interested in me," she murmured before proceeding to her son's room.

At that very moment, Dave steered his vehicle homeward, his anger palpable after leaving Marisa's residence. His emotions were swirling within him. He found himself deeply wounded and betrayed by Marisa's interactions with Alejandro. He couldn't help but acknowledge the profound connection he shared with her, yet he understood that he needed some time to come to terms with the recent events.

Feelings of guilt weighed heavily on him for the way he had raised his voice at Marisa, and for behaving as though he were her boyfriend. He was acutely aware that his actions were unjust and that he had no right to question her. Nevertheless, he couldn't ignore the fact that he had already developed strong feelings for her. Witnessing Alejandro and Marisa together, as if they were lovers, had caused him considerable pain, which ultimately led to his overreaction.

Dave recognized that he needed to address the situation with Marisa if he had any hope of establishing a meaningful relationship with her. With this in mind, he resolved to contact her once he arrived back home.

With every turn of the steering wheel, he grew increasingly anxious about the impending conversation with Marisa. Would she even want to hear from him after their heated exchange? Could he find the right words to express the complexities of his emotions?

Dave finally arrived home after twenty minutes. The engine ceased its comforting rumble, leaving him in a silence that mirrored the uneasiness within him. Taking a deep breath, he turned off the ignition, determined to confront his feelings and make that pivotal phone call to Marisa.

Stepping out of the car, he felt the cool evening breeze against his face, a stark contrast to the emotional tempest he had been weathering.

Entering his home, he took off his coat and tossed it onto the couch, feeling a mixture of apprehension and resolve. He knew that reaching out to Marisa was the next step, regardless of the outcome. He wandered into his cozy living room, where the soft glow of lamps offered a reassuring ambiance.

Sitting down, he picked up his phone, his heart racing as he dialed Marisa's number. The anticipation built with each ring, until her voice finally came through the other end of the line.

On the phone, Marisa's voice was a mixture of surprise and curiosity as she greeted Dave, "Hey, Dave."

He could feel her hesitation, and the uncertainty in her tone mirrored his own emotions.

Dave took a deep breath and began to express himself, "Hi, Marisa. I want to apologize for how I acted earlier. I shouldn't have yelled at you or made assumptions about your relationship with Alejandro. I understand that we're not in a committed relationship, but I have developed genuine feelings for you, and seeing you with him just caught me off guard."

There was a brief silence on the other end as Marisa absorbed his words. Then, she responded, her voice softened, "Dave, I appreciate your honesty. I didn't expect this either, and I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. Alejandro and I are just.... friends. I value our connection as well, and I want to talk to you in person to clear things up."

"You want to talk to me in person?" Dave repeated Marisa's last statement as if he didn't hear her clearly.

"Yeah. I want to talk to you in person so that I can clear things up." Marisa replied, and a smile graced Dave's lips.

Dave felt a renewed sense of hope as he contemplated their upcoming meeting. He knew that deciding where to meet would be another crucial aspect of their conversation. With a calm voice, he asked, "Marisa, where do you think we should meet?"

"I don't really know, Dave. Any suggestions?" Marisa replied, her uncertainty evident in her voice.

Dave considered the options, wanting a setting that would allow for a comfortable and candid conversation. He thought about his own home, a place where he felt at ease, and where they could have privacy without distractions. With a sense of determination, he suggested, "How about we meet at my place? It's quiet, and we can talk without interruptions."

Marisa took a moment to consider his suggestion. After a brief pause, she responded, "Dave, that sounds like a good idea. I'm grateful for your honesty and willingness to discuss. Let's meet at your place. What time is convenient for you?"

Dave answered, "Six o'clock in the evening. Does 6 PM work for you?"

Marisa agreed, "Yes, 6 PM is perfect."

"Great, I'll pick you up at 6 then," Dave confirmed.

"Alright, goodnight," Marisa bid farewell.

"Goodnight," Dave responded before ending the call.

As he hung up the phone, Dave let out a relieved sigh, knowing that he finally had another chance to have a relationship with Marisa. With the agreement to meet at Dave's home, he felt a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. He also couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope that their face-to-face conversation would bring them closer together.

Marisa, on the other hand, was really happy after talking to Dave. It felt like a heavy weight had been taken off her shoulders. But then, Alejandro's words about keeping her distance from Dave echoed in her mind. She began to remember his words and how serious he seemed when he said them.

Marisa began to harbor doubts about her upcoming meeting with Dave. "Should I actually go and meet Dave tomorrow? What if Alejandro suddenly arrives at his place and poses a threat to Dave?" These questions swirled in Marisa's mind, prompting her to reach for her phone, contemplating the cancellation of their meeting. However, at that very instant, another notion surfaced.

"Alejandro isn't privy to my plan of meeting Dave at his residence tomorrow. Furthermore, he lacks knowledge about Dave's address, making it highly impossible for him to appear at Dave's house." As Marisa pondered this insight, she resolved to dismiss Alejandro's remarks and place her trust in her own judgment.

She couldn't ignore the connection she felt with Dave, and her heart told her that she needed to see where this relationship might lead. With newfound determination, she made up her mind to meet with Dave as planned.

The decision brought a sense of relief, as she was unwilling to let fear or external opinions dictate her choices. She understood that she needed to have an open and honest conversation with Dave to better understand their feelings for each other.