17

I didn't even return the kiss and quickly pushed him away. Suddenly, a guilty conscience spread through me. A guilty conscience towards Domenico. Although I couldn't help it. I looked at Ángel in shock. "Ángel..." I stammered. Only now does he seem to realize what he had done. "Cayetana, lo siento" (I'm sorry), he apologized. "Why did you do that?" I asked him immediately and couldn't help but think of Domenico. Crap. "Why?" he laughed desperately.

"Cayetana, I fell in love with you," he shot out of his mouth like a gun. I widened my eyes. "Que?" "Why?" I wanted to know. "Why?" He laughed again desperately. "You're amazing. I love your character. You're such a lovely person and beautiful," he murmured before grimacing. I sat there completely perplexed. His words were beautiful, they really were. But they didn't trigger anything in me. Not a hint of the feelings that Domenico triggered in me. Oh damn, Domenico! I have to tell him that!

I am sure that you can see from my face how completely overwhelmed I am right now. I like Ángel, but only as a friend. Not more. There will never be more. He's my best friend's brother, after all, although that doesn't matter. Despite it.

"Ángel, I...I'm really flattered," I began cautiously. The last thing I want is to hurt his feelings. I had to find the right words first. Dios, I'm completely perplexed and nervous at the same time. The thought of having to say that to Domenico scared me a little. I didn't even know how he would rule at something like that. "I really do Ángel, but well you're Adriana's brother," I tried to argue. Okay wow, that's the worst argument I could come up with. "Seriously? Just because I'm Adriana's brother?" he wanted to know. "No, not just because of that. Ángel, I like you, really a lot, but not that way. I'm so sorry. You've always been a good friend to me....but..well..i -I don't feel anything for you. It's not up to you, really. It's just... well.. it's nu-" I stopped abruptly, widening my eyes in shock. My breath hitched, it felt like someone was choking me saying whole words, I looked around here and my gaze stopped on something. Someone. Domenico. Next to him, one of his brothers. And his expression...

mierda He looked angry. Angry. I was like in a trance. I couldn't take my eyes off Domenico. Look away, Cayetana. LOOK AWAY! "It's just?" suddenly said Ángel next to me. My gaze was still on Domenico, but when I finally managed to take my eyes off him, Ángel looked right there. He saw it. He saw how shocked I looked in Domenico's direction. Damn. Fuck. FUCK! "What the..." he mumbled and looked at me. "Why were you staring at the De Santis brothers?" he asked. Crap. An excuse. INSTANTLY! "I uhhh, what? I wasn't staring at you!" I said, trying to hide it behind a laugh. "Yes, you stopped while you were talking as soon as you saw her!" I swallowed hard. I mustn't panic now. I nervously began to play with my fingers. "Ángel, that's absurd! I only stopped talking because they seemed so familiar to me. Then I remembered that they had come to eat with us, that's all!" I said. I tried to sound believable.

"Then why are you so nervous all of a sudden?" he wanted to know. "What?" I laughed a little desperately. "Ángel, why should I be nervous?" I wanted to know. Shit, I was getting more and more nervous. My hands are already starting to sweat. "Why are you playing with your hands? You only do that when you're nervous!" "Well, maybe you saw the kiss!" I hissed. Inwardly, I just banged my head. "And? That can dene-" he stopped. "Wait a minute.... Cayetana, are you involved with either of them?" I swallowed. It felt like my heart had never beaten so fast. Make up your mind, Cayetana! I laughed mock. "What? Are you kidding me?" I giggled desperately. "What makes you think that, that I was doing something with Domenico De Santis or with-" I paused in panic. Fuck, what was the name of the other one?! "Ummm," I swallowed hard. "Adriano," he helped me along. "Exactly! Why should I have anything with either of them?" I asked, laughing playfully, looking in their direction while I had to swallow hard again. They were still standing there. Still in the same spot. And Domenico's facial expression hasn't changed." Why were you able to remember Domenico's name and not Adriano's?" Ángel wanted to know. "What?" I looked at him, caught.

"That all makes sense," he murmured, seeming to consider. Before I could ask him what he meant, he continued. "The hickey! It wasn't from Adriana at all! It was from Domenico!" He said. All facial features probably escaped me right now. "Or yesterday at dinner. That's why you didn't want your family to kill his!", he said louder now. "That's not true!" I tried my luck. "Oh no?!", he almost yelled. "Then why is that bastard looking like he wants to kill me?" he snapped at me. I winced. I didn't recognize Ángel at all. "Ángel," I started. "Nothing Angel!" He got up and paced back and forth. Damned,

"Are you dating him? And don't fucking lie to Cayetana!" he wanted to know. Tears came to my eyes. He knows it. Lying brought nothing more. "Sí," I mumbled, swallowing hard. "Sí? SÍ FUCKING SHIT?" he yelled, as if he hadn't expected the answer. "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO THE HELL THAT IS?" he yelled. Some people were already looking at us. "He's your fucking enemy!" he hissed a little lower. "Ángel, let me explain!" I said with tears in my eyes, before getting up and going towards him. "No!" he growled and ran to his car. Everything went off in my head. He will tell my family. "Fuck!" I whispered and ran after him. Because he is a lot taller than me, his strides were correspondingly larger than mine. He quickly got into the car and started the engine.

I got in front of his car as fast as I could and put my hands on the hood. "Ángel! Wait, please!" I begged him. "Please let me explain, por favor!" (Please), I asked him. "Cayetana, get out of my way! Now!" he said angrily. I shook my head with tears in my eyes. That must not come out! "Please don't tell my family! I'm begging you, Ángel!" I cried. "Get out of my way now or I'll drive off!" he growled angrily. "Please don't tell my family, please," I begged him one last time before stepping aside and he sped off.

"Fucking shit!" I hissed, tearing my hair. I stood frozen in place. "No, no, no, no!" I murmured as the tears made their way down my cheeks.

Suddenly I felt myself being turned around and pulled into a hug. As I smelled his scent, everything about me relaxed and I sobbed back in his embrace. "I'll kill him!" he growled angrily. Suddenly my eyes widened as I realized that it really was Domenico hugging me in the middle of the footpath. I tried to wriggle out of his embrace. "Domenico, your brother!" I mumbled as he held me even tighter. "He'll shut up!" he assured me, placing his right hand on the back of my head before tracing soothing circles on my scalp. "He knows," I whispered guiltily. "I can imagine that," he replied calmly. "I am so sorry, but I couldn't deny it anymore," I sobbed. "Shh, it's okay," he whispered. I have to fix this! Maybe I can talk to Ángel again. "I'll fix that!" assured I at him. He slowly pulled away from me and cupped my face in his hands. "Even if he didn't, it wouldn't matter." "And t-the kiss," I muttered, watching his jaw clench abruptly." I didn't want that! Really!" I assured him, which made him laugh slightly. "You're so cute when you want to defend yourself, amore mio," he grinned. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly and came closer to my face. I have to fix this! Maybe I can talk to Ángel again. "I'll fix that!" I assured him. He slowly pulled away from me and took my face in his hands. "Even if not, it wouldn't be bad." "And t-the kiss," I murmured, watching his jaw clench abruptly. "I didn't want that! Really!" I assured him, which made him laugh slightly. "You're so cute when you want to defend yourself, amore mio," he smirked. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly, moving closer to my face. I have to fix this! Maybe I can talk to Ángel again. "I'll fix that!" I assured him. He slowly pulled away from me and took my face in his hands. "Even if not, it wouldn't be bad." "And t-the kiss," I murmured, watching his jaw clench abruptly. "I didn't want that! Really!" I assured him, which made him laugh slightly. "You're so cute when you want to defend yourself, amore mio," he smirked. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly, moving closer to my face. He slowly pulled away from me and took my face in his hands. "Even if not, it wouldn't be bad." "And t-the kiss," I murmured, watching his jaw clench abruptly. "I didn't want that! Really!" I assured him, which made him laugh slightly. "You're so cute when you want to defend yourself, amore mio," he smirked. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly, moving closer to my face. He slowly pulled away from me and took my face in his hands. "Even if not, it wouldn't be bad." "And t-the kiss," I murmured, watching his jaw clench abruptly. "I didn't want that! Really!" I assured him, which made him laugh slightly. "You're so cute when you want to defend yourself, amore mio," he smirked. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly, moving closer to my face. he grinned. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly, moving closer to my face. he grinned. "And of course I know it's not your fault," he said calmly, moving closer to my face.

Domenico

I stopped right in front of her face. She was so confused and upset that I didn't want to overwhelm her. "May I kiss you?" I whispered against her lips. And I wanted that. I really wanted that. I knew that she felt comfortable and safe with me and I wanted to give her that feeling, God knows why. I wanted to kiss her.

She nodded weakly and I gently placed my lips on hers. That kiss calmed my anger at that López bastard. "Ucciderò quel bastardo" (I'm going to kill that bastard.) I growled against her lips.

moments passed. "I should call him," she mumbled, lost in thought. I nodded and slowly let go of her. And I should go cool off. Merda, why am I getting so angry?