<b>Chapter </b><b>130 </b>
<b>The </b><b>car </b>purred along the narrow toad, headlights slicing through the soft gold of thete afternoon.
<b>The </b><b>air </b>outside shimmered with the kind of heat that caused a heat stroke, but inside, the hum of the AC was steady, cooling the leather <b>scented </b>interior.
Alejandro leaned back into the corner of the seat<b>, </b>one arm stretched along the backrest, and the other resting on his knee.
His gaze was fixed on Nivera, who hadn’t looked at him since they slid into the backseat together.
Not once.
This annoyed him as he wanted her full attention to be on him.
“Where exactly are we going?” His voice was low and it broke the silence in the car.
After she had gotten dressed, they had left the studio and she had insisted on taking her car as she didn’t want him to drive to where she wanted to take him.
Nivera didn’t look at him right away. She was sitting sideways in her seat, one leg crossed over the other, fingers idly ying with the hem of her shirt. “You’ll see.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the only one you’re getting,” she said, finally turning to meet his eyes. This is my turn to surprise you.”
His brow lifted. “Your turn?”
A teasing smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Mhm.” She turned toward him fully now, resting her elbow on the backrest.
“Last time, you took me to that spot you said you used to go to when you were younger. Remember?”
He raised an eyebrow. “You’re saying this is a date?”
She scoffed as she stared at the man who had an inted ego much bigger than a hot–air balloon. “Don’t tter yourself. It’s not a date. It’s-” She paused, ncing toward the tinted window as the scenery changed from the clean lines of the city to the rougher edges of a suburban stretch. “—it’s just somewhere I used to go. When I was younger.”
Thatst part was softer. Almost hesitant.
Alejandro had shared a piece of his life from when he was younger and she wanted to do the same. Maybe it would help her get closer to him.
Alejandro leaned back, crossing his arms in a way that looked casual but was anything but. “And I’m supposed to sit here and be patient?”
“Yes<i>,</i><i>” </i>she replied, smirking back. “That’s the point of a surprise.”
“Patience isn’t one of my strengths, Nivera.”
“I know.” Her tone softened, though her gaze stayed steady on him. “That’s why I’m making you practice it.”
Darren nced at them briefly through the rearview mirror, an almost imperceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth before he <b>returned </b><b>his </b>attention to the road when Alejandro noticed it and red at him.
His eyes narrowed slightly at her challenge, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he studied her quietly, taking in the faint color <b>on </b><b>her </b>cheeks,
<b>the </b><b>curve </b><b>of </b>her neck, the <b>way </b>she was clearly pleased with herself for keeping him in <b>suspense</b>,
<b>This </b><b>little </b>bratl
<b>“</b>You’re enjoying this,” he said after a beat.
“Maybe.”
He tilted his head. “Careful, Cabezota. You might set the bar too high for yourself if I’m not impressed-
“Oh, you will be<b>,</b><b>” </b>she cut in, confident in a way that made his smirk widen.
The car hit a small bump, and Darren muttered something under his breath in the front seat. Alejandro ignored it. His focus stayed <b>on </b>her, trying to figure out what was going on in her head.
<b>“</b>Is it far?” he asked.
“Not really. Twenty minutes, maybe less.”
Theypsed into silence for a moment, the quiet filled only by the soft hum of the engine and Darren’s low conversation with the driver.
Alejandro watched her from the corner of his eye and he found himself unable to take his eyes off her.
He had cancelled all of his meetings just because of her simple message.
It shouldn’t have mattered after all, he didn’t care for her and after what happened thest time she let Damon get close to her, he knew she wouldn’t repeat the same thing.
However, that didn’t matter. In fact, he didn’t think about that as all rationale flew out the window.
That was very much unlike him as he always thought things through; but as usual, Nivera was a derogation from hisid down rules.
It was bing a problem but the thing was that he didn’t want to do anything about it.
He leaned closer. “You know, most people give me a heads–up before dragging me into their memories.”
She tilted her head toward him, her hair brushing against her cheek. “Hasn’t it been established that I’m not ‘most people“”
Yes, it had–he couldn’t deny it.
Alejandro’s lips curved slightly- and it wasn’t the polished, public smile he gave at gs, but something smaller, warmer, private. “You’re really something!<b>” </b>
By the time the car slowed, the scenery outside had shifted again. The streets narrowed, winding past rows <b>of </b>old, uneven houses painted in fading colors.
Children darted between the sidewalks, theirughter carrying in the warm air. The ce smelled faintly of sea salt and grilled food <b>drifting </b>from unseen kitchens.
Nivera’s gaze softened as familiar streets rolled past. It had been years since she’d been here. The nostalgia hit her and <b>she </b><b>smiled </b><b>as </b>she remembered old times.
“Stop here,” Nivera instructed, and the driver eased the car to a halt.
When she stepped out, Alejandro stepped out after her, adjusting his cuffs as he took in their surroundings. Darren stayed by <b>the </b><b>car </b><b>with </b><b>the </b>driver<b>, </b>though his watchful eyes followed them.
<b>This </b><b>wasn’t </b><b>the </b>kind <b>of </b>ce someone of her status, <b>well </b>previous status would be found <b>no </b>glittering skyline, no five star rechos d <b>pavement </b>was cracked, the streemps older than both of them, and yet… there was life <b>everywhere</b>.
It was just like the restaurant he escaped to. Then again, he was reminded of the fact that Nivera was the ck sheep of <b>her </b>family and so taking that factor into consideration, it wasn’t shocking.
“This way,” she said, already walking ahead.
They moved down a narrowne, her shoes clicking against the ground until the road gave way to a worn, sandy path.
Alejandro caught the faint sound of waves before he saw the water a small, hidden cove tucked between two rocky outcroppings<b>. </b><b>The </b>tidepped gently at the shore, the air heavy with the scent of salt and sun–warmed stone.
“This is it,” Nivera said simply.
Alejandro came to stand beside her, his hands in his pockets as he scanned the view. “Not bad,” he murmured, though his tone suggested <b>it </b>
was more than ‘not bad.‘
He was beyond impressed as it was indeed a very beautiful ce.
Alejandro stepped beside her, his eyes taking it in. “You used toe here?”
“All the time,” she said.
“How did you find it?”
“When I was a teenager, I’d sneak out from the house and run down here with my brother. He was the one who brought me here.”
“He was?” Alejandro inquired.
“Yes. He initially thought it was dangerous to allow mee here, but…” She trailed off, shrugging. “It was ours. The one ce no one followed us.”
She smiled faintly, crouching down to pick up a smooth stone before tossing it into the water. It skipped twice before sinking.
“He stoppeding here ages ago. I don’t know why though.
He studied her profile – the way her gaze softened as she looked at the water, the faint curve of nostalgia in her lips. “Why show me?”
She turned to him, and for a moment, the air between them tightened. “Because… you showed me your ce. The one you said you went to when you needed to think. Maybe I wanted to even the field.”
Alejandro smirked. “Leveling the ying field with me is a losing game.”
“Maybe. But at least I can say I tried.”
For a while, they didn’t speak. She stepped closer to the edge of the water, letting her shoes sink slightly into the damp sand. He followed, though he kept just a half–step behind her, watching her instead of the horizon.
“You’re different,” he said eventually.
Her brow furrowed. “Different how?”
“Rxed. Less… guarded.” Unlike the first few weeks when they met, she was more rxed around him<b>, </b>especially as she <b>wasn’t </b><b>looking </b><b>for </b>an escape route.
<b>She </b>let <b>out </b><b>a </b>softugh. “That’s because you aren’t actively trying to destroy me and I <b>don’t </b>have Nathantel as <b>a </b>threat anymore
“Who says <b>I’m </b>not still trying to destroy you?” He squinted his eyes and her.
He <b>wasn’t</b>, but a little fear wouldn’t do harm. However, looking at the look she
slightest.
“I’m hurt, Cabezota. You don’t fear me anymore.”
“And whose fault is that?!” She lifted a brow as she turned to face the scenery.
gave him, it was obvious, she didn’t feel <b>threatened </b>in the
He could have pushed then could have closed the distance and pressed her to get a, the way he often did.
But something about the way she was standing there, framed by the soft gold light and the curve of the cove, made him pause.
Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and snapped a photo.
Her eyes widened when she heard the shutter of the camera. “Did you just-?”
*It was too good not to,” he said, ncing at the image. “Plus having a photo of my ‘girlfriend‘ isn’t far–fetched.*
She shook her head, a small, reluctant smile tugging at her lips. If only he meant thetter part. “You’re impossible.”
He stepped closer, close enough that his voice was only for her. “Only for you, Cabezota.”
For a moment, the only sound was the steady rush of the tide against the rocks. Her heartbeat felt loud in her ears, and she hated that he could still get under her <i>skin </i>so easily.
He hadn’t even said anything special yet her heart was racing.
Stupid heart! The thing would be the end of her.
Then Darren called out from where he <i>stood </i>near the path, breaking the spell. “We should head back before the light’s gone.”
Nivera nodded, stepping back. Alejandro didn’t move until she passed him, the ghost of her scent brushing against him.
–
– this wasn’t just a ce As they walked back toward the car, he nced over his shoulder at the cove onest time. He understood now from <i>her </i>past. It was a <i>piece </i>of her she didn’t give to just anyone. And he’d be damned if he let Damon, or anyone else, take it away from him.
When they reached the car, she slipped <i>into her </i>seat without looking at him. But when the driver pulled away, Alejandro rested his arm along the back of the seat again, his fingers brushing lightly against her shoulder.
She didn’t pull away–because even though this was a game to him, it wasn’t to her and she wanted to take in everything he gave her, <b>no </b>matter how small it was.