Break In

Seven

"No drinks for me tonight." Emily smiled as she cradled her stomach.

"No way!" Ana squealed. "Congratulations!"

Once a month the duo would meet in San Diego for dinner and wine but now it would just have to be dinner. As usual, Emily had a her security guard, the one that looked like Khal Drogo, outside the restaurant but Ana was used to this. It was strange in the beginning but two years of these catch ups had acclimated her to this presence.

"Is Miguel excited?" Ana asked and watched Emily's face light up.

"He's been waiting for this since the wedding. If he had his way I would have been knocked up the second the ring was on my finger." She laughed before yawning.

"He's not even born yet and you're exhausted. Just wait until he gets here." Ana teased remembering the newborn nights with Phoenix.

"She is going to sleep trained from the start." Emily stated while Ana laughed loudly at the hopeful tone.

"Yeah, good luck with that." She smirked drinking her wine.

"Is it hot in here?" Emily asked as she fanned herself with the drinks menu. "I swear I have spent all day in the pool keeping cool."

"Well, let's go then. There's still a few hours of light left." Ana said drinking the glass down and pushing her plate out.

"Where?" Emily asked as she gathered her bag.

"The beach. Duh." Ana said rolling her eyes.

"Uh, I don't have a bikini." She said. "Why don't you ask the sitter to stay the night and you come to my place?"

Ana pondered the idea. She hadn't ever spent the night away from Phoenix but he liked his sitter so she decided that she would if the sitter could stay. After a quick call, Laura was happy to work overnight so while Emily left with her bodyguard Ana swung by home to pack an overnight bag.

Ana had never been to Emily's home and had only met Miguel a handful of times. Her mouth gaped as she drove up the driveway to the Spanish style mansion and parked. Emily opened the door already in her bikini and waved Ana in excitedly. It was just like their teenage sleepovers but now they were at barbies dream house.

Ana was shown a plush guest room to use for the night and she stepped into the ensuite to change into her own bikini. She had almost forgotten about the huge tattoo on her back until she went outside and Emily gasped.

"Is that the..?" She asked pointing.

"Yeah." Ana sighed. "His permanent reminder. At least it wasn't his signature on my ass cheek."

"I guess so." Emily laughed. "I gotta say if I didn't know him and the story about it, it would just be an awesome tattoo."

They swum in the pool as the sunset and Ana drank cocktails and Emily drank mocktails. The bodyguard was a multitalented man judging from the delicious drinks he was churning out. Ana was sat on the tiles with her feet in the water and back to the house when the door opened. Emily who was in the pool, leaning on the edge smiled past Ana.

"Hey baby." Emily called to her husband.

"I see the party started without me." Miguel answered.

"Angel?" A man asked and Ana froze while Emily looked at Ana quizzically and mouthed 'Angel?'

Turning around she saw a man staring back at her. Her eyes widened at the man and her heart started racing. She didn't want anyone knowing about her past, stripping wasn't something she was proud of. She stood up quickly and grabbed the man by his arm and towed him inside. Both Emily and Miguel's eyes burned into the pair as they walked out of ear and eye shot.

When Ana was sure she couldn't be heard or seen she turned on the man. This close up she recognised him, even after 7 years. If only she knew his name, instead she knew the tattoos that she had seen close up. His hair was long and he now sported a small beard but his eyes and tattoos were the same.

"What are you doing here?" She asked the man.

"I work for Miguel." He replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I've known Emily since I was young. And my name is Anastasia. I don't want to hear the name Angel." She said pointing her finger at him angrily.

He mocked her by putting his hands up defensively. "You got it, Anastasia. I'll keep my mouth shut, if you let me take you out to dinner."

"What? Why?" She asked stunned.

"Because I want to." He shrugged. "We've already had sex, so what's dinner?"

"Sex is fun but dinner is how feelings get attached." She said shaking her head.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked confused.

"I can't do that again." She said backing away. "I'm sorry but I can't."

"You'd rather have Emily know your secret. What's so scary about getting attached to someone." He said confused.

"It's not the getting attached that scares me." She whispered. "It's what happens next, when I get left behind."

She ran upstairs to the room she was given and jumped in the shower so she could cry without being heard. When she shut the water off and walked into her room she saw Emily sitting on her bed. She looked worried as she rubbed her barely showing belly.

"Nestor told us." Emily started and Ana felt sick to her stomach. "How he met you in a bar. He got the nickname from your tattoo."

Ana breathed out in relief at the fact he hadn't told her secret and now she knew his name.

"He's a good guy, Ana." She said laying down and patting the spot beside her. "He's not Angel. He's the most loyal man I have ever met. He wouldn't leave you like that dipshit did."

"It's more than just Angel. It's mom, dad, Grammy, Cathy." Ana said sniffling. "They all left me one way or the other. Why would he be any different?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out. You're going to dinner with him tomorrow night." Emily said smirking. "No excuses. I already called your sitter. You should leave you phone lying around the place."

Emily left no room for arguing and got off the bed. It was still early in the evening so they both went downstairs. Emily went and sat with Miguel on the lounge suite while Ana took the empty seat next to Nestor out on the patio. Neither said anything for a moment, Nestor just looked over and smiled before draping his arm over her shoulder.

"I'm glad you changed your mind." He said as he leant back tiredly.

"I'm glad you didn't tell them the truth." She replied, leaning into his neck. "Thank you."

He twirled a lock of her natural brown hair around his finger and thought it was much better than the blonde colour she used to have. The innocent look in her eyes had disappeared over the almost 8 years since they met but she was still beautiful.

"At some point you're gonna have to let me in those walls you've built." He said and watched as she closed her eyes and a small shake of her head deflated him.

He didn't think she would respond as she shut down but then her lips moved and a whisper of air escaped.

"Break in." She begged.