Doused by ICE

Rum and 'c'cream

                         Serena's POV

I pounded on Juan Ignatio's hotel's penthouse door for the third time in the two minutes since I arrived.
The door was opened by a Juan Ignatio not the least bit surprised to see me.
I arched a brow at him.

"Cassius texted that you may be headed my way" he annoyingly figured out what I asking.

He stepped back to grant me admittance.
I waited until he was seated across from me before I spoke up.

"Cassius texted you. I guess that means you maintained contact with him. Just another thing you kept from me.
Well? Go ahead then. Say that the reason you didn't tell me that Cassius came back and instead persuaded him to leave me yet AGAIN, was because you were trying to protect me" I stated.

"It wasn't because I was trying to protect you –at least not at first" Juan Ignatio refuted.

"And you expect me to believe that?" I queried.

"I know that everyone chose to act like Cassius was some kind of monster and not the boy who had dinner at our house almost every night, after he left you, but it doesn't automatically erase the fact that..." Juan Ignatio started to say.

"You and Cassius were friends" I supplied.

"Exactly"

"You're right, I did forget about that" I admitted.

"I guess I felt responsible for the hurt you had to endure when Cassius left you, but not just because of the fact that as your older brother, I didn't see that he was going to hurt you..." Juan Ignatio began.

"Like anyone who saw us dating would have ever predicted that outcome" I interjected.

"Well that's the thing about guilt. Logically, it doesn't make sense, but you blame yourself regardless" Juan Ignatio stated.

"So? Why did you convince Cassius to leave and keep me in the dark about it?" I questioned.

"I did it because nothing had changed" Juan Ignatio replied.

"What?" I asked for clarity.

"Cassius wasn't a better man than the man who'd left you six weeks prior. Whatever he'd run from, it was clear as day he was still running.
He hadn't dealt with his reasons for leaving, he simply came back because he was still in love with you, and couldn't stand the thought of hurting you.
Let's be honest, you and I both know that if Cassius stayed and consequently found out that you were pregnant, he'd race you to the altar. Yes, I know you guys talked about a future together, but he would be marrying you not because he was ready and wanted to, but simply because he'd feel responsible for you.
Again, yes, I made the decision to convince him to leave based on the assumption that because he hadn't dealt with his demons, they could resurface and he could decide to leave again, but that was simply a risk I didn't want to take.
I mean imagine him leaving two or five years after the two of you had started a life together? I can't pretend I know what it feels like to be abandoned, but I think I can hazard a guess and say that it's not any less painful the second time around.
Or worse even, he stays with you despite wanting to leave because he was raised to take responsibility for those who depend on him? Miserable wouldn't even begin to describe such a situation. And I know firsthand what it feels like to be trapped in a situation you can't change" Juan Ignatio explained.

"And he said he didn't do it to protect me" I cajoled.

"I said ‘not at first’" Juan Ignatio defended.

"It's all in the past anyway I guess" I said quietly.

"True, but you should know it wasn't my intention to break you guys apart. I told him to take the time he needed to do the work that needed doing and then come find you afterwards" Juan Ignatio confessed.