Belonging Season

11

Luna raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, her surprise quickly turning into curiosity. "What are you doing here at this hour?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of suspicion. "It's almost 10 o'clock at night. Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend?"

Gaston's tone became a bit defensive as he replied, "Sorry, Luna, but this is none of your business." He was clearly uncomfortable with her questioning and didn't want to disclose the details of his late-night visit.

A concerned expression washed over Luna's face as she looked at him. "You know Nina wouldn't be happy if she knew you were here, right?" Even though she was curious about his reason for being there, she was also worried about her best friend and the potential consequences of Gaston's presence.

Gaston's voice filled with frustration and defensiveness, he retorted, "Well, who is she gonna believe, me or you?" Without waiting for Luna's response, he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving her to ponder the situation and his questionable behavior.

Gaston quickly made his way back to Stella's room, his face filled with a mix of frustration and concern. "I have some bad news," he said, closing the door behind him. "Luna saw me in the kitchen."

Stella's eyes widened with surprise and worry. "What did she say? Did she question you?"

Gastón nodded, "Yeah, she asked me what I was doing here at this time of night." His voice was tight with tension, knowing that Luna's curiosity could put him in an awkward spot with Nina.

Stella's voice was heavy with worry as she asked, "Do you think she'll tell Nina?" The thought of Nina finding out about Gaston's late-night visit made her stomach twist with anxiety.

Gaston dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand. "Nah, she'll forget about it by morning. She only cares about Nina when she's useful to her. It's nothing to worry about," he reassured Stella, though his own expression betrayed some doubt in his words.

Stella's voice held a hint of sadness as she responded, "Really? That's a bit sad..." The revelation about Luna left her with a bitter taste in her mouth, knowing how one-sided Nina's relationship with Luna was.

Gastón changed the subject and gently asked, "So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about? You looked pretty upset when I arrived here."

Stella shared the details of the arguments she had with both of her Italian best friends. She spoke passionately about the events, her emotions raw as she revealed the painful encounters.

Gastón took a moment to process the information. "Damn, so what you're trying to say is that both of them have feelings for you, and you're uncomfortable because you don't want to lose them." His tone held a mixture of surprise and understanding, realizing the difficulty of the situation Stella was navigating.

Stella nodded, "Exactly. I don't want to lose either of them, but I can't pretend I don't know what they're both feeling." A conflicted expression crossed her face, torn between her loyalty to her two best friends and their respective feelings for her.

Gastón took a deep breath and spoke firmly, "Okay, can we please just clear some things up?" His voice held a sense of resolve, indicating that he was ready for a serious discussion.

Gastón's gaze locked onto Stella, his voice serious as he asked, "Did anything happen between you and Lorenzo? Anything romantic or anything at all?"

Stella hesitated for a moment before admitting, "He kissed me once, on Christmas when we were 15. But we talked about it, and we agreed to stay friends. Nothing else has happened since then."

Gastón chuckled, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "Must've been quite a kiss if he's holding onto that hope since he was 15," he teased.

Stella couldn't help but smile and playfully hit his shoulder in response, rolling her eyes at his lighthearted comment.