Just Friends

Part 12

Aleana had successfully avoided Sergio for the past two days. Seeing him only when she got back from work, and even then it was only a couple of minutes. Aleana could usually just work from home but since what had happened, she had been going to her offices a lot more. Which were about half an hour drive at least, without traffic. It was driving her crazy, she was spending so much time in her car doing nothing.

"You need to do something about this." One of Aleana's best friends, Eleanor, said pointing at Ale's eyebags.

"I know, they're terrible. I have to wake up at least one hour earlier and then go to sleep one hour later. It's been messing with me ever since." Aleana said pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"I was going to ask you, is it because of the Sergio thing? Because if it is I'm going to roll my eyes into another galaxy." Eleanor said.

"El, it's complicated. I don't want to see him, so I come over here to the office."

"That I get, what I don't understand is why you told me that you didn't care who he's slept with yet, you're waking up one hour earlier just so you don't need to talk to him. You're obviously mad at him, why do you think that is?" Eleanor questioned.

"Sometimes I forget my best friend is a therapist." Aleana said and El shrugged.

"My lunch break is about to start, want to go out?" Eleanor asked and Aleana nodded before hearing her phone ring.

Aleana motioned for Eleanor to start walking as she answered the phone seeing the name Paqui appear on the screen.

"Hello Paqui." Aleana answered knowing why she was calling her. "I'm guessing this has something to do with your weekly dinner."

"Yes, can you tell Sergio. It will be at 6:30 and I want you two there on time this week!" She said.

"We will." Aleana said before Paqui quickly hung up, saying something about starting to prep the dinner.

Arriving at her apartment, Aleana saw that the new couch had arrived.

"It looks nice doesn't it?" Sergio said walking out of his bedroom as he heard the front door shut.

"It does. Paqui wanted me to tell you that she's going to have a dinner today. At 6:30, wants us to be there on time." Aleana said, looking at Sergio in what felt like forever. Quickly breaking her gaze towards him and opening the door to her bedroom.

"Aleana."

"Yes?"

"I am, truly, sorry." Sergio said and Aleana nodded not looking at him and entering her room. It was still early and Aleana left work right after lunch. She had some time to kill, so she decided to go break in her new couch. The grey couch did look better than her old one. The leather was busted up but Aleana said it gave her apartment a 'vintage' feel. But still, Aleana couldn't get over what Sergio had done, and it was eating at her.

"Is it comfortable?" Sergio asked, making Aleana jump.

"God, Sese, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" Aleana said and saw a smile creep up on Sergio's face. "What?"

"Sese. You haven't called me that in a long time, feels like forever that I haven't heard your voice." Said Sergio.

"Yeah." Aleana replied quietly swinging back and forth a bit on the balls of her feet.

"Why are you nervous around me?" Sergio asked but Aleana shook her head.

"I'm not nervous around you. Why would you say that?"

"You are. Ever since you were a little girl, when you were nervous you would swing like that." Sergio said.

"I'm not nervous, I guess I'm just- I don't know." Aleana said looking down at her watch, there was still about two hours left to go to Paqui's house. "Do you want to watch a movie? I don't care which."

"Yes." Sergio said sitting down on the couch and turning the television on. Aleana didn't even pay attention to the movie. As soon as it began, she fell asleep.

"Aleana, Ale. We need to leave, it's getting late and my mom will kill us if we're not there on time." Sergio said as he shook Aleana a bit. Aleana opened her eyes a bit to see Sergio towering over her.

"Okay okay I'll get up." Aleana said rubbing her eyes. The whole car ride to Paqui's house was filled with music playing from the radio and yawns.

Once they got there and got out of the car, they entered Paqui's house.

"Aleana! Come help us set the table!" Vania said as soon as Ale got in, she nodded hesitantly. She really didn't want to be here, Aleana just wanted to be in bed asleep.

"I'll help you Vania. Go, you can sleep for a bit in my room. I'll go wake you up when everything is ready." Sergio said grabbing Ale by the shoulders and almost pushing her to go to the stairs. "You look exhausted."

Vania eyed Sergio as he went with her to the kitchen to grab everything. Sergio was sure that Aleana's tiredness had something to do with him, and he felt really guilty.

"What are you doing?" Vania asked her brother-in-law.

"What do you mean? You can't do this all by yourself." Sergio said grabbing the plates.

"I mean why did say you would help me? You've never done that before." Vania said.

"There's a first time for everything." Sergio replied wanting to avoid the answer.

"Look, Sergio, everyone in this family knows each other like the back of their hands. I know exactly when you're lying."

"I-I just wanted Aleana to go up and sleep for a while. She's been so tired this past week, going over to her offices early in the morning and coming back extremely late. I just want her to rest for a while." Sergio explained, leaving the room not wanting to have to explain why Aleana hadn't been sleeping.

When everyone was about to go sit at the table Sergio decided to go wake up Aleana. He went up to his old bedroom and knocked on the door opening it soon after. As he saw Aleana, he smiled. She looked so relaxed.

"Leave her there." Sergio heard Paqui say from behind him. "She looks really tired.

"I know, and I know you're feeling guilty. I don't know what you did, but you're going to apologize." Paqui scolded her youngest son.

"I will." Sergio said closing his old bedroom door letting out a sigh. "I don't know what I'll have to do for her to forgive me."

"You will do whatever she wants. She's like my daughter and if you hurt her you'll do anything she wants."

"I'm planning on doing that." Sergio said determined.

A/N: LOVEEE THE FEEDBACK ON THE LAST CHAPTER!!! Thank you guys so much!!! Let's hope we get this chapter up to 2 comments too!!!! Comment and vote!!!!