Elite

2.16

I rubbed my sleepy eyes as the sun's light hit me in the face. I looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, remembering then what had happened the night before. I turned my head to the empty bed beside me, I sat on the bed confused. I took off the comfy covers from my body and got out of bed. I followed the great smell of pancakes and arrived in the house's kitchen. I was met with Samuel's back as he was intent in making breakfast. I leaned on the door frame and watched him attentively, a small smile on my face at his cuteness. I was still wearing his shirt and my hair was styled in a messy bun while he had changed in a pair of sweatpants and a vest.

"Take a picture, it will last longer," he muttered as he turned around and placed two plates on the table. I chuckled at him.

"You made me breakfast?" I asked touched by his gesture. He shrugged.

I walked to him and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks."

I sat down on the table, him doing the same.

"Why didn't you wake me up for school?" I asked as I eyed the clock. We had already missed the first two lessons of the day.

"I thought you should have rested today." He explained, taking a bite of his pancake. "How are you?" he muttered after a moment of silence.

I looked down at the half-eaten food. "I don't know," I responded sincerely. "As good as you can be after finding out one of your best friends murdered another of your best friends."

He sighed before grabbing my hand with his on the table. "I told you yesterday and I repeat it now: they will pay for what they did." I smiled slightly at him, I had the sensation his promises wouldn't have been vain.

"By the way," he got up once we finished our breakfast. "You look good in my shirt." I giggled at him as I felt his arm sneaking around my waist and bringing me closer to his chest.

"Oh really?" I played along, placing my hands on his chest. He nodded, leaning forward and pressing a chaste kiss on my lips. I smiled at the gesture, pressing my forehead on his.

"We'll get through this." he opened his eyes. "But first..." he grabbed me by the back of my tights and lifted me, a squeal escaped my mouth.

***

Now that I knew the truth, I had to confront the other one who knew it. After the lazy morning with Samuel, I had decided to get dressed and to head to Ander's place, I was aware that he knew. I remembered for certain that Azucena was at school while Ander was at home, Guzman had told me he was feeling sick and had skipped the lessons.

I knocked on the door waiting impatiently for him to open but at the same time nervous to confront him about something so huge.

"Izzy, what-"

"Why didn't you tell anything?" I asked hardly not even letting him finish his sentence. He looked at me confused, not understanding what I was talking about.

"I know everything, Samuel told me." his expression changed radically at my words. He motioned for me to come in, closing the door behind us.

"You know?" he stuttered unsurely.

"Yes, Ander. I know what Polo did." I heard him mutter profanities under his breath, he walked back and forth in his living room.

"How long have you known?" I dared to ask. He sighed before falling on the couch.

"Not much." he pulled his hair with his hands in frustration. "He confessed it to me the day after we hooked up." I looked at him sympathetically, not knowing whether  I had to be angry because he kept his mouth shut or not.

"Why didn't you tell it?" My tone was less angry and more merciful.

"At the beginning, I wanted to tell everything to Guzman but then..." he stopped looking at the ground. I crouched in front of him. "Then what?"

"He tried to kill himself, Izzy." He looked up to me, tears in his eyes. "I-I just couldn't risk..." he couldn't finish the sentence.

"He..." I was left speechless, I was not expecting that.

"I just can't do it. There are times in which all I wanted was to confess everything." I mentioned for him to continue. "But Guzman wouldn't forgive me, he wouldn't hate me for keeping it a secret for so long."

"Listen to me, Ander." I grabbed his face. "You need to wake up, man. Nothing will ever go back as it was before, nothing, you hear me? Yes, Polo is our friend and we love him but what he did, that cannot be forgiven." I made him look at me directly in the eyes. "Look at me, Ander. He killed Marina, my best friend and Guzman's sister. An innocent man was condemned for Polo's crime." I tried to say it without breaking my voice but I couldn't bear it anymore. "I don't care for how long you have known this, still, Guzman deserves to know. He deserves to know the truth." I lowered my voice.

I took my hands off his face and got up, now I was the one walking back and forth. Despite Samuel's comfort, I still hadn't registered clearly in my mind the truth.

"So, your weird mood was due to this." I put together all the pieces. "Not for your parents' divorce."

"Isabella." He whispered. "I can't fucking do this anymore. I feel like shit every second and every minute of the day. I can't look at Guzman in the eyes." He got up too. "I can't even look at you in the eyes without feeling guilty."

"We are not talking about me here." I pointed out.

"I don't care." he walked to me. "I'd do anything to go back and change everything. To go back as it was before, we were happy."

I rolled my eyes as he changed the theme. "I'm not the one who changed that." that was still a sensitive topic for me.

"I swear to you, it was the worst mistake of my life." he was too close to me now.

"Ander cut the act. If you regretted it, you wouldn't be with Omar." I stated the fact. He had tears running down his cheeks.

"Forgive me, please." he was sobbing now and my heart was just breaking at that sound.

"What are you doing?" I whispered shocked as he dropped on his knees right in front of me. "Get up, Ander." I was genuinely confused by his behavior. He hugged my legs, leaving me completely shocked.

"I can't remedy what Polo did. But I can surely make it up to you for what I did."

I really don't know what to add, so I' going to leave it here!
Who do you think will she choose? Ander? Samuel? Or maybe someone else? Who knows......