"And where exactly are you headed to? Surely not to pick a fight with whoever hit your brother... right?"
I felt my face heat up from the accurate accusation and shook my head slowly.
"N-No-"
"Your first words to me are lies?" He clicked his tongue...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Because I left?" He asked as he ran a hand through his hair, stressed. I frowned a bit and shook my head, "Because of everything that happened. Savannah, Milo, my dad, you. I guess I just... didn't wanna fight anymore."
He stepped in between my legs again and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him, "I'm never leaving you. I'm never doing what your crazy comatose version of me did-"
"What?" I asked, confused.
"Your dreams? About that Ezra guy?" He asked and my eyebrows furrowed, "Who?"
What is he talking about? Who is Ezra? What comatose dreams?
"Doctor Romani said those dreams would go away, I guess I forgot. I'm sorry. Basically, you dreamed this guy named Ezra saved you from drowning after I left. You both fell in love and I became a psychotic killer who died at the hands of Gino," he said and I giggled, "I... uhm... wanna know what's weird?"
He cocked an eyebrow, lying his hands on the tops of my thighs, "Hm?"
"When I was a little girl I used to play these crazy make-believe scenario games with Stefan and Savannah. Savannah and Stefan's best friends would join too," I started and he nodded with a playful smile on his face, similar to my own.
I continued my story, "Well, one night we all decided to play a new scenario. I fell in love with Stefan's best friend in this story and then Savannah's best friend swooped me off of my feet at the altar. After a couple of minutes went by, which counted as months in the game, Stefan's best friend came back as a crazy person. Savvy and Stef's best friends fake fought each other over me and Stef's best friend was supposed to fake die at the hands of Stefan who was playing his brother. But before he could, I quit the game because I had a crush on him."
"This sounds... really familiar," Matteo said and I looked up at him, "Kids play make-believe all the time so it wouldn't surprise me if you did the same when you were little."
He chuckled, "Yeah, but the difference between your story and mine is my friend group didn't go by our first names. But I also had a crush on my best friend's little sister."
Then my heart started beating faster as everything sort of clicked.
Why didn't it click before?!
My eyes widened, "Emilio?"
"Ximena!" He gasped, stepping back as if the realization was too crazy to accept. He grabbed the wallet out of his back pocket and fumbled to open it with shaky hands. Once he opened it, he grabbed a small, folded up piece of paper.
He opened it to show a wallet-sized picture of my friend group from when I was a little girl. It was me, him, Stef, and Savvy because Savvy's best friend took the picture. I had the same one but it got damaged while traveling a few years ago.
"Oh my God, you're Emilio! Y-You have literally always been the love of my life," I confessed, speechless. Chills ran down my spine and he grinned at me, "I didn't recognize you because back then your hair was brownish and you mainly spoke broken English and Spanish. Plus, we were six or seven."
I giggled as I snaked my arms around his neck and his hands rested on my hips as he leaned in, kissing me deeply. He rested his forehead on mine and smiled at me, "You loved chocolate milk. Even back then. You poured water on Antonio for stealing your- Oh my God. Antonio! Antonio is Stefan, right?!"
I laughed excitedly and nodded, "Yes!"
He picked me up and raced upstairs with me, "Put some pants on. We're waking him up. This is priceless. Fucks sake, this is like a one in a million chance that shit like this happens!"
I verbally agreed as he sat me down. I slid my pajama pants on and walked with him to Stef's room, hand in hand. He knocked on the door and after a few minutes, Stefan opened it.
He rubbed his eyes to get used to the harsh hallway lighting, "Matteo? What time- Is Sammie okay?"
"She's fine. Come out so you don't wake Willow," Matteo commanded calmly, but I saw right through his serious facade. He's about to combust from all of the excitement he's currently burying down in his body.
"What's up?" Stefan asked groggily as he stepped out and shut the door quietly behind him. Matteo handed him the piece of paper and Stefan glanced at it. He looked at me confused, "I thought you accidentally damaged this on that trip to-"
"That isn't Sam's. It's mine," Matteo said, squeezing my hand for dear life. Stefan studied it before looking back up at Matteo confusedly, "What do you mean this is yours? That wouldn't make sense because-"
"Oh for fuck's sake. I'm Emilio Salvatore. Remember now?" Matteo all but yelled from his nerves and I laughed as I rubbed his bicep with my free hand.
Stefan's eyes nearly bulged from his skull as his jaw slacked open, "Shut the fuck up. No!"
Matteo laughed, happiness shining in his bright green eyes. He nodded in confirmation, "Sam and I just found out. I couldn't wait to tell you in the morning."
"Oh my- No shit! This is- how the hell did you guys find out?!" Stefan asked me, astonished and I shrugged with a cheeky grin, "I was telling him about a make-believe game I played with you, Savvy, and y'all's best friends when we were little. Then it clicked."
Matteo pulled me in his side and Stefan grinned, "Everyone knew Emilio had a crush on Antonio's little sister, Ximena. And Savannah's best friend, I forgot her name, always had a crush on Savannah."
I thought for a moment before smiling, "Her middle name was Meredith. She moved away a long time ago and the last I heard from her, she was in the army and she's married now. This was three years ago."
Stefan smiled as he looked between me and Matteo, "The gang is back together now."
