It Changes Everything

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**It Changes Everything** is the fourth episode of Dynastea. It is written by Sis.

**Plot**

Emmanuel returns to reveal what has kept him away. Andrés' and Lily's relationship hangs on the line. Nathaniel and Sydney make big plans together, but they feel very differently about their choices. Valentina makes an offer to redeem herself with Zachary. Every decision has the potential to change things forever.

# It Changes Everything

The music starts playing, as Andrés watches his girlfriend onstage. It’s as if her body moves with the fingers of the cellists. Her arms extend; they’re strong, but they’re also very gentle and delicate. It is like watching a rose blooming. There’s passion, longing and pain. In a swift motion, she spins and falls to her knees, resting her head on her hands, as if she was going to sleep. Once the music picks up, a guy joins her, and he lifts her, as the two exchange a lot in this dance. His hands rest gentle on her body, as if she was the most precious thing in the world. The move together, every step is the same. The part ways and, as the crescendo starts, she spins and spins, twirling towards him, with such fury, till she falls on his arms and the percussion starts. She falls back and he flips her back. Lily flies, like a beautiful bird. At last, the music is done and the two dancers take their bows. The applause fills the hall. She sends a kiss to the audience and then exits the stage. Andrés hopes she will look at him before she’s gone, but never once do their eyes meet.

He nervously taps his foot outside the theater; his hands running through his messy curls almost compulsively. She had promised to be quick, but it has almost been twenty five minutes since Andrés has been waiting outside. Finally, rising from outside a crowd, Lily walks in his direction. Despite having danced brilliantly and getting all the praise, she doesn’t seem happy. The man spreads his arms and leans in for a kiss, but it lands on her cheek, and their hug is a bit awkward, with his left arm wrapped loosely around her body and the right arm stuck between their bodies. They break away quickly, and she gives him a polite smile.

— You were amazing tonight. — He says, in a tone that is very close to a question, wondering. — It was really moving.

— Thank you. — Lily says, softly. She plays with her hands, unsure of what to do with them. Andrés sees it and grabs her hands.

— Are you okay, Lil? You seem… Distant.

— I’m fine. Now that the I’m off the high of the show, I’m feeling tired. — She responds. He means to say something else, but she knows he is going to suggest that the two of them go back together and cuddle in bed, and she doesn’t want to get anywhere near that building yet, so she cuts him off before he can suggest anything. — Listen, thanks a lot for coming. I’m glad you enjoyed it. The girls and I kinda agreed we would go out to celebrate after, so…
“Oh,” is all he says.

— I’d invite you, but there’s only girls coming, so it would be awkward.

— No, no. Totally. I get it. It’s fine. — He pauses and looks at her before he continues speaking. — You’re gonna call me after, right? — The girl just nods and waves her hand as she leaves.

He wants to ask if she is going back to his apartment after she is finished, but he senses that she doesn’t really want to be together that night. Between her and Cecilia, he feels very confused and alone. His hopes that Lily would take his mind off of his mistake are completely under, and he can’t go to his best friend to discuss his girlfriend’s odd behavior because she doesn’t want to talk to him, due to the kiss. Since he has nothing else to do at that point, he just focuses his energy on working on his computer. The organization for which he works had been working on a big project for a while, and he is involved with the development of it. He thinks that the free night is the perfect opportunity to throw himself into work.

At home, Cecilia prepares to leave for another night out. She has given up on finding Emmanuel, and is now diving head first into parties and drinking. She grabs her clutch and her keys heads directly for the door, but realizes she left her phone in her room, so she goes back to get it. She finds the phone in time to see a call coming through. ‘Emmanuel’ on the screen. She looks at it for a second, feeling unsure, but then accepts the call. She takes a deep breath before speaking; part of her feels like it might not be her friend on the other side.

— Hello? — She starts.

—Hey. It’s me. — The familiar voice of her friend sends a warm feeling through her body, which is shortly followed by a fit of anger.

— Where the hell have you been?! I was worried sick about you!

— I’m sorry. A lot has happened. — He says. — Can you come down now? I’m waiting for you outside.

She ends the call and meets him outside. He is wearing his regular clothes and looks totally fine, no sign of harm or distress. Even his expression is calm. First, she has the urge to slap him, but hugs him instead.

— Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’re actually back. I almost put out an Amber Alert. — Cecilia says.

— I’m not a child. — Emmanuel responds, smiling.

— Nobody needed to know that until they found you.

— That doesn’t make sense, but okay. How you doing?

— Not great. In addition to you going M.I.A., something happened with Andrés, and it’s ridiculous. — She says. She shakes her head, hoping that she’ll erase the image of Andrés kissing her, like an Etch-a-sketch. — Couldn’t you call? Respond a text? An email? I’ve tried everything.

— I know, I know. Ugh. — He rubs his forehead when he speaks. — I’m sorry. Do you have time? I can tell you everything now, and you can tell me your story.

— I was just heading for the club when you called. Wanna come?

— I don’t think a club is exactly the best place to talk.

— Come on! You come with me and we have some fun together, and then we can talk. For just a couple of hours… Please? — The girl pleads. Emmanuel is reluctant, mostly because he knows how she loses control when partying, but he gives in. Cecilia prefers not to use her car when going on a bender, so, the two get in an Über and leave.

She lets out a screech that could deafen a dog. Nathaniel Rowland looks desperately lost and distressed, with a hectic and loud Sydney wrapped around his neck, jumping up and down at the same time. She did it. She finally got him to set the date. The woman feels accomplished, while the man feels anxious. She doesn’t know any of his reservations regarding marriage, and he feels like she can’t handle hearing about them. She covers him with kisses, while he just smiles; his face seems to be frozen in that position. It doesn’t take long for Sydney to shower her, now, soon to be husband, with a bunch of wedding details and plans. The little details, from her wedding dress, to the tiny decoration on top of every table. He swallows a few lumps that got trapped in his throat with all that overwhelming diligence. His first wedding hadn’t really been a wedding. They had eloped, and their honeymoon was spent working and trying to provide for the new-formed family. So the big event Sydney is playing scares him.

— And we can talk about all of this later, but how about we just relax for tonight? — He asks her tenderly.

— My dear… Weddings are complex and hard to build; every minute counts. You’ll thank me when the day comes and everything is so perfect that you will never want to leave. — She says, giving him a little pat on the nose. He feels patronized, and gently pushes her hand away.

— Well, that doesn’t mean we have to start five seconds after the date is set. I think we can think about it in the morning and it’ll still be good.

— I don’t want a good wedding; I want an amazing wedding. — She protests.

— You and I will be there. That is half the ceremony for you, Sydney. How does that sound?

— Don’t be a smartass. I’ve been dreaming of this moment since I was three. And it’s a big deal for me, okay? You don’t have to resent me for it. — This makes Nathaniel feel guilty for cutting back her enthusiasm. She did dream of that moment for a long time, and giving her the room to gush about it was only fair.

— You’re right. I’m sorry. — He says, and gives her a hug. — Okay. Tell me everything you have in mind. — Sydney squeaks once more and goes on and on about her plans. Looking at her, Nathaniel smiles again, but, this time it is genuine.

[ Hey, it’s me. I know that you’re mad, but, I really need to talk y| ]

Valentina has typed and deleted several times. She misses her boyfriend, but after their last moment together, he told her that he needs a break and, in her heart, she has given him his time, like she wants to, but it’s starting to feel like the time apart will become a permanent deal and she doesn’t know what to do. So she wants to send him a message, but on top of not knowing what to say exactly, she’s not even sure that he’ll read it. And she really needs to talk to him. Not just about their relationship. Her life was about to change drastically, and she would want nothing more than having him by her side during it. So she goes back to typing the message.

[ Hey, it’s me. I’m not sure if you’ll even read this… I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. But if you do, we really need to talk. I have a lot to say to you. Can we meet in the auditorium? – Val ]

She takes a deep breath. Send.

Cecilia is a few drinks in, and already getting sloppy. Emmanuel feels nervous for her and not sure if he should let her continue. Being an ex-addict himself, he knew well that with each relapse, the addiction grows stronger.

— I thought you said you were quitting… — He says, trying to be heard over the loud music.

— WHAT? — Cecilia asks, pulling him closer to her.

— I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WERE QUITTING. DRINKING.

— I DID.

— I MEAN PERMANENTLY.

— THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT. — She says, then downs the rest of her drink and gets another one.

— Are you sure this is the best option for you? — He asks, frowning.

— WHAT?

— I’M SORRY, CAN WE GET OUT OF HERE? WE WERE GOING TO TALK, BUT WE CAN BARELY HEAR EACH OTHER. — Cecilia doesn’t want to leave, but she is not going to leave him alone.

— FINE. BUT WE NEED TO MAKE A QUICK RUN FIRST.

[…]

They get to her apartment after he run and sit on the couch to talk.

— When you said “quick run”, I assumed something else. — Emmanuel says, lifting the bottle of Jack Daniels they had just bought.

— You got me out of there, didn’t you? — The woman brings two glasses and a bottle of Coca-Cola, even though her friend doesn’t drink. He refuses the glass she offers him, giving her a dirty look. — More for me, then. So, what is it?

— You’re out of control.

— Tell me something I don’t know, bro. But you didn’t come here for an intervention, did you?

— No. I wanted to explain myself, let you know why I was away.

— Motherfucking cheers to that! — Cecilia says, raising her glass.

— Any way… My dad flipped the fuck out when he saw me in drag. He spent all of the drive without saying a word, but his eyes showed he was disgusted. So, he took me to this aunt I didn’t even know I had, who was in her deathbed and begged to see me. She’s dead now.

— Oh! I’m so sorry.

— Thank you. The deal was: my father had kept me hidden from them. This entire family I didn’t know of. They knew of me, of course, but I grew up as if they didn’t even exist. So, this lady is dying and we get there and all of these strange people stare at me like I have a second head attached to me, and Mr. Spears looks like his blood is boiling and it’s taking every ounce of him not to turn around. Then he yanks me by the arm and pulls me aside. “Clean up that mess!” he says.

“I had already taken myself out, so I didn’t know what he was talking about. But once I look into the mirror, I realize I still have paint on.”

— Paint? — Cecilia asks, confused.

— Makeup, girl.

— Oh, shit! — She chuckles.

— Yeah, no kidding. — Emmanuel chuckles as well. — So I clean myself up and we enter her room. Honey, she was a pretty lady. Of course, she was dying, but she was pretty. My dad still doesn’t say a word, so she speaks to us. She told me how big I was and that she wished we could have had more time together.

— So, all she wanted was to see you before she died? That’s so poetic. — The girl says, coming back from the kitchen with a bowl.

— Don’t start, sis. She actually had something to say. She gave my father a good whooping, and he just sat there and listened to it. I later found out she was his big sister. — He grabs a handful of the chips Cecilia just brought and eats some. — It was brilliant. But her point was that she wanted us to sort through our issues and become family. My dad tried to protests, but she said he owed her that. And made him promise he would try.

— So you guys are all okay now?

— No, not really. I mean, he said he would schedule a lunch for us, I don’t know. But that’s not the most shocking part. The woman dropped her son on us!

— What the fuck?! — Cecilia shouts.

— Yeah! She had a son just one year younger than me. He’s not really hers, she’s his stepmother, but she raised him as her own. His dad is nowhere to be found. — He says.

— What did she want from you? — Cecilia asks, raising an eyebrow.

— She wanted my dad and me to take him in and take care of him till he turns eighteen.

— Ah… So, not only do you and your dad have to work through your stuff, you have to do that with someone else there to watch it? Aren’t you glad you met your aunt?

— I know; it changes everything. Now we *have* to at least tolerate each other, ‘cause my dad is in charge of the money, and I’m in charge of making sure the kid doesn’t get himself killed. She forgot to tell us that he is a trouble child.

— That’s up your alley.

— Rude, bitch. — He bites.

— Excuse me? Where are you getting all this sass from?

— That’s the second thing I have to tell. — His face lights up. — On the whole “accept yourself” vibe, I decided to ignore my father and I went back to that club and talked to Adam.

— The drag queen?

— Yeah. He got me a job there, which isn’t all that great, I clean the place up, but he’s teaching me the art and I might even make a debut soon.

— All of this going on and you couldn’t take a minute to tell me?

— Exactly. *All of it going on*. There was so much, I had to settle and put things in place first. I also have something to ask of you.

— What is it?

— Would you write me a song for my debut? — The question makes Cecilia’s face go blank.

— Um, I don’t know, Manny… You know I haven’t written in a while.

— So? That doesn’t mean your talent went anywhere else, girl.

— I don’t know if I can. I lost my touch.

— You didn’t lose anything, you’re just scared. With your life, who wouldn’t be? But I know you got it.
Cecilia looks distressed. She looks deeply into Emmanuel’s eyes, searching for what to say. She takes a big gulp of her drink and puts the empty glass down. — Okay, I’ll try…

— Great! I love you. How have *you* been?

— A mess. I was looking for you and then… Andrés kissed me.

— WHAT?!

— Yeah… In your apartment.

— Aw, hell no! I know y’all did not go to my apartment to do that shit.

— Nah, I’m kidding. It wasn’t in your apartment.

— But he *did* kiss you?

— Yes. Right outside. He caught me by surprise.

— Did he say anything? Does he like you?

— I don’t know. He didn’t have a chance, I ran. And I’ve been ignoring him since. I don’t know what to do.

— You need to talk to him. — He suggests.

— I can’t! — She pours more liquor. The bottle is in half. — I can’t look at his face after that.

— How did *you* feel? Did you like it? — He makes Cecilia’s face heat up like hot iron.

— I didn’t… feel anything. I just felt weird.

— You didn’t feel anything or you didn’t *want* to feel anything? — Emmanuel asks.

— I’m not interested in Andrés, Emmanuel. He’s one of my best friends.

— All the more reason for you to talk to him. See how you feel about it, and if you can save your friendship after it.

— I don’t know… — She said, staring into the void.

Andrés is still working on his project when Liliana enters his apartment the next day. He is checking some sort of microchip on the computer. The woman dangles her keys to get his attention, and he looks at her. For about ten seconds, the two just exchange a look, not saying anything; not knowing what the other one is thinking. She doesn’t have a bag with her, and doesn’t look like she just came from practice.

— Hey… — Andrés starts.

— Hey. — She responds. Neither does he stand up nor does she move.

—Everything okay? — He asks, cautiously. She just nods her head gently. She walks up to him, and when he stands up, she wraps her arms around his body and rests her head on his chest. The gesture surprises him, and he responds by holding her tight. — Hey, hey… What’s wrong?

— Nothing, I just… — She says, her voice breaking down.

— Hello, there! What is down, baby? — He asks, rubbing her back. She lifts her head and rubs her eyes.

— Nothing. I’m sorry. I’m just stressed, ‘cause my day started bad and, I don’t know. Maybe I’m on my period or something.

— How about I cook us something nice and we can watch your favorite show together?

— Yeah, that would be great. — She gives him a kiss and runs her thumb on his cheek. — While you get started, I’m gonna take a bath and change clothes, okay?

— Yeah, you do that. I’ll be waiting. — Andrés says. He gives her a warm smile and she smiles back, and then heads for the bathroom, as her boyfriend starts prepping the kitchen.

As he cooks, Andrés’ mind is divided between two worlds. He thinks of Lily and what could have made her so upset, and how great he wants the food to be, so he can cheer her up, but he also thinks of Cecilia. He starts thinking that, maybe, they can be friends again. He has Lily and he likes her, and Cecilia doesn’t like him like that, so he can’t that against her. And he needs to make things right, for both girls. So he decides to call Cecilia one more time, praying she’ll answer, and tell her that it was a mistake and that they could go back to being friends. He searches around the room for any sign of Lily, and when he makes she isn’t there to hear, he grabs his phones and calls Cecilia. With each ring of the phone, his heart races more. It rings three times before she picks it up.

— Andrés… — The girl on the other side of the line says.

— Yes… Yes! It’s me! I’ve been trying to talk to you for so long. I am so sorry and I shouldn’t have-

— Andrés… Andrés, please stop. Let me talk first, because I feel like I might explode.

— So do I. But yes, go on. — He bites his nails, constantly looking over his shoulder.

— That night was a mistake. I don’t even have the words to explain it. But you and I are friends. You’re like family, right?

— Yes. Of course! As are you. Again, I am so sorry. I feel horrible about what I did. But I wanted to talk to you to tell you that. To say that I regret it and I hope you can forgive me.

— I forgive you. — She says.

— Really?

— Of course I forgive you. You’re my friend.

— I am so glad to hear that. So happy. I was afraid that it would kill us.

— Do you think can still be the same after that kiss?

— They will. I promise. We’re still friends. You’re still my best friend, okay? One kiss doesn’t change that. — He insists.

— Oh, but it changes everything. I’m not sure that I’m comfortable with us meeting right now. — She says. A pot on Andrés’ stove starts to boil over.

— No! Shit! — He shouts, running to clean up the mess. He holds his phone on his shoulder and presses it against the side of his face. — Sorry, I’ve made a mess in the kitchen; just like I’ve made a mess with you when I kissed you. But we’ll work on that. I don’t want to lose you.

— What about Lily? She has her problems, but nobody deserves to be fooled.

— Lily won’t know. She doesn’t need to know, okay? It was one time and I don’t want to hurt her.

— There’s a lot to think about, Andrés. I think it’ll be good for us if we spend some time apart. You can respect that, right?
Andrés stays silent for a second, processing it. — Yeah… I can understand. One more time, I’m sorry.

— I know you are. Stay safe, okay?

— Yeah. You too, Cecilia.

She hangs up and he puts the phone down on the counter, thinking about the conversation. He thought that they would be fine, but would they? He didn’t know anymore. And she had a point: Lily didn’t deserve that. He shoved it all to the back of his mind and tried to continue his day, hoping Liliana would notice it. Little did he know that she was standing behind the door, listening to his conversation. So she gets back into the room and prepares herself to take action.

Later that day, Nathaniel and Sydney are having lunch, and she is still bringing up the topic of the wedding. Her excitement only seems to grow, but Nathaniel would love nothing more than just one day to make peace with it himself. She talks so much, that at times he just sees her in slow motion. He nods and says ‘yes’ or ‘no’. On her side, Sydney is bothered by his reservation. He has always been a reserved and laconic man, but in the past few months, he had become more and more distant, as if his body was there, but his mind wasn’t. She had never told him, but sometimes she really feared that he didn’t love her anymore and was just too polite to dump her. Being a model, rejection wasn’t new to her and, more than people imagined, it wasn’t as easy to go by as a pretty girl. She had no time for her own expectations and insecurities, because she was too busy dealing with the ones people imposed on her. “There’s nothing worse than missing someone who is standing in front of you,” she thought. She missed them, like they were when it began. She missed feeling loved and, yes, even being pretty for a profession, she missed knowing that *he* thought she was beautiful.

— Are you here? — She asked him, a bit annoyed.

— Sorry?

— I asked if you’re here with me. Because you don’t seem like you are.

— Of course I am. — He said.

— Then why does it feel like I’m talking to myself?

— Maybe because you’re talking so much and I’m just listening. But I *am* listening.

— Or, maybe, it’s because you got tired of me and I’m boring you to death. — She throws her cutlery on the plate.

— It’s nothing like that, Sydney. — He says, rubbing his forehead. — Christ, is it ever a quiet conversation with you? All we do is get through the fights that you pick.

— Because you don’t notice me! — She shouts. The people around them direct their attention to the couple’s table, making Nathaniel feel increasingly uncomfortable.

— Please, can you not make a scene in the middle of a restaurant? — He says, leaning closer to her and lowering his voice.

— Why? You said all I do is fight, didn’t you? — The girl responded; her voice still raised. — So what? Besides dramatic I’m also embarrassing for you?
The people are now definitely staring at their fight. — Okay, that is enough. I’m asking for the bill and then you shout all you want. Inside. The. Car. — Nathaniel says, motioning for the bill. The couple gets into the car and Sydney holds herself silent until they pop out of the elevator of his apartment.

— So, here we are… Can I speak now, master? — She asks.

— You can do whatever the hell you want. I need a drink for this. — He says, and starts fixing himself a drink.

— Let’s see if with that one down you finally tell me the truth.

— What on Earth are you talking about?

— Tell me that you don’t like me anymore.

— I never said that. I don’t know where you got this idea. It’s insane.

— It’s not insane! I see you, pulling away every day. And whenever I talk about the wedding, it’s like someone just threw a bucket of ice water over your head.

— Do you really want to know why I pull away?

— Yes!

— Because all you’ve been doing for the past few months was talk about this stupid wedding! — He immediately regrets what he says, and he can see in her eyes that it *really* hurt. — I’m so-

— Stupid? Is that what you think? — She starts to tear up. — The only stupid thing in here is me! I’m the stupid one for believing that you and I actually wanted the same thing. If you didn’t want me around, then why set a date?

— Oh my God! I never said I didn’t want you around, Sydney!

— Then why do you hate the idea of a wedding so much?!

— BECAUSE THE LAST TIME I GOT MARRIED I WAS LEFT WITH A KID TO LOOK AFTER ON MY OWN! — Nathaniel shouts. Right then, Zachary interrupts them, which makes the father curse his tongue even more. — Zach, I didn’t mean it like that… You know I don’t-

— That’s okay. Don’t bother. I gotta go. — Zachary said, heading for the door and leaving.

— I’m sorry it isn’t what you wanted to hear, Sydney. — The man says. — I’m not sure I’m ready for that kind of commitment.

— You should have told me sooner…

— I didn’t want to ruin your happiness.

— Well, you just did. I’ll be checking into a hotel now. I’ll send someone to get my bags later.

— You don’t have to go. — He says.

— I want to. I want to be alone.

— Then let me at least take care of your bags.

— Okay…

The model storms off, while Nathaniel is left behind, sitting on the couch pouring himself another glass of whiskey.

Valentina paces around the empty auditorium, waiting for Zachary to arrive. She had been there for twenty minutes. There isn’t anyone around the school, and there aren’t many lights on, which is perfect for an inconspicuous meeting. She nervously rubs her hands together, a familiar nervous habit of her. The news she has to share are very big, and she doesn’t know quite how to deliver them. It doesn’t take much longer for the blond boy to arrive. He looked just as nervous as her, but also upset. Valentina hoped it wasn’t because of her.

— Are you alright? — She asks.

— Yeah… It’s my dad. He just said some stuff that got to me, but I’ll be fine. He didn’t mean it.

— Oh… I hope you guys are okay.

— Yeah. But here I am. You said you wanted to talk?

— I did. I… First, please let me start by saying how so very sorry I am for ditching you at that stupid party! You know that if I had a choice-

— You’d pick me. Yeah, I know. I’ve heard it a lot.

— I’m also sorry about that. But I have good news. — She says. Zachary raises an eyebrow. — I’m quitting the show.

— You’re what? — He asks, alarmed. — But why? What are you gonna do? When?

— It just isn’t working for me anymore. It’ll be good to focus on the people I actually love.

— You’re not doing this because of me, are you? You shouldn’t…

— No, I’m not. But it’s not like it could hurt us. It might even fix us… We *can* be fixed, right?

— There’s nothing to fix.

— There’s something else… — She bites her lip. — I want- I want to… I wanna do it. With you.

— Do…? Do what? — He asks.

— *It*. I want to have sex with you. — The revelation leaves Zachary speechless. — Aren’t you gonna say something?

— Val, this is big. You need to think about this…

— I have! — She announces, grabbing his hands. — I know what I’m doing. And I want it to be with you.

— You’re not doing this because you think that’s what it takes for me to come back?

— No.

— And you’re a hundred percent sure?

— A thousand.

— Okay… What are your terms? When? How?

— I need some time to prepare myself for it. How about at the end of the month?

— I’ll look forward to it.

— So will I.

The pair kisses and then hugs. While behind her back Zachary holds a wide and luminous smile, she holds a worried and heavy expression.

Andrés gets home from work, throws his keys into the bowl and checks for any mail. There isn’t anything on the counter, but there *is* a letter on the table. It has his name written on the envelope, and it looks like Liliana’s handwriting. He grabs it and opens it, revealing a goodbye letter she’s written. In it, she tells him that she has decided to go back earlier to her home, and asks him not to look for her. She also says that she’s taken all her spare clothes with her, but assures him that she kept his drawers neatly put, like he likes it, and that she is heading to the airport. In the letter, she doesn’t say the reason she decided to leave him, just that she has. Andrés starts to freak out. Changes are never easy for him, and everything seems to be going wrong for him; not to mention that he feels extremely out of control, and that is something he can’t stand, losing control. He dashes for the door, grabs his keys and races to his car, trying to get to the airport as quick as he can. He hopes to still find her there.

Forget all of the romance and lies that romantic comedies have told; those aren’t his ideas. He just hopes that he hasn’t ruined the last thing he had standing in his life. The tires of his car screech when he gets to the airport. He realizes that he can’t get into the area she should be in, so he has to buy a ticket first, which only makes him more nervous. When he gets to the departure area, he finds Lily sitting on a bench, staring at a big window, looking at the planes that leave. She is crying.

— Lily! — He calls out.

— What are you doing here? — She asks. She rubs her eyes, and her voice is muffled and nasal. — I told you not to look for me.

— Why? What is going on? Why are you going?

— Are you going to try a romantic speech to win me back now?

— No, I just want to understand…

— Do you like me, Andrés?

— What? Of course I do!

— Do you really?

— Yes! — He tries to step closer to her, but she backs up.

— Then, tell me, why is it that I saw you kissing your best friend in front of your apartment?

— The question gets him lost.

— Lily… I can explain. — She starts to bawl, so she turns around, so he doesn’t see her face. Andrés voice starts to give as well, as tears seem to be making their way into his eyes too. — Please! Please, let me explain…

— Explain what? How-How you weren’t planning on telling me? Not to hurt me, right?

— It isn’t like that, I swear! It was a mistake. It didn’t mean anything.

— That’s a lie. — Her lips tremble. — That’s a lie, and you know it. You’ve always had feelings for her. I knew that, and I was stupid enough to believe that it was gonna go away, that I was going to prevail. But a kiss…

— It didn’t mean anything, baby. Please…

— A kiss means *EVERYTHING*. It *changes* everything. It’s not just your fantasy anymore. It’s real. And I could barely compete when it was just in your head.

— It’s gonna be okay. We’re okay.

— No… I’m sorry. But we’re over.

She leaves and he stands there, staring at the outside, losing himself in the red clouds in the horizon. That was it. He thought he could keep both, but now he has no one left. He starts to cry. First softly, but then it grows to a stronger cry, so he sits down on the bench, facing the window, covers his face with his hands and cries.