Cecilio stood in front of a nightclub, confusion written all over his face.
This is the address the doctor gave me... Did he make a mistake?
He stared up at the neon lights flashing in the dark, the muffled thump of music vibrating through the walls. It didn't make sense.
Rosa!! here?
He walked up to the security guards, who crossed their arms and asked for his ID. Cecilio pulled it out, showing them. They nodded and stepped aside, letting him in.
He hesitated at the entrance, seconds away from turning back. But something pushed him forward. Half-expecting not to find her, he stepped inside and was instantly hit by chaos.
The music was deafening. Strobe lights cut through thick smoke. People were pressed against walls, kissing, drinking, whispering deals. He could tell by the small packets exchanged between shaking hands what kind of "business" this place ran.
It smelled of sweat, alcohol, and broken dreams.
God, please don't let me see Rosa here, Cecilio prayed silently.
It was a useless prayer.
Because there she was.
Rosa stood by the far end of the room in a black dress, her hair pulled back, her expression sharp and unreadable. She was shaking hands with a man Cecilio recognized immediately. Santiago! Toribio's younger brother.
Cecilio froze. Why would Rosa be dealing with him?
She handed the man a suitcase. He took it without a word and walked off into the crowd.
When Rosa finally noticed Cecilio, her face changed surprise, then anger, then something like shame. She rushed toward him, grabbed his hand, and pulled.
"Come with me," she shouted over the music. "I'll tell you everything you want to know. Just
please come with me."
Cecilio didn't resist. He followed, his gaze locked on their intertwined hands. He wished she would never let go. That, just for once, the world would stop spinning so they could stay like this her fingers tangled in his, warm and real.
Outside, the night air hit him like a slap. Rosa finally released his hand, and only then did he realize they were no longer in the club.
"Get in the car," she said sharply.
He obeyed without a word.
The drive was silent. The city lights blurred past as Cecilio watched her from the passenger seat the way she gripped the wheel, the tension in her jaw, the way her eyes never left the road.
When she finally stopped in front of an apartment building, Rosa got out without looking back. Cecilio followed her inside.
The moment the door closed, Rosa lit a cigarette. She inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, her shoulders trembling just slightly.
"Ask away," she said, sitting on the sofa and shutting her eyes. "What do you want to know?"
Cecilio's voice was low. "Are you tired?"
Her eyes opened, flashing with irritation. "Is that really what you want to know?"
"If you don't want me to ask, I won't," he said calmly.
Rosa stared at him then sighed, her voice cracking. "Cecilio, you..." She trailed off, then forced herself to continue. "I own that club you just walked into. I never stopped selling drugs. It's still my main source of income. I lied when I said I was controlling my drinking. I still drink. A lot. And I smoke now too. What else do you want to know?"
Her voice rose at the end, sharp and angry but beneath it was something brittle.
Cecilio didn't flinch. "That's not what I asked, Rosa. I asked if you were tired."
For a moment, silence hung heavy between them. Then something in her broke.
She inhaled shakily, fighting it, but the tears came anyway. She tilted her head up, trying to stop them from falling, but her voice betrayed her.
"I'm very, very tired, Cecilio," she whispered.
The words cracked open something deep inside her. The tears streamed freely now, no matter how hard she tried to hide her face.
"Rosa..." Cecilio stepped closer. "Why won't you let me help you? I know you want to stop. I know you want to rest. It's not going to be easy, but I'll be there through all of it. You don't have to do this alone."
She backed away, shaking her head. "No. I don't deserve that. You should live a better life, one without me. You deserve someone normal. Someone who isn't..."
"you?" Cecilio cut her off, his voice steady but aching.
Rosa swallowed hard. "Yes. Someone who isn't me."
Cecilio moved before she could say another word wrapping his arms around her from behind. She stiffened, but he held her firmly, his breath warm against her ear.
"Let me decide who I want to be with," he whispered. "Why do you always think you know what's best for me without ever asking what I really want?"
Rosa's voice trembled. "Then what do you want, Cecilio?"
He turned her around gently until she faced him. "You," he said simply. "That's all I want. You're not dead, Rosa. As long as you live I'll always want you. Between the two of us, I hope I die first, because I don't want to live in a world without you. It would be empty. Cold. I'd never fit in it. You're my reason to live."
Rosa let out a shaky laugh through her tears. "It's when you say things like that that it becomes impossible to push you away."
"Then don't," Cecilio said softly. "Let me stay."
That was all it took. Rosa broke completely,,, sobbing, her body trembling as the walls she'd built for years collapsed. She would have fallen to the floor if Cecilio hadn't caught her.
He held her tightly, letting her cry
all the guilt, the exhaustion, the pain pouring out at once.
He said nothing more. Just held her, hoping that maybe, somehow, this was the start of something new for both of them.