—"Dean, I..."

—"Don't even bother saying anything. I already know enough." He says with the thumb and index fingers in his forehead. —"Francis set you up, right?"

He's right. But how he knows?

Anyways, there's one thing that I can't understand at all.

—"Why he did this to me?" I ask him.

Dean looks at me a little dumbfounded, with both hands in his head.

—"Where do I even start... Let's go chronologically. Francis was going to marry Lisa, but one thing went wrong. That's the first thing."

Okay. He's good-looking, this doesn't really surprise anyone. But, with Lisa? Well, he fits her status. 

So what kind of problem he's talking about? I'm a little curious.

I nod to him, and he continues.

—"It was an arranged marriage. So Lisa said no to her father, and told him she has someone she likes."

Ah Dean, really? You gonna brag now? There's no need to throw this on my face, man.

A little sad, I nod again.

—"So Francis made plans for him to be the only guy. He attacked me, and gone after you."

Now that he said, Dean has a few bruises on his body. This Francis... I'm very mad at him now. He messed with my friend's romance.

But why me too? I still don't get it.

—"Today, just before you arrived, Lisa told us that she and her father got photos of you. I connected some dots, and I think you can figure it out who was on those photos."

Photos of me and Diana? I can't say this aloud, but I think I want to see those images... I hardly remember anything from that night.

And why her father too?... Shit! The meeting! Sorry, uncle... I'm in a little trouble here... And I think I ended bringing you together.

But how this hurt her so much? She's unrelated.

—"But Dean... Why this made her cry?"

He stares at me with an indescribable expression. He looks for a long time, and it feels like an eternity. 

His brown eyes, together with his caring and friendly attitude makes this silence even more terrifying.

—"You don't hear this from me. Lisa likes you. From the day she met you." He says while rising from the chair, going towards the door.

When I heard this, I feel like a torrent of emotions from past events got a new sense. I start to understand what happened in this morning,  and why all of them acted that way.

She likes me...

Now I see why she was so close to me.

Maybe she kept in touch with us because of me? She was always near us, giving her support in any way she could, and now, after today's events, I feel like I ignored and trampled in all of her feelings.

When I look at my surroundings, Dean already left. 

I'm alone in this room, looking at nothing, and thinking about everything.

WHY? WHY THIS HAPPENED? WHY I HAVEN'T REALIZED EARLIER? WHY SHE DIDN'T SAID ANYTHING? WHY THINGS REACHED THIS POINT?

This is so messed up. I don't know what to do.

When I think about her, she looks many times cuter and beautiful than before, but my heart hurts at the same amount.

The time I spent with her, her gentle and charming face with that small blue eyes, thin eyelashes, silky long red hair, and small nose. Her voluptuous body, with a smooth skin and a sweet fragrance, that has beautiful legs and arms, a bulging chest, and a slender waist. Everything about her feels new.

I never imagined I could see her this way. What can I do to make things right? Is there anything I can do?

Dead inside with this hurricane of feelings, I go to the shower.

The water is cold and while it falls, it feels like the time has stopped.

I found myself crying like never before. I hurt my friends, in a way I couldn't imagine.

It's the first time I feel the weight of adult life, where our choices reflect on everything. And that's what hurts me. I could blame Francis, but nothing changes. I can't undo this.

I finish and put on some clothes.

I'm going down on the elevator now, Alice is with Dean on the lobby. 

When the door opens, I search for them in the lobby, eventually going towards them.

But I feel too empty to say anything... So Alice is the first to talk, with a serious tone.

—"She doesn't want to see you."

I nod at her, looking down. Dean uses my silence to start talking.

—"What you gonna do?"

—"I don't know... I want to correct things... But..."

I tell him, but before I finish, he interrupts me.

—"When you decide... You can count on me. I'm going to the police."

Francis hurt him, so he's going to press charges, huh...

I feel a little better having Dean to count on it, but I'm still the same. Everything stills messed, without a returning point.

—"Thank you, for everything. Both of you."

They leave with no response.

I take a random chair and sit while I look at the lobby.

Some of the people that saw the commotion before are looking at me, while others are proceeding with their lives.

In this lobby with red painted walls and chandeliers yellow-colored, I stay looking at this place, with nothing in my mind.

I see the counter that has an L shape and two people working with computers on it. There's some beige sofas, with some magazines close. a TV is on the news channel, where something trite is on the news.

Lost in my thoughts, I hear a voice at my side.

—"So... I'm your girlfriend now?"

Ah... It's Rose. She got caught on the spinning wheel too.

—"Ah, sorry. My friend misunderstood things."

I say, while almost questioning my own words. Can I really call myself a friend now? There's still something between us now? Do I deserve to be called a friend?

—"Ah, I thought so. And... What about today? Should we cancel?" She asks while I look at her face.

A date... If I go, I'll just add more fuel to the flaming dumpster that my life became. Still... I feel like I can't forgive myself anymore if I don't meet with the expectations of other people.

So I tell her those words, knowing how that's the worst decision I can make now.

—"Don't worry, we still can go."

—"Really? That's good." She replies smiling while taking her cell phone to start typing.

In fact... I have an idea.

—" how about we go now? We can have lunch, then we shop afterwards."

She looks at me as if wondering what I'm thinking. She nods and answers after a few seconds.

—"Okay, let's go. I heard about a good place."

Taking my hand, we go out of the hotel and I follow her with no idea of where we're going. There's a cab waiting for us. She called by an app on the cell phone or something?