Andre stood up
"…You're actually insane," he muttered, half-laughing.
Esmeralda turned.
Looked at him.
Then
Without warning
She stepped forward.
Too fast.
Andre barely had time to react before
She pushed him.
He stumbled backward onto the bed.
"…Hey—!"
Before he could even sit up
She climbed on top of him and pinned him down by his shoulders.
Andre froze.
"…What are you doing?"
Esmeralda didn't answer.
Not immediately.
Her eyes locked onto his.
Close.
Serious.
For once, no sarcasm.
No teasing.
Just something real behind it.
The room went quiet.
Even the air felt still.
Andre's expression softened slightly.
"…Esmeralda…"
She leaned in—
And for a second—
Everything stopped.
Then she suddenly paused.
Her expression changed.
She blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then she frowned slightly.
"…Uh."
Andre frowned.
"…What?"
She shifted slightly while still on top of him.
"…Something is… touching me."
Silence.
Andre blinked.
"…What?"
She looked down quickly—
Then immediately sat up straight.
"…Seems like little Andre thinks I'm hot."
A beat.
Then
Andre went silent.
For exactly one second.
Before bursting out laughing.
"…ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"
Esmeralda clicked her tongue, standing up quickly.
"…You still want to deny it?!"
Andre was laughing harder now, sitting up.
"…That's not my fault!"
She looked away, slightly blushing now.
" Can't you control it…."
"…Its nature, I cant?!"
Esmeralda grabbed a pillow and lightly hit his shoulder.
"…You're annoying."
Andre still laughing.
"…You started it!"
She turned away, trying not to smile.
But failing slightly.
"…Next time I won't get up from your body."
Andre leaned back on the bed, still grinning.
"…There is no next time."
She glanced at him over her shoulder.
"…We'll see."
Then her expression suddenly became serious.
Andre noticed immediately.
"…What?"
She crossed her arms.
"…You promised."
Andre blinked once.
"…Promised what?"
"To tell me about yourself."
The words landed heavier than expected.
Andre immediately looked away.
His shoulders stiffening slightly.
"…Bad timing."
Esmeralda frowned.
"No."
Her voice softened.
"…Perfect timing."
A pause.
"…I don't know anything about you, Andre."
"And I want to."
He stayed quiet.
Then finally
he sighed.
Long.
Tired.
"…You really don't know when to let things go."
Esmeralda folded her arms tighter.
"…Nope."
A tiny pause.
"…And before you escape again…"
She stepped closer.
"…You said I'm becoming important, so I want proof."
Andre looked at her.
Something flickered briefly in his expression.
Then disappeared.
"…Fine."
His voice quieter now.
"…Ask."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Really?"
He shoved his hands into his pockets.
"…I'll answer whatever you ask."
"…Anything?"
"…Within reason."
She smiled faintly.
Then hesitated.
Almost nervous now.
"…Your dad?"
Andre shrugged lightly.
Too lightly.
"…Never met him."
Her smile faded immediately.
"…Oh."
"…Next."
His tone was calm.
Detached.
Like it meant nothing.
But somehow
that made it feel worse.
Esmeralda swallowed slightly.
"…Brother? Sister? Family?"
The silence came instantly.
Andre froze.
Tiny.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
Enough for her to see it.
Something shifted.
His jaw tightened.
Eyes lowering slightly.
"…A brother."
And that was it.
Nothing else.
Esmeralda noticed immediately.
"…Hey."
Her tone softened.
"…You don't have to—"
"It's fine."
But it clearly wasn't.
She shook her head quickly.
"…Forget it."
A nervous laugh escaped her.
"…That's already too much."
She stepped closer again.
"…I don't want to drag old memories out of you."
Andre looked at her with a faded smile.
"I'm ok, trust me."
Silence.
Then she asked carefully—
too carefully.
"…Your mom?"
And everything changed.
Completely.
Andre stopped moving.
Stopped breathing for half a second.
His face turned away instantly.
One hand pressing against his mouth briefly.
Like something physically hurt.
Esmeralda froze.
Because for the first time
the calmness disappeared.
No sarcasm.
No detachment.
No unreadable expression.
Just pain.
Raw.
Ugly.
Human.
His breathing became uneven.
Eyes glassing slightly before he looked down hard.
Trying to stop it.
Trying to pull himself together.
Esmeralda's heart dropped immediately.
"…Andre—"
Nothing.
He stayed quiet.
Too quiet.
Her stomach twisted painfully.
"…Shit."
She stepped forward instantly.
"…I'm sorry."
Another step.
"…I'm so sorry."
Then without thinking
she wrapped her arms around him tightly.
One hand pressing softly against his back.
The other holding him carefully.
Like something fragile.
"…I shouldn't have asked."
Her voice dropped.
Soft.
Gentle.
"…I didn't mean to hurt you."
For a moment
he didn't move.
Didn't react.
Just stood there.
Still.
Then quietly
"…It's okay."
His voice sounded tired.
.
Esmeralda tightened the hug slightly.
"…No it's not."
Silence stretched between them.
Then finally
Andre exhaled slowly.
Long.
Heavy.
"…Maybe…"
A pause.
"…Maybe it's time I told someone."
She slowly looked up at him.
"…Told someone what?"
His eyes stayed fixed somewhere distant.
Seeing something else.
Something blurry.
Darker.
"…What happened."
He swallowed once.
Then finally spoke.
Quietly.
"…Carlos."
Her brow furrowed instantly.
"…Carlos?"
Andre nodded once.
"…Not the Carlos you know."
A pause.
"…Another one."
"…Someone from a long time ago."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…Back when I still trusted people."
Esmeralda stayed silent.
Listening.
He continued quietly.
"…My mother was sick."
"…Very sick."
"And we were freaking poor, we as poor as church rats."
"…But my mom she still worked, day and night to get us food to eat."
" We didn't have anything but we were happy we had each other
His voice roughened slightly.
"…Then my best friend Carlos."
"My mama trusted him."
A pause.
"…I trusted him too."
His eyes lowered.
"…Then everything started falling apart."
"His greed and ambition led him to his early grave but he put a deep wound in my soul, something I can never recover from."
"…He hurt my brother."
His voice nearly disappeared.
"…Hit his head."
"And that was how I lost my brother."
"…Everything happened too fast."
He swallowed hard.
"…And my mother…"
His hand tightened slightly.
"…She died before I could get help."
Esmeralda's grip around him tightened instantly.
His voice dropped lower.
"…I saw marks."
A pause.
"…Finger marks around her neck."
Esmeralda's expression changed immediately.
Shock.
Horror.
But then
Andre shook his head suddenly.
Almost frustrated with himself.
"…No."
He looked down.
"…That's the problem."
She frowned.
"…What?"
He laughed softly.
Broken.
Humorless.
"…I don't know."
A pause.
"…I thought I knew."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"…But there must be some manipulation somewhere ."
His voice quieted.
"…Sometimes I wonder…"
A pause.
"…What if I was wrong?"
Esmeralda blinked.
"…Andre—"
He shook his head again quickly.
Like regretting saying anything at all.
"…Forget it."
He stepped back slightly.
Expression already rebuilding itself.
Walls going back up.
"…Doesn't matter."
His voice turned colder again.
Smaller.
Controlled.
"…Just forget I said any of that."
Esmeralda suddenly looked away.
Like she remembered something.
"…Actually…"
Andre raised a brow.
"…What?"
She hesitated oddly.
Rare again.
"…There's someone that's if you need answers."
"…Someone who sees things."
Andre blinked once.
"…Like… fortune cookies?"
"…No."
She looked strangely serious now.
"…A man."
"…Blind."
"…Lives in an abandoned church outside town."
Andre stared for three seconds and tried to lighten the mood.
"…This sounds exactly how people get murdered."
She burst into laughter.
"…Hmmm..yeah."
Then softer
"…His name is Mr. Parker."
A pause.
"…He's strange."
"…Creepy sometimes."
"…But he once warned me about an accident before it happened."
Andre folded his arms.
"…And?"
She looked at him carefully now.
More serious than before.
"…I think…"
A pause.
"…You should meet him, he might be of help to you."
Andre looked at her.
Expression unreadable.
Then sighed.
"…Fine."
He shoved his hands in his pockets.
"…But no word of this to anyone…"
Esmeralda burst into laughter.
"…Sure."
Then after a beat
quietly.
"…I will never."