THE CONFRONTATION

Hills have eyes, the hills have eyes
Who are you to judge?
Who are you to judge?
Hide your lies, girl, hide your lies
Only you to trust, only you

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CHAPTER XXIX

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THE CAR RIDE seemed like something that would've been awkward, but thankfully I had gotten no sleep throughout the day so I ended up sleeping for most of the journey. By the time I had woken up again, we were driving through the familiar streets that I remembered driving through before this whole adventure started.

I couldn't help but think back to that time. How had I been able to manage? Without Pablo, Anna, Daniel being near me? Morgan and Derek, they helped. They helped a lot, but I found it wasn't the same as the family I had been a part of before what had happened had happened. With them, it felt like I wasn't truly among them and in reality, I wasn't. No matter how hard I tried, I would never be among them because I was affiliated with a cartel that wasn't their's in the sense that I had the leader's son. That had completely alienated me, but I still appreciated there help either way.

With Daniel and Pablo, I belonged. Anna wasn't just my friend anymore. She was my sister and Pablo had always been my brother. Even the people I hated somehow found a way to make me miss them. It made me realise that NYC was never truly my home and it never was going to be. And that was okay because it owed me nothing. Nobody here owed my anything. In life, you had to find where you belonged and stay there.

I found where I belonged and it was with my original family back in california. The saying you don't choose family couldn't have been more true.

We drove silently the rest of the journey until we stopped in front of a tall, familiar office building. I couldn't help the way my stomach dropped to my ass once I realised that now was the time. All the information that I had been keeping from Morgan and Derek was going to come to light now.

I couldn't help but hope that no one else was there. Not Gabrielle or Anastasia, the two girls that had given me such a tough time at the beginning of all this when they were getting married. The less people there, the better.

I didn't wait for Daniel to come around and open the door for me even though I knew he probably wanted to. I was too busy worrying about how they were going to take it, but no matter how I delivered the information, I knew none of this was going to end well.

Daniel walked confidently into the office complex as if he had been there multiple times and made his way over to the receptionists desk, but before he could reach him I had called out the floor the couple would be on.

He looked at me, his eyes cold but his gaze not focused on me before he let out an exhausted breath and made his way over to the elevator. I couldn't help but feel bad for him because I knew he had been driving the whole night without a wink of sleep and he was only running on a cup of coffee right now. Despite that, he didn't look like he was missing any sleep at all.

His skin was still fresh, almost glowing, his hair although a little dishevelled still only added to his charm and there was a significant lack of eyebags under his eyes. Maybe his body was already used to running on so little sleep. Was that possible? For the body to factor out something that was otherwise a necessity when it didn't get enough of it?

“Stop staring at me,” he muttered, bringing me back to the present moment and making me realise that I had been staring at him.

I gave him a sad smile and muttered a small, “I'm sorry,” under my breath, but it wasn't in regard to the fight we had had a day ago but more rather to the current predicament we were in. I knew that this also was my fault, but I also knew that I wasn't wrong for the actions that led us up to this point. I didn't regret it, but I understood how it was a burden on him.

He glanced at me quickly but said nothing as that was when the elevator doors finally slid open on the forty-fifth floor, revealing to us the lavish interior decor in Morgan and Derek's office space.

There was a seating area right in front of us as we stepped off the lift, composed of black leather chairs around a glass coffee table. Around that main seating area were closed doors that from experience I knew led to office spaces, cubicles, conference rooms and whatever else they needed. I knew to my left was the staff kitchen and even though I was completely tempted tempted go and run myself a glass of water, I stood rooted in my spot.

We stood there silently for a minute, looking so lost and out of place as workers bustled mindlessly past us. I wanted to laugh at the awkward situation, but I suppressed it instead, knowing that it really wasn't the time and place to be laughing.

As if sensing a disruption in the flow of their workplace, Morgan poked her head out one of the doors leading into an office and scanned the crowd until her vibrant green eyes had focused on us. Daniel, noticing her immediately, raised a questioning eyebrow at her while I just gave her an awkward smile. She didn't respond to either of us and instead used her hand to beckon us to come over to her.

Me, being the most comfortable in the situation walked ahead of Daniel, knowing that whether we delayed or not, we were still going to end up in their office anyway. Although I didn't think that Daniel was delaying more rather he must've just been asking himself why he was there with me again. In all honesty, I was asking the dame thing but I appreciate the fact that I wasn't alone.

I wasn't afraid of Morgan or Derek or the both of them combined, but being confronted was never an easy thing.

I made my way into the modern office, noting that nothing had changed in the slightest since I left. It wasn't like they were here anyways. They were on their honeymoon, but it didn't seem to last long. Perhaps maybe two weeks.

I took a seat in the black leather sofa they had in the corner of the room that faced Derek's desk. Thankfully, it also gave me access to the amazing view of the centre of the city from the forty-sixth floor even though I knew it would be an acrophobe's worst nightmare.

Daniel didn't seem bothered by it as he took a seat on the sofa as well, not as far away as he could've sat from me but also not as close. Almost as if we were only friends from work and nothing more.

He kept his gaze focused on Derek he sat behind the desk and Morgan who sat beside him on a chair she had dragged out from the opposite side of his desk. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking in this situation before realising that I should've been thinking in the situation too.

After all, this was an issue pertaining mainly to me.

“So,” I drawled out awkwardly, noting all the blank expressions I was getting from everybody. It was like we all lacked agency, yet there was so much tension between the four of us. “What do we do now?”

“Ara, why don't we start with you?” came Morgan's sharp voice, almost startling me as I hadn't been expecting to be called out.

I faltered for a minute and let my eyes roam over everyone again, but nobody seemed willing to help me out in my predicament. Did I deserve the help at all?

“Um, well alright,” I thought about everything I could possibly say, deliberating the best option before tentatively speaking again. “Everything was a misunderstanding.” There was no reaction from anyone in the room, adding further to my nervousness as I strived to not say the wrong thing. “Somehow... someone had set up the whole thing between me and Daniel. They made me believe that he sold me and made him believe that I had just left when neither of that actually happen.”

“And you believe that?” Derek asked this time, making me turn to him with a frown.

“I mean, I saw—”

“Saw what, Araceli?” Morgan asked, leaning in as she narrowed her eyes at me. I couldn't help but feel like I was being interrogated by the both of them and I didn't like it. It felt like I was being picked on and Daniel wasn't even helping matters. He just sat there and observed.

I considered the fact that he might've been too busy thinking about Morgan, his ex girlfriend who was sitting right in front of us, to contribute to the discussion, but then I shook the horrifying thought out of my head. Daniel didn't still have feelings for Morgan. Did he?

“I saw the letter that I had supposedly left to him saying that I was leaving,” I explained, but by the unconvinced looks on their face, I knew it wasn't suitable enough evidence for them.

“And you don't think he could've forged that?” she asked to which I shook my head. Daniel could be manipulative but he didn't have the time to forge my handwriting to the point where I couldn't even tell that I hadn't written it.

“I considered it for a bit,” I confessed, “but everyone else there had the same story. People that had no reason to lie to me told me what Daniel told me. The people I literally considered my family told me the same story Daniel told me. My brother, my best friend. They all said the same thing.”

“And you believe that?”

I narrowed my eyes at her, feeling a nerve in my neck being worked as I tried not to get angry. I trusted those people more than I trusted them so of course it would piss me off if she had the audacity to question them, but then I realised that she didn't trust them. She didn't didn't know them so I couldn't expect her to trust them.

“Listen,” I said calmly, catching the way Daniel glanced at me from my peripheral. “Pablo and Anna have more loyalty towards me than you will ever understand. If there's foul-play, they'd tell me. Plus Pablo isn't the type that you can blackmail.”

I wasn't sure if they believed me or not, but that didn't matter. The obvious thing was that I believed me and I believed that Daniel didn't traffic me so whether they liked it or not, they had to take my verdict on the matter and that was that.

We all sat in silence for a little while, Morgan with her lips pursed in deep thought and Derek leaning back in his desk chair with his arms folded over his chest. Daniel had assumed the same position but his hands on his thigh, staring blankly at the wall behind the two of them. This meeting really was sucking the life out of everyone.

“So what now?” Derek asked this time, making me turn to him with a frown.

“What do you mean what now?”

“Don't be daft, Araceli,” he said, rolling his eyes as he unfolded his arms. “We helped you because you were alone and deserted. The fact that your back with Daniel, a man who you know is our enemy, should surely point out the obvious issues.” He sat up straight and placed both his elbows on his desk as he focused his eyes on me. “We're giving you a choice. You either choose him and forget about us or choose us and then forget about him.”

“I...” I faltered, unable to find an adequate response to their request. “You know I can't do that. Mateo is his son.” Daniel stirred at the mention of Mateo but still said and did nothing, making me feel like I was really alone in this situation.

It was as if I was brought to court for a crime I did commit and I had to defend myself and represent my own case in front of the judge, jury and entire audience. It was nerve-racking.

“Choose him then,” Derek shrugged as if he really couldn't care less about who I chose.

“But I don't want to choose,” I said, looking between them and Daniel. They all had blank looks on their faces as if none of them cared about who I chose. Like if I had decided to stay with one of them the other would sigh in relief and think "thank God we don't have to deal with her anymore."

As if none of them really cared if I stayed or if I went.

“Well you're going to have to because right now, you look really bad.” Derek said, making my head hurt from how confused I was. This wasn't playing out the way I had intended. “It honestly looks like everything had all just been an act. Like a plan you and Daniel came up with together to get you close to us so you can get more information. All of it seems fake.”

I had been trying to keep my cool the entire time, but at his words, I couldn't help the rage that travelled down my spine as I glared at him. Flashbacks of all that I had gone through flashed through my head, only enraging me more because now he was going to claim that it was fake.

“Are you trying to say that all of the shit I went through was an act?” I hissed, digging my nails into my palm to stop me from exploding. “You saw me!”

“Saw what, Araceli?”

“You saw me in the hospital!” I yelled, getting up because the kind of fury that burnt through my every vein was not the kind one experienced whilst sitting down. “You saw me cry myself to sleep every night!” I accused. “You saw me wake up every morning to crippling anxiety wondering how I was going to raise Teo alone by myself in my crippling mental state! You saw me jump at every fucking shadow, avoid huge fucking crowds because it made me panic! You saw the breakdowns and all the attempted suicides! You saw all of that and you're trying to tell me that it was all an act?! You're trying to tell me that my trauma is fake?”

Their flippant silence had only got the fire in me burning brighter as angry tears stung at the back of my eyes. I wasn't going to do it though. I wasn't going to let myself cry in front of them because they didn't deserve to see that.

“What else are we supposed to do?” Morgan asked, making me narrow my eyes at her.

“Maybe have some fucking compassion!”

“Where was that compassion when you lied to us for four weeks straight about where you were?” she yelled right back  getting up out of her seat with so much force it went flying back. “You told us you're dad sent you there for fuck sakes and we believed you!”

I opened my mouth to say something, but that was when Daniel had spoke up from his position, possibly adding fuel to the already burning fire.  “She didn't lie about that part.”

“Shut up!” she yelled, focusing her fierce green eyes on him before turning to glare at me again.

“And if I don't?”

Morgan ignored him, knowing fully well that Daniel was an instigator and nothing else. Instead she continued yelling at me. “For all we know, your father could've been the same sex trafficking bastard that Daniel is and then that would've put us all at risk. Did you think of that?”

“Don't talk about—” I cut myself off, recollecting my composure enough to know that this kind of argument wasn't going to lead to anywhere that didn't end in bullets being fired. I took a deep breath and let it out as I brought my fingers to gently rub my temple. “Listen, clearly this isn't working out,” I sighed, “Our emotions are high right now and we should all just separate and work through it until we're ready to talk again or else we might do something stupid and put all these innocent people's lives at risk.”

“As if you care,” Morgan scoffed, making me glare at her, completely ready to bring it back to one hundred if the situation called for it.

“What?”

“If you cared at all about "all the innocent people",” she mocked  putting it in air quotes,“you wouldn't have brought him here at all.”

“Um excuse me?” I demanded, genuinely offended as she ruined my attempt at peace. “Daniel brought himself here or do you not see the two legs extending out of his torso?” I asked, gesturing to his legs which he had stretched out in front of him.

He let out a chuckle at my words, making my heart do a leap while Morgan only turned to glare at him. “What are you laughing at? The fact that you're a human trafficker, huh?” she accused. “Which girl here have you decided to sell to a whorehouse this time?”

“Don't talk to him like that,” I hissed, but clearly my words had no affect on her.

“Shut up, Araceli, you don't know anything. For all we know he could just be using you to get to us.”

“What?” This time it was Daniel who said it, the look on his face being one of genuine confusion and disgust at the implication of Morgan's words.

“Don't look at me like that,” she hissed, pointing her index finger in his direction. “You're known for being obsessive. Years after we broke up you still wouldn't let go of—”

“Because I hurt you,” Daniel sat up, his eyes ablaze and his voice taking the form of liquid poison as he focused his cold eyes on her. I could feel the air in the room shift once he had gotten involved. “I know I hurt you. I wanted to get better and make it right but instead...“

”Instead, I tried to kill you. That should've been you're clear warning to stay away from us,“ she said, not showing any ounce of shame at her revelation.

I couldn't help but clench my fists in anger as I remembered the day he had almost died. I had helped her escape so she could do better, yet the way she repaid that was by almost killing Daniel. She knew I loved him and she did it anyway. She knew he was innocent and she did it anyway.

“Don't take so many liberties. If it wasn't for Araceli, you guys still wouldn't know if I lived or died. You're dead to me.”

“Yet we're still here,” she smirked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

I shook ny head and stepped back, hating the way the world around me seemed to be spinning. Without a word of warning to any of them, I made my way out the door and rushed across the floor until I had reached the nearest ladies bathroom.

It was empty as I pushed my way in to which I was grateful for because I really couldn't have strangers watch me as I mentally fell apart. As I made my way to the last stall of the lavish bathroom, the tears began to race down my cheeks.

It was all too much too soon and everything was going wrong. First I had to sit in front of the two of them as if I was attending a court trail and then I was given an ultimatum with no way of getting out of it. How was I supposed to choose between the two of them? Daniel was the father of my child and the man I loved the most. There was no way I could find someone like him again in my life, but Morgan and Derek were like my two guardian angels. They helped me when I needed it most and never demanded for anything in return and for that I was always going to be grateful.

But I couldn't choose.

I sat in the toilet stall for a while later until the sound of jovial feminine laughter filled my ears. Two women had entered the bathroom. I sniffed my nose into the tissue one last time, wiped my cheeks for any residual tears before unlocking the stall and making my way over to the wash-hand basin. Neither of the women paid me any mind, leaving me to walk freely out.

I made my way back to the office, yet much to my surprise we seemed to be two people short. Both Morgan and Daniel were nowhere to be seen and I couldn't help but assume the worst once I had noticed the solemn look on Derek's face.

“Where are they?” I asked as I took the seat by his desk opposite him.

“I told them to go,“ he answered calmly, a small sad smile on his face. ”I wanted to talk to you.“

”Why couldn't Morgan talk to me?”

“Her emotions are high right now,” he answered to which I could understand. After all it was mainly the both of us sparring off each other and I had to go to the bathroom to recollect herself. I couldn't blame her for it, but what confused me was why she had to go with Daniel as well. “I think we're in the same predicament,” he said, making me bring my attention back to him as I nodded.

Our current 'partners' were each other's ex and we couldn't do anything but watch how it played out as they argued with each other about the misunderstanding that split them apart.

“Do you think they might want to get back together?” I found myself asking in a small voice. Derek pursed his lips at my question as he thought about it, but then shook his head.

“I know Morgan,” he began, “If there was even an ounce of the possibility that she still loved him, she wouldn't have tried to kill him. Hopefully, they sort through their misunderstanding, but as for getting back together, at least in Morgan's case, I know there's no chance of it. She could wait years for the one she loves. She wouldn't be with me if she still loves him.”

While his words had brought some sense of relief to my body, I couldn't help but still feel a bit insecure. Morgan may not have loved him anymore, but what if he still loved her? That had never been a question I thought of asking him until now.

“Can I ask you a question?” Derek asked, pulling me out of my worrying thoughts as I looked away from my fiddling fingers to meet his gaze instead.

“Sure,” I shrugged.

“Do you think he treats well?” I paused for a second, the nature of his question catching me off guard as I thought about whether or not Daniel treated me well.

I wasn't going to think of our relationship before the split because he didn't treat me all that good back then, but since that time we had both gone through a lot of change. When we first reunited, it had been awkward for the both of us because we both had very different ideas of what had split us apart. After we worked through that though, I couldn't lie and say it wasn't good.

Maybe I was just lonely, but I didn't think I would constantly crave someone who didn't treat me good to be by my side. I didn't think I would want to see him so much, but I did and it was because I liked the way he made me feel and I liked the way he treated me. Sure, he did gave moments where he slipped, but the main difference I saw with this Daniel and the old one was that he genuinely tried.

He always showed me how he cared, maybe not verbally but in the things he did for me. He was so much more affectionate. He listened to everything I said, even if it was complete bullshit and when he did make a mistake, he always made sure to make it right. He was so gentle with me now and I couldn't lie and say that I didn't like it because I did. I loved every second of it.

“Yeah,” I smiled as I thought of him, “he treats me well.”

Derek seemed to like the answer but the doubt in his eyes was still clear. “He seemed cold toward you though,” he said making me sigh and shake my head as I remembered the bullshit argument we had.

I smiled and shook my head. “I'd assume he's justified considering the fact that I pretty much told him that he was a bad person, that I didn't trust him because he was a bad person, and that I basically just used him for sexual gratification.”

Derek frowned at my response and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something before closing it again. Finally he asked, “can I ask you another question?” to which I just laughed and nodded. “Did you mean any of it?”

“No,” I answered, not having to think long about this question because I already knew the answer right off the bat. “I meant none of it.”

“Then why did you say all that?”

“Because I felt guilty,” I shrugged. This felt a lot like I was at a therapy session. “And I wanted to find a way to transfer that guilt on to him,” I finished.

“Sounds toxic.”

“It is,” I agreed, “but I've been begging him to forgive me since it happened and he's coming around bit by bit.”

Derek snorted and pointed to the door. “That's him coming around?” I asked, making me nod in response. “Usually coming around means acknowledging your partner.”

“Comparison is the thief of joy,” I quoted, making Derek smile like he always did whenever I pulled out a quote seemingly from nowhere.

“You're always full of random quotes,” he said, leaning onto the table. “It's adorable.”

“Anyway,” I said, changing the subject. “How are you and Morgan doing? How was the honeymoon?”

“It was good, but cut short,” he answered making me feel bad. “It wasn't because of you,” Derek said quickly, reassuring me. “Morgan didn't feel well so we came back.”

I wiggled my eyebrows and smirked as I leaned in. “Ooh, is she pregnant? Derek, you sharp shooter.”

He gave me a blank look which only made me laugh more at him. “She's still in university, of course she's not pregnant,” he said rolling his eyes though I couldn't miss the humour swirling in them. “We got back and it turned our she was just homesick. We might just spend some time together without going anywhere for the rest of it.”

“Cute,” I said with a blank expression before turning to the side and pretending to retch.

“How about you?” he laughed, making me furrow my eyebrows at him.

“What about me?”

“If he proposed to you right now, would you marry him?” he asked, making me purse my lips and tilt my head to the side.

My head was saying no, but my heart was screaming yes. It was like I was so sure that he and I were meant to be together. I was so certain about him, but my head was being logical. My head was telling me that not being married doesn't mean we don't love each other and a year of dating was surely the way to go before marriage.

Despite that, I was already irrevocable tied to Daniel. If not with Mateo, then definitely with my involvement in his elicit activities.

“I'm a bit too young to get married, don't you think?” I asked, making him smile and shrug.

“You're also too young to have a child but that didn't stop you.”

“Touché.”

“I think he's at a good age to get married,” Derek said, making me wonder why we were having a conversation about Daniel's marital status. “I'm pretty sure he's just waiting for you.”

I froze at his words and just stared at him, unable to find a suitable response to him that wasn't just “What?”

“I mean he's twenty-five going on twenty-six soon. If he had intentions of marrying someone, believe me when I say he already knows who she's going to be. And if my assumption that you're the only serious woman in his life is right now, then he's really just waiting for you to mature a small bit more.”

I faltered for a moment before rolling ny eyes and glaring down at my hands. Great, now I'm going to be expecting him to get on a knee and we hadn't even been together for a week. Plus he was still pissed at me.

“If you're so concerned about Daniel's marital status, why don't you go and marry him then?” I said, making him throw his had back and laugh.

“I'm sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable,” he apologised, “I just like observing people and Daniel is a very interesting character to say the least.” He gave me a warm smile and turned back to the sheets littered across his desk. “You chose a very odd man.”

“Well, this odd man treats me right (when I don't piss him off) so I'm going to stay with him.”

“Before I forget,” he said, making me look to him at the sudden change of topic. “I've got something to give you. I don't have it with me now, but next time I'll give it to you.”

“What is it?” I asked but he shook his head.

“I'd tell you but it would only make you want it now,” he said making me roll my eyes. “Just trust me. You'll like it.”

As I opened my mouth to speak, the door was thrust open making both Derek and I turn to see who was allowing themselves into the office. It was no surprise when it ended up being Morgan and Daniel filing in one after the other.

Daniel went to take a seat where he originally sat before and as I got up to join him, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my neck and pull me into a warm body. From the size of her chest against mine, I knew it was Morgan hugging me and no one else, and tentatively I brought my arms around her too.

“I'm so sorry for the things I said,” she said into my ear, making me hug her tighter. It had been so long since I'd been hugged by a woman and a part of me had forgotten how good that felt. “I didn't mean any of the shit I said.”

“It's okay,” I breathed out, relieved to be finally working through it. I didn't want either Derek and Morgan or Daniel to be my enemy. “I think we both reacted very badly so I'm sorry too. For yelling.”

“It's okay,” she pulled away from me slightly with arms still around me and smiled, “I'm pretty sure I needed it to help get what you were saying into my head.”

“Okay, you two, break it up,” Derek said, making the both of us pull away and look to him in confusion. “I don't like how close you are before the two of you begin an affair. ”

“We're not even lesbian,” I said, but he only waved a dismissive hand and gestured for us to put more space between us.

I rolled my eyes and made my way back over to the sofa Daniel and I had been sharing, not missing the humour in his eyes. I sat down next to him where I had been sitting previously, yet to my surprise he brought his arm around my waist and pulled my closer to him until I was squished up into his side. He kept his arm around my waist, his hand resting on the side of my butt while I leaned into him and soaked up all his warmth.

He didn't look down at me, but I could hear the way his heart was beating rapidly in his chest and it told me all I needed to know. He was still pissed, but he forgave me.

“So what did you guys talk about?” Derek asked, drawing my attention away from Daniel's beautiful face to look at him. Morgan was sitting in the same chair as before, but was pulled closer to him now. So close that their knees may have been touching under the desk.

They were so cute.

Morgan looked to Daniel and Daniel looked to her, but he didn't say a word, leaving the talking to go to her. She let out a breath, a small smile appearing on her face.

“Well we talked about you guys,” Daniel squeezed my waist at the mention of that but said nothing. “And then we talked about what happened six years ago and we forgave each other.”

Even though I had previously been worried and insecure about the two of them, I couldn't help but feel happy that they had worked things out now.

“So you're friends now?”

They both gave me weird looks as if I was missing something before looking to each other and cringing.

“What the fuck? No.”

I see we still had a long way to go.

*****

Yall already know. You're getting the breakdown of Daniel and Morgans chat tomorrow (or if you're like me, later today) so stay tuned for that. You know its gonna get so juicy.

You'll learn things about Daniel and his relationship with Araceli that nobody else knows, not even Araceli herself.

Important to note though, the next chapter isn't a bonus chapter so it's important that it's read to ensure the full understanding of whatever else goes on.

Anyways, I'll see yall later. I just showed up briefly to drop this heat.

Also, just one quick thing. Future me might have a rant brewing for the next chapter so idk strap yourselves in ig