STRANGE AFFAIRS

Lorenzo’s POV

I swiftly pack my suitcase, having accompanied Diego on his brief journey, as I had some matters to attend to in California and also to evade Eloisa.

I cannot comprehend why she fails to understand that I have no interest in her whatsoever; I have attempted to be both courteous and blunt, yet the persistent woman simply does not grasp it. She visits me daily, even my mother does not come to see me every day, and she is quite clingy.

I had to head back home today, as I had several meetings awaiting my attention, and I can no longer remain and witness my best friend treating his wife, who is a goddess, with utter disrespect. If I stay for another day, I might end up putting Diego in a hospital and revealing my little secret.

Here I was, fleeing from the clingy Eloisa, while Diego was escaping from her twin, Elena.

I despised the fact that he married her despite not loving her, but I felt powerless to intervene; he is my best friend, and I cannot jeopardize our friendship. He continued to deceive her about all those trips he supposedly took; we both know the reality—he does not like her and has no desire to be close to her at all. There was no business to attend to; he merely wanted to rid himself of her and continue living his flirtatious life, while I was left yearning for the attention of a woman like Elena.

I would sacrifice anything to see her smile, absolutely anything, yet all I can do now is observe the woman I adore from a distance, nestled in the embrace of my damn best friend.

Indeed, I love Elena; I have always loved her. I have attempted to forget her, to cease my affection, to remove her from my mind and heart, as she is my best friend’s wife for heaven's sake. However, I was unable to do so; she left an imprint on my heart from the very first day I encountered her. She had already claimed me and bound me in my everlasting love for her.

I met my damsel at her sister’s birthday celebration. Eloisa invited me to her birthday in Hawaii, where I happened to be on vacation, and she coincidentally was there for a vacation as well.

Diego insisted we attend because he was infatuated with Eloisa; the rascal adored everything with a slender, attractive figure and a lovely face. Knowing she was a Cortez made him all the more eager to possess her.

I met her first and spoke to her first; she embodied everything I desired in a woman—my ideal woman, my own Miss Perfect, sexy, curvy, fleshy, and beautiful inside and out. However, everything fell apart when Eloisa approached our table to introduce her as her twin and me as her boyfriend. It all went downhill when Eloisa, in her drunken state, mentioned that their sister was the heiress to their father's business empire.

I lost my chance with her that night. Before I could privately express my feelings, my best friend had already laid claim to her; she became his girlfriend.

The scoundrel didn’t even love her; he merely sought to gain access to the Cortez business empire. He married her solely for the assets she possessed, and now that he has finally secured a partnership with her father, he neglects her but refuses to divorce her, as that would jeopardize everything.

I am aware that my friend is an unworthy individual, yet the years spent together cannot alter the bond of our friendship.

Upon arriving at the hotel lobby, I found Diego ready with a suitcase. He smiled at me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he had something planned.

"Where are you headed? I thought you were enjoying California and the women here. Please tell me you haven't changed your mind and are now thinking of your tedious wife."

His expression darkens at the mention of Elena; I can't help but sense that this is related to her.

"Don't even get me started on that woman. She is trying to act clever, and I can't endure a single day with her. I'm heading to Canada; I have some new friends there. Come on, Lorenzo, you have nothing to occupy your time at home, and if you return to Los Angeles, you know Eloisa is an unrelenting force. Join me in Canada; I assure you the women there are far superior."

Goodness gracious! How did I end up being his friend?

"Why are you fleeing, Diego? What has she done to you that makes you treat her so poorly? I can not accompany you to Canada; I have obligations to fulfill, unlike you."

He gazes at me with a scowl before pulling out a cigarette, lighting it, and walking away. I pursue him and halt him before he can enter his car.

"What is going on, Diego? I did not intend for my words to come across that way; I am simply frustrated, that is all."

He gazes at me, shrugs, and then smiles.

"She is on her way here, and I cannot tolerate her presence for even a moment, let alone spend time with her. Everything about her is utterly repulsive; she resembles a pig, and the intimacy we shared was a complete disaster. I forgive you, my friend, but I cannot remain here waiting for her arrival. She will be here tonight. I will see you whenever our paths cross again. Farewell, amigo."

Wait, she is coming, and he is departing. This fool is going to cause her pain. I attempted to prevent him from entering the car, but he got in, locked the door, and smirked at me, that foolish man.

"Unlock the door, Diego! You cannot treat women this way, especially your wife. You are going to hurt her, man!"

I persist in my struggle with the door as the car accelerates away, that damn fool. He leans out the window and grins at me. Why did I ever choose to befriend this jerk?

"She is not my concern, amigo. Please send my regards to my mother when you return to Mexico."

That jerk, he abandoned her; he truly abandoned her. I cannot leave now; she will be devastated when she arrives and discovers he is gone. I must at least greet her at the airport and deliver the news personally. Yes, that is my plan; I cannot allow that jerk to hurt her.

I swiftly retrieve my bags and return to my hotel room to book a room for Elena. I compose myself and drive to the airport, prepared to wait for her, as I am uncertain of her exact arrival time, no matter how long it takes.

It is 7:30 PM, and she has not arrived yet. I hope that individual was not toying with me; he knows I have a soft spot for Elena. If only he understood my true feelings for her, he would be astonished.

I continue to wait, and there is still no sign of Elena. I allow sleep to overtake me when suddenly, I feel a sharp poke at my sides, as if someone is attempting to tickle me. Who could this be?

I quickly grasp the hands, which feel soft and plump. Wait! I open my eyes to find Elena smiling at me.

"Could you please release my hand, Iron Man? Your grip is quite tight and rough, and I can feel my poor hand crumbling."

She nicknamed me Iron Man after I embraced her one fateful day. In my defense, I had missed her dearly and wanted to see her badly that day, which explains the bone-crushing hug I gave her. Since then, that name has stuck. Looking at her now, smiling and standing before me, I realize how much I have missed her. I truly missed her. I pull her into another bone-crushing hug, and she giggles; her laughter is sweet music to my ears. I cannot restrain myself at this moment. I attempted to avoid her before coming here, but seeing her again, I cannot help it—I still love her.

"You’re really putting me through it, Iron Man. Did you miss me that much?"

I glance at her, smiling and nodding. She returns my smile, and I rise to grab her luggage.

"So, what have you been up to, Iron Man? It’s been a year since I last saw you. Don’t say you’ve just been exercising; I can see you’re getting more muscular and bigger every day. I bet my sister will fall in love with you all over again the moment she sees you."

I scowl at the mention of her sister. She knows I’m not fond of her at all. Her laughter at my expression makes me smile despite myself.

"Don’t give me that look! My sister is persistent; you should know that by now. Now, where’s my baby?"

Oh no! What do I say about Diego? This is going to hurt her so much.

"I know you must be exhausted, Elena. You’ve had a long flight and need to rest. Diego has some business to handle and will meet you at the hotel, so let’s get going."

That will suffice for the moment; I swiftly usher her into the car and join her inside. She gazes at me with a look of curiosity before averting her eyes.

"So he couldn’t even spare the time to collect me from the airport; he simply had to send you to handle his responsibilities for him."

She sounds disheartened, and I can sense it in her tone. I gently lift her chin and turn her head towards me to behold her beautiful eyes.

"You know that’s not accurate; he loves and adores you, Elena. I insisted on being the one to pick you up. How is that a negative thing? I have missed you immensely and wanted to be the first to see you. Now, please stop being sad and smile for me."

She smiles at me, and it fills my heart with warmth.

"You always have a way with words, and I missed you too, even if you have been breaking my sister’s heart for the past four years."

I despise it when she brings up her sister; she chuckles at my reaction, as she enjoys teasing me.

We drive to the hotel, and she heads to her room to rest while I go to mine.

I need to figure out how to inform her about Diego's disappearance. I cannot bear to hurt her; what should I do? I remain in my room until I hear a knock. I open the door to find Elena looking at me with tear-filled eyes. What has happened to her? I pull her inside and gently caress her face.

"Where is he? Please tell me the truth, Lorenzo. I inquired with the receptionist, and she informed me that he checked out this morning. Why did you deceive me by saying he was attending to some business? Tell me where he is!"

She screams and begins to wail; it pains me deeply to witness her suffering in this manner.

I hold her firmly and wipe away her tears, but she pushes me away and gazes at me with a serious expression.

"I sensed something was amiss based on your response when I questioned you about Diego. Now, tell me where the hell he is!"

She shouts at me, clearly furious and burning with anger inside.

I take a deep breath, unable to believe I am about to reveal this to her.

"He had to leave for Canada this morning to attend to some business. He didn’t want you to be alone upon your arrival, so he asked me to keep you happy until you return home tomorrow."

She looks at me as if I have betrayed her, and that truly hurts.

I want her to say something; she gazes at me with tear-filled, confused eyes before collapsing to the ground. I rush to her side as she wails uncontrollably and strikes me.

I cannot bear to see her in this state; that bastard has ruined her mood time and again.

"You are a liar, a worthless liar. I despise you, and I loathe him so much. I hate both of you!"

She cries, her heart breaking, I don’t know what to do. How can I comfort her? How can I help her escape this pain? Seeing her like this is tearing me apart.

"Yes, I’m a terrible and disgusting liar. I never intended to hurt you like this. I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth because I knew it would hurt you."

I hold her tightly in my arms for what seems like hours as she sobs uncontrollably, eventually stopping to sniffle before she pushes me away and stands up.

"Thank you for calming me down. I need to think. Please, I want to be alone in my room."

She leaves before I can respond. I know I must respect her need for solitude; that was quite a scene.

I lie on my bed, deciding to take a short nap before searching for her. I can’t let her wallow in sadness all day.

I prepare to head to the bar by the pool. I’ve knocked on Elena’s door, but she hasn’t answered, and my calls have gone unanswered too. So, I’ll go to the bar and try to reach out to her tomorrow. It’s already 10:30 PM; I shouldn’t disturb her any further. I need to unwind.

When I arrive at the bar, I spot a familiar blonde sitting there, drinking her sorrows away. What on earth does she think she’s doing? I rush over and pull her off the stool.

"Hey, watch it! I was sitting there!"

She’s completely and utterly drunk. What happened to her? Oh right, my friend did this to her. She looks at me and smiles.

"Oh, it’s you, the best friend, always covering for your friend. Come on, let’s drink together. At least I have you with me."

She pulls me by the arm toward the table

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Elena? Come on, I'll take you to a room where you can rest, and please don't try this again."

She glares at me, frowning, and yanks her arm away from mine. What kind of tantrum is she planning now?

"Don't you dare tell me what to do! I'm a grown woman and can take care of myself. Your friend treats me like I'm not his wife and leaves me behind, and now you're trying to control me. I have feelings; I'm human, and both of you are hurting me so much."

Tears start streaming down her face, and all eyes are on us. Great, now I have to find a way to make her stop crying.

"I'm really sorry, Elena. Please, have a seat and stop crying. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings; just please stop crying."

She gazes at me, sobbing, and even when she's crying, she's incredibly beautiful. No, focus, Lorenzo; she is your best friend's wife.

"Why did he treat me this way? Why does he abandon me every single time? He claims to love me, yet I don’t feel it. Why does it seem like everyone is right about him lying to me, and I’m the one who’s mistaken? Why does he act like this towards me?"

She begins to cry again, and I gently pat her back, trying to soothe her.

"Tell me, Iron Man, am I not pretty enough? Is it because I’m chubby? Does he think I’m unattractive and doesn’t want me? What is so wrong with me that my own husband would run away like this? He’s never satisfied with anything I do; he complains about everything, from our sex life to our daily routine."

He really hurt her, and it infuriates me to see her like this; it’s painful and makes me angry.

"You are perfect just as you are. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Now, stop sulking and crying, and let’s enjoy ourselves!"

She sniffs, glances at me, and smiles; now that's more like her. If this will bring her joy, then let's get completely drunk. I also need it to drown my own unhappiness.

"I really like you, Iron Man. Go ahead and order whatever you want. I should have married you instead; you're way more fun."

I know she's only saying this because she's intoxicated, but it makes me happy to hear her express it like that.

A few hours later........

I can't say I'm fully drunk; I'm a bit beyond tipsy, but I can still navigate. However, Elena is completely out of her mind drunk. We sway and dance unsteadily as we make our way to our rooms. I do my best to steady both Elena and myself as I pull her along to her room.

Once inside her room, we collapse onto her bed. She turns away and starts laughing.

"You're so drunk, Iron Man. I miss Diego, I hate Diego, I hate my mother, I hate everyone—except for Daddy."

She rambles on in a drunken stupor, then turns to me, and our eyes meet. Her eyes sparkle like stars. Why did I ever let her go to someone else? She's the most beautiful and incredible woman I've ever known, and I lost her.

"You are so beautiful, Elena."

She gazes at me and smiles, then moves in closer to kiss me before stepping back. I can't resist; I pull her in and kiss her fiercely and passionately, and she meets my kiss with the same intensity as we hurriedly try to shed our clothes.

Well, there goes my friendship.