Café Rouge

Chapter 30: The Enemy of My Enemy

Chapter 30

Carlos blinks at her in confusion, sure he misheard.

"What?"

She stares directly at him with utter seriousness and in a clear, convictive voice states again, "I love you."

Yeah, that's what he'd thought she said before too. Only it seemed so ludicrous she was sure he'd misheard-guess not. Frankly he's not sure whether to laugh, cry or lie down and pretend he didn't hear. What the hell does she even know about love? About loving him? She barely knows him. She's only scratched the bare surface of the darkness that's in him.

"No."

Lola frowns, "what do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean you don't love me because you don't know me. You think you love me-you've convinced yourself you do-but sweetheart that's just a side effect of the extenuating circumstances you've been subjected to ever since our first encounter."

Lola bristles at that. How dare he accuse her of not knowing him?! It's simply insulting how low his opinion of her is to think that she would simply fall for him just because he's available. Or he's some...rescuer. She knows him. She knows that he's not a white knight. She knows he's made his fair share of mistakes and he will live in regret of those. Everyone has things they regret though and he cannot be so conceited to believe she doesn't have her own fair share of them.

"That's total BS and you know it. When I said I'm sticking by you. I did that with my eyes wide open, Carlos. We may only know each for a little while and during that time things have admittedly been a little crazy but I've seen you. I've seen side of you I'm betting no-one else has. I know about the ruthless, cold fearless Carlos, the fragile emotional one, the dreamer, the self-pity Carlos that holds back the dreamer and there's a hell of a lot more let to discover, I know.-"

"Lola...piccola," he gently interrupts, on hand to her jaw before carrying on, "there is a lot I hope you never discover about me. A lot that you do not want to."
Despite being only in a towel, Lola's temper is not dampened. She plants her hands on her hips and shakes off his hand.

 "All-I bet-that was before me. All in the past that you probably were coerced into doing and that you have nightmares about now. I met that Carlos remember? The one who was pushed around by his parents and run ragged with worry. So no, your past is not a good enough reason. I don't know that man you think was so vile but I do know the one before me and I like him-I love him-so come on, what else have you got?"

She is definitely the complete opposite of Valentina. When he changed his type he didn't think it would be the utter and complete contradiction to his dead fiancé.

"This...this is insane. I'm turning you insane," he exasperates spinning in is own circle and running a hand through his hair.
Lola looks on in curiosity. She's never seen him this flustered before and in a perverse sort of way, it is entertaining. He should know by now that she can most certainly be just as stubborn as him-even more so, actually. And this is one case she's not backing down from.

"Stockholm syndrome. It has to be a form of Stockholm. I've been holding you captive-"

"Nope. I chose to stay and I choose to stay now too. And before you say I have no other choice that's false. Joseph actually offered to help me out and I turned him down."

He stops at that, turning to her with a small frown.
"Joseph did what?"
Lola opens her mouth to answer when he cuts in.
"Never mind, it doesn't matter."

The confusion and frustration is still plainly painted on his face and that gentles Lola. She makes her way over to him, hands running over his chest with a smooth caress.