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Adora

I constantly looked down at my watch as I tried my hardest to focus on writing, even though it didn't work well.

I felt John's eyes on me, his eyebrows raising at my leg bouncing up and down.

"You're mighty bouncy today," John said, making me look up from my paper.

I just nodded and raised my brows.

"Any specific reason?"

I shook my head. "It's just one of those days."

He chuckled. "You have a special lunch date? You've been looking down at your watch every minute."

I smiled up at him.

"Would it happen to be with your King, if you will?"

"Very funny," I muttered, "but no. It would happen to be with his ex-wife."

He stopped in his tracks and his eyebrows shot up. "How well is that going to blow over?"

I shrugged. "It's been five years since I've held an actual conversation with her. I feel like we'll be fine."

"Hey," he said, "I just know how defensive women get over Mr. King."

"Which is absolutely understandable," I said, my eyebrows raised.

He leaned against the door. "You're happy with him?"

I rested my hands in my lap, puckering my lips out. "Yeah, I am, John."

He held up his hands. "I might or might not have told you so."

I laughed and shook my head. "You did, I'll give it to you."

He chuckled and plopped back down in his chair after grabbing a water.

"So what about you," I said, "who are you writing all these sappy books for?"

He smiled and looked away from me.

"Who?" I asked, now curious.

He chuckled. "Jennifer Lopez."

I laughed and threw my head back. "That's not true!"

"It isn't," he said, "I don't know, she was a girl I met in college. I haven't seen her since college, but maybe I'll run into her again."

"What was her name?" I asked.

He sighed and looked away from me again. "It really doesn't matter. She's just always been my inspiration for writing. Even in college, I'd go sit a few tables away from her at the coffee shop and just write."

I smiled.

"Your lunch break has officially started," he said, checking his watch, "go have lunch with Sandra, and come back, if you can?"

I laughed and grabbed my purse. "Thanks John. Have a good lunch."

He smiled.

I stopped in the doorway and looked back at him, sighing.

"John?"

He looked over at me with raised brows.

"I hope you find her again one day."

He smiled and with that, I walked out with a smile.

~*~

Adora

I pursed my lips together as I stood outside of the restaurant Alessandra and I had decided on, my bottom lip in between my teeth.

I was honestly too scared for my own good.

I sucked it up and opened the door, letting out a breath as I walked inside.

My heels were the only loud sound in the room, nearly drowning out the classical music playing from the speakers.

I spotted Alessandra, her hair tied up in her usual clean bun. I pursed my lips together and walked over to the table, smiling as soon as I made it to her.

She smiled up at me. "Hi!"

"Hi," I greeted, placing my purse in the chair beside me. I pulled my chair out and sat down in it awkwardly, an even more awkward smile on my face.

"I love your pantsuit," she said, "where'd you get it?"

"I actually think I got it from Nordstrom, if you want me to be honest."

"Really?" She asked, furrowed brows, "I should make a run there."

I nodded and she grabbed a menu. "You drink wine?"

"Probably more than I should."

She giggled and looked down at the menu. "So, what are you thinking about getting?"

"I don't know," I said, "probably pasta, of some sort."

"That sounds delicious," she said.

Her phone started vibrating the table and I just raised my eyebrows, biting the skin of my bottom lip as she declined the call.

"I swear, telemarketing companies will be the death of me."

I smiled and looked back down at the menu in front of me.

"I think I'm going to get the penne with grilled chicken," I said, "what about you?"

"I think I'm doing the same but with fried chicken. Oops," she said, giggling as she placed her menu back down on the table, "I feel like a fatty next to you."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes with a smile. "Don't say that. The only reason I'm getting grilled chicken is because I had a huge, very unhealthy breakfast this morning."

She laughed.

She waved the waiter over to our table, and we both spat off our orders before handing him our menus and he walked away.

"Do you do Pilates?" She asked, making me look up from my glass of wine.

I pursed my lips together. "I can't say that I do. Is it fun?"

"You should totally try it out! The studio that I do it at is so relaxing and it's just a great program. It's taken away my baby pouch."

I giggled.

"Are babies in your future?" She asked, smiling as she took a sip of her wine.

I sighed, a smile pulling at my lips. "I mean, I want kids at some point in the future. Just not soon, I don't think."

She nodded. "I know from experience, being pregnant at thirty isn't fun, but it gives you time."

I smiled.

"And now being pregnant at forty was even less fun," she said, "but Rose and the boys are the biggest blessings I could ask for."

"I can imagine," I said, "you make beautiful kids, by the way."

She giggled. "Speaking of the boys, I heard Freddy was having some trouble with math and you helped him?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I did. I'm sure Santiago told you about his grade on his last quiz, though. Fred was really upset."

She nodded. "Yeah, he did."

She pursed her lips together and rubbed the side of her neck. "You know, Santiago and I really appreciate it."

I froze as I took a drink of my wine. I sat it down and smiled.

"But," she said, sighing, "I don't know, it's just, the boys have two parents."

My eyebrows went into a slight furrow.

"I don't really want to sound rude or anything, but it's okay to lay off," she said, "I think I speak for Santiago and I both when I say you're trying a little harder than other people typically would."

I couldn't help the blank expression on my face. I wasn't sure how to respond to her.

"I, uh," I said, "I just really wanted to help. He was getting upset about not understanding-"

"And like I said," she said, "Santiago and I honestly are so blessed that you're around, but just lay off a little bit. The boys are pretty capable of taking care of themselves."

My lips were parted and my eyebrows were in a furrow. "Yeah," I said, snapping out of it, "yeah, I know. You two raised them well."

She smiled and I was still a bit taken aback by her response to me helping her kid.

An awkward silence enveloped us, making me purse my lips together and look away from her.

Our food eventually got to our table and she just raised her perfectly drawn on brows. "Let's eat."

"Let's eat," I said, plastering on a fake smile to shoot the woman in front of me.

~*~

Santiago

I watched Adora throw the sheets back with an angry sigh, making me chuckle and sit down on the bed. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

I grabbed her hand as she began to walk into the bathroom, pulling her into me. I furrowed my brows together up at her. "That's a lie. Why are you so mad?"

I wrapped an arm around her tiny waist and looked up at her.

"You never told me."

"I never told you what?" I asked.

"That you thought I was being too helpful with the boys?"

I furrowed my brows together up at her, shaking my head. "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I'm talking about, you're more attractive when you tell me the truth."

I laughed and she pushed herself away from me, making my laugh immediately die down, instead replaced with a sigh. I followed her into the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe.

"Where is all this coming from?" I asked.

"Alessandra told me today that she was speaking for both of you when she said I was being too helpful."

I rolled my eyes with a scoff, my head falling back against the door. "Don't we have enough experience with her lying?"

She cut her eyes at me through the mirror.

"Seriously," I said, shaking my head, "don't listen to her, she's irrelevant."

"She's not irrelevant to me," she said, "she's the mother of the children I'm living with five days a week. And she shouldn't be irrelevant to you, either."

"I think she's done enough to become irrelevant to me," I said, nodding.

"I'm not just going to brush her off," she said, "if she thinks I'm trying too hard, then I'll lay off, simple as that."

"She knows she doesn't think you're trying too hard," I said, "she was just finding something to get on your back for."

She looked over at me and sighed. "You really think so?"

I pushed myself off of the door. "I know so."

I looked down at her as she sighed, brushing through her hair. "I just don't want to be that annoying, overbearing girlfriend of Alessandra King's ex husband, or whatever I'm called."

I chuckled. "You're mine, that's all that matters. That's a good enough label, yeah?"

She smiled over at me and nodded. "Yeah."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her neck from behind. "You know you're beautiful?"

She smiled and rested a hand on my arm. "You know you're beautiful?"

I pressed a kiss to her neck and flexed my jaw muscle, sighing as I rested my head in the valley of her neck, content with the thought of never letting her go again.

~*~

Hi guys!!! 2/2 of the double update today!!! HAAH I BLESSED U GUYS 🤟🏼

How did you guys like this chapter??

OMFG DID ANYONE ELSE FREAK WHEN ALESSANDRA GOT ON ADORA'S BACK ABOUT THE BOYS 🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

HAHAHAHA I knew I'd see a lot of comments about her and how irrelevant she is and I live for the thought. Ok.

Are we kinda skeptical of Alessandra, or are u guys liking her?? I can't tell which for me. Comment what u are thinking!!!

I hope u guys liked this chapter :) how did we like the double update? I love making u guys happy with double updates.

Ok. I guess that's all I have rn!!

I love u guys so much!!! ❤️❤️

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