Adriana’s POV

"Excuse me?” The husky tone rang through the car, and Jose shot a look at Adriana, who shrugged.

“Who are you, and how do you have Ria’s phone?” the person on the other line raged.

“I could ask you the same thing. Why are you still pursuing her if you already chose someone else?” Jose’s eyes were locked with Adriana’s, and she broke eye contact at his words.

“Look, Mr…” Carlos’s voice was thunderous. “I don’t know who you are or what the heck you want, but that is my damn fiancée—”

“Was your fiancée!” Adriana interrupted, and her eyes welled up with tears. Jose stared at her with wide eyes. He had never seen her speak in such a bitter tone or flare up like that — until now, he did not believe that Adriana could be that fierce.

“I was your fiancée before you went and messed with my best friend! You slept with her, you monster—”

“Is that why you ran off with the first bait you caught?!” His words repulsed her.

“You are despicable, Carlos!” Adriana spat and grabbed the phone from Jose before he could speak. “You are the scum of the earth. I gave you the best years of my life with the promise that we could have something — something that would last enough so we could be happy.” Her voice cracked, and her body racked with sobs.

“But no… you just couldn’t.” Her eyes hardened as she spoke. “So, guess what?! I am just as much a slut as you are a piece of crap! I am also capable of starting my life with the next man I find, and yes, we did spend the night together, rolling in sheets and doing even more than you did…” Her voice trailed off, and Jose glared at her with a slack jaw.

“No…” Carlos’s voice was soaked with disbelief. “You don’t have the guts to do that. You know the press will be all over us in a moment. You are too good—”

“Is that why you betrayed me with my best friend?” the woman cut him mid-sentence. “Because you thought I was a goody two shoes? A plain Jane, as she calls me?” Adriana chuckled dryly, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“I still love you…” the man dared to say.

“Screw you, Carlos! Screw you and your sick love!” She ended the call, and more sobs racked through her body as she deflated against the car seat. Adriana could barely breathe as she cried.

It had finally hit her. Carlos didn’t even sound remorseful. He hadn’t called to apologize. He just wanted to be sure that she hadn’t moved on yet.

Adriana ran her hands over her face in frustration.

“Do you want me to pull over—”

“No!” Her high-pitched voice came. “Don’t stop! Just keep driving till we are out of this damned city!”

Jose struggled with his thoughts as he sped down the road. The dark-haired man felt the urge to stop the car and pull Adriana into his arms, but he also knew that she would not appreciate it.

The movie star wanted to handle her feelings alone.

When they had driven far enough, the silence was beyond choking. Jose cleared his throat, and Adriana furiously wiped her tears before she made eye contact with the road.

“Why…” The man sat up and debated whether or not this was the right time to ask. “Why did you lie to him?”

“Lie to him?” Adriana echoed, and her head shot in his direction. Jose winced at her flushed cheeks and reddened eyes.

“Yeah, um, lie to him.” He shrugged. “You told him that we spent the night together—”

“Didn’t we?” Adriana responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Didn’t we spend the night together?”

“Adriana, you know that’s not what I mean…” Even in her distressed state, the woman’s beauty managed to leave him speechless as she ran her hands through her hair and plopped her head back. She turned to him, and her piercing green eyes locked with his.

“Then let’s turn that lie into the truth.” Adriana retorted, and Jose choked on nothing.

“What?! Adriana, we just met, and that is your fiancée—”

“Ex-fiancée,” she corrected.

“Still, he’s the man you wanted to spend the rest of your life with—”

“He’s the man who cheated on me with my best friend. He’s the man who lied to my face multiple times. He’s the man who fed me false promises while he was screwing my best friend, and I will never be able to fix things or forgive someone who has hurt me that much.” Her voice was firm and left no room for more arguments.

“You mean what you said?” Jose echoed after a while, and Adriana placed her hands on his, which were on the steering wheel. They locked eyes, and he struggled to focus on the road.

“Do you doubt it? Or what? Am I not good enough for you?”

“Adriana…”

“We are both single, hurting, and with a void in our hearts.” Her voice was soft and almost hypnotic.

Jose parked the car, but she remained in his face, and their lips brushed against each other.

“Let’s complete each other and make this trip worth it… I-I… I am sick of being on the receiving end, and I know you are too…” Her hands snaked around his neck as she spoke.

Jose’s mind went blank as he thought of how breathtakingly beautiful she looked in her sunflower dress, with the neckline prominent. The edges of her lips curled up, and she pulled away.

“What do you think, Mr. Torres?” The woman in front of him sounded confident, sensual, and utterly stunning — nothing like the complacent model that the media portrayed. She looked inviting and certain.

“Once we get in… once we do this… there—there’s no backing out, pretty girl,” Jose warned, and the name slipped out.

“Well then, let’s get started…” Adriana chuckled and locked her lips into his.