6:15AM
MESSAGE FROM
"Pedro"

Pedro
Good morning
mi princesa💜
Sleep okay?

Willow
Hi
Good morning
Yes
I did
You?

Pedro
Very haha
You busy today?

Willow
Meeting the new lawyer
And CC
I wish you could come

Pedro
Thats today?
I forgot
I hope it goes well.
I'll be here after!

Willow
Okay❤️

—

"Please explain."

"Willow," CC looked over at her with a frown, creasing her normally pretty expression. "I'm so sorry for what happened to you — I had, I had no idea. You have to believe me."

"You knew I was an addict, though," Willow pointed out, looking between CC and her lawyer., Marissa. "What're you talking about?"

"I had no idea you were in an abusive relationship."

Willow's face paled and she leaned back in her seat, glancing at the lawyer in question.

"Give us a minute, Miss Torres," the lawyer smiled, not unkindly, when CC left the room.

"Abusive relationship?" Willow asked quickly after the door shut. "Pedro would never, in a million years ever—"

"—This is about your ex, James Callaghan. You want to win this case?"

Willow nodded slowly.

"This is how. James Callaghan is an abuser. If we can prove it and provide witness statements, and make a big show of it — we can win this. He can go to jail."

"Do you think I did it?" Willow asked quietly. If they were fighting for the same thing, she was asking. Or did Marissa want to get paid by the highest bidder?

"No," Marissa answered honestly. "I don't. But the evidence is against you. We have to play sympathetic and get the jury to rule in your favor. If we can prove you were manipulated into lying for him — then we win. CC brought it to my attention."

"Why?" Willow asked, glancing to the door. There had to be an ulterior motive. There always was with her.

"I'm not sure," Marissa admitted. "I don't trust her but I like your dad and I owe him a favor."

"You do?"

"We were friends in high school," she smiled at Willow. "I owe him everything."

She didn't go into more detail, but Willow knew the respect she had for her father was large. A part of her hated taking a freebie from her father, but he was willing to help and she had no way out of this mess otherwise.

"So, care to bring her back in?"

"Let's do this."

—

3:45PM
MESSAGE FROM
"Pedro"

Pedro
Hey there pretty lady
How'd the meeting go?

Willow
Good!!!!
We have a good plan
CC is a trip as usual
I don't miss her lollll
But I'm omw to yours now

Pedro
Are you now?
Interesting
I just so happened to finish
making lunch
Care for a churrasco?

Willow
Yes?
Idk what that is
But I'd love to try it

Pedro
It's good
Like a steak sandwich
You'll like it

Willow
Did you make two for yourself

Pedro
No
Ofc not
That's dumb
No
Maybe
Yes but you can have one
Hahahahaha

Willow
You're so cute 😂
I likes you

Pedro
Do you now?

Willow
Yes
I do😩
Be there in 10

—

Willow held Pedro's hand on his sofa, her head resting on his shoulder.

"I think I made a decision."

His hand squeezed hers and he paused the show, pressing a kiss to her head.

"Yeah? You don't have to rush, it's okay."

"No, I," she pulled back, looking over his handsome features. "Pedro I want to be with you."

A smile tugged at his lips, hand holding hers tightly. "Yeah?"

Willow nodded. "I don't know if I'm going to be a good girlfriend, honestly, but I—I want to try. I want to be with you. Officially."

"And your lawyer's okay with this?"

"It'll actually help the case, if I'm with someone who can attest to the 'abuse'," she used quotations around the word, but knew in her gut it was the truth. "Have you talked to Jason at all?"

"Baby, I dropped him months ago. Before we ended our PR relationship."

"What?" Willow asked with wide eyes. "But you—"

"—You were not ready for a relationship, amor, I didn't want to pressure you."

"How did you get out of the deal with him? And CC?"

Pedro shrugged. "Hired a lawyer. Kept it under wraps. Sweetheart," he reached his hand up to her face, resting it against her cheek. "I've been wanting to be with you from the day you and I first texted. Even if I hadn't found a way out of it, I would've."

"Wait," Willow pulled back from his hand. "So you lied? About why we couldn't be together? The first time? You said it was because of who we were and because we were being controlled even though you'd already solved that problem."

"I didn't lie," he said firmly. "I've never once lied to you, and I never will. We are puppets in this industry. We are controlled by our agents and reps and the media, that's not a lie. When I told you that, I wasn't sure I could get out of the arrangement and I didn't want to hurt you if I couldn't. It was in the works but I didn't want to mess anything up with us. But we're both free to date now and I — if you want, I'd love to be officially yours."

Willow mulled over his words, a smile playing at her lips. "Yeah?"

"Hell yeah, baby."

Without a second thought, Willow grabbed his face in her hands and brought his mouth to hers, gasping in delight as their lips made contact.

Pedro tasted of honey and spices and peanut butter — from the cookies they'd just eaten — and he smelled of bergamot, so strongly this close to her.

He didn't hesitate, wrapping his arms around her waist and tugging her closer, securing her to him. She claimed his lower lip between her teeth, nibbling gently, delighted in the soft whimper that escaped his lips.

He pulled her onto his lap, letting her straddle him, his hands patient, calm, warm, caressing her skin gently. She rocked against him, enthralled in the feeling of his fingertips on her skin.

Willow tugged on his hair and he let out a breathy laugh, squeezing her tightly in response to each tug.

"You like that?" She pulled back, panting, their noses touching. He nodded wordlessly and she tugged at his hair again, smiling at the low moan.

"Willow," he pulled back, grabbing her hands. "I need to—I need to tell you something."

Frowning, she looked over his face carefully. He was still hard under her, his bulge pronounced under his thin sweatpants, and she loved the feeling of him so obviously turned on by her.

"What?" She asked quietly, worriedly, trying not to get anxious.

"I—fuck, I don't know if it's too early or if I should even say it because technically we're just now starting a relationship, but I've been—"

"—I love you too," she smiled at him softly, cutting off his rambling, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop them.

And she meant it, too.

She'd already admitted it to herself and her therapist, and it had never been more clear to her than now.

She did love him.

She loved his patient, empathetic nature and his kind, gentle voice. She loved his intelligence and his laugh and the way his hands felt on her. She loved how much stability he provided, how safe she felt with him.

She loved his soothing voice, quieting her after a panic attack or meltdown, and his willingness to wait until she was ready, just to get a chance to be with her.

"I love you so much, Pedro."

A smile pulled at his lips and he reached his hands up, resting them on her cheeks. She pressed a kiss to his left palm, and another on his right. His smile softened.

"I love you, Willow," he said seriously, staring into her eyes, willing her to see how much he meant it.

The usage of her name from his lips send chills down her spine and she leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his lips softly.

He pulled her closer and she rested her head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. Bergamot and cedar wood, always the same, always safe. He moved his hands around her waist again, holding her in a hug.

"Mine," he whispered in her hair, running a hand along her clothed back, his other hand holding her tightly. "You're all mine now, princesa."

Willow breathed out a laugh, nodding into his neck.

"I'm yours," she said quietly. "And you're mine, okay?"

He stopped rubbing her, squeezing her gently against him. "Forever yours."

—

okiiiiiiieee officially together yay! honestly we're reaching the end 😭 we have the court battle and then a few fluff chapters but we're almost there:( I have another pedro story planned though hehe so you guys can read that when I finish this one. Lmk what you guys thought and thank you for loving this book as much as I do 💜