Gateaway Car

After receiving a call from Barney, Alejandro started to suspect that Selena must be with him now.

He was driving back to the hospital, wondering if the security could give him access to cameras so at least he would know if Selena left in a taxi or someone picked her up.

After the call, he turned the steering wheels and parked on the side road. He dialed Barney's number again, hoping that Selena is with him but he didn't answer.

He tried calling him a couple more times but he didn't answer.

"Where could she be?" he murmured.

Realizing that Barney was acting strange by not answering his call, Alejandro stretched a hand, lip pressed tightly as he started the car.

-

At Barney's apartment.

The sadness shining in Selena's eyes could not be removed by the comedy movie that was playing on the television.

Her body on the couch, both arms wrapped around her legs, Selena was anxiously sitting in Barney's apartment.

It's been an hour since they arrived. Once again, she finds herself in the place of a man, something she was not used to be.

She doesn't know what came at her when she was at the hospital, all she knows was that her fingers just tapped the number she was used on dialing even though her mind was urging her to call Alejandro.

She snorts, preventing the liquid from her eyes to fall down. She will not cry, that's what she said in her mind.

A place where she could be comfortable, a place with no people that would ask her why she's gloomy.

She wants to be alone and now that she is, she couldn't help but feel lonely.

She rocked her body as she stayed hugging both of her legs. She hates misunderstanding but a part of her was stopping her from turning her phone on.

Barney was in the kitchen, to make sure that he wouldn't call her family, she took his phone from him.

The bell from the door rang in the house, Selena's shoulders jumped from its sound.

Soon, footsteps could be heard, She inclined her head at its direction and found Barney with his eyebrows gradually creasing.

"It's either Killian or Alejandro," said Barney.

Selena's heart pulverized by the thought of seeing Alejandro.

Is she ready to see him? She asked herself.

What would she say? As the bitter reality flashed in her mind, Selena's body moved.

Her head jerked into different directions, looking for a place to hide.

Then she found a balcony, she didn't notice it earlier due to thick curtain but now that the sun is setting, she could see the light passing through the curtains.

She rushed after placing a finger on her lips to hush Barney. She could see his face wrinkling, head shaking as he refused to cooperate.

Selena folded her hands together, begging for him to cooperate.

Barney let out a sigh, her eyes blinking like a puppy was melting his mind.

"Fine," his feet turned and walked towards the door. When he opened it, Alejandro swayed his body out of his way and walked inside without invitation.

"Is she here?" Alejandro's voice was almost gone, there was traffic so he needed to park his car somewhere and ran to Barney's house.

"Why? What is happening?" barney asked, trying to fight his lips from spilling the beans.

He wanted to ask what happened to his face. It was wretched like a sixteen wheeler truck drove his face over.

After knowing that Selena was not in Barney's apartment, Alejandro's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

All the pain on his face and his heart that has been pounding so harshly since he left the hospital came to him like a river. He could feel his body weakening with exhaustion.

As he slumped his body onto the couch, he brushed a hand over his face. A long sigh let out from his lip, heart aching as he tried to think what Selena must be going through right now.

"I f*cked it up Barney," his voice was deep as the ocean, it was shaking as he cursed out.

"What happened Alejandro?" Barney's eyes were narrowing with suspicion, watching his friend cursing like a street gang was something he was not used to.

"I messed it up. I don't know how to tell this to Selena," Alejandro harshly took the cushion from the couch and vigorously threw it in the air.

Alejandro's face was red like a tomato, Barney had a hard time figuring out if it's his expression or the blood-stained on his face.

"What did you do Alejandro?" he said in low voice, his heart started pounding seeing his friend acting like he had lost everything.

"I took advantage of her. My mom, she asked me to take one of Selena's auntie's book in their library. I did and now, I just can't, I have been avoiding her because I don't know how to face her. I thought I could continue and pretend that it didn't happen but I just can't lie to her, not when she's looking at me with those eyes," there was a regret strained in his voice, his face grimaced, he has been holding everything, all the bad things he had done in the past and now that he might lose Selena, he could not help but to lash out.

Barney was dumbfounded after hearing it, his lips parted with shock as he stared at Alejandro.

"What book?" Barney's voice quivered as he asked the question.

"Medical book. It contains formulas that the Chu Pharma are using. My mom said she needed it and I just want to be with Selena so,"

Alejandro looked up to him, his eyes were shining with guilt, he could feel it. Alejandro has the same expression he had a few years ago, the day when he went to his house with blood on his hands, soaked and tears on his face.

Barney gulped hard, he might have kept that secret to Killian but right now, what Alejandro told him was something he couldn't keep.

Barney wanted to pity him, just like before. Alejandro might be stiffed and cold on the outside but he was and will always be a people pleaser, especially to his mother.

Barney doesn't have a family anymore, and he was always alone. But, to him, he would prefer to be alone on his birthday or holidays than to be in Alejandro's feet.

Unlike before, he wouldn't be able to keep this as a secret, because as much as he wanted to pity him, there was a woman in his balcony who must be crying right now.

With that thought in mind, Barney clenched his fists.

"Alejandro, go home first. I will call you once I find her."

Alejandro didn't disagree, there's no reason for him to stay, Selena is not here.

As his feet walked towards the door like a zombie, Killian's figure appeared.

"How long have you been here?" said Barney. He was too focused at Alejandro that he didn't notice the door was half-opened.

"I was with him in the car. This idiot forgot that I was with him and locked the door," his nose was wrinkled in annoyance while his hand itched to hit his brother.

Killian indeed heard all the conversation, from start to finish.

"Where could she be," Killian murmured as he watched his brother passed him and went downstairs.

Killian held the doorknob to leave but his eyes caught the reflection of a woman through the balcony glass door huddling on the corner, both arms were hugging her legs while her shoulders were shaking.

Her face was dark but he knows who she was.

He sighed as his heart gripped with pain. His eyes turned to the shelves on the wall and recognized the purple phone connected to a charge port.

"Can you look after her?" Killian said to Barney.

Barney, with a serious expression on his face, nodded. He saw how Killian looked at the balcony and later to the shelve, he knows better than Killian was one of the best police in their city, it's just unfortunate that he quitted.

After Killian left, Barney walked towards the balcony with heavy feet.

He felt his world stopping, seeing his sister at Selena's position.

Her delicate hands were shaking as she used it to cover her mouth, tears were flowing in big pieces on each side of her eyes, body was trembling as her back leaned against the cold metal of the balcony.

He squatted in front of her and just pulled her to his chest, she was holding her weep, he figured, and as soon as her face bumped into his chest, a painful weep let out from her trembling lips.

"Can you bring me home?"

Barney nodded, he stretched a hand and brought her home.

-

After Barney brought her home, Selena stayed in her room, on her bed, under the blanket.

Tears were in her eyes but, her heart was not throbbing as she thought it would after finding out that Alejandro only used her.

Her lips quivered as she stared at her blanket. She knows that she loves Alejandro but why does her heart was not aching as it should be after getting betrayed, instead, despite the tears in her eyes, her heart was somehow calm.

Her hand absently traveled on her chest, Alejandro's face flashed in her mind.

Her deep thinking was disturbed when Alexa lay next to her under the blanket.

Selena had her body curled and laying on the side, she could feel Alexa's hand wrapping around her waist while her face buried on her back.

"Selena," Alexa called out her name.

"Yeah?" her voice was broken.

"Is it painful?" she asked.

"What?"

"Love? It should be easy right? If you like someone you should just go and tell him, if you don't like him then you have to tell him too. Why do people need to make it difficult? You are crying here and Alejandro is injured, if you two are hurting why not just break up? Why waste time hurting each other," Alexa doesn't know what is happening between Alejandro and Selena, she once thought they would be end game but, after she saw Alejandro earlier and now her cousin crying on the bed, she realized that they are both hurting.

Alexa's words have made Selena think of her situation. She was right, why would she cry in her room instead of talking to him, why would she waste her tears on something they can talk over.

With that thought, her eyes shut. Heart debated whether or not she should go and face Alejandro.

Suddenly she heard Alexa snoring, it was as loud as the helicopter.

She got up, mind has decided to talk to him.

After finding out from Barney that Alejandro had gone home, Selena went to his place.

Her cousin was right, why would she stay in her room crying when she could have told him what she has in her mind.

So, when the taxi stopped in front of Alejandro's gate, Selena swallowed hard.

Her mind was wrecked, heart confused, and the only thing to fix it is to talk to Alejandro, tell him what she has in her mind.

When the door opened, and she saw Alejandro's face, her heart gripped.

Her cousin had told her about Alejandro, how injured he was but she didn't expect him to be in this state.

There were bruises on his cheeks, she could recognize the skull plaster that was used to cover the wound on his forehead, the flower plaster on his nose and the wound on the side of his lips.

Her heart throbbed for him but, she knows that she needs to talk to him.

So, she parted her lips, eyes were looking straight at his.

Standing by the door, opposite of Alejandro, Selena took a deep breath.

Eyes shining with pain and guilt, she looked at the injured person in front.

"Selena. I can explain," she heard it but, her conscious was urging her to tell him her decision.

After a long and painful breath, she spoke.

"Alejandro. Let's break up."