Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pedro told her that somebody wanted to speak with her. It was strange. Everyone who knew her was at the party. She didn't expect someone to search for her. Now, she wasn't any of the finalists, but it didn't matter to her. Something opened her eyes that fame and glitter aren't everything. But who wanted to speak with her, if she was only one of the people who were enjoying the party?

She left the rink and went to the cafeteria where she met a woman.

"Hello," she said contemptuously because she recognized her. She was the woman who Sharon had banned from the mansion. What did she do here?

"Ámbar, do you recognize me?" she asked with a shy tone.

Ámbar re-examined her again like she didn't know who she was, and then she answered her question, "Unfortunately yes. Look, I don't know why you are here, but I don't want to know. If there's anything wrong, talk to Sharon." She didn't want to waste her time on this woman. She knew that this person had been following her for days, but Sharon warned her. She knew it was only a money-hungry woman.

She tried to leave her, but the woman grabbed her left arm.

Ámbar didn't know what this woman wanted from her. It was weird like someone had been stalking her for days and now the person stood in front of her. She wasn't scared because the woman didn't seem dangerous even if Sharon said she was.

"But I need to talk to you, not Sharon. You have to know the truth!" she huffed, and Ámbar stopped.

She looked in her eyes and responded a bit more loudly, "I don't care! Let me go!" She really didn't care. What truth is she talking about? Surely, it's a trick to get some money.

She almost left the woman when the older yelled at her, "Your name isn't Sol Benson."

Ámbar frozen, she didn't expect this. Many thoughts came into her mind at that moment. From where did this woman know she is Sol Benson? Only a few people knew it because it was a big secret in front of the media. But she said she wasn't Sol Benson. Did she hear it well? What did she want?

"What did you say?" she questioned and turned back.

"That your name isn't Sol Benson," she answered the same thing.

So, she heard well, she said that. But what does it mean? Her face showed her disappointment like she has never done before. Why did she caneű to tell her something like this? From where did she know this?

"I am your mother," the woman told her, and Ámbar raised an eyebrow.

What? It can't be. Her mother is Lily Benson who died tragically in the Benson Fire like her father.

The woman smiled at her and tried to touch her, but she prevented it. How could anyone say such a thing? Why did she try to touch her? If she was saying that she was her mother, she wasn't allowed to touch her. What did she think?

"You're an idiot! How did it get your mind to tell me something like this?" she howled.

"This is the truth, you should believe me," she replied. Why should she believe?

"No, no, no," Ámbar repeated. "You're a liar!" she cooed. "My aunt warned me. She said you would search me with crazy things to get money, but I didn't believe you would do such a thing," she flooded the words.

What did she think? It's absurd!

"Did Sharon tell you this?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"Don't rob me of my time! I don't believe you!" Ámbar said between her teeth. A tear ran down her face. Something told her this woman didn't lie to her, but it also couldn't be real.

"Please, listen to me!" the woman begged. "I do not lie. Sharon misled me."

"Enough!" She raised her hands as a defense. "Go away! I can't stand that you are insulting my aunt. You called me out from a party if you haven't noticed it." She swept the tears away. " I need to go back," she yelled at her.

"Please, you have to listen!"

"No," Ámbar roared at last and turned back. She thought it was over, finally. But it wasn't, now came the biggest part of it.

"You have a birthmark in the shape of a star on your body. On your belly's right side."

Ámbar frozen again, it can't be. How did she know? It was true, she has a star-shaped birthmark. One more tear ran down her face.

"It's beautiful," the woman stated with kindness in her voice. "You have had it since you were born."

Ámbar sighed and turned around. Her mouth was opened, she was surprised. The woman may be telling the truth.

She wiped the tear away and asked, “How did you know that?"

She was lost. Her whole world turned upside down in very little time.

"I could never forget it. When you were born, your face and your body, every part engraved into my heart."

The woman was speaking, but Ámbar didn't hear well. Her whole body was trembling, and she felt dizzy. Her head began to buzz. It was too much for her. Too sudden and too hard, like a flash of lightning from nowhere.

"I am your mother." She stepped closer to her. "I was alone, and I had no way to take care of you." The only thing which Ámbar could do was shake her head. No, this is a lie. No!

"That's why I had to put you up for adoption." She seemed honest, but Ámbar couldn't believe it.

"It can't be," she said with a trembling tone. She couldn’t speak fluently because she was shocked. A storm of feelings swept through her.

"I tried to tell you many, many times what happened but Sharon never let me. At your birthday party last year, I posed as an employee of the caterer to be a little bit closer to you. I left you a gift. It was a little brooch in the shape of a star, did you get it?" Ámbar only blinked some to keep the tears in.

Memories flooded Ámbar's mind. The moment when Sharon said she was Sol Benson. When she didn't remember the melody which the doll played. When his grandfather noticed her birthmark, he didn't know she had one. When Amanda said she wasn't Sol Benson. It was weird but it didn't matter at that time. But now every little detail came together into one image as a puzzle became finished. She isn't Sol Benson.

"I think it's important you know the truth. If you need something, you can always count on me," she promised her. She had never heard these words. 'You can count on me', it was new for her. "I hope someday you will regret me."

The woman started to cry, and Ámbar left her. She couldn't process what happened to her during this very little time. Her whole life turned around. Now she didn't know who she was. She was living in a stupid lie! What did her aunt think!?

She went backstage where she could be alone. This was what she needed at that moment.

Her tears stopped running down her face, now she wasn't sad but lost. Who am I at all? I am the daughter of a poor woman. No, it can't be. I am Ámbar Smith, the perfectness who everybody wants to be.

How could anyone come out of nowhere and tell her she is her mother? And she couldn't keep her because she hadn't money. She gave up on her like Sharon does every day when she doesn't do what she wants. She was a girl who no one wanted.  She was alone, no one liked her.

---

Manuel was sitting on the terrace of the Fundom. He was waiting for his mother with whom he met that day because he wanted to know the truth about his father.

He grew up knowing his father was dead, but it wasn't the truth. Some months ago, he started an investigation in which he discovered that his father was still alive. Antonio, his uncle, told him that his father was alive, but he was in prison because he made some serious mistakes in the past. He said that his mother wanted to protect him from it, but it wasn't true, and he knew it. He felt it.

His cousin, Victor, always told him that his father—Antonio—was probably lying because he always lies. Manuel didn't know what his cousin aimed for, but he believed him. After steps when he came closer to the truth, Antonio's tale became more unreal. He found out newer and newer lies and Manuel saw through him. For that, he needed his mother, who wouldn't lie. She can’t do it.

Finally, his mother arrived, and she hugged him tightly. Manuel missed her so much, but he couldn't live with her in Madrid because if he lived with her, he would have to give up his life here with his friends and his almost girlfriend, Bia. They were together for a couple of months, but so many things stood between them, so they separated. He still loved her, but Bia wasn't prepared for their relationship yet, so they were only friends.

"I missed you so much!" her mother said to him after she had let him.

"Me too," Manuel added with kindness in his voice.

"How are you? How is the university going and your piano lessons? And things with Bia?" She flooded him with many questions that he couldn't answer and didn't want to. He had a more important one.

"Mum, enough!" He smiled at her.

"Sorry, but I missed you so much. We haven't talked for long."

"I know, but first, I have an important question," Manuel started.

"Okay," she agreed, but she didn't want to tell him because she knew that the answer which Manuel would get, wouldn't be what he wanted.

"Mama, I need to know the truth about my father," he asked her to tell him the truth. The truth which defined his life. "You didn't say anything on the phone," he stated.

"Because this is a talk which we need to take personally." Her tone became more serious.

"I am here, I am listening," Manuel encouraged her to talk.

"For me, it isn't easy to talk about your father," his mother stated.

"I know, but I need to know the truth," Manuel replied. "Is he in prison?" he asked curiously.

"No, no, he isn't," his mother answered, and Manuel got the first shot. He felt it but to know it was a lie was hard, very hard.

"I believe you will confirm it," Manuel replied, and her mother shook her head. "If he isn't in prison, is he alive, or has he died?" Manuel asked with a crackling voice. He was on the verge of crying.

"Look-"

"Mum!"

She grabbed his son's hands and squeezed them. "I will answer all your doubts." Manuel nodded. "I met your father years ago, and we dated for a while. Then, I got pregnant with you." She left a smile on her face and Manuel too. "I thought it would make him happy, but..." Her eyes glistened with tears appearing. "When I told him everything changed." She shook her head while the memories came into her mind.

"I found out that he deceived me from the beginning." She sighed and continued, "In reality, he had another family. He was married with sons."

Manuel shook his head in anger and blinked some. How could anyone do such a thing?

"Another one was about to be born." Manuel blew into the air like an angry bull. "He didn't want anything to do with me anymore. And for a long time, I didn't want to do anything with him." Her mother was shaking her head while she was speaking. The tears ran down her face.

Manuel was angry, very angry. How could anyone do this with his mom? But he needed to know the truth.

"So, is he alive?" he asked again.

"Manuel, look—"

"Mum," he sighed, "I have to know the truth. Who is my father?"

His mum looked down; she couldn't look into her son's eyes.

"Yes, but..." Manuel begged her with his eyes. "Your father is," she took a deep breath and blew it out, "your father is Antonio."

Manuel felt like a truck hit him. Antonio? His uncle? This man is incredibly evil. He deceived his mother and him too. He knew the truth and didn't say anything.

He was living years thinking his father died, and now it turned out that his father is his uncle. He lived with him for one year. And his father didn't undertake him.

He was prepared for everything but not this. He thought that his father was a burglar or a thief or something else but not like this. Antonio tried to convince him that his father is a criminal. But if he could do this, he is. He is a criminal.

"That can't be true," he stated after thinking.

"But yes. He is your father," his mother answered him.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he huffed with a trembling voice.

"I am so sorry. I wanted to tell you, but your father has another family, and he asked me not to tell you this."

"Why did you leave me to live with him?"

"Firstly, I thought it would be a great idea to know him, to live with him, to be with him and sometimes he will tell you the truth, but it didn't happen."

"But why? Why didn't?" he cooed.

"Because Antonio always found objections to not telling you." She wiped a tear away and grabbed his son's hands again. "Why didn't you go with me to Spain? You can leave everything behind," she offered, but Manuel shook his head. He didn't want to live with his mother who was lying to him for years.

"How could I tell you that your father is Antonio?" she asked, crying.

"Like now. You wanted to lie to me during my whole life?" Manuel questioned her louder than he wanted, but it didn't matter. He was angry at her, angry at Antonio and angry at everything. His whole life was a lie.

"No, no, no. I only wanted to protect you," she answered crying and grabbing his hands for the third time. "I thought that it would be more painful to know the truth." She tried to look into his eyes, but Manuel turned his head. "I feel terrible because of lying. I thought you would understand it."

Manuel jerked his hands away and stood up.

"Son!" she cried, but Manuel left her. He needed time to process it.

Chapter Text

Ámbar was sitting backstage and staring at nothing. She couldn't believe it. Sharon lied to her, Sharon told her that her parents were dead, and she believed her, but somewhere her real parents were living, at least her mum. Her mum, who didn't keep her, who gave her for adoption, who didn't want her. This woman could say anything, she didn't believe that she couldn't keep her. If somebody wanted something, she would fight for the end.

Somebody opened the door and started to speak. "Ámbar, can I ask you a favor?" the kind voice asked her. He hesitated a bit, he didn't know how to ask her. She was the queen of the rink, of the roller, she was beautiful and wonderful. How could she descend from the throne for a simple guy? Finally, he found the words. "So, would you like to sing with me?" he asked with a shy smile on his face.

Ámbar heard the words, heard Simón's happiness but she had no desire for it after what had happened to her. She blinked one and stared at the nothing. She wasn't there only her body, her brain was somewhere else, in the web of lies where she wanted to find the exit.

"One more person is needed for the duel, and I was thinking of you. Luna is going to sing with Matteo," he explained the situation.

He seemed happy, so happy, she couldn't make him sad. He was the one person who cared for her, even though she was only using her instead of Luna. But she couldn't move, she couldn't do anything, she was locked in the lies.

"What do you say?" he asked her.

She blinked some but she didn't turn her head or say anything.

"Ámbar, I know you have heard," he chuckled.

No reaction.

"Okay," he scratched his head and pulled out one of the chairs to sit down, "why aren't you at the party?"

No answer.

Simón became worried. "Ámbar, are you okay?" he asked seriously. The happiness left him when he realized that his friend didn't react to anything. What had happened to her? She was never like this.

Still no reaction, so he also asked the former question aloud.

Finally, Ámbar reacted but she only shook her head many times. After that, she whispered, "I don't know." Her voice was trembling, Simón could hear she had cried before. "I don't know yet," she repeated. "Not yet clear to me."

She couldn't find her way from the web of lies but Simón's worried tone called her back to the ground.

For answering, Simón nodded some, but he didn't understand anything. He knew that Ámbar's life wasn't an easy thing although it was something new to him, she was never like this.

"Okay, good. If you want, I will stay with you," he offered kindly. "Listen, we don't have much time, but I am waiting for you. Perhaps the company helps you," he stated.

"No," Ámbar answered. She didn't want Simón to miss the opportunity of his life because of her. She turned and looked at him. "No, you don't need to worry about me. I will be okay," she responded. "Go," she gestured with her hand, "and I am sorry that I can't help you." She left a sad smile on her face and turned her head. She couldn't look into his eyes and saw his disappointment. That was enough to feel it.

"No problem," he answered, and his lips formed a half-smile. It didn't happen how he wanted. "It isn't a big deal. I want to help you," he stated. For answering Ámbar nodded but she didn't know how he could help her. No one knows what she is feeling now.

"It's not good to keep things to yourself."

Silence on the other side.

"There is a good solution for it, the singing or dancing," he tried to cheer her up. "Or you can tell a friend, for me," he smiled at her kindly.

Ámbar turned her head. She couldn't look into his eyes. How could she say it to him, or anyone? It was a big secret which brought many problems for her, for Sharon. Yes, the woman who generated this, who made the trouble. If she said it to someone, it would hurt the person she had told. Sharon was a very dangerous woman, she knew it, mostly after this. She could do anything to keep her secrets.

He placed his left hand on her right shoulder supporting but she pulled her away. She didn't like when somebody touched her, still not. The crying took hold of her again, but she prevented it. She couldn't show her weakness to anyone, not even him. He had seen enough.

"I leave you, ok?" He didn't wait for an answer, he knew what she wanted. He felt that she wanted to be alone, but he said the last words before leaving her, "Listen Ámbar, calm down. If you need me, I am here." He stood up. "Don't be angry."

He almost left the place when Ámbar called out, "Simón! Wait, please!"

He closed the door and stepped back. Ámbar didn't turn her head because one last tear ran down her face. She couldn't show it to him because he wouldn't leave her until she told him the truth.

She wiped the tear away and turned to Simón. "I will sing with you," she stated and tried to smile like everything was okay.

Simón's eyes shone up and returned her gesture. They left the backstage together and went to the rink where everybody was dancing to loud music.

---

Manuel was walking in the park, alone. He needed to process what had happened a while ago. He wasn't the person he believed himself to be. His father was Antonio, his uncle. So, Alex and Victor are his brothers...

He was happy for Victor; he always knew that something was special in their relationship. Victor was an older brother to him so far but now it wasn't a feeling, it was a fact now.

On the other hand, Alex wasn't the perfect brother. He was arrogant and selfish. He did everything to ruin Manuel's relationship with Bia. At first, Alex liked Bia and wanted her as his girlfriend but after a video, in which Bia mocked Alex, the boy got hate for her. Bia didn't do any worse, the video was cut and showed fake claims. Then it turned out that Bia is an Urquiza, which was the other involved family in the accident which happened more than ten years before. It was a tragic accident where Helena and Luca Gutiérrez died, only Victor Gutiérrez escaped alive, but his life wasn't the old one either, he was forced into a wheelchair. It was said that Helena Urquiza drove at the time of the accident, so the Gutiérrez family blamed the Urquizas because of it.

The fact that Alex went to the Laix—a big network—helped neither. Alex became more selfish, more arrogant and he lost his true self.

Manuel couldn't process the whole thing alone, he needed to tell someone. He took out his phone and called Bia, his chief confidant. Yet, he couldn't call Victor to tell him: did you know we are brothers?

"Hola Bia! Can I talk to you in the Fundom?" he asked.

"Yes," answered the girl on the other side of the line. She didn't know what happened to Manuel. The boy's voice was serious, and she could hear something else in it.

"Super, in the Fundom?"

"Okay, see you there."

The call ended and Manuel went to the Fundom. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell anyone, but he couldn't process it alone. It was something which he couldn't keep in him, something huge on his shoulders, something which defines his identity.

He arrived and found Bia in the recording room. Luckily, she was alone. The brown-haired girl was sitting on one of the boxes and drawing something. She loves drawing and she is talented in it and Manuel found her drawings good looking.

When the boy stepped into the room the girl looked up and left a little smile on her face, but Manuel knew it wasn't true. Something said to him she wasn't happy. Her facial features were forced and the spark in her eyes missed.

"Hey!" He waved his right hand and he sat down opposite of her and looked into her eyes.

"Hi, Manuel!" Her tone wasn't the usual, the happiness was missing from it, but a little nervousness took its place.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked with a little curiosity. She didn't know what had happened to her chico piano, his face serious but sad.

"Something," he waved in the air as if it wasn't important, "but you look sad. What happened to you?" He changed his thoughts. It wasn't the perfect moment to tell Bia what he found out. She wasn't well and it was more important than his problems.

"Nothing," she lied. Manuel knew it because she looked down at her shoes as if they were more interesting than him. She couldn't lie when she was looking into someone's eye.

"Tell me please!" he begged and grabbed one of her hands. He touched her skin gently and ran his finger on her hand.

She looked up and looked into his brown eyes. "Tell you first!" she asked him, and she pulled the left corner of her mouth up.

Should I tell her? It isn't the right moment. Something happened to her, and I need to help her.

Finally, he decided and started to speak. "I met my mum and asked her about my father. I wanted to know the truth." He spoke slowly and intelligibly, he carefully thought through the words before uttering them.

"Did she tell you?" A spark appeared in her eyes. It was a good sign; she was feeling better now.

"Yes," he nodded slowly.

"Who is your father?" she asked curiously, and she grabbed his hands. She knew it wasn't easy for him, but she didn't expect what she would hear.

"My father is," he took a deep breath, "Antonio Gutiérrez," he sighed. He said it in an overcast mood, but a little relief flooded him. He shared his problem with someone, it was much easier.

Now he studied the girl's reaction. Her mouth formed an O and she looked surprised. It was shocking for her too, not just for him. This man wasn't the kindest person with her family, nor with him as he found out.

"So, Alex, Victor and you are brothers," she replied surprised. She couldn't believe it. Antonio lied to him with this.

"Yes, we are. I always felt something special when I was with Victor and now, I know why," he replied. He looked at Bia, but the girl looked down. She couldn't process it either. "You know, Antonio is something else," he said and looked down too.

They kept in silence for some minutes to process what had happened. Manuel finally shared it with someone who didn't know also, and Bia got information which she hadn't expected. The silence was soothing and peaceful between them.

"Antonio lied to me and deceived me. He tried to mislead me, he tried to convince me that my father is a criminal. And Alex," he sighed, "I can't stand him and my father too." He was staring at the nothingness while he was talking. He shook his head after every little word which left his mouth. He still couldn't believe it, still not; it was too much for him. He thought it would be better if he told someone, but nothing happened. Bia was also mad, but she couldn't understand him. It was a fact for her, not her life turned upside down.

She tried to show him understanding but it wasn't the same. He felt alone in a spiral of lies and he couldn't find his real identity. He tried not to think about it, so he asked Bia again.

"What did you want to say?"

The girl froze for a moment. She didn't know what to say to him. She found out something else which wasn't an easy thing either. She found out the truth about the accident. Her sister didn't drive at the time of the accident, and it meant that Victor lied about everything. He was the only person who knew what had happened exactly but the video which she found shows the opposite of it. Helena, her sister, was sleeping at the time of the accident so the only two people who could drive were Victor and Lucas. She talked about it with Ana, her piano teacher and they found out that Lucas could be the one who was driving at that moment. It was shocking but a serious prosecution. It meant that her sister was innocent, however, the Gutiérrez family have been blaming them for years because of nothingness. One of their sons was driving and one of them was the wrong one, not her sister.

It was something she couldn't tell Manuel right now. He got hard news, so she could not tell him. It would have pressed him against the wall even more and once was more than enough for one day.

"It is that'' she was still thinking, "Doc!" she stated quickly. "Our puppy wasn't doing well lately so I took him to a vet, and he found out that his first right leg had been injured. It isn't anything serious, but Doc needed a bandage and some cream to become healthy again," she explained completely differently, but it was true. The vet examined the little puppy and Doc's leg was hurting real.

"Oh, I hope Doc will feel better soon," he answered.

"Sorry, I need to go. I have to go home, my parents are waiting for me," she stated and stood up quickly. "I hope you will feel better too." She left a kind smile on her face and stepped closer to Manuel who had stood up too. She hugged him quickly and left him. She couldn't stay with him because she couldn't lie to him for long.

Manuel stayed there in confusion. Everything was weird to him, his 'new father', his almost girlfriend and the new situation. He wanted to tell Antonio what he was feeling, what he thought but he didn't know it would be the right decision. If he had lied to him, why should he speak to him?

He started walking somewhere else deep in thought. It didn't matter where he was walking, his legs were taking him somewhere where could think alone.

It started darkening but he didn't want to go home. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He arrived at a park with a beautiful lake which the sunset sun illuminated. It was beautiful as the sunbeams were dancing in the water, but he couldn't see it. He saw only dark thoughts.

Chapter Text

She was lost in the big crowd. Everywhere she turned her face she met with happy people talking to each other and dancing. Ramiro said something funny to Jim and Yam and the girls started to laugh. Those happy faces hurt Ámbar's heart. She was on the verge of breaking; she could barely hold herself. Every happy face, every laughter was a knife on her skin. Among her many glad voices everywhere she turned her head.

She couldn't do this. She stopped.

A hand grabbed her palm and pulled a bit. She turned her face in the hand's owner's direction and saw him with his beautiful brown eyes and a kind smile on his face.

He stepped closer and whispered in her right ear, "I am with you."

Those little words meant the world to her. One person who helped her, who stood by her. The weird feeling left Ámbar and smiled at him if she was okay.

Simón didn't let her hand, he led Ámbar in front of the stage and there they stopped. "Everything will be alright," he promised and gave a last smile to her and let her hand. He turned and stepped to Juliana to let her know he was ready.

The woman nodded and pointed to the stage, showing the time was his. Simón nodded and stepped on the stage.

"Please, turn off the music!" Juliana asked and the music fell silent. "Please, pay some attention! Our first performer is Simón. Who did you choose?" she wanted to know.

All eyes were on Simón. They wanted to know who he had chosen. Maybe Luna? An affair was flying in the air.

"Ámbar," he said simply and pointed to the girl.

All faces turned to Ámbar, she was in the center of the attention but luckily, she had gathered herself and no one noticed her fragility. She raised her chin and confidently stepped on the stage with the chivalrous help of Simón who held out his hand. Ámbar was perfect at that moment like a princess. It didn't matter the eyes on her, at least everyone believed that. Within she was lost and broken like a nestling who had fallen off the nest and no one knew where she was.

She looked into his kind, chocolate brown eyes which warmed up her heart. Simón asked her with his eyes if she was ready. She nodded a little for answering which nobody saw except for Simón. The acoustic version of Comó Me Ves started, and they turned their heads, but they still held each other's hand.

Ámbar started her row and just now let his hand. Simón listened to her with admiration, she shone like a star. After he joined, they sang the song together.

Ámbar released from herself all her feelings, it was a song that reflected her. She was always under Sharon's influence but now she knew that her aunt or godmother or whatever she is, was a liar. She wanted to be like her, wanted to be like her preferences but after a time she knew she would never be like her and her wishes. For now, she didn't want to be, she would like to leave her godmother, the big letter Liar.

Her eyes sparkled because of the tears. She was overwhelmed by her feelings. She tried to keep the little drops in her eyes but one stubborn escaped and ran down her face. Luckily, just Simón was so close to noticing it. He grabbed her hand again and looked into her sad, blue eyes. He had never seen her so broken, and he still didn't know what had happened to her. This girl was a mystery that he had to solve, but this made her even more special.

Ámbar felt something weird in Simón's touch. Her skin was blazed by his touch, but it wasn't so bad. She felt somebody's aid and nothing else mattered. At the end of the song, she could smile from her heart, she didn't need to force her mouth, it was honest.

The moment froze and they were lost in each other's eyes. It was so special Ámbar had never lived like this before and Simon either.

The sharp applause broke the moment and flew them back to the cold reality.

"We've seen a beautiful performance. Thank you, guys!" Juliana looked at them and they started smiling. "The next performance is Matteo's with Luna. Do I know it well?" she asked the Italian boy who nodded proudly.

Ámbar and Simón left the stage together and stood next to Juliana.

"We need some more place," Matteo stated and pointed to their feet.

"Will you sing with skates?" Juliana asked them with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes. We wanted to add some momentum to the song," Luna explained with her happy voice.

Ámbar just looked at her and she didn't know how anyone could be so happy at any time of the day. The brown-haired girl sparkled with her happy smile from ear to ear while she was in Matteo's arms. They were together, she couldn't do anything. This little living happiness always gets everything that Ámbar couldn't or she had before, and it annoyed her.

"Please, move backwards!" the coordinator of the place ordered, and everybody went to the edge of the rink.

Ámbar tried to stay with Simón but she had to let his hand when a big group of people pushed her in the wandering. She lost in the crowd, so she raised her head as high as she could. She drifted with the group of people. Finally, she moored on the edge of the rink, and she could find Simón. He was on the other side of the rink, so far away from her. The boy didn't seem sad because of the girl's absence, on the contrary, he seemed satisfied. Ámbar's heart cracked. He only used her. During the performance, he was admiring his little friend Lunita who was always at the center of his attention. He could say everything, he didn't care about Ámbar. He needed her for his performance. That's all.

Another time she would be angry with him but now she was immeasurably disappointed. She thought that he loves her because of who she is, not for her talent. She believed he was not like the others, but she was wrong.

The song finished and the audience heavily applauded. No one cared about her, no one noticed the little tears sparkling in her eyes. She was invisible to everyone.

She didn't want to see the happy couple more, so she left the rink and the Roller too. She wanted to be alone somewhere where nobody finds her, not as if anyone is looking for her.

She couldn't stop her tears. They were running down her face like an endless stream of water. Her legs started to become faster and faster; she was running on high heels which weren't an easy task, but it didn't matter to her. She tried to run away from the problems, from the liars, from him.

After minutes of running, she arrived at a park that had a lake in the middle of it. She stepped closer to the little lake and looked down where she saw her reflection in the moonlight. A broken girl looked back at her with red eyes, makeup on her face and bad hairstyle. Her bun unfolded, leaving her blonde hair falling on her shoulders.

"Who are you?" she whispered to the reflection.

---

Manuel collected some gravel and dropped it into the lake. He was angry with his mother, with Antonio, with everyone who couldn't understand him. Bia tried to help him, but she didn't know how difficult it was for him. She believed he would process it easily, but it wasn't true. How could anyone process that his father didn't want him?

He dropped one of the gravels with fury into the water. It didn't bounce on the water as he planned, it just submerged in the water, leaving little waves. Manuel picked up from the ground new gravel and dropped into the water angrier. It splashed the water and submerged again. He picked one more gravel up and raised his right hand within the gravel. He collected all his anger and dropped the gravel as far as he could.

"Auch!" He heard a girl's annoyed voice from the other side of the lake. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" she howled angrily.

Manuel couldn't bear that a stranger called him crazy. He started to walk on the side of the lake in the angry girl's direction. The girl also started to walk in his direction, so they met halfway.

"What did you say?" he asked with clenched teeth.

"Me? You threw me with gravel," she hollered.

"You were at the wrong place!" Manuel roared without thinking.

"Me? It is a park. I can stay everywhere where I want. It isn't a place for idiots to drop gravel!" The girl's eyebrows almost got together.

Manuel's hand clenched into fists. He knew he was wrong with dropping the gravel, but it didn't matter that time. He was angry with everyone who came in his direction. No one knew what he was feeling. "You better shut up!" he roared like a lion.

"Me? You don't know what I am feeling now!" the girl shouted back without thinking.

"No?! What do you think? What kind of feeling if you find out that your life is a lie, and your father isn't the person who you believed to be?" he bellowed. The words left his mouth, and he couldn't suck back.

The girl froze and the boy too. She calmed down a bit and looked into his eyes. She saw the same in his eyes what she had seen in hers before. He was lost and broken.

"What did you say?" she questioned back quieter with some understanding in her voice.

"Nothing," the boy stated furiously. He didn't want to tell someone stranger, but it slipped out.

Ámbar changed her attitude and tried to be kind to him. It was weird to be kind to a stranger who threw her gravel some minutes ago, but she saw herself in him. She found someone who was feeling the same as she. He was as miserable as she was. She raised her left hand and tried to place it on the boy's shoulder, but the furious guy prevented it.

"What are you doing?" he raised his eyebrows and pushed the girl's hand away. "Why did you stop howling?"

The awkward silence after the boy's question surrounded them. Ámbar didn't know what to say. She could say that she understands him, but he would not believe it. No one believes it, she knew for her own.

"Listen!" She shook her head and looked down. "I understand you because the same thing happened to me today," she said with a trembling voice. The memories flooded her, and the tears found a way again. "It turned out that I am a girl who her mother didn't keep. No one wants me!" she cried.

Manuel's features softened and looked down at the girl who was crying like a baby. He placed his right hand on her right shoulder gently. The girl looked up immediately and looked at his hand on her shoulder. No one touched her before, only Simón or Matteo. A stranger kept his hand on her shoulder, but she felt good. A little smile appeared on her face and turned her head in his direction.

"Is this true?" he asked with a soft voice. The fury left his whole body.

The girl nodded. "I don't know what I should do. This is like a nightmare. I want to wake up, but I can't," she sniffed.

Manuel took out a handkerchief and gave it to her. She accepted and blew her nose out loud. It was trombone in the silent night. The Park was empty, only they were there with some frogs which started to croak after the girl's gesture. They both laughed at the situation. This pinch of happiness needed both after this hard day. The laughter of Ámbar became louder; she left everything behind and lived in the moment for some minutes.

They stopped laughing and Manuel wiped his eyes because some tears flowed due to the honest laughter. "By the way, who are you?" he asked.

"Ámbar." She left a half-smile on her face.

"I'm Manuel. Nice to meet you!" He held out his hand and the girl shook it.

"Nice to meet you too!"

It was the beginning of something special. A problem that bonded the two of them. Was it a coincidence or did destiny want to meet them? No one knows. But it didn't matter. These meetings helped both and this is the one thing that mattered.

Chapter Text

They were talking so long like they had known each other for years. It was weird for Ámbar to be opened as she had never been, especially to a stranger. But she felt that she could trust him. He seemed honest because he was broken as she and no one can pretend it was so good.

On the other hand, Manuel was also feeling weird about this conversation, but he was relieved. He could share his problems with someone who could truly understand him, not only say this. He was talking with a stranger girl, but he didn't feel it. It seemed he was talking to an old friend who didn't ask things he didn't want to tell. She was polite and had a very good audience.

Manuel told his whole story to her. From the beginning with Bia and his family's feud, till how he had found out who his father is. Ámbar was silent; she didn't intervene even once, only nodding sometimes to show him she was listening.

It was interesting and depressing to hear Manuel's history. How he had investigated, how his father prevented him from knowing the truth. She saw Sharon in this man, called Antonio.

Antonio was an evil man according to Manuel because he kept it secret that he is the boy's father. Manuel believed that he was his uncle nothing more, but her mum told him the truth about him. This man, Antonio, said to him that his father was in prison. She couldn't believe how anyone could do this with his own son. It was awful!

Manuel finished his story and looked at her. He was waiting for a reaction.

The girl didn't know what to say. She understood him but it wasn't enough. She saw the unsaid question in his eyes: What do you think? She could say it was depressing but she didn't want to. It wasn't what she thought. Yes, his history was heartbreaking but hers also. Suddenly, she felt an urge to tell him her whole story. Would it be good if a stranger found out Sharon's lie? She hadn't known him for more than an hour, but she felt she could trust him. But she didn't want to involve him in it. Sharon can be very dangerous to everyone. She lied to her, not only once. She lied to her that her parents were travelling because they were diplomats, after which she said to her, she was Sol Benson, and her parents were dead. No, Sharon could do everything to keep her things secret.

The boy was still waiting for a reaction, for some little words but she didn't say anything. She shuddered. So far, she didn't feel how cold it was outside but now her clothes seemed too thin.

"Are you cold?" Manuel's voice broke the silence between them.

Ámbar nodded and Manuel took off his pullover, he handed it to her. The girl looked at him with repentance in her eyes. This boy was so kind to her, and she didn't even moan a single encouraging sentence to him.

"Thank you!" She accepted the offer and she snuggled into the pullover. It was soft and pleasant, it warmed her up fast. She was thinking for some minutes and looked down. "Sorry for my silence but I didn't know what to say. I can't express myself with words. I can say only that I know what you feel." She cleared her throat. "I don't know if it is correct to tell you, but I think I can trust you." She looked up and saw Manuel's nod.

"I won't tell anyone if you don't want to," he stated with kindness in his voice.

"So," the girl took a deep breath, "Today at the Roller Jam, which was a party, a woman looked for me. She told me silly things like I am not Sol Benson, the person who I was told by my aunt or godmother, or I don't know who Sharon is, but when I wanted to leave her, she said something which I knew was true. She said a thing that only some people know about me. It proved to me she wasn't lying, she was telling the truth, she was my birth mother." Some tears escaped from her eyes while she was speaking. She wiped them away and sniffed some. She told him everything which she had found out. She said to him that Sharon can be dangerous, and he had to be careful with her.

Manuel nodded sometimes while Ámbar was speaking, he could truly understand what she was going through. When the girl finished her monologue, Manuel got a tiny intuition. He needed to say or do something. He got the occasion and hugged the girl.

Ámbar shuddered when she felt the arms around her. Nobody had touched her like this, only Matteo but it was long ago, and they were dating. Now this boy, called Manuel who had known her for about an hour, was hugging her. The hug needed her but not from him. It was unpleasant. Yes, he was kind to her, he understood her, but she didn't want this. It was too much.

Slowly, she pulled herself away to keep some square between them. She looked up and saw the bright moon in the night sky. It was beautiful and calmed her down a bit.

"Sorry, I didn't want to hurt you. I thought it would help you." Manuel's voice broke the silence between them.

Ámbar turned her face in the boy's direction, "I didn't. I am only a bit distant." She left a kind smile on her face.

A loud ringtone was heard by both. It came from Ámbar's phone. She took it away and saw Sharon's picture on it.

"No," she sighed. Manuel turned to her and saw the picture on her phone.

"Is she—"

"Yes, she is," she interrupted him. "I don't want to speak with her. Surely, she doesn't know where I am, but I don't want to speak with her or go home. I don't want anything with her. She is a liar!"

"You have to go home. If she was as dangerous as you have mentioned, you should be careful with her," Manuel advised.

"That's true." Ámbar pushed out the call and stood up. "It seems that I have to go."

"You got this! I know," he encouraged her.

"You hardly know me." She shook her head.

"Yes, that's also true, but this was enough for me to know you are a strong girl. You can do everything you want." He left a smile on his face and looked into Ámbar's blue eyes.

"Thank you!"

"For what?"

"To be so kind." She returned his smile. "This is my number." She showed her phone's screen to Manuel, and the boy made a quick note about it.

"I will call you, and you can save my number."

A little waft came, and it blew her hair into her eyes. "So, we can stay in contact." She smoothed the strands off her face and put them behind her ears.

Manuel nodded. "It is time to say goodbye."

"See you later!" She waved her hand and turned around.

"See you soon!" He also waved his hand and started to walk in the other direction.

The Park was silent and empty. There were only some birds and cats in the area. The girl started to walk home alone.

It was a hard decision, but Manuel was right. Sharon is a very dangerous woman. She must have behaved as nothing had happened. She must show she believes that she is Sol Benson. It will be difficult, but she needs time to figure out what's the next step.

The wind became stronger, now it wasn't a little waft. It shook the leaves on the trees. It seemed like the trees were whispering something to her. She didn't know it was encouraging or they told her that she would do the worst thing which came into her mind.

She arrived home. She was only a few steps away from the mansion. She stopped in front of the huge gate and took a deep breath. I can still turn around and go away, she thought. She blew out the air with her doubts. She would go inside; she had decided this.

She opened the gate and stepped into the big garden. She walked to the door, put the key in the lock, turned it, and she pressed the doorknob. These little movements seemed like hours for her. She saw everything in slow motion recording. She opened the door and went inside, where Sharon and Rey were waiting for her.

"Where were you?" Sharon asked her furiously. Her hair wasn't in a bun like usual, instead, it fell freely on her shoulder. She was wearing a nightgown above her nightwear. Her face was stricter than ever. She pursed her lips and looked into Ámbar's eyes without vibration.

The girl stood her look and replied simply, "At the Roller Jam."

"Luna came home hours before. She said that she saw you leave the party. Where were you? I won't ask again."

"At the park. I needed some fresh air," she answered.

"It's 1 am. What do you think, who am I? You can't cheat me. Lastly, I ask, where you were?"

Rey was standing next to Sharon and showed a strict face too. He was the number one confidant, so he did everything that Sharon wanted. "Ms. Ámbar you should tell the truth," he stated. For his statement, he got a furious look from Sharon and Ámbar too. The woman didn't want anyone to intervene in her conversation with this uneducated girl.

"Rey," the woman turned to him," please leave us alone."

"Yes, ma'am." He turned a corner and left them in the hall.

"Where were you?" Sharon tried once again.

"I was in the park as I said. Why do you care? You have never cared about where I was. Why now?" Ámbar asked and looked into her eyes. Now, she looked cold.

"Because I am your aunt!" An awkward silence filled the room. They were looking into each other's eyes like wolves who were made to fight. But Sharon seemed stronger than Ámbar and she broke the silence. "Go to your room!" she ordered.

Ámbar wanted to be alone so she did what Sharon had ordered. She went to her room and closed the door with the key. She lay down on her bed and started to cry. She was helpless, she couldn't do anything. Sharon was always stronger than her.

Chapter Text

She woke up with a terrible headache. She couldn't sleep well during the night. Nightmares and dark thoughts were in her head which didn't leave her to relax. Sharon was in these dreams, and she was the evilest person in them like in her life.

She still couldn't process what had happened. She has a mother, but she didn't care for her. Why did she come yesterday? Why not sooner? Because of Sharon? It's an empty excuse. But why did she tell her the truth? It would be easier to live like Sol Benson. No, it doesn't make sense. It's better to know the truth, isn't it?

She sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked around. The rays of the sun illuminated her room. It was time to get up. She got out of her bed and walked over to her wardrobe. She opened its huge, white doors and looked for something to wear. She took out a pair of shorts and a matching top. It was simple but practical. She got dressed and headed to her dressing table to make an acceptable appearance. No, it wasn't enough, she had to look like nothing happened yesterday. No one can know. Just enough that Manuel knows.

Sat down and looked in the mirror where she met with her image. A heartbroken, blonde girl looked back at her, with red eyes and purple circles under her eyes. She looked terrible. She had to do something with it. She picked up the coverage and started to eliminate the stubborn circles under her eyes. It wasn't easy. It took more than ten minutes to look like she used to, but it wasn't the same. Her face showed her feelings, and it bothered her, really.

It wasn't a school day, but she couldn't sit at home because she wanted to be as far from Sharon as she could. She thought she would go to the Roller, but everyone would notice that something wasn't good. She couldn't go there.

"What happened to you?" she asked her reflection as she did many times before. She was lonely, because she likes to speak with her reflection. It always listened to her, and it felt like she wasn't alone. But it only felt like. She was alone in her room, and she was speaking to herself like a twisted, crazy woman. It wasn't okay.

She shook her head sometimes and closed her eyes. One little image repeated in her head. "You're not Sol Benson," said her birth mother.

"No, I am not!" she cried loudly and desperately.

Her hard work with her make-up disappeared in an instant, but it didn't matter. She couldn't stop, she cried like a baby.

After a while, her tears sold out and nothing stayed, only her sadness. She took out a handkerchief and blew her nose out. It sounded like a trombone, a broken instrument that didn't play music, only indicated the loss of the fight.

There was nothing to do, so she went down to have breakfast. Luckily Sharon wasn't there - surely it was too late for her -, but her grandfather was sitting in front of the table. He isn't my grandfather. He is Sol Benson's grandparent, who isn't me.

What was what to do, she sat down next to him.

"Good morning!" She sounded as always, happy, and confident, but she wasn't.

"Good morning my sweetheart! How was your night? You slept a lot," he remarked while he looked at the arriving girl. "Surely the party was long." He laughed at his own joke.

The party...

"Yes, it was long. I slept very well, thank you for asking," she answered and took out some fruit from a vessel.

"Did something happen to you?" Don Alfredo asked her when he looked at the girl and noticed her red eyes.

Why today?

"Yes, the party. I don't like to admit it, but it was too long for me." She let out a smile, but this smile wasn't a true one. Luckily the older man didn't notice it.

"You're like your mum. She liked the parties. She was the prom queen; she danced all night until her legs hurt. She could barely get up the next day." He was laughing when these beautiful memories from his daughter came into his mind. Lili was such a happy person, the opposite of Sharon.

Even this too!

What should she say? Nothing! This woman, called Lili, wasn't her mother.

She left a smile on her face and nodded some to indicate that she was listening.

The embarrassing breakfast finished finally and Ámbar left the mansion with her Roller skates in her bag. She didn't want to go to the Roller because she would have to act like nothing happened all day. It was just enough at home. She headed to the park where she always liked skating. It wasn't far from the Roller, but she could skate alone with her thoughts.

She sat down on a bench and changed her shoes for skates. She left her bag there and started to warm up. She rolled some circles then she did some jumps and twists.

No, it doesn't help.

She sat back on the bench and took a sip of her water bottle. The water was silky and soft, which kindly caressed her dry mouth. She closed her water bottle and took a deep breath and pulled out protractedly.

I can do it! I don't know who I am, but it doesn't matter. I am Ámbar Smith now, and no one can stand in my way, not even Sharon.

A loud ringtone interrupted the pleasant silence which came from her phone. It was Simón.

What does he want?

She answered the call.

"Hello, Ámbar? Where are you? Everybody is here except you." She heard Simón's worried tone.

"The training," she murmured.

How could I forget it?

"I go. Some minutes and I will be there." She didn't want to go, but it would be conspicuous if she didn't go.

She stood up, grabbed her bag, and skated to the Roller.

It was the most embarrassing moment in her life when she skated into the rink. Everybody was skating when she arrived, but they stopped when they saw her. Every eye glued to her. She was the person who has never been late.

"I am glad that you came here," Juliana remarked in a sarcastic way.

Ámbar looked down in shame and skated to the middle of the rink.

"Ámbar princess, where you were? May I know?" The coach embarrassingly asked her.

Ámbar looked into her eyes as a cowboy looked into his opponent's eyes. "Yes, you can." She smiled at her. "I was skating in the park to practice before the training." She explained with a good girl tone and blinked some. "Sorry for being late!"

"Don't happen again!" Juliana warned her. "We will work in pairs. Luna and Matteo, Jim and Ramiro, and Ámbar and Simón." She looked at them. "I want to see the connection between you. Okay?" The team nodded. "The first couple is Jim and Ramiro."

They left the place for the couple and skated to the railing of the rink.

Ámbar couldn't understand why she needed to skate with Simón. Why him? She was better with Matteo.

Simón seemed satisfied with Juliana's decision, but she didn't know why. Yes, she is the best in the Jam&Roller, she is the Queen of the Rink, but that's all. Yesterday Simón only used her to get on the stage, but now she didn't want to be his additional. Simón told her he cared about her, but it wasn't true, he only used her, and it hurt Ámbar.

The boy skated to her and Ámbar noticed it, but she tried to be indifferent. What does he want now?

"Hi, Ámbar! Are you okay?" he asked kindly, but it didn't impress Ámbar.

She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. "What do you want, Simón?" Her tone was measured and seemed calm.

"I would like to know how you are, as I asked. What's happened to you?"

"Nothing." She tried to skate away and leave the boy, but he grabbed her arm.

"Wait!" The air froze between them. Ámbar gave him an icy look.

"What do you want, Simón? To use me as you did yesterday," she shouted angrily, not caring that everyone got their heads towards them.

"What? I didn't use you," he answered simply.

"Hey, may I know what happened between you?" The coach's loud voice cut the rink in two.

"Nothing," the two of them said at the same time.

"Thank you! So, you're the next."

Ámbar gave an angry look at Simón, but the boy didn't understand what happened. He was surprised like yesterday when he didn't find the girl. He thought that she went home because she didn't feel well, but now he thought that he did something wrong. But what was it?

---

Manuel was speechless during breakfast at the Kunst Residence. Everybody was talking around him, but he was only facing his breakfast. Nobody noticed his bad mood. The love couple Daisy and Pietro were happy with each other. On the other side of the table Ana and Thiago were speaking, and they didn't notice anything around them.

After breakfast, he went to the university. He couldn't listen to the lessons. His father, Antonio, always came into his mind. How could he lie? Why did he?

"Gutiérrez? Are you listening?"

He raised his head and blinked like he had woken up some minutes before.

"What was the question, Mrs. Rodriguez?"

"Did you sleep well Gutiérrez?" the professor asked him ironically.

"No, I was just," he stopped for thought, "thinking about what you said some minutes before. It was very interesting, and it moved my thoughts." He blew out the air because he believed that it was over.

"And what was that? The interesting thing?"

Manuel dragged the time for some minutes because nothing came into his mind. "About the weather."

The professor's eyes narrowed, and she frowned. "I have been speaking about the exam for twenty minutes. Gutiérrez, please pay attention!" Mrs. Rodriguez turned around and stepped back to the board and continued to speak. The other students could barely contain their laughs. Even that she talked about the weather. It's ridiculous.

Chapter Text

The music rang from the speakers, the melody of the Catch Me If You Can. Simón placed his right hand on Ámbar's waist, and with his left hand, he grabbed Ámbar's left hand. They started to skate in this position, then Ámbar turned around and she was confronted by Simón. She engraved her eyes into his, with a fire of anger burning in them. Simón still didn't know why the girl acted like this with him, his face showed his misunderstanding, but Ámbar didn't deal with it. She took a deep breath and prepared for the lift. She placed her hands on the top of his shoulders and jumped up while Simón lifted her grabbing by her waist over his head. They rotated some in this position, then Simón took down her, in front of him. Ámbar was skating backwards, but she still looked into Simón's eyes, while Simón skated straight ahead, almost colliding with her breath. Suddenly, Ámbar turned around and skated away. Simón quickly followed her, and they did a jump in perfect synchrony. They connected well even though Ámbar was mad at the boy, she still trusted in him to allow him to lift her.

Juliana stopped the music when they were done with the exercise. "Very well, Ámbar and Simón. Finally, I saw some emotions when you were skating, Ámbar. This was what you needed!" The coach praised the duo.

Juliana's words warmed up Ámbar's heart. Her coach praised her first, and it was an uplifting feeling. Little praises those she needed every day, what she didn't get from Sharon and no one else since Luna came into the picture. Since that girl appeared at the rink every coach admired her style, first Tamara, then Juliana, and Ámbar stayed in the background what she didn't like. Sharon always taught her to be the best, and if she wasn't, it bothered her.

"The next pair is Luna and Matteo!" Juliana pointed at the duo, and they skated to the middle of the rink.

Ámbar went to the barrier, bent down, and raised her canteen to her mouth to drink some water. Simón skated to her and stopped in front of the girl.

"Ámbar, please tell me, what's wrong with you? What did I do?" he asked her, almost begging.

Ámbar raised an eyebrow. She didn't know what wasn't clear. "Don't you know?" she asked with an "I don't believe you" look on her face.

"No, I don't know. I searched for you last night, but I didn't find you. Then, I thought that you need to rest after what happened." He took the end of the sentence in a whisper so the others couldn't hear him.

"You are lying!" Ámbar exploded. "I saw you were enjoying the party, and you didn't care about me not even one minute after our presentation. You just used me to get the award. Anyway, did you get it?" she flooded the words on him.

He nodded a little, but he didn't know what Ámbar meant. He didn't use her, he truly cared about her because she was special to him, but he could not say why.

"Congratulations to you!" She clashed with her palms a few times to imitate applause.

"Opa, opa, opa! What's happening here?" Juliana asked loudly, looking at Simón and Ámbar.

"Nothing," Ámbar replied angrily.

"I see it differently." The coach shook her head sometimes and then continued, "It's the second time you are arguing in the rink. What do I always say? Keep the personal issues out of the rink. Do you understand?" They nodded. "The training is over for you two. See you tomorrow!" Juliana ordered.

"But—" Ámbar started, but Juliana raised her index finger.

"It's over for you." She gave Ámbar a warning look, so Ámbar left the rink without any objection.

"For you," Juliana addressed her words to those in the rink, "the training continues. Come on!" She slapped the ground with her cane a few times.

Ámbar sat down on the bench in the locker room and took off her skates furiously, throwing them down on the floor. The skates snapped heavily on the floor of the Roller.

 Simón just stopped in front of her.

"It's all your fault!" Ámbar raised her head and looked into Simón's eyes with anger burning in hers.

"I am sorry," he apologized and looked down. "I don't want it. I just wanted to know, why are you acting like this."

"As I said earlier, I know that you just used me," she spat out the words as if they were some poisons.

"No, I didn't. How do I tell you to understand?" he asked.

"No way, because I know you're lying, like everyone else to me!" she yelled a bit louder than she wanted. She looked at him with watering eyes. She couldn't handle her feelings anymore. She believed she had finally found someone who cared about her, but he was the same as everyone else.

"Ámbar..." He stepped closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" She shook his hand off herself.

Simón crouched down to be at the same height and kindly looked into her watered blue eyes. They were cold as ice but beautiful as snowflakes falling from the sky. "I didn't use you. Yesterday, the crowd swept you away from me during Luna's and Matteo's song, but when it finished, I started searching for you, but I didn't find you. I thought you went home to take a rest because I knew you needed it. I still don't know what happened to you yesterday before we met backstage, but I know it cut hard to the floor you. I wanted to be on your side, and I still want to be. I'd like to make sure that you are okay."

Ámbar didn't stop Simón, she quietly listened to him while she was looking at him for the whole speech. Something whispered to her that he was honest – he made a mistake when he didn't call her, but he regretted it, and now he wanted to help her with all his heart. But Ámbar knew Sharon and her lies which always seemed so real, she truly thought she was Sol Benson till her biological mother appeared and told her the truth about her past. Because of this, she couldn't believe Simón. She was afraid of falling again, she was afraid of stepping into a trap again, so she didn't say anything and only investigated his brown irises.

"Do you believe me?" Simón asked, breaking the silence.

Ámbar shook her head and stood up. Simón did the same and grabbed her hand before she could leave him. "Please Ámbar!" he begged, but it didn't help. Ámbar yanked her hand out of his and left the locker room with tears running down on her face. She was confused. She hadn't processed the yesterday yet, and now she should have believed someone. She couldn't, so she rather ran away from him.

---

After his lessons at the university, his Saturday was free. He hated that he had to study on weekends, but his schedule was just like that, as was his luck too. The professor who always slipped through if somebody wasn't listening carefully, today, she found him. It was the first day when his attention wandered since he was a student at this university, but his professor noticed it. How unfortunate!

He headed to the Fundom. He wanted to be alone, on the other hand, he needed some company, and this person whose company was the most necessary for him was Bia. She was the single person who knew about who he really is, except for Ámbar with whom he met last night. How can she be now? he thought as the girl came into his mind. Probably as miserable as he was if she wasn't more. He couldn't decide whether hers or his story was the hardest. Maybe hers, because she didn't find out who her father is, on the contrary, she had just found out who isn't her father.

Manuel, immersed in his thoughts, stepped into the Fundom. There were many young people and music flooded from the speakers which made a happy area as usual. He didn't find Bia inside of the building, so he went to the terrace where he saw her, sitting with her friends on her sides. She was explaining something interesting to Chiara and Celeste because the two girls listened carefully.

Manuel stepped closer when he heard a sentence, which stopped him immediately. "I think Victor lied," Bia said softly to her friends. She seemed like she didn't want anyone else to know about it.

"What?!" Chiara raised her voice to which she received an angry glance from Celeste who placed her index finger in front of her mouth. "Sorry," Chiara whispered.

Why did Bia say this? In which Victor lied?

He didn't step closer, he didn't go to the girls, he just stood next to the wall, listening carefully. But the thought about yesterday always came into his mind. No, Victor couldn't lie. He isn't like his father, their father.

"The accident happened differently as we know," Bia said, but Manuel couldn't hear it from the pulsating blood in his ears. "Your father is Antonio," came into his mind again and again. He couldn't listen to Bia, the pulsating in his ears became stronger and stronger each second. He couldn't take it anymore, so he left his position and went to the toilet to wash his face. What if Victor knew about it?

The cold water caressed his face and soothed him a little. The throbbing sensation eased in his ears, and he heard the music coming from the speakers. He could think clearly again. Which he heard some minutes ago, didn't leave his head, so he called Victor and arranged a meeting in the park. He hadn't met him since he knew the truth, and they had to talk. Victor had to know the truth – if he didn't know yet. Anyway, they are siblings.

---

"Hey," Manuel said as he sat down on the bench next to Victor's wheelchair.

"Hey, Manuel," Victor welcomed him with some uncertainty in his voice.

"What happened to you?" asked Manuel as he noticed Victor's hesitating look while the older boy was staring at him. Victor folded his hands nervously.

"There's something you have to know," he muttered, barely understandably.

Manuel sent him a surprised look, but before Victor could continue whatever he wanted, Manuel preceded him. "You are my brother." The words just slipped out of Manuel's mouth. He didn't think for a minute, he had to share it with him.

Victor's eyes shone up in surprise, and a pinch of happiness was noticeable in them. "I wanted to say the same!" he remarked.

"Did you know?" Manuel asked with an edge in his voice. Maybe it was what Bia was talking about in the Fundom.

"Yes," Victor lowered his eyes. "Due to it, I avoided you. I didn't know how I should say it to you."

Manuel understood Victor's point of view and slipped over the fact that his older brother kept the truth from him. It wasn't Victor's task to tell him. His earlier anger left his body, and he relaxed his posture again.

"Won't you give me a hug?" Victor asked while a grin started to grow on his face.

"Of course, I will." And Manuel hugged his brother. "I always knew we were more than cousins," he whispered.

"Me too."

They let each other go, and Manuel sat back on the bench. They only sat in silence for a few minutes because they had to process the fact that they are brothers. It wasn't a bad thing, but weird. They had been living as cousins, and now it turned out they were half-brothers.

Although the news shocked Manuel yesterday, he could rejoice in the fact that all his heart. Victor was his brother, and he truly liked this feeling of having an older brother to whom you can turn during bad and good times.

Manuel always felt a special connection between him and Victor because Victor understood him in a way like no one else did. They could talk about everything. Victor was the first who knew about his chica de la voz, alias Bia. And he was the one in his family who stood by Manuel when it turned out that Bia is an Urquiza, the little sister of Helena, who was accused of the accident by his family.

"By the way, how are you?" Victor asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know." Manuel shrugged. "It's too much for me. I don't mind that we are brothers, but the fact that Antonio—my father—kept it from me..." He shook his head sometimes. "It's unbearable," he sighed, letting the anger out. If he mentioned Antonio or thought about him, his hands always clenched into fists. He didn't know when would come the time when it wouldn't bother him. Maybe never.

"I always said he has a lot on his plate," Victor whispered in agreement.

"Wait a minute! Why did you say this?" Manuel got up from his self-pity and opened his eyes wide. Victor said he had known about the truth for days, but he had said this sentence before, he had said this every time Antonio did something, but Manuel never knew what his brother meant.

"Because I've known him since I was born," Victor fogged.

This doesn't explain anything.

"Victor, please tell me the truth," Manuel begged. You must tell the truth.

"You know, he is a lawyer." Manuel nodded, but he didn't know how this came here. "He did some things for his clients, which weren't right."

Which Victor said made sense, but Manuel knew he was lying because of his gestures. He hadn't even looked into his eyes, he avoided Manuel's glance, just looked to the ground, and folded his hands. He was nervous, it was felt in his voice.

Manuel stood up and stepped closer to Victor. "Victor, today I heard something which I didn't believe, but now I think Bia was right. You lied to her, but I don't know which, but now you lied to me. I know because you acted weird." Fright ran through Victor's face, which supported Manuel's suspicion. Victor knew that this would come someday, but he always hoped that day would be later.

Victor's lips trembled as he opened his mouth to speak. "What did Bia say?" he asked, and Manuel knew Bia's suspicion was right. Victor didn't even defend himself but got to the point.

"I heard she said you had lied. That's all I have heard. Victor, what are you hiding?"

Victor closed his eyes while his whole body was trembling. He was trapped. There was no way out, just the truth.

"I...," his voice trembled when he tried to speak, but he couldn't catch the right words if there were. "The accident," he bit his under lip, "happened differently as you know."

This sentence was enough for Manuel to feel the anger boiling in his veins. One more lie. But it was from Victor, from his number one confidence.

"Lucas was driving at the moment of the accident," he whispered slowly. Some tears glittered in his eyes because of memories.

"What?!" Manuel asked louder than he wanted. Some birds flew away from the tree in fright. "Why did you lie about it?" He pressed the last word in his anger. He narrowed his eyes.

"Because father asked me!" The tears found their way and started to run down his face.

"And then?! Why did you keep silent? Ten years had passed! You had enough time to tell the truth!" Manuel yelled.

"I know, I know. I was scared," Victor cried bitterly. He let go of the emotions which have accumulated over the years. "After the accident...," he sniffed. "After the accident, I was broken both in body and soul. I didn't want to lose my father too. It was enough to lose my brother and my girlfriend. I believed it was the best—"

"No!" Manuel stopped him. "A lie never solves anything; it always only makes matters worse."

"I am so sorry! You can't imagine how difficult it was for me. I had to endure every day when my mother blamed Helena. I tried to tell her the truth last year, but she didn't believe me. I tried, and I did. I promise." Victor raised his right hand as protection.

Manuel couldn't understand Victor's point of view. He couldn't believe how Victor could disappoint him so much. He thought there were no secrets between them.

"I thought you are different than your," Manuel shook his head, "sorry, our father. But I was wrong," he confessed and left Victor in the park.

The older guy stayed in the park crying alone. It broke him again. The accident always broke him and always will. It left a huge patch on his life.

Chapter Text

Ámbar went to the park where she met Manuel yesterday and sat down on a bench. She stared at the water, where the sunbeams were dancing like everything was at its best period. Sure. For someone else, not for Ámbar Smith. Was it her real name at all? She didn't know anything for sure now.

She had Simón for some weeks, and it was gone now. No, she shouldn't have allowed this to happen. She was the one who wanted to use Simón against Luna. How could it happen? It turned out that for all time the boy was who used her as a doll at will. When he needed someone, he used her, like on the stage.

But in the locker room, he seemed honest.

Ámbar buried her face in her hands, and a scream of anger left her mouth. She didn't know what to believe. But she needed someone—someone who can trust in, someone who can count on. But this person wasn't Simón anymore.

---

Manuel was walking in the park deep in thoughts, while the anger was eating him. He thought he could trust Victor. How could he lie? Mostly, in such a thing? He wasn't different from Antonio—their father. Manuel still couldn't believe the whole thing. Antonio was his father and Alex, and Victor were his brothers. And Victor was a liar too.

No!

He took his phone out of his pocket and searched for Bia's name. He found it, but before he placed his finger on the name, it stopped in the air. Was it a good idea to call Bia? She also mentioned something about Victor—she said he lied. Why didn't she tell him first?

His hesitation won and searched for someone else.

---

Her phone started to buzz in her pocket. She didn't want to talk to anyone, especially not with Simón. But she took out her phone and looked at who was calling her. A half-smile appeared on her face when she saw the name on her screen. Manuel.

For a moment she had forgotten him. He was the person she needed. She couldn't say she could trust in him one hundred percent, but in the deep of her heart, she felt more trust for the guy than anyone else.

She answered the phone, "Hey."

"Hey, Ámbar." She heard his voice was tormented as yesterday if it wasn't more. So, he couldn't process either.

"Do you want to meet?" Ámbar asked the same question that Manuel wanted.

"Yes, that's what I need," he said. His voice was a bit milder as if he was smiling on the other side of the line.

"I am in the same place where we met. Are you far from it?"

"No. I am in the park too. I will be there in a couple of minutes."

"Good," she replied. "I am waiting for you."

She hung up the phone with a strange feeling in her stomach. These little words helped her to go through the whole Simón thing. How could she forget Manuel?

---

"What's up with you?" Ámbar asked as they sat down on a bench. She crossed her right leg on her left and placed her elbow on her right knee, in her hand propped her head, like that looked at Manuel. Ámbar saw in his eyes that something wrong had happened to him—worse than to her.

"Nothing good," he sighed. His thoughts were running in his mind like a railway and bumped into each other, making a huge explosion in his brain. Something cracked in him.

"Will you tell me, or should I pull it out from you?" Ámbar asked in a joking way. She knew that Manuel wanted to share something with her, but he was still under its effect.

"Sorry," he shook his head, "but I don't know how to start it. It's just..." He couldn't find the word; it was only lost in his mind-explosion.

"It has overgrown you?" Ámbar helped out him with a kind tone.

"Something like that. I don't know who I can trust." Manuel buried his head in his hands.

"It's the same thing with me," Ámbar whispered, not just for Manuel, but for the air. She had to say it aloud. "I am here for you." She pulled out her left hand in the boy's direction.

Manuel looked up from his hands and glanced at the girl's hand. He grabbed it softly, and Ámbar squeezed his big palm. She tried to show the force she had—what had left after everything.

The girl's hand was comforting, her skin was so soft and a little bit warm too. The good kind of warmth which caressed his blood in his veins. His heart started to pound lighter and slower, he started to feel some comfort. Sitting with someone else—the girl who was in the same shoes as him—showed him, he wasn't alone. He didn't have to face it alone.

"It turned out that," he took a deep breath, "Victor lied about the accident," he exhaled the words as fast as he could. He had to say it, but the more he kept it for himself, the harder it was.

"What?" Ámbar's blue irises grew big. "What about did he lie?"

Manuel told her everything—how he had to find out what Victor had said. Ámbar couldn't believe it. She thought that her case was worse than Manuel's after Simón and everything, but to hear that his own cousin, that is his brother, had lied to him about such a serious thing defeated her expectations. She knew Manuel wasn't feeling good, she knew it had a reason—but not like this!

She felt her veins were flooded by warm blood. She felt the anger build up in her. She couldn't define it, but a bond started to connect her with Manuel, and she felt that she had to protect him. It was her case now because no one else would help him, nor her.

---

The next few days were gray as the sky, with the dense rain clouds which were covering it all day as a big, jagged blanket on a huge bed. Neither Ámbar nor Manuel had the mood to meet up with the others.

For Manuel it was easier, he could pretend as if he was ill. But he didn't have to do great efforts because he felt miserable. His head was full of negative thoughts, everything seemed darker than it truly was. He couldn't get out of bed for days; he didn't want to see anyone—either Bia.

The girl called him every day, but Manuel shook her off with some empty excuses. He couldn't trust her. He tried, but he couldn't.

In former times, he wouldn't have thought for a minute to share the whole thing with her, but now he felt that the girl had a secret too. When he told her, who his father was, she wanted to tell him something important. She had even started, but after it, she told him some pointless things about Doc. He didn't even know how the dog got in the picture in that conversation, but now everything made sense. She was hiding something. Maybe she had figured it out on her own before Manuel had suspected anything. Anyway, Bia was quicker than him, and she was the one who started investigating the accident. Manuel trusted Victor; he believed every word of him—till now.

Manuel dropped his pillow to the wall in his anger. It softly crashed to the white wall and fell to the ground like a lifeless corpus. He wanted to destroy everything, to break, to crush everything which got in his way. He wanted to let out all his anger to Victor, to his father, but his brain prevented him. He was cleverer than breaking his stuff and then buying a new one. They didn't do anything to him, they were only objects with no life.

---

On the other hand, Ámbar couldn't show her feelings to anyone. Sharon must suspect nothing. So, she tried to be her old, perfect self—the number one at the rink and in the school, and she wasn't allowed to show her fragility. Only Manuel knew about it. 

In the last few days, she lived her days like a robot. She did everything that was expected from her—she went to school, she did her homework, went to the Roller, did her training routine, and went home, where she ate her dinner with Sharon and Alfredo. Everything seemed normal for an outsider, but for Ámbar, the days were more difficult than she ever had. She barely talked to anyone, only what was needed. During training, she had no mood to do her practice well, she just did it with the least effort she could take in. Luckily, no one had noticed it, yet. 

Some knocks on the door, and Alfredo's head was in her room before she could shout out, she didn't want anyone seeing now. "Hola, mi nieta!" A huge smile covered his face, and some wrinkles appeared on the corner of his eyes, showing his happiness.

Ámbar forced herself to sit up and turned her head to look at the old man. A fake smile covered her real feelings. "Hi," she said with a soft voice. Alfredo didn't do anything to her—that is he seemed he wasn't part of Sharon's game—, he showed real interest in her. He called her granddaughter, and he seemed happy about the fact that Ámbar was his grandchild. 

Maybe she could tell him what had happened?

She quickly swept away the thought. What if he was only a good actor? 

"What is with my favorite grandchild?" he asked, chuckling. "Can I take a seat?" He pointed at Ámbar's bed. The girl nodded, and the old man sat down at the edge of the bed. 

Ámbar placed herself in cross-legged sitting, and opened her mouth to answer, "I am well. I was reading a book," she lied, with her cheerful voice.

"And where is the book?" Alfredo looked around in the room, but he saw no book lying on the bed, neither on the bedside cabinet.

Damnit! 

Ámbar tried to find a credible explanation when her eyes fixated on her phone in front of her. "I was reading on my phone." She raised her device to him.

"Oh, the modern generation. When I was young, we didn't have these machines. If you wanted to read something you had to go to the library or buy a paper book," he said anecdotally. 

Ámbar's eyes shone up, her blue oceans filled with light. Even if he wasn't her real grandfather, she liked to talk to him. He was kind to her—not like anyone else in this house.

She smiled at him reassuring she was paying attention and put down her phone on her bed again. She took a deep breath and exhaled it quietly that Mr. Alfredo could not hear. "Can I ask you something?" She looked into his eyes with a little fear in hers. She felt a knot in her throat, but she wanted to get rid of it. She had to ask something from him—no one else would know the answer and didn't want either to ask someone else—they would have lied. 

"Yes, of course." She heard Mr. Alfredo's crackling voice, which was filled with joy. He was happy that Ámbar wanted to speak with him because in the past few days, she didn't want to, nor for one word. He knew something was wrong with her, but he couldn't ask her directly because she would have found some excuses not to answer. He knew her so much.

Ámbar opened her mouth, but she closed it quickly and licked her under lip while she was gathering her thoughts. "Why don't I have any memories about my parents and living here as a child?" She looked down, avoiding Alfredo's gaze which flooded the kindness at her. But she didn't want somebody to expose her that she knew something—more than she should have. 

The old man placed his hand on Ámbar's right shoulder and started to talk with his calming voice, "You experienced a severe trauma when you were young, so your brain is blocking those memories. Don't be afraid, it's normal. With time, you will remember, I promise."

Ámbar raised her gaze at him, some tears wanted to break free in her eyes. The old man wasn't lying, it was sure now. His voice was so kind and warm, she felt that he had told the truth and his intentions for her were real. He truly believed she was his granddaughter, and it broke Ámbar's heart more. One more person, who was trapped into that lie spiral created by Sharon.

"Sorry, it's just..." her voice stumbled, and she had to swallow her tears, "very difficult for me. I can't put it into words." She swallowed again. She wasn't lying to him, she told the truth, but it wasn't the whole reality. She knew now that she wasn't his granddaughter, but she didn't tell him. How much was she better than Sharon? 

But she couldn't speak—she was afraid of Sharon; she didn't know what she was capable of. She went far with this lie—she changed Ámbar's identity—and for god's sake, how far could she go to keep this whole mess up? 

"Mi nieta." She heard Alfredo's voice and felt the old man's arms pulling her into a tight hug, which made her cry more. She wasn't allowed to—nor to her "grandfather"—to show her feelings, but now she couldn't help but cry it out. 

This mess crumbled her whole world down. Everything she thought to be real was all fake, a big lie. And she saw no way out—only to swim with the tide. 

---

Manuel was waiting for Ámbar in the park at their usual place. The bench next to the little lake where they had first met became their secret meeting place. 

The days just passed—one after another—, but nothing had really changed, only that Manuel had to leave the calm and safe place of his room. He couldn't pretend to be sick anymore; one week had passed, and he had no symptoms at all. 

The day at the University was peaceful, nothing interesting happened, luckily. The professors released the material, and any students asked nothing from Manuel. He was invisible as usual. He had already wondered about when he wasn't there, had anyone noticed it? Probably, no one, or some of the professors, or even aren't them. There were hundreds of students in a class, how could anyone notice if someone was missing? It's inability.

He raised his phone once more and checked the time on its screen. Ámbar had to be there. She was the one who never was late, not even for a second. What if something wrong had happened to her? Maybe, Sharon had suspected something that Ámbar hadn't noticed? 

Manuel raised his phone to his ear nervously. The phone rang for a couple of seconds, and then connected to voicemail. Her cheerful voice asked Manuel to leave a message or call her later. It didn't mean anything good.

He felt that his heart started to beat faster, and her hands were shaking with fear and nervousness. She said that Sharon was very dangerous. What could she do with her? 

The panic took over Manuel's body when a blonde girl appeared in the distance. She was running fast and waved with her right hand. Manuel's heartbeat slowed down; he felt his body relax. She was there, and she was okay.

"Sorry," she said and sat down next to him. "The training was longer than I expected." She rolled her eyes. She placed her backpack on her lap and took out a bottle. She took a sip from her cool water and closed it again. She raised her gaze at Manuel, who was smiling like an idiot. "What happened to you?'

"Why?" he asked surprised.

"Your look is strange. So?" she asked, with a scanning look on her face.

"I got it." Manuel chuckled. "It was written on my face how worried I was about you."

Ámbar gave a confused look. "Why?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Because you said how dangerous Sharon is. You are never late, and now I was afraid that something had happened to you," he confessed.

Ámbar felt that something warm flooded her chest. It was a good feeling; she had never felt it before. Someone was worried about her, she was important for a person first, in her whole life. She couldn't help but smile and show her happiness.

"Calm down. It was only Juliana and her long training session. She always says that we aren't good enough and the competition is on our necks, so we have to train harder than ever." She turned her head and looked at the water that waved calmly. "I hate her so much," she stressed out.

"Why? A coach is always wanting the best for her team," Manuel said.

Ámbar turned her gaze at Manuel and replied, "She isn't. She loves to criticize us, in the first place me. Of course, Lunita is perfect as always," she complained.

"It sucks."

"Yeah, I know, but that's my life. Welcome!" she said sarcastically.

"Let's talk about something else," he suggested.

"Did you talk to Bia?"

"No." Manuel lowered his eyes. "I think she is hiding something from me."

"Maybe," she stretched out the word, "you're just paranoid.

"Sure." Manuel let out a sigh. He liked to talk to Ámbar, but they don't know much about each other. He wanted to know more about her and talk less about the things which depressed them. "It's my turn to change the subject."

"The first was you too."

"Never mind." Manuel waved in the air with his right hand and glanced at Ámbar, who was waiting for him to continue. "I would like to know more about you," he confessed with a little smile hiding in the corner of his mouth. 

Ámbar's eyes widened. What does he want to know? It isn't much about her—good things not really. She didn't want to lose him, her first friend—if they were.

"What do you wanna know?" She pressed her lips, waiting for an answer. 

"What do you like? Why are you a roller skater? What's your favorite book or place or everything? I just want to know you better."

Ámbar's lips curled upwards. Manuel's voice was so kind. This guy seemed as if he couldn’t hurt anyone. It was funny how they had met—he was dropping gravels into the lake and everywhere in his anger. But when he wasn't, he was so calm and peaceful. Maybe a bit shy even.

"Earth calling, Ámbar!" pulled back Manuel's voice the girl from her thoughts.

"Sorry." She smiled. "So, my favorite movie is the Oceans trilogy. I like how they planning to steal everything."

"I like it too." Manuel's eyes were filled with happiness. It was the first day when they felt happy and free. They could talk about everything they wanted, and they didn't have to speak about their problems. They were only friends who wanted to spend time together.

Chapter Text

Finally, they got to know each other more. Manuel found out that the girl was a big Harry Potter fan, even if she didn't like to share it with anyone because her madrina always told her, it is for small children only. Manuel reassured her that he is also a big fan of the series—the television version and the book too.

When Manuel thought they had run out of themes, Ámbar turned her head to the lake, and a serious look got over her whole face. Her lips were tightly pressed, and her eyes looked sad. Manuel knew she wanted to say something to him, but she was thinking about whether to say it or not. Maybe it was connected to Sharon.

"Manuel," she turned her head back, the serious look on her face turned into a worried one, "you have to know something about me."

Manuel nodded in agreement and let her continue. He knew it was something hard to speak about.

"I know after it, you won't like me, and I won't ask too. I am not that person you think I am." She pressed her lips and licked her lower lip with her tongue. She was gathering her thoughts and trying to find the good words. She had to share it with him, she didn't want to be like Sharon or Antonio, not even like Victor. She wanted to be honest with Manuel.

Manuel's brown eyes narrowed, and one of his eyebrows was raised. And he nodded.

Ámbar nodded too and started to speak, "there's that girl Lunita," she started from the very beginning. "She got into my life from nothingness and took everything which was ever mine. She moved into my house, she goes to the same school as me and she goes to the Roller too. And took Matteo, my ex-boyfriend, too. I don't say I am still in love with him because I wasn't when he left me—I don't know if I have ever been in love with him, maybe not—, but it did hurt and very much that Luna took him too. Everyone would fall for her if she wanted that. She got all the attention, which was mine, and now she is everyone's favorite." Ámbar smoothed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "Sharon always taught me to get what belongs to me, so I stepped into the game." Ámbar looked at Manuel who was listening to her curiously, he had no clue what she would say. "First, I did everything to make her life impossible, but that was nothing than I did this year," she sighed. "I broke a camera in the Roller with a similar skate as Luna's and wanted to blame her. I wanted to make someone dirty because I didn't want to be in the background of the attention. And I didn't like that the cameras recorded everything, so I couldn't say any wrong word about anyone without getting some hateful comments." Manuel's eyes now were wide open but didn't say a word. "And the worst of all," her voice stumbled, she had to swallow, "I burned down the rink. It was an accident, but it happened because of me. I poured a glass of hot tea on the camera equipment, and it got the short circuit." Some tears glittered in her eyes. "If you want to leave me, do it, but please, don't judge me! I know I was wrong, and I truly regret it, but I can't change the past." Ámbar was crying now. She wouldn't have done it a week before, but now, in front of Manuel, it was all the same. It didn't count anymore, only Manuel and her emerging friendship with him.

Manuel looked into her eyes and tried to read them. Which Ámbar said was serious, her words were heavyweight. But he imagined himself in her place. What would have he done? It was sure, he wouldn't have burned down a rink.

When he decided what to say, he opened his mouth. "Seriously, I thought you are smarter than pouring a drink on an electric machine and thinking that it won't short circuit." His tone was serious, but his eyes were smiling, then burst out laughing.

Ámbar looked up from her lap, she couldn't believe her eyes, nor her ears. Manuel was laughing. "Why are you laughing?"

Manuel placed his right hand on Ámbar's shoulder and said, "Thank you for being honest with me, I really appreciate it. But did you really burn down a rink?"

Ámbar turned her gaze to the lake and nodded.

"Ámbar, I won't say that you aren't guilty, and I won't congratulate you on what you have done, but I won't leave you. Everyone has mistaken. Me too." His tone was soft, and his brown eyes melted by the end of the sentence.

"Are you serious?" Ámbar's blue oceans shone up. Finally, she saw some hope lightning in between the darkness.

Manuel nodded and left a reassuring smile on his face.

Ámbar's posture relaxed, she felt her heartbeat slowing down, the pulsation in her ears ceased. She felt an urge to hug the guy next to her. She had never done it before, but she knew she had to show him how happy she was about to say that—how important he was for her.

"You can hug me if you want," Manuel said, reading out the girl's thoughts from her eyes. They connected so well.

Ámbar wrapped her hands around Manuel's body and placed her chin on the boy's shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered into his ears. The tears started to dry in her eyes, only the reddish shade showed that she had cried before.

The hug was something unbelievable for Ámbar. She felt the boy's warmth on her body, she heard his light heart-pounding and smelled Manuel's scent. Pine and dust.

Manuel held her tightly, showing that she can count on him. Ámbar didn't have to face anything alone anymore, he would be on her side, always.

Ámbar pulled herself away, even though she would love to stay in that position forever. The lack of love she was living for years, finally, seemed to disappear. Now she had him and maybe Alfredo too.

Manuel looked at his dark-gray-strap watch. "Sorry, but I gotta go. Tomorrow, I will have an exam. It's not a big deal, but I'd like to review the material one more time."

"Okay." Ámbar nodded, with a kind smile on her face. "See you next time!"

"Have a good day!" Manuel stood up and lifted his backpack up and placed it on his back. He waved with his right hand, and Ámbar returned his gesture.

Ámbar stayed there for a while for thinking. She still couldn't believe that Manuel won't leave her, and he didn't judge her. It was something new, she had rarely experienced before. Her stomach did a somersault at that thought. Then she spelled his name sometimes, Manuel. It had a soft and pleasant sonority like the boy was. After something else came into her mind and dropped his name out of her brain. It started with an S and ended with an m. She shook her head, trying to shake out the thought but it was stuck in her mind. Why does he have to be everywhere?

---

Manuel was sitting in his room, reading his schoolbook. How he hated the last days before an exam! It was the most unbearable of all days. He knew that he knew the material, but his mind was always telling him that he should deal with it more, read it again and again. The jitters in the last days almost ate him up, despite not being the most nervous type.

He had a scholarship, so he had to keep up his standards. So far, his average was good, but he had had only two tests, now started the whole examination period. He had nightmares with the exams, and now the whole Antonio-Victor thing rolled in his brain like an endless railway. Sometimes Antonio was the examiner, and when Manuel glanced at him, he froze. His body was cool, but he felt the sweat running down on his spine like a little stream. When he woke up, his whole pajamas were paddled in the cool liquid. His breath was panting, and his hair was stuck to his forehead.

Manuel tried to brush aside these thoughts. Now, he had to focus on the material. One word another. He forced his brain to process every word and tried to store it in the back of his mind. When he finally could concentrate, his phone ring interrupted him. With an upset look turned to his phone and checked the name on it. Bia.

Her sunbathed, brownish face looked back at him, with her bright chocolate-brown eyes. Her wide smile enchanted him as always and melted his facial expression. He had to answer that call—they haven't talked for days because Manuel always shook her off. Now, his guilt woke up, and his stomach twitched. He felt a knot growing in his throat, but he pushed his finger on the phone screen.

"Hi." He forced a smile on his face, trying to cover his distrust.

"Hello, Manuel!" The girl welcomed him with a smile on her face, but Manuel saw in her eyes that she was also forcing this expression. And her voice also betrayed her, it was shattered.

"What happened?"

"I have to tell you something." She swallowed; it was visible on the other side of the facetime.

Manuel's eyebrows formed a sharp v, but he nodded curiously.

"I...," she swallowed again, trying to gulp the knot in her throat." I found out something, I think."

"What?" What could happen yet?

"I think Victor lied about the accident."

So, that was that. She knew about it. Manuel felt his body was flooded with warm blood; his posture straightened.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" His voice was full of tempers.

"I'll tell you now. Sorry, but you were the one who avoided me for days. Don't tell me, you didn't. I noticed it." Her brown eyes were sad and wandered down, not keeping eye contact with Manuel.

"Because I knew you were hiding something from me. I heard your conversation with Chiara and Celeste," he confessed.

"What did you hear exactly?" Bia asked, looking up from her lap.

"That Victor lied about something."

"So, you didn't hear the whole conversation, did you? I said that he lied, and I have no proof about it. I also told the girls that I don't want to blame him for anything without certainty, and I don't wanna tell you at that time because you lived a hard time right then."

Manuel lowered his eyes. Now he was amused. He didn't hear the whole conversation, and he blamed her without certainty. He should have trusted her.

"I still don't know if it was true, or if the videos which I have found are badly dated."

"You are right." Manuel engraved his gaze into hers. "Victor lied. And you have to know the truth," he sighed. "Your sister wasn't driving at the time of the accident. She was sleeping in the back seats. Lucas was driving."

"What? How do you know?"

"When I heard your conversation, I asked Victor to meet up. Then it turned out..." His voice broke at the end of the sentence, and he had to swallow his tears. He wasn't the crying type, anyway, he wasn't a little child anymore and adult men don't cry, but this moved his feelings.

Bia was pale on the other side of the line. She couldn't say anything. She had suspected it, but it was another thing to come true. That meant that the Gutiérrez family was blaming them for something they hadn't committed—something that her sister didn't do. And they made Helena's name dirty as hell, they mentioned her as a murderer. A cold-blooded killer. 

Okay, they haven't said exactly that, but their facial expressions were speaking instead of them while they were talking about Helena—her beloved sister. 

Tears glittered in Bia's chocolate eyes; she couldn't believe it. She wanted to scream, to let out her anger, but nothing came out of her mouth. She felt that something had wrapped around her neck, and it squeezed her more and more. The air was gulped out of her lungs—she felt that she was going to drown right there and right then.

"Bia, are you okay?" Manuel asked her, with a concerned look.

She shook her head and tried to inhale. She counted to three in her mind, but nothing happened.

"Bia, breathe!" Manuel ordered. He wanted to run there, to help Bia, but some kilometers separated them. By the time he got there, maybe it would be late. 

Manuel felt his heartbeat fast, the pulsation in his ears appeared again, but this time it was much worse.

"Bia!" he shouted as he saw the girl faint on the other side of the line. 

Manuel jumped up from his seat and ran out of his room and left the Kunst Residence. 

---

Alice heard a huge thump, coming from her daughter's room, and then a huge shout cut in half the silence of the flat.

She heard Manuel's voice, but he wasn't there. It was calling her daughter desperately.

Alice ran to Bia's room and tore open the door of her daughter's room without thinking, leaving her usual oye. When she entered the room, she saw her daughter lying on the ground next to her chair where she usually sits. Her phone was on the table on-call Manuel.

Fear ran down on her spine and stepped to Bia. She crouched down as fast as she could and checked her daughter's breath. It was weak, almost imperceptible. 

Her heart skipped a beat, but her brain was quicker, so she held out her hand to reach Bia's phone. She hung up the call with Manuel and opened the speed dial. She typed the paramedics' number and waited. 

It rang. But she felt eternity when finally, someone answered the call. She spoke quickly, her voice trembled as she dictated the address and told the dispatcher what had happened. 

---

Manuel breathed heavily when he entered the Urquizas house. They lived on the third floor, so he had two choices; wait for the elevator or go on foot on the stairs—this seemed faster, so he decided to choose the second one.

With every step, he felt harder to go forward, but he had to go. He had to reach her before it was too late.

When he had reached the third floor, he glanced at two paramedics in their uniforms. They were walking next to a stretcher, on which Bia was lying. Her face was covered with an oxygen mask, and her hair spread away under her head. 

Alice was walking behind them, with a desperate expression on her face. Her dark eyes glittered with tears. 

"What happened to her?" Manuel asked, with a trembling voice.

"She fainted," Alice said.

The paramedics pushed the stretcher into the elevator, and Manuel got in next to them with Alice. 

"Will she be okay?"

"We think she had a panic attack, but we need to carry out some tests to make sure," one of the paramedics explained.

"But she will be okay," the woman reassured them with a kind smile on her face.

Alice and Manuel let out a sigh of relief at the same time. Alice noticed it and pulled Manuel into a hug. It was hard for both of them. Luckily, she will be okay.

Chapter Text

Manuel and Alice stand by the bed on which Bia was lying, still wearing a breathing-aid appliance. The doctors said that she had to stay here for some days, or at least for the night to be examined because, at her age, it wasn't normal to faint like this with a lack of oxygen. They found that something had prevented her from breathing, and they assumed it was due to the panic as the paramedics had said earlier.

Bia was sleeping peacefully, like Sleeping Beauty, who was waiting for her prince to wake her up.

Alice gestured with her hand to Manuel to follow her, and they left the room. Alice stopped next to the door and sat down on one of the chairs in the corridor. Manuel waited for her to say something, and when Alice tapped the seat next to her, he sat down there.

"Please, Manuel, tell me what happened exactly? What shocked Bia so much? What did you say to her?" Now, Alice's look was serious, and her eyes were looking at Manuel as if they saw the depth of his mind.

Manuel tried to swallow the newborn knot in his throat, which he thought he had got rid of in the big hurry, and anxiety which played in the last hours. Manuel didn't know which was the better; say the truth or not. Alice had every right to know the truth about the accident, to find out the circumstances of her older daughter's death, to make her family's name clean.

Manuel looked down to his lap and played with his fingers. He didn't want to be Antonio, he had to tell the truth.

"Please, Alice, make yourself comfortable, it won't be easy what comes," Manuel warned her. One of Alice's dark brown eyebrows ran up on her forehead but allowed Manuel to continue. "I found out the truth about the accident," he said and swallowed again. Alice's look turned into a confused but curious one. She didn't know what Manuel was talking about.

Then Manuel explained everything which had happened in the last couple of days; how he had found out who his father was, the conversation between the girls, and then his talk with Victor. When he reached the end of the conversation and told her the exact facetime when Bia fainted, he saw the same look in the woman's eyes—jitters, anger, sadness, injustice.

"Thank you, Manuel, for telling us." A little spark showed him that she truly appreciated his gesture for telling them the truth. He showed them, he wasn't like Antonio, and he wasn't that member of the Gutiérrez family whom they had to hate.

"Where is Bia?" Bia's father appeared in the corridor. His suit was crumpled, and concern glittered in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" arranged his words to Manuel. Then his look wandered at his wife whose eyes had a slightly reddish shade and held Manuel's hand. "Don't tell me—" He couldn't continue. It happened once in his life; it was more than enough to lose one daughter. It couldn't happen again.

"No, she is okay," Alice answered quickly. A big rock fell from Mariano's heart. Her little daughter was okay. Then he let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to them.

"Why are you crying?"

Alice glanced at Manuel quickly, and indicated to him with her eyes, it was her time to talk. "It just shook me all over."

Manuel whose back was turned to Mariano raised an eyebrow and mouthed a ‘why’ to Alice. She sent him a not-now-look, and Manuel nodded barely noticeable.

It was amazing how they could communicate without words, despite the lack of acquaintance, and the hate between their families.

"Can I see her?" Mariano asked, his voice was still trembling.

"Yes." Alice nodded, and her lips curled upwards a little. She stood up and introduced Mariano to the door of the room where Bia was.

Manuel decided it was better to leave them alone, now it wasn't necessarily his presence there—anyway, he wasn't a family member—yet. In turn, tomorrow he would go there to see her. There's a lot to talk about, and he had to apologize.

---

The cool wind caressed Ámbar's cheek as she headed to the Roller. Since she knew the truth about not being Sol Benson, she preferred to walk, not go by the car driven by Tino. That man was gossipy, and she didn't want to take a risk to be vulnerable in front of him because the frustration that she felt for Sharon, always hovered around her. One word or a picture came into her mind where she was with her, feeling special around her presence, exploded the bomb—herself—, and she couldn't help but cry.

She didn't like to be broken, mostly because of what had happened. Anyways, deep in her heart, she always felt that she didn't mean anything to Sharon, but she didn't want to confess it, not even herself.

When she would like to speak to her about something not as important as school, or etiquettes—maybe the thing was a bit childish—, Sharon rolled the topic far as if she hadn't heard Ámbar's voice at all. Other times, when Ámbar needed a hug or some kind words, Sharon didn't want to notice it, many times she made things worse than it was before and forced Ámbar to behave as she wanted.

Ámbar couldn't get out of her head when she talked about Luna and how the girl stole everything from her at the rink. Sharon said that she should not have dealt with such ridiculous things. Sharon always found roller-skating silly and a waste-of-time activity. And when she showed a little interest in the topic, she gave her bad advice, such as how she should take her place back at the rink.

Now, Ámbar knew she did horrible things. Maybe a real friend was necessary to see the real side of things.

With these thoughts reached Ámbar the Jam&Roller and opened its heavy, metal door.

A pleasant atmosphere welcomed her as she stepped inside the building. Pop music rang from the speakers and people were talking with each other, drinking their juices or shakes.

Ámbar purposefully went to the locker room, where she opened her locker and pulled out her white skates, that ankle part glittered silverily and a big A was in the middle of it. She pulled through her index finger on the slightly rough surface and wondered about how ironic it was. Her skates were marked with her real name's initial letter, not by Sol Benson's. She was always Ámbar Smith, never was Sol Benson—even her skates showed that.

The feeling of how small she was, appeared again and squeezed her stomach. Sharon had influenced everything in her life, and she still did, and Ámbar didn't know how to take control. She wanted to be the one who drove her life, not someone else who lied to her in her entire life. First, she lied that her parents were on a business trip—always. How could she believe such a transparent lie? She had never met them in her entire life, and she had no memories at all. She got presents for her birthday and Christmas, but they were also so cold material things. They didn't even know what she liked, what would have made her happy.

These soulless presents were from Sharon, now she knew this. That much, Sharon knew her.

Then Sharon said that she was Sol and the whole lie spiral took a new twist. Sharon told her also that she lied about her parents for Ámbar's own good. Sure. Sharon explained the whole thing as if she was doing this to protect Ámbar from the burden of her parents' death and from the people who would have found her as the most interesting topic on a tabloid's cover page.

She should have known before that the whole thing was a lie when Sharon had told her. If Sharon had wanted to protect her from these things, why would have revealed it in front of the whole mansion? Yeah, she said that it's not allowed for her to talk to anyone about being Sol, but then Sharon turned pages and treated Ámbar in the way as if she hadn't said a word about it. Now, her "friends" all knew who she was, that is who she believed to be.

With trembling hands, tied her skates’ corset and stood up to her weak legs. She peeked into her locker and glanced at a photo on her locker door's inside side. Ámbar was depicted in the photo, and her 15-year-old self, looked back at her with a wide grin on her face, while her hands held the prize of the county roller-skating competition. Her hair was combed into a ponytail on the top of her head and just a little make-up covered her face, highlighting her blue eyes and shapely lips.

This picture was made before Luna climbed into her life and ruined everything. Before Sharon lied to her to be somebody else. Before...

She blinked some to prevent the growing tears from falling from her eyes.

Before everything bad.

"Ámbar, are you okay?" Luna's face appeared next to her.

Ámbar quickly slammed her locker door and turned to the curious girl. Why should she be everywhere?

"Of course," she said and forced a smile on her face. "Why not?" she added.

Luna stepped back, to increase the distance between them. "Sorry, I just..."

Ámbar raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes.

"I believed that you were crying, but never mind. Sure, I was wrong," Luna said rapidly, afraid of the look on the blonde's face.

Ámbar curled her lips more upwards and said, "Yes, you are wrong, Lunita." Her voice was assertive. "Why don't you get your skates out from your locker?" she asked because the brunette was still standing in front of her, staring at Ámbar with a surprised look on her face.

"Oh," she turned around and took out her key, "because that's why I came here," she murmured puzzled.

Ámbar's eyebrows ran high on her forehead but didn't say anything else to the short girl, instead she closed her locker and headed to the rink.

It was a close shave.

---

The rink was empty, no one was skating, or sitting on the grandstands. It was the occasion to gather all her feelings and dig deep down in her. No one should know about what had happened to her. Mostly, after Luna's appearance. She almost noticed her crying. Almost. Not yet. But if she continues like this, it will occur. She needed to stop her feelings and her brain.

Well, she did it, in her whole life. Why would it be harder now?

She skated a couple of rounds on the rink as a warm-up. She tried to forget about everything and concentrate on her skating. Nothing, only her and her roller-skates.

The voice of the wheels rolling on the rink's surface calmed her. The storm in her brain, the anger cooled away.

Good, she did it.

---

Always Simón. Why did Ámbar always have to skate with him? She was better with Matteo! But Juliana always paired them, and Simón was the last person with whom she wanted to skate.

Last time, she thought finally, Juliana had gotten rid of her irritating habit, and the coach had left them to skate with who they wanted. For that, she chose Ramiro. She never thought she would skate with the curly-haired boy someday, but it was way better than with Simón. Thinking back, Ramiro wasn't as bad as she thought. On the contrary, he had talent, but she never thought about him as a potential pair. He was too different.

Now, she would do anything to be paired with the black-haired, just don't have to skate with Simón.

With no mood, she skated on the side of the Mexican guy and did every move in a perfect synchronous way. When the lift was the next, Ámbar's heartbeat accelerated. Simón placed his hands on the girl's waist and squeezed it softly. Ámbar knew it was time to jump, but her legs didn't adapt. Simón could barely lift her towards his head. When Ámbar was in the air, her body was still in the same position, as if she was frozen.

Inside, she fought with all her strength. Her feelings tried to break an exit through the corridor that she had built up around them. Her stomach was burning in flames, and she could do nothing to stop it.

But she had to. 

She gained her strength and power and concentrated on the choreography rather than her emotions. When she diverted her mind, she wasn't feeling anything, only what she wanted. That's the way she could live for 17 years, almost 18. That's what Sharon taught her.

Simón put her down on the ground, and they moved away from each other.

"Dear Ámbar, what happened to you?" Juliana asked sarcastically. She stepped closer to the pair, with her walking stick in her right hand.

Ámbar crossed her arms before her chest and started at Juliana. "Nothing," she said and shook her head.

"Nothing." The coach's face turned into a grimace. "Exactly that's it when I look at you as you are skating. I see nothing." The coach turned her gaze and looked at her walking stick. "I think I see more emotions in a doll than in you."

Ámbar gulped.

"Juliana, it's not necessary—"

"I don't need your defense." Ámbar raised her hand in front of Simón and engraved her gaze into his.

Simón swallowed the end of the sentence and took a step back. He hated to see the girl like this.

"At least, we agree on that," Juliana said to Ámbar. "Ámbar, you have to transfer some emotions while you are skating. It's not just a house that we have to build up. It's a kind of art. You have to feel it when you skate, the audience and the jury have to see."

"I don't understand. What do you want?" Ámbar frowned.

"It doesn't matter to me. Be angry, sad, or happy. Please, show me something from you!" She was almost smiling while she explained what she wanted. This blonde girl was so aloof in front of everyone.

So far, when Ámbar had been skating, Juliana had seen something in her, but this time it was lost. She didn't know what was with this girl, but she wanted to help her. If she didn't find her place in life, at least she would find her place at the rink.

Ámbar lowered her eyes.

Juliana asked the one she couldn't give her. The one thing that she wasn't allowed to do. Sharon's words rang in her head constantly.

"Do you understand now?"

Ámbar raised her gaze and nodded briefly. She took a deep breath and grabbed Simón's hand. It was warm and his palm was a little bit tough.

Simón shuddered when he felt the little hand's squeeze on his. He was surprised. He believed that Ámbar wouldn't do it easily. Because she was mad at him, and he still couldn't prove to her that he wasn't what she thought.

The music started and the pair skated on the rink hand in hand. They did a spin together, and then Ámbar let his hand go.

Her brain was fighting with her heart. Juliana's words battled with Sharon's. She felt lost and small. She was jammed in between the two women's orders. What should she do?

Her heart wanted to be successful in skating. It was her passion after all.

But her brain forced her not to do. If she shows her emotions, she will be vulnerable in front of everyone. Her mask would fall off for what she worked hard in her entire life.

The jump was the next.

Ámbar felt her legs weak—they were trembling. Her heart wanted to jump out of her chest while the pulsation in her brain almost tore her head apart.

She bounced away and rotated two in the air. She landed on her weak legs, but they have retained her, yet. 

Then Simón placed his hands on her waist and raised her. The rink started to spin in front of her eyes, and her lunch wanted to get out of her. Ámbar felt the taste of digested food in her mouth. It was bitter.

When she had to grab Simón's wrists she didn't find them. She slid her hands on Simón's head, still no luck.

Fear flooded her body. She had to find his wrists!

Then she saw dark spots in front of her eyes and lost her balance. Her left skate collapsed to Simón's chest with a huge knock, and the boy's whole body shuddered. The air stuck in his lungs, and he had to cough. He tried to hold her tightly, but the scraper feeling in his throat almost killed him. And it didn't help that he couldn't inhale, nor exhale.

Ámbar felt the boy's shaking body. The recognition scared her death. She would fall down!

Suddenly, she felt nothing under her. She was hurtling.

Ámbar heard a scream somewhere, and she reached the ground. The pain spread throughout her whole body, and she couldn't keep her eyes open. She felt like a truck hit her.

Chapter Text

Simón's body hurt when he tried to stand up, but all he could think about was Ámbar who was lying next to him.

"Ámbar, Ámbar," he whispered her name desperately and placed his hand on her cheek. Her eyelids covered her beautiful blue eyes, and her breath was gentle and consistent but weak. Too weak. Simón felt a cold run down on his spine. What did he do?

"Call the ambulance!" Juliana ordered and hurried to Ámbar. She crouched down to examine the girl. "Simón, please stand back!"

Luna stood next to Matteo and couldn't believe her eyes. A bittersweet urge to cry got over her, while Matteo's arms wrapped around her little figure. Jim stood next to them shocked while Ramiro called the ambulance. Every pair of eyes were glued to the middle of the rink where the blonde was lying on her back, her limbs spread around her.

"They are coming!" Ramiro shouted from the sidebar, still holding his phone to his ear.

"No, no, no," was all Simón could say. His whole body was trembling, and he felt that his whole world was crumbling down. His eyes were fixated on the blonde who seemed so vulnerable now. He had seen her once like that at the evening of the Roller Jam, but that was different. Now she could be seriously injured because of his fault. He should have held her above his head, he shouldn't have dropped her.

Simón ran his fingers through his hair. Some brown hairbreadth stuck in his fingers and left his skin with pain, but he almost didn't feel it. Nor did his chest hurt.

Simón felt an eternity while the paramedics had arrived. Meanwhile, Juliana asked them to leave the rink.

“Please, let me stay here,” he begged. 

Juliana slowly nodded but ordered the others to leave the rink. They didn’t need to tense the atmosphere more. It was enough to see one of her disciples fall down from a lifting. The memory of her accident came into her mind, but she fought with that. There’s no time for that. She had to be strong, now she was the coach.

Juliana turned her head to Simón who was standing some meters away and seemed he had been living a panic attack. Sweat drops were beaded on his forehead and his posture shrunk as if he had been twenty centimeters shorter. She glanced back at Ámbar and stood up. The pain slit in her right leg. Juliana clenched her teeth and leaned on her walking stick. She walked to Simón and placed her hand on his back. The guy hadn’t seemed to notice her presence, till he felt her touch on his back.

“Calm down,” Juliana spoke with a gentle voice, she tried to sound as comforting as she could in such a case, “she will be okay.”

Simón shook his head. “What if she won’t?”

“She will,” Juliana said harshly. “It’s not your fault, Simón. It was an accident. That happens.”

“But I am responsible for her,” he cried.

“Me too. I am responsible for all of you.” She managed to turn Simón’s head, so the boy looked into her eyes. “It won’t help her if you get a panic attack. She needs somebody who comforts her. Please, be the one who does it.” Her lips curled into a bittersweet smile. 

Simón nodded and took a deep breath, then headed to the girl.

Finally, the ambulance arrived and examined the girl. They placed her on a stretcher and left the rink together with Simón and Juliana. 

Before Juliana left the Roller, she told Pedro and Nico to close the place when the time came and left the Roller with the paramedics.

---

Ámbar woke up in a room in semidarkness. All she saw was white everywhere, and the room smelled like disinfectant. She turned her head, and a sharp pain darted into her holder. She narrowed her eyes to reduce the pain. What the hell happened to her? When her eyesight was clear again, she noticed flashing hospital equipment that checked her pulse. So, she was in a hospital. But why was she there? Her memories were blurry, all she remembered was skating with Simón in the Roller. After that, a black space filled everything, like she had a film break. 

“Ámbar?” a gentle voice called her name. It was Simón’s.

“I will call a doctor.” Now, it was Juliana’s voice. Why were the two of them with her at the hospital?

“How do you feel?” Simón asked.

“What happened to me? Why am I here?” Her voice was weak. Did a car hit her? 

“You had an accident at the rink.” Simón’s voice trailed off.

Ámbar was scared. What happened to her? Why did Simón talk like he was going to cry every minute?

“I am sorry, it was my fault.” Simón’s lips trembled, his brown eyes were sad and full of guilt. 

“I don’t remember anything. What did you do to me?”

The door of the room opened and a doctor with Juliana rushed in. Simón stood back in the side of the room.

“All right, young lady. How do you feel?”

“I don’t know. My headaches. Will anyone tell me what happened to me?” Ámbar didn’t like walking in darkness, and everyone seemed to know what had happened to her.

“You had a concussion,” the doctor explained. “Nothing to worry about. A couple of days and you will be alright. All you need is rest.” His voice was pleasant, and his smile seemed honest.

Ámbar let out a sigh of relief. At least, she knew she hadn’t been seriously injured. 

“We want you to stay here a couple of days because we would like to examine that there is no swelling in your head.” The doctor reached into the pocket of his white cloak and pulled out a pen from it. He wrote down something in the notebook in his hands and turned his head to Ámbar. "I let your boyfriend stay here." He smiled kindly; his brown eyes were full of warmness. 

"He isn't my boyfriend," Ámbar mumbled. 

"Sorry," the doctor apologized while rushing his fingers through his gray hair, confused. "I leave you alone. Good rest!"

With that, the doctor left the room and the awkward silence anchored. Ámbar glanced at Simón and Juliana alternately. Finally, she fixed her gaze at Simón who was standing in the corner, wringing his hands. 

"What exactly happened?" Ámbar wanted to know because the doctor had said only a piece of information.

"I dropped you. I am so sorry." The guilt almost ate Simón from inside. Ámbar didn't remember the exact moment, but she knew Simón wouldn't have done it if he hadn't a good reason. Even if she didn't trust him, she knew he wouldn't have done to her, he wouldn't have let her get injured. 

"Simón, it wasn't your fault. How many more times do I have to tell you?" Juliana stepped closer. "It was an accident. I should have stopped you," Juliana turned her head to Ámbar, "I saw you weren't feeling well. If someone made a mistake, it was me."

The blurry memories started to clear in Ámbar's mind. She was skating on the rink with Simón, and Juliana asked her to let her emotions out, to show who she really was. And she tried, but Sharon's words were stronger and hit her where it hurt the most. It was none of their fault. If she could blame someone, it was Sharon. She was the one who ruined everything in her life with her special education methods and lies. Lies that took her down for days, lies that defined her identity lies that made her trust in no one—except Manuel. 

Ámbar fixated her gaze on Juliana and noticed the concern in her eyes. Her dark brown eyes were sad, and Juliana had the same expression as Simón had—she felt guilty. Ámbar didn't know why her coach was so worried about her. Every time they met, Ámbar thought that she hated her, she hadn't given her a kind word, except that training when she skated with Simón after the Roller Jam.

Ámbar carefully shook her head. "It wasn't either of your fault. I was the one who kicked Simón. I remember now."

A little smile played on Juliana's mouth; she had never seen Ámbar like that. Honest and kind. She always hides everything behind that mask she puts on every day, and after their conversation before the qualifier of the Road Fest when Ámbar left the team, she thought she would never accept her as her coach. 

"Ámbar, I have to call your parents. Would you give me their number?"

Ámbar's facial expressions turned into a grimace, but she tried to cover it as fast as she could. "Yes. Where is my phone?" she asked and looked around the room. On the bedside cabinet, there wasn't anything. 

"I think it's still in the Roller," Simón said.

"Never mind, maybe I remember." 

Juliana gave her phone to Ámbar, who accepted it with shaking hands. She didn't want to speak with Sharon. She avoided her for days, and now her state neither helped her. Sharon always found skating dangerous, and she was right at some point. Ámbar knew that if Sharon knew what had happened to her, she would not allow her to skate again. But she had no choice. She had to call her as her single known relative.

She tapped the numbers on the phone's screen and took it back to Juliana. "It's my aunt's number," she pressed out the words. Aunt. Yeah, who definitely wasn't hers.

Juliana nodded. "I leave you two alone." She left the room with a mischievous smile in the corner of her mouth.

The door closed and the silence set in the room. Ámbar felt the moment's awkwardness. She didn't know what to say or say anything at all. Everything was so confusing now. Simon seemed still so desperate, the guilt in her brown eyes just a little eased. She didn't trust him, she couldn't, but the depth of her heart wanted with all her might. 

"Simón." Her words reflected in the silent room, only the machine's beeping voice made a rhythmic noise. 

Simón looked up from his hands and turned his gaze to Ámbar. She was so beautiful even in this state. Her blondie waves spread around her face on the white pillow, and the makeup didn't cover her face, but her real features were noticeable. She was more beautiful with that amount of makeup. 

"Forgive me, please!"

Simon frowned. He didn't get the girl's intention. Why should he forgive her? He was the one—even if everybody said the contrary—who caused her accident.

"I was so mad that I couldn't think clearly. I said horrible things to you." 

Simón realized what she was talking about.

"I couldn't say I can trust you a hundred percent, but I want to," she admitted. "I would like to try it." She left a kind smile on her face. How could she live without trusting anyone? She should have tried it, even if in the end she would hurt herself more than she thought. 

Simón shyly smiled back, the guilt in his eyes almost got lost. He stepped closer and placed his palm on Ámbar's. The girl's hand was cool, but her skin was soft. He liked its touch.

Ámbar didn't pull her hand away. Some days ago, she would have done it, but she decided to try with Simón. She loved her even if she didn't want to. She had fallen into her own trap, but now it didn't annoy her, she liked the feeling. There was something to look forward to.

"I gave you the reason to untrust me," Simón said slowly. "After a couple of days of thinking," he chuckled, "I realized what you were talking about."

The smile grew on Ámbar's face.

"Luna is my best friend, but nothing more. Some weeks ago, I fell in love with someone else, and I couldn't decide whether to tell her or not, but now I know. Ámbar, our rehearsals together were wonderful. I didn't know how I felt until I saw you crying on the Roller Jam. I wanted to do everything to comfort you. But I didn't know if it was mutual, or I was the only one who got lost in your beautiful eyes every time I looked at you."

Ámbar's smile widened more. Her heart flooded with heat into her whole body. She was happy, she hadn't felt as glad as she felt now in her entire life. Simón loved her back. Some part of her knew it, but to get proof was a new level.

"It's mutual."

Simón's heart jumped in his chest in his joy. It was one of the most incredible sensations in his life. 

Simón took a deep breath and exhaled out slowly. "Ámbar, would you like to date me?"

Before Ámbar could say anything, Juliana stepped into the room. Her face was expressionless, but Ámbar knew something was wrong. Surely, Sharon blamed her, or she said to her that Ámbar will be forbidden to skate in the future.

"Sorry," Juliana said when she noticed the tense of the moment. "I wouldn't mind interrupting something. Ámbar, your aunt comes soon, and she wasn't happy at all."

Ámbar lowered her eyes. "I knew she wouldn't be." She turned her gaze to Simón. "I think it's better if you leave now. Sharon is… very protective." 

Simón nodded, but a little sadness filled his heart. He couldn’t get the answer from Ámbar, so he couldn’t be sure that she wanted to be his girlfriend.

“Get well soon!” He forced a smile on his face and let her hand go. He turned around, said goodbye, and left the room with a doubt cloud above his head. 

“I stay here while your aunt arrives,” Juliana remarked shyly, which was odd. She was never the shy type. Ámbar couldn’t decide whether her accident or something else made the woman so different. 

Juliana pulled a chair next to Ámbar’s bed and sat down. She placed her walking stick on the chair’s armrest.

The awkwardness between the two of them was palpable, neither Juliana nor Ámbar didn’t know what to say or say anything at all. Juliana was never the tip of Ámbar’s heart, but now she seemed kinder. 

“My aunt isn’t an easy case. I think it’s better if you leave too,” Ámbar broke the silence. She knew that Sharon’s first intention would be to blame Juliana, even though she had nothing to do with her fall. She just tried to help her, to develop her skating skills, but she could not help that Sharon decided Ámbar’s life also on the rink.

“I have to stay here. It happened under my duty.” In her dark brown eyes’ sadness glittered. She was still blaming herself for everything. 

Ámbar lowered her eyes and looked at her hands. She started to play with her fingers, and then said, “I wasn’t feeling well. I should have stopped.”

“And I should have stopped you. We can continue like that, but the situation won’t change. I am the coach, the responsibility is mine,” Juliana declared. 

The door flew open, and Sharon stepped into the room. Her facial expressions were unreadable, but a little spark in her eyes was noticeable.

“Ámbar, my dear,” she said, acting like Ámbar was the most important thing in her life. Ámbar deaden the compulsion to roll her eyes. It was so transparent. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing serious, I had a concussion, but now I am much better,” she replied conventionally. 

“I always said that skating is dangerous. How many times do I have to tell you to understand? You could have had a much bigger injury.” Sharon tore her gaze from Ámbar and searched for the coach.

“You?” Sharon asked with a dumbfoundedness in her voice. “Are you the coach?”

Juliana nodded, and Ámbar noticed a spark in her eyes. She recognized Sharon from somewhere. Maybe, because of that, she had been so bashful before, she could have suspected from the call who she was. 

“Do not happen again! Otherwise—”

“Otherwise, what?” Juliana interrupted Sharon, now her eyes were burning in anger. 

“You will lose your job.”

Juliana found her old self and didn’t turn her head, she stood Sharon’s gaze.

“Please leave us alone. Sol needs rest and your irritating presence can’t give her that.”

“Sol?” Juliana raised an eyebrow and didn’t step anywhere.

“She is Sol Benson, my niece,” Sharon stressed out and darted a look at Ámbar as if she was a fancy piece of jewelry. 

Juliana seemed puzzled but didn’t say a word. She stood up, headed to the door, and placed her hand on the doorknob, but before she would have pressed it down, she said, “Get well soon, Ámbar!” And with that, she left the room.

Ámbar felt confused for the hundredth time during the day. What was it? From where did Juliana know Sharon? On the other hand, why was Sharon so cold with her? Ámbar thought that Sharon would be mad, but it was different. She wasn't only mad, she had something in her tone when she spoke—disgust.

"Finally, we have calmness," Sharon sighed. 

Ámbar tried to hide how confused she was and put on her shield. "I was the one who caused the accident, it has nothing to do with Juliana."

Sharon raised an eyebrow and pressed her brownish-red lips tightly. "Ámbar.” Sharon cleared her throat. “If you don’t want to live like her,” she turned her gaze to the door, “you have to finish your roller-skating career. It couldn’t be pleasant to walk with a walking stick every time.”

Ámbar lowered her eyes. She knew. She knew that Sharon would forbid her to skate, but she couldn’t believe it.

“I love skating,” Ámbar whispered. She felt the urge to let out the teardrops in her eyes, but she had to be strong. Sharon can’t find out how it broke her. 

Chapter Text

Manuel couldn't sleep well. He knew Bia's state wasn't his fault, but he felt like he did. Anyway, he was the one who started to talk about the accident, and because of the news, Bia got shocked. 

With big bags under his eyes, sat down for breakfast in the Kunst Residence's kitchen. Pleasant sunlight lit up the space and the Residence's couple talked cheerfully. Lately, it was unbearable for Manuel how Daisy and Pietro were into each other. The couple did everything together if they had the possibility to do it. It wasn't otherwise now. Daisy was sitting in front of the huge oblong kitchen table, while Pietro was making her breakfast. From its flavor, Manuel thought Pietro was making pancakes. 

"Manuel, is everything alright?" Daisy asked and put a concerned look on her face. 

Manuel looked up from his coffee that he had filled a moment ago and blinked tiredly at the girl in front of him. He shook his head and lowered his eyes to look at his cup again. 

"What happened?" Daisy wanted to know. Manuel could hear the anxiety in her voice. He was sure that the girl's eyes opened wide. Daisy did it every time she was surprised.

Manuel didn't know how much he wanted to share with them, but he knew he couldn't leave like that. "Bia had a panic attack yesterday," he replied slowly, not looking up from his coffee. He didn't want to meet Daisy's concerned eyes, which opened wider hearing the news. 

Daisy raised her hand in front of her opened mouth, and Pietro turned around not carrying about that he had tossed up a pancake that would land sometime.

"How is she now?" Daisy wanted to know.

Finally, Manuel raised his gaze and his eyes fixed on the pancake that was falling from the air. It landed on Pietro's head which put a blank smile on Manuel's face.

"She is better now, but she is in hospital."

Pietro peeled the pancake off his head and took a bit of it to taste. Manuel couldn't help but smile. 

Daisy frowned when she saw Manuel's change of mood and turned her head to the side where she saw what Pietro was doing. A little smile played on her lips too.

"Is it delicious?" Manuel asked, trying to change the subject. He didn't know what to reply if they asked him about the reason for Bia's panic attack. He hadn't even told Bia's father because Alice asked not to. 

"Yes, it's very good," Pietro said nonchalantly, Bia interested him more. "In which hospital is she?"

Manuel sighed. That's exactly what he didn't want. More questions. 

"She is in Rivadavia." Manuel hoped he wouldn't get more questions.

"How long do they keep her?" Daisy asked.

Luckily it wasn't that question.

"I don't know," Manuel shook his head, "yesterday they said at least one day. They want to do some examinations." Manuel raised his cup to his mouth and took a sip of his hot coffee. It didn't bother him that the hot drink burned his palate.

"Poor girl," Daisy stated and looked at Pietro with pleading eyes. Her boyfriend understood it and placed pancakes on her plate. "I hope she gets better soon," she added when she reached for the jam for her breakfast.

"Me too," Manuel said gloomily. Too many things had happened in his life during a short period. Till his life was good, if someone asked him, he would have said almost perfect, but now it all fell down like dominoes—someone pushed the first in the raw, and in a couple of minutes, the whole raw was laying. 

"It's yours." Pietro stepped to Manuel with a plate on which a thick mountain of pancakes was sitting. A smile was its decoration from blueberries. The sweet flavor filled the air. 

"Thank you!" Manuel smiled at him bittersweetly.

---

He had almost forgotten about his exam. Thank you for his foresight that he had installed a reminder on his phone. Now, he was on his way to the university. With huge steps, he sliced the corners. A gentle breeze caressed his cheeks that made his heartbeat slower. When he noticed the reminder on his phone his heart almost jumped out of his chest, but now approaching the school his nerves relaxed a bit.

Manuel opened the huge wooden door of the building and the cool air nabbed him as he stepped inside. The old building was cool every time of the year, so Manuel wouldn't have been surprised but he did. Probably because of the hurry he felt more pleasant in the inside area, hidden from the sunbeams.

The nervousness took over him again, as he arrived at the waiting room for the exam. There were many other people from his circle of acquaintance. The students were wearing elegant clothes one and all, luckily Manuel had chosen a white shirt with dark trousers for the occasion in his hurry. He had forgotten about the dress code.

Only minutes had passed, but Manuel felt like an eternity while they could sit down. The teacher dealt out the tests, and Manuel's nervousness jumped to a new level. His hands trembled as he opened the test, although he was prepared for that. But yesterday made him forget everything, how could he remember now?

Manuel started to play with his ballpoint pen. He read the first question and he couldn't answer. His mind was full of everything that happened lately, he couldn't concentrate.

Twenty minutes had passed, and he hadn't answered a whole question either. Where was his knowledge when he needed it the most?

Manuel closed his eyes and tried to think back on what he read in his textbook. The information was running from side to side in his brain, he couldn't catch one. He was perplexed. When something usable came into his mind he couldn't figure out the other half of the sentence. He jittery looked at his watch. He had only twenty minutes now. He had to write something down, or he would fail the exam.

"Clear your thoughts," a kind voice spoke to him in the back of his mind. It was Bia's. "There isn't anything you don't know; all you have to do is concentrate. Forget about what happened yesterday or before! You got it!"

A little smile appeared on Manuel's lips and nodded briefly. He can do it.

He selected his thoughts about the accident and his father and concentrated on his exam. The other half of the sentence came into his mind soon. That's it!

In the last twenty minutes, Manuel wrote the paper fully. His knowledge was flying, and he didn't let in a single thought about the accident.

When the teacher asked for the tests, he could confidentially bestow it. 

---

The building was huge and white. He could lose his way easily if he didn't pay attention. Manuel walked to the elevator and waited for that. When it had arrived and opened its own huge metal doors, a woman stepped out from it with a walking stick in her hand. It wouldn't be surprising in a hospital, but the woman looked exactly like Bia's mother! Manuel froze to his place. What did he have to do? 

If she was Alice—that was impossible as she had longer hair—she hadn't noticed him because she was in such a hurry and didn't look up when she walked next to Manuel. When he could finally move, Manuel turned around his axis, but the woman seemed nowhere to be found. Strange. 

What was what to do, Manuel stepped into the machine that almost closed its silver doors before his nose and pushed the proper number on its side. Maybe he was too nervous in the last couple of days that he was imagining things. Or that woman hadn't resembled Alice, only her hair color, and his thoughts that were spinning around the Urquiza family joked with him.

Full of yearning stepped out from the elevator, as it rolling opened its metal doors. He swept away the thought about that interesting meeting and concentrated with all his might at Bia. She was more important.

He walked across the corridor, from that in the two sides doors opened to different rooms and searched for Bia's. Before he opened the door, he pulled out his phone from his hip pocket and texted Ámbar that they couldn't meet in the afternoon, only in the evening, but he would like to speak to her. He wanted to share his exam experience and yesterday's events. He was curious about the girl's opinion. 

Manuel slipped back his phone into his hip pocket and pushed down the doorknob. The heavy door slowly opened, and Manuel perked his head into the girl's room. He watched her for a moment to make sure she was awake, and then his whole figure was in the room.

"Manuel!" Bia waved with her hand. She seemed happy, her brown eyes were shining, her face color was stronger than the last time. 

"Hey," he said gently and stepped closer to her bed. "How are you doing?"

"I am feeling much better." She smiled at him. "My parents told me what happened exactly, but my mother didn't tell my father the reason." Bia lowered her brown eyes, and Manuel noticed a shade of sadness in them. 

"She doesn't want to shock him. Look at you! You weren't that type but you ended up in hospital too." Manuel pulled a chair to Bia's bed.

Bia sat up in her bed and placed her hands on her sides. "You are right. I don't know why it happened to me. I felt like I had lost control over my body, and I couldn't breathe. It was terrible." Her glad mood seemed to have disappeared. It wasn't Manuel's intention when he started to talk about the theme.

"But you are alright now, and this is the most important thing!" Manuel carefully, slipped his palm on Bia's bed till their fingers met. A little smile appeared in the corner of the girl's mouth. She liked his touch, Manuel knew. Maybe someday they will be together again.

"The doctors said that I can leave the hospital tomorrow."

"It's good. I am happy to hear that." Manuel put a wide smile on his face. 

"What do you think, how should we tell the new information to Father?" Bia broke the silence that had set in a couple of minutes ago. 

"Honestly, I don't know. I think your mother will figure out something."

"I hope. I don't want him to end up here." Bia raised her hands. Her face showed how the pump in her heart had fastened. 

Manuel's gaze turned to the machine whose beeping voice was faster than before. "Bia, calm down!"

Bia took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, while she closed her eyes. The machine started to beep in a slower rhythm again. 

"I don't know what's happening to me," she sighed.

"Just the nerves."

"Before it wasn't like that."

"I know." Manuel grabbed her hand. "But you'll get through this. I will be on your side." He promised. 

---

Simón rushed back to the hospital with Ámbar's phone in his hand. He decided that the girl would not mind if he brought her phone to her. Anyway, her aunt won't be there, he hoped.

Simón didn't know where he was when it turned out that Sharon wasn't her godmother but her aunt. He believed that her parents were on a business trip or something like that. Then Luna treated Ámbar somehow differently as if she knew what she felt, and they spoke about Ámbar. Slowly the information reached him, but today was that point when he one hundred percent caught it. She was Sol Benson, the legitimate heir of the Benson property. That big mansion was all Ámbar's, not Sharon's. Simón couldn't imagine the weight that pushed her shoulders. He wasn't a poor guy after all, but he hadn't much money and his family was never rich. They had everything they wanted, but nothing more, and he hadn't felt that something was missing, except that time when he moved to Buenos Aires and left everything behind in Mexico. Now he had to earn money to make ends meet because of that he wouldn't mind if he had more just a little bit. But Ámbar's fortune was bigger than he had ever imagined, and more money is a bigger responsibility. Not to mention that it had news value in the press.

"The inheritor of the Benson fortune is alive", what a banner headline could be! Probably because of that, Sharon was always so cold, she tried to protect Ámbar. But Simón never could free from the strange feeling that got over him every time he was in Sharon's presence. Her irradiation was always so powerful and rigid that Simón felt so small as if he was only a little child, not a young man.

There were so many missing pieces of this puzzle that he couldn't count them, but the biggest question was: why did Sharon handle it like that? Wasn't it easier to say it out loud that Sol Benson was alive? Now, it was treated as a secret, but it was so open that almost everyone in the Roller knew somehow. Presumably, it had something to do with Jazmín, but Ámbar hadn't treated it as a well-kept secret either. It was so strange.

Simón was so lost in thoughts, that he hadn’t noticed the person who exited from a room and Simón bumped into him. Ámbar’s phone fell down and it knocked on the floor loudly.

“Sorry,” they said at the same time. 

“It was my fault,” Simón apologized.

“I wasn’t paying attention either,” the other guy replied. “Here it is.” He handed back Ámbar’s phone to Simón. When Simón grabbed the device, the other guy’s eyes fixed on the white phone. Simón, afraid that he had ruined her phone, quickly examined the screen. When he saw there wasn’t any bruise on it, he let out a sigh of relief.

Simón raised back his gaze from the phone to the guy in front of him who seemed a bit puzzled. Poor guy, probably some of his relatives were lying behind one of these doors. Simón put a comforting smile on his face and apologized once more, then left the guy. 

Before he entered the room, he had knocked politely on the door. A weak voice said: “come in”. Simón opened the door and found himself faced with a crying Ámbar. The girl quickly wiped away the little teardrops on her beautiful face and tried to hide the reddish shade of her blue eyes, but she couldn’t cheat him.

“What happened?” Simón tried to sound as gentle as he could and stepped closer to her bed.

Ámbar shook her head. She wouldn’t say it.

“You don’t have to keep yourself; I am here for you.” Simón slowly approached her and put his palm on hers. Ámbar shivered due to it Simón pulled back his hand. She wasn’t ready for that. 

“No,” she said and grabbed his hand. “You are right. I have to tell you.”

Simón let out a smile. His brown eyes shone up. She trusted him. It was the most important thing at that moment.

Ámbar took a deep breath and started to say, “Sharon prohibited me from skating. I can’t deal with that, it’s my passion. Sometimes I feel like I am locked into a gilded cage. For an outsider, my life seems so simple and perfect. But I can’t do countless things. Sharon has high expectations for me, and I have to fulfill them, otherwise,” she shook her head, “I don’t know what will happen.” Tears glittered in her sad eyes. Simón wanted to wipe the tears away, but he knew Ámbar could feel it too intrusive.

“I know how big responsibility weighs on you.”

“Many times, I feel like I have everything, but nothing that really matters,” she sniffed. 

Simón squeezed her hand. “I am here for you if it helps.”

“Thank you!” She wiped away the tears. “By the way, what are you doing here? Didn’t you go home?”

“Yes, I did, but I brought this to you.” He handed her phone to her. Ámbar grabbed it with a half-smile on her face. “Thank you again!”

A nurse entered the room with crossed arms before her chest. “I am sorry, but the visiting hour is over.”

Simón sadly glanced at Ámbar and let her hand go. He turned his head to the nurse. “A minute and I won’t be here.” 

The nurse nodded, but still stayed in the room.

“Call me, if you need somebody,” Simón asked Ámbar. The girl nodded carefully, as her head could ache with every move. “See you tomorrow,” he said and waved with his hand. 

Simón turned around his axis and started to walk to the door. 

“Simón, wait!”

Simón turned back.

“My answer is yes to your question,” Ámbar told him, smiling.

Simón’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. She said yes. She wanted to be his girlfriend. Happiness flooded his brown eyes, and a wide smile covered his face. He wanted to run back to Ámbar to kiss her, to feel her lips on his, to taste her mouth, but the nurse coughed bored, indicating to him it was time to leave. Chuckling, he shook his head, and Ámbar did the same. 

“Tomorrow,” she promised.

“Tomorrow,” Simón repeated.

Chapter Text

"Where is my nietita?" Alfredo asked when he heard the door's opening and saw only Sharon.

Ámbar had left for training, but at that time of the day, she used to be at home.

Looking at Sharon's emotionless face wasn't anything new, but a little glittering something was in the corner of her left eye.

It wasn't a tough question to answer, but Sharon pulled the time long, taking off her coat and placing her sunglasses on the shelf.

"She is in hospital," Sharon finally spoke up.

Alfredo suddenly felt a sharp jab in his chest around his heart and placed his left hand at that point. The air seemed to disappear, however, he tried to breathe. His head felt so heavy on his neck. He had had to sit down before he would pass out.

"It isn't anything serious, only a concussion. The doctors wanted her there to keep a close watch on her." Sharon's voice wasn't as cold as usual, a little comforting tone blended into it. She stepped closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Alfredo felt that gesture pleasant, and he could finally inhale some air, after knowing that Ámbar would be okay. Enough with his weak heart now! Some years ago, he wasn't like that, to be passed out because of the smallest, exciting news.

Alfredo raised his gaze at his daughter and noticed something in her greenish-grey eyes. Alfredo couldn't explain what that was, but he felt relieved that Sharon wasn't as cold as the wind in June as he thought.

"Can I visit her tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," Sharon said, surprised by Alfredo's concern about the girl.

---

Ámbar hadn't answered him. He had glanced at his phone two times when he visited Bia, but the two notifications were only about insta posts. Bia had even asked him what he was waiting for. Sure, he didn't talk about Ámbar, as he didn't know how much the girl wanted to be public in his friends' eyes.

Then there was that collision with that tall guy, and Manuel believed for a moment that the phone that the guy dropped accidentally was Ámbar's. In turn, the girl didn't have a special phone case, only a simple white one, but that's what makes it unique. No one used white cases anymore. There were so many others with interesting designs, that anyone other than her wanted to use a simple one. It suited her because Ámbar was the person who wore anything that fit her well.

Manuel couldn't help but smile when he thought about Ámbar. He had never had a friend like her. If they hadn't had their unusual meeting, probably, they wouldn't befriend ever. He was the number one girl with whom Manuel would have never interacted. He had a bit of deja vu with her, she was similar at some point with Carmín, but at the same time so different. He knew Carmín well, and it turned out lately that she wasn't a bad person as he thought before, only the internet in combination with Laix made her so hypocritical, but under her mask, she was a nice character. She had to break at some point to leave behind her toxic personality. And when Ámbar told him about what she had done before to be the number one at that place, called Roller, he saw the same. There was only one difference: Ámbar was taught to be like that and Carmín chose to be. Luckily, the two of them had opened their eyes before it was too late.

Manuel's phone buzzed, and he instantly checked what it was. A huge rock fell from his heart when he saw the name on his screen. It was Ámbar. Manuel opened the message.

Ámbar: Sorry, but we can't meet. I am on a vacation

Now? She hadn't said a word about that yesterday. It was strange. Maybe, Sharon had cooked up something urgent.

Manuel: Where?

---

Ámbar had to laugh when she saw what Manuel did ask. Of course, he didn't know about the actions, and he hadn't noticed her irony either.

Ámbar: At the hospital 😂

Ámbar was curious about what would be Manuel's reaction. She was sure that he was staring at his phone screen with wide-opened eyes. Good thing that she had put emoticons in the message because she was sure that Manuel wouldn't handle it as a joke.

Manuel: What happened!?

Ámbar: I fell at the training, and I had a concussion. Nothing to worry about!! I am perfectly fine

Manuel: Irony?

Another chuckle left her mouth. Of course, now he asked.

Ámbar: I am really okay. They just keep me here

Manuel: Sharon?

What should she answer? No, she trusted Manuel to tell him everything, but she wasn't sure that she could do it in text. Sharon could notice it.

---

Three points. She had started typing and cleared, then started again. Manuel knew something had happened, otherwise, she wouldn't have hesitated to answer in no time.

Manuel: Did she do something?

He thought it would be better to ask her directly.

Ámbar: She forbade me skating

Manuel shook his head, but Ámbar couldn’t see how he didn’t agree with Sharon’s decision. Manuel knew Ámbar that much, that he knew how much skating meant to her. It wasn’t an only hobby for her, it was her passion, like the music, especially playing on the piano, was his. She could speak about the sport for long hours, and last time, even Manuel’s mood for skating appeared. Even that got into his head that he would ask her if he could go to her some time to the Roller, but now it all seemed to be broken. Ámbar was a bird, whose wings were broken without her skates. He couldn’t leave like that, he had to do something. He had to persuade Sharon!

Manuel: We will figure out something

Ámbar: What?

Manuel: I don’t know. Maybe she will change her mind

Ámbar: She isn’t that kind of woman who changes her mind easily. I don’t know if ever an occasion had when she changed her mind

Manuel’s fingers were resting on the screen. He didn’t know what to answer. He wanted to sound comforting, but he didn’t know Sharon as much as Ámbar did, all he knew about her was what the girl told him, and he was sure about that, Ámbar didn’t tell him everything. He saw in her eyes, it was something new to open up before someone, and what she told him, showed that Sharon was dangerous. She wouldn’t risk it; she wouldn’t risk anyone.

Manuel: I will figure out something

It wasn’t a promise, he wouldn’t keep. He would do everything to fulfill his duty.

---

Some tears glittered in her eyes as she read the text. How many promises would she receive? Till now, she didn’t get too much, but today, she got even two from two different people. She wasn’t sad, but a bittersweet taste in her mouth mixed with the sweet flavor of being important. She wasn’t just Sharon’s doll anymore; she had a friend and a boyfriend too. She couldn’t process yet, that she and Simón would be dating, but she liked the idea. Every time she thought about him, her stomach did a somersault. It was weird, but that's good .

Manuel: Which hospital are you in?

Ámbar: Rivadavia

Manuel: Bia is also there

Ámbar's eyes widened. What had happened to Manuel's kind of girlfriend? They weren't technically together yet, but she was sure that they would be. Manuel always talked about her as an angel.

Ámbar didn't hesitate and pressed the call on her screen. Manuel quickly received her call.

"Why is she here?"

"She had a panic attack." Manuel's voice was blank, Ámbar could imagine his facial expressions. His brown eyes full of sadness, and his lips forming a reversed U. "But she is okay now. They let her out tomorrow."

"It's good to hear that," Ámbar said with a sweet tone. She hadn't known Bia, but for an unknown reason, she was worried about her. Was it the friendship that made her care about others? Or the love made her feel things she hadn't before? Being loved by someone. It was one of the most incredible sensations in the world.

Ámbar could never really decide whether Sharon loved her or not, but after her lies, she was sure she had never felt any little thing towards her.

"When did she get that?" Ámbar wanted to know.

Manuel took a deep breath and told her everything. Ámbar listened carefully, sometimes said some remarks and when Manuel finished his story, he asked her to tell hers. 

Ámbar was happy to finally be able to tell someone the real reason for her fall. She had been waiting for that since Juliana and Simón left her room. 

---

When Ámbar turned her head on her pillow, a sharp pain darted into her nape. She hissed and compressed her eyes. The dream left her eyes as she opened them and found herself in the hospital. Yesterday, she spoke with Manuel so much that she had almost forgotten about where she was. Her fall on the rink seemed so far now, but the pain in the back of her neck remembered her for the events.

Ámbar tried to sit up in her bed, but she still felt dizzy. Maybe she had lied in a bad position. She reached out for her phone and checked the time. 

"Ten o'clock?" Ámbar's eyes rounded, and her eyebrows ran high on her forehead.

Usually, she never slept so much. Sharon always said that it was a waste of time to sleep long in the morning when she had so many things to do. To some extent, she had agreed with her, but now in the hospital, she had nothing to do, just rest. 

The door opened and a familiar face peeked in.

"Hola, mi nieta! Did you sleep well?"

Ámbar frowned, but her lips curled into a smile. 

"Hola, grandfather," she stressed out the words. It was strange and not feeling good to call him like that till she knew it wasn't real. 

"Sharon told me where you are, and I wanted to see you. How are you feeling?" Alfredo stepped into her room and pulled a chair to her bed.

Ámbar didn't have to force her lips to form a kind smile, Alfredo's kindness made her do it. "I am better, but sometimes my head aches really bad."

Alfredo frowned and examined her with his all-seeing gaze. "Do you wanna tell me what happened exactly?"

As if he was reading her mind. Ámbar closed her eyes for a moment, it was barely longer than a blink and gathered her thoughts. They were still fighting in her head whether to trust him or not, how much she should say or was it dangerous, to tell the truth. Ámbar opened her eyes and fixed her gaze at him. His lips were curled into a kind smile, some wrinkles ran in the corner of his eyes. Ámbar saw nothing mean in him, and her brain told her she could trust him, but another thought repeated that she shouldn't involve him. But she wanted to open up. When she did with Manuel, it was like a huge rock had fallen down from her shoulders.

Ámbar opened her mouth briefly, but before she started to speak, she pressed her lips tightly again and changed her mind. 

"Can I trust you?" she asked, still looking into his warm eyes that were similar to Simón's. She had almost seen the same spark in them, discounting that Simón was all over her.

"Of course," he said and nodded quickly. A sigh of concern was noticeable in his gaze. 

"There was a reason because of what I fell," the words left Ámbar's mouth barely louder than a whisper.

Alfredo's eyes widened, but he didn't say a word. He waited for her to tell him what she wanted. 

"My coach asked me to let my emotions out. It isn't difficult for anyone but for me, it is," Ámbar sighed. "Sharon always taught me not to show what I am feeling. I always had to be perfect, a leader who everyone follows, and a leader can't be weak or broken." Ámbar lowered her gaze, she didn't want to meet Alfredo's sad glance. He knew how Sharon treated her, after all, he was Sharon's father. 

"There was a fight in me whether to show my feelings or not. If I wanted to be a good skater, I had to follow Juliana's orders, but Sharon's words always determined me. Then I decided to do Juliana's task, but suddenly I felt dizzy because I felt that I betrayed Sharon and somehow myself. After that, I lost my balance and I kicked Simón and a second later I collapsed to the floor." Ámbar didn't search for Alfredo's look. She relaxed her left hand in the right one’s elbow bend, with her fingers stroking her skin gently. It calmed her a bit. She didn't know if she had decided well. 

"Ámbar." Alfredo's raspy but kind voice called for her. "I know exactly how my daughter is, but you shouldn't let her control your whole life."

Ámbar slowly raised her gaze, but she didn't look exactly into his eyes. 

"And she isn't right. Sometimes people can be weak, moreover should be. If you bottled up all your emotions, with time, they would eat you up from inside. Indeed, it is allowed to cry. You have to let your feelings out, not just for your skating performance but because it helps you to recover from your loss." 

Ámbar felt that a tear was forming in the corner of her right eye. She tried to keep it in, so she blinked some, but it didn’t help. Alfredo’s speech agitated something that was buried deep in her heart. He was right. With every day, it was harder to keep her feelings in. Particularly, since she knew the truth. 

She would have preferred to shout into Sharon’s face how she hated her. She would have preferred to show Sharon what she knew and wanted to leave her if it was possible. But she couldn’t do anything. Truly, she had nothing against her, only her words, and she was sure that Sharon’s words mean more than hers. After all, she was just a teenager, nothing more. 

“I know it’s hard to process your parents’ death,” Alfredo continued to speak which made Ámbar cry more. 

She hadn’t parents! That is, she didn’t know them, except her mother who left her. She just chucked her away like a piece of garbage. 

Ámbar felt so small and helpless again. Her stomach squeezed to a nut’s size. 

Alfredo’s thumb landed on her cheek. His skin was seamed but warm and comforting. He wiped a tear away from Ámbar’s cheek. 

Ámbar closed her eyes and let the feeling imbibe her whole body. How many people would love her when she didn’t deserve it? She wasn’t Alfredo’s granddaughter. There was another girl in the world, who deserved his care!

Ámbar’s eyelids raised, and the realization hit her head. She found the reason why Sharon told her she was Sol Benson. But who was the real Sol? Why should she have stepped into her place? With one answer she gets more questions. It was an endless loop.

Chapter Text

"I can't," Ámbar whispered as if she answered Alfredo's sentence, but she expressed her feelings. She couldn't keep her mask on as if everything was well because there wasn't. Ámbar wanted to do something, but she couldn't do anything. She hadn't any plans, nor clues to find out the whole truth.

"I will look for a psychologist for you."

Ámbar's eyes widened, her blue irises lighted up with surprise. "A psychologist? Why?"

She wasn't a mad person. Why was it necessary for her? She knew she had mistaken, but everyone had. Manuel said the same.

"Because it helps you recover from your loss and process your identity." Alfredo's eyes flooded with kindness to her. He just wanted to help her, of course, but Ámbar had reservations with psychologists. They saw it to her kidneys which made her shiver.

"It isn't necessary," she said and lowered her head. Ámbar didn't want to reveal what she knew in front of a stranger.

"I know you won't agree with me, but I want to help you," Alfredo's voice cracked.

One more teardrop ran down on Ámbar's shapely cheek. It landed on her arm, and she felt cool at that little point. Cold as Sharon's heart.

"Thank you!" She wiped the tear away even if it wasn't necessary as it wasn't on her face anymore. She didn't know what else to say, it was harder to be loved by someone than Ámbar thought. She always dreamed about that, to be the most important in someone's life, but she had never counted on its other side. She also felt the same way with Alfredo, and she didn't mean to hurt him. It was enough to live in a lie, she didn't want to involve other people. She didn't want to be like Sharon.

It was like a swear word in her mouth. Sharon's name left a bitter taste in her mouth like the draught she had to swallow when she was ten years old, and she had a terrible sore throat. The bitterness crawled down on her esophagus and reached her stomach.

Alfredo pulled her into a hug till her tears dried on her face. Ámbar didn't clash, she only put her head on his shoulder and inhaled his aroma—candy and aftershave lotion. Her lips curled into a bittersweet smile. She knew how her grandfather, that is how Alfredo liked everything sweet, but it wasn’t allowed him to eat too much, even so, from his scent Ámbar thought that he was an orderly visitor to the kitchen's chocolate cupboard.

The hug ended, and Ámbar pulled herself away. She forced her lips to keep smiling even if she couldn't do the same with her eyes.

---

"I don't know how much time I can do it. It's terrible to lie into his eyes," Ámbar complained to Manuel who was sitting in the chair where Alfredo had been some hours ago.

Manuel shook his head. "You aren't lying, only don't tell the truth."

"In my opinion, it's lying."

Manuel shook his head again but changed the theme. "Have you any idea how to convince Sharon?"

"No."

The silence anchored again. Today wasn't their best day. For an unknown reason, their conversation always stopped.

Manuel nervously scratched the back of his neck and turned his head to the machines. The beeping voice made him upset. It always bothered their conversation when the anger flooded the girl because Ámbar's pulse had raised and the picture came into his mind of how Bia got the panic attack.

"How is she?"

"She is out now, but she will have some examinations. It isn't normal at her age."

"The panic attack can appear in every age," Ámbar said as she remembered what they had learned in the emergency class. Her gaze scanned Manuel's, and she could read out what he was about saying, so she interrupted him with a raised index finger. "I know that her faint wasn't normal," she added.

"That's it! I hope she doesn't have any serious problems." Manuel's eyes lost their light. Ámbar knew there were plenty of undreamed hours behind his back, and the purple bags under his eyes betrayed him.

"What's up with Simón?" Manuel jumped on a new theme.

"What should it be?" Ámbar tried to be nonchalant, but her blue irises lighted up at the mention of his name.

Manuel raised a questioning eyebrow and pulled his lips into a mischievous smile.

"I said yes. We are dating, or something like that." Ámbar played with her hands, with a dreamer expression on her face.

Manuel's eyes widened like his smile.

"That's a huge and unexpected step. I thought you were trying to avoid him," he chuckled.

"Yeah, that was the plan, but it appeared to be too exhausting," Ámbar replied, grinning. Her white teeth shined brightly.

---

Simón hurried to the hospital with a bucket of white roses in his hands. He couldn't believe that Ámbar had said yes. He thought it would never happen after how cold the girl was acting lately. Something had definitely happened at the Roller Jam because till that day she was so distant. Before he thought she would open up in front of him, she was very close to it, then he screwed it up with that blunder when the crowd separated them. He knew he should have searched for her, but the performance diverted his attention. If he could go back in time he would change it, but he couldn't. Luckily, someone had heard his asks and helped him.

There was one thing he didn't understand now. What had happened at the Roller Jam? What had changed Ámbar's attitude? And what changed it back? Yesterday at the hospital she was her true old self. That one that didn't cover her real identity—the bright personality with a big heart.

Simón walked in the corridors of the hospital. Yesterday he could find her room easily, but now it seemed more difficult. He hadn't the best orientation ability, mostly at such a cold place with similar doors. Plus, he hated hospitals. Who doesn't? If someone gets to the hospital, it is never good. It has a strange vibe that made him shiver, and the smell of disinfectant passed through the whole area.

Finally, he had found the door—that is he believed—and pulled down the doorknob. As he peeked his head into the room, he had almost dropped the bucket. A guy was sitting next to her bed—the same guy that bumped into him yesterday.

"Simón!" Ámbar's eyes shone up, but Simón could barely notice it. His eyes were fixed on the guy, his lips pressed tightly. He felt the saliva run down his esophagus; his oral cavity dried out.

"Hello, I am Manuel." The guy stood up and stepped to him, pulling his arm out.

"Hi, I am Simón." With his left hand, he grabbed the bucket tightly and stretched his right one out to shake Manuel's hand. Good manners always overcame him, and he had no reason to be jealous. He hadn't known him, but it didn't mean that he was mean, or Ámbar was cheating on him.

No, that thought couldn't run through his mind. They were dating for one day only, and Ámbar wouldn't do it, would she?

"Simón, I would like to introduce you, my friend," Ámbar said cheerfully, her lips curled into a beautiful smile.

Friend. A huge rock fell from his heart, the saliva got back to his mouth. He could breathe easily again.

"I leave you two alone," Manuel offered and winked at Ámbar who started chuckling and rolled her eyes. "See you next time!"

Manuel left the room as if he hadn't been there, but Simón's puzzled expression didn't go with him.

"I brought you this." He stepped to her bed and tried to act normally.

"It smells so good," Ámbar stated as she got the bucket into her hands. "Thank you!"

Simón ran his fingers through his hair. He was still confused. He had never seen that guy before except for their meeting in the corridor.

"You look as if you saw a ghost," Ámbar joked, chuckling.

Simón was thinking whether to ask her about Manuel or not, finally, his curiosity won. "Where do you know him?"

Ámbar's smile became less. "At the park, accidentally, but it turned out how kind he is," she spoke up. Her fingers were playing with a lock of her blonde hair. "You two would get along well," she added shyly.

Simón forced his lips to form a smile, but he couldn't get his eyes to do the same. He wasn't jealous, but he felt that he was left out of something. He knew Ámbar was a closed person, but Simón didn't think she had a life that he didn't know. She had hidden it well, of course, she was the master of hidden things, but something was off with it.

"What is it?"

"What?" Simón pretended not to understand, but he did. He couldn't get along with the fact that Ámbar could read him so well. It made his heart skip a beat, but his mind was still around that guy.

"Hey, I know you, even if you don't believe it. You're jealous."

"I am not."

"So, tell it to your eyes too." Ámbar's grin grew wider. She enjoyed it.

"I am not jealous," Simón sighed. "I am just…" he couldn't find the perfect words to describe what he was feeling.

"Don't look like that! He is a good guy."

"Why didn't you say a word about him before?"

Ámbar's grin suddenly disappeared, and a sad look took over its place. "We weren't really talking. How could I say anything?"

That was true. Simón took a deep breath and started to curse himself for being so dumbfounded. They weren't dating for only one day, why should have known everything about her? But his heart still felt the urge to know more about her.

"Honestly, I wanted to keep secret my friendship with Manuel," she admitted, making Simón frown. "It was something magical to have a friend like him. I never had a real friend." Ámbár quickly raised her index finger before Simón could say anything. "Don't tell me there were Delfi and Jazmín because we both know that it wasn't a real friendship. They were following me as if I was their leader, but I wasn't a good one. Today, I regret it," she sniffed.

Simón put a comforting smile on his face. She had opened up again. A warm sensation flooded his chest. He stepped closer and placed his fingers on the girl's palm. Her skin was soft, he wanted to touch more of her.

When he was lost in that thought, he felt fingers curling on his own, which made his smile wider.

"Where did we stop yesterday?" Ámbar's voice changed. It was stronger and had a shade of seduction.

Simón leaned closer to her and left a gentle kiss on her forehead. Ámbar's hands instantly wrapped around his neck and didn't let him pull his head farther. They were looking into each other's gaze. Without words, they could communicate, and Simón placed his right hand on Ámbar's cheek. With his thumb, he wiped away a tear that had been left there by their conversation. Ámbar didn't hesitate and pressed her lips to his and kissed him. Her lips were sweet and hungry. They wanted more and more from his, and he wanted more from hers. When the air plunged out of their lungs, they broke the kiss, but Ámbar's arms were still wrapped around his neck.

"Wasn't it a bit passionate for a first kiss?" he whispered.

"Do you think? I think it was just fine." She smiled which lit up Simón's heart.

Simón leaned forward to unite their lips in one more kiss. It was calmer now; they left the urge that ate them up in the last couple of days. Now they were together, there was nothing to rush.

Chapter Text

"Home, sweet home!" Bia said as she stepped into her flat. The flavor of her mother's cooking flooded her nose and made her stomach growl. She didn't spend too much time in the hospital, but she missed the savor of home. The food in the hospital wasn't as bad as the movies made them believe, but it wasn't her taste either. And she had missed her comfortable bed too, with her spacious room and the uncountable paint and pastels that were lying on her desk. Her creativity immediately came back as she stepped into her room, but then her eyes wandered to her bed. The memory rushed over her brain when it turned out what Victor had done, and Bia felt her legs being weak again.

"Bia!" Alice caught her daughter before she could pass out. 

"Mãe, I can't!" 

"Ay, filha." She bowed her chin to Bia's top of the head. 

"What happened?" 

They broke the hug, and both looked at Mariano confused. Bia's eyes were full of tears, while Alice's were concerned. 

"There's something you have to know," Alice said. 

Bia sent a questioning look to her mother. She didn't understand. They said that they would tell him later.

"Please, sit down!" Alice drove them to the living, and they took a seat on the sofa. 

"Why are you so serious, and why is Bia crying?" Mariano didn't understand anything.

"Pai…" Bia couldn't continue, the sob broke up from her throat again.

"Victor lied about the accident. Helena wasn't driving at the moment of the collision, it was Lucas."

There it was, quickly and strong. 

A frown appeared on Mariano's face. "What?" was all he could say.

"It was the reason for Bia's panic attack," Alice admitted. 

Mariano shook his head in disbelief. "It can't be. That guy said he loved our daughter. Why did he do such a thing?" Mariano's voice trembled as he slowly spoke. Tears started to form in his eyes.

"I don't know," Alice cried. 

Mariano leaned closer to hug them both. Bia felt for a moment that everything was good between his father's arms, she cannot be harmed, but when they broke apart, she fell into the cold reality. In which her sister wasn't, but her boyfriend accused her of doing something terrible, she hadn't committed. 

---

The first sunbeams broke through Ámbar's window palettes and gave her room a sharp glitter. Her eyelids slightly opened at the light stimulus, but when her gaze found the clock on her bedside cabinet, she simply growled and turned to her other side, then pulled the blanket to the top of her head. The comfortable sponge of her home mattress caressed her whole body and called her to sleep more. The bed in the hospital was too hard with a support backside that she couldn't stand. She liked lying on a flat surface as her back always hurt after staying in a half-sitting position for too long. Maybe the long training hours were the reason for that, but she didn't know for sure. Hell, it was one more thing she didn't know! 

Ámbar eyelids quickly opened as she sat up. She couldn't believe why she didn't think about that before. She was so hurt to notice there was a reason behind Sharon's intention, so a Sol Benson was on the horizon, the real one. But where the heck was she? And who she was after all? 

Ever so, her yesterday was too perfect to be believed, the realization that had hit her during Alfredo's visit never left her head. It was always rolling in it as an unbridled horse. She would have given everything if she could tell it to Simón. His words had a magical impact on her, they always made her feel better no matter what happened. But she couldn't involve him, it was too dangerous till she wouldn't find out what game Sharon was playing. She had her cards in her hands, but if she just dropped them to her, she would have nothing. Only Manuel should know, no one else. Anyway, that's more than she planned before. 

What if she told Manuel what she had figured out? The guy was involved anyway, so—

Her door flew open as Alfredo entered. "Hola, nieta, how do you feel?" he asked with a huge smile on his face. 

Ámbar blinked, surprised by his presence. He used to never be awake at about this time. 

"Hi." She forced her lips to form a smile, but her eyes still beamed how awful she felt. "I am better."

"You look very tired."

What a surprise! It was 9 o'clock and she was just out of the hospital. Her head still hurt a lot when she rubbed her fingers at that point. According to the doctors, it will be for a couple of weeks. Que bien! 

"Yes, I am," she admitted while a yawn escaped from her mouth. Other times she would have hurried to place her palm in front of her opened mouth, but now she had no mood to do any courtesy. Anyways, Alfredo didn't care about that, luckily. He wasn't Sharon.

Alfredo looked at her, smiling, and sat down in her armchair. "Your psychologist will be here in an hour."

"What?" Ámbar's tone raised.

"I said you will get one."

Oh, hell yeah. 

"Sorry, but I didn't think it would come so early." 

Keep your mask on and no one can hurt you. Nor will you hurt anyone else.

"Early?" he chuckled. "You are always up this time." Ámbár narrowed her eyes. "I know you are just out of the hospital, but I thought you were an early bird at every time."

"Only most of the time. Today isn't that day," she said. 

Her shoulders relaxed as she took a deep breath, her fingers let her blanket go. She hadn't noticed she had grabbed it at all. 

"I am gonna get ready."

Ámbar stood up, but she almost sat back again as the pain darted into the back of her neck, and the vision started to blur into one blurry picture in front of her eyes. 

No sudden moves as the doctor had said. Yeah, now she knew why. 

"Are you okay?" Alfredo asked her, concerned, and quickly stood up to aid the girl.

"Yes, I am only a little dizzy, but it's normal. Thank you," she said when she felt Alfredo's hand on her arm. 

This old man was so kind to her. Always. And that was the key, the word she had barely experienced in her life. People were kind to her often, but not because they wanted their image exacted. But Alfredo was willingly kind to her like Simón.

Her legs weren't as heavy as before. Some exhilaration moved into her as she thought about him. After this session with that psychologist, she could talk to him, and well tell him what the actual heck Alfredo had found out. Maybe, Simón would see her as an insane woman, but something told her, he will laugh at her face when she mentions it. His warm brown eyes and kind smile from ear to ear appeared in front of her spiritual eyes, and the corner of Ámbar's mouth curled upward a bit. 

She had to admit, she loved him more than she had imagined before. More than she ever thought she could love someone. And wasn't as bad as it first sounded. She wasn't weak because she had feelings, instead, they made her stronger.

"Who can I thank for your change of mood?" Alfredo asked, chuckling when they reached her wardrobe. Alfredo could notice everything, Ámbar didn't know how he did.

Ámbar turned around and shook her head. A lock of light blonde hair fell into her face, and she nervously put it back behind her ear. 

"It isn't a guy, is it?" he asked with a joyful glitter in his eyes.

Ámbar felt the blush flood her face, so she quickly bit her under lip. She didn't want to talk about Simón. Yet not. 

"You don't have to tell me if you didn't want to," Alfredo reassured her, still smiling. "I leave you to change."

"Thank you."

As the old man left her room, Ámbar turned to her wardrobe and opened its huge white door. Then she took out one of her rose blouses and pulled it to her face. How could she get into such embarrassing moments? 

But she couldn't be annoyed, the thought of Simón made her heart fly, so she just laughed like she hadn't a long time ago.

---

Ámbar politely waited for the so-called psychologist to come together with Alfredo. Her fingers nervously thrummed the sofa's armrest. She didn't know how she should act before this man or woman. In the movies, the psychologists were always clever and knew everything about their patients, and Ámbar didn't want to share her secrets with a stranger. 

The doorbell rang loudly, breaking off the peaceful atmosphere. Ámbar's heart skipped a beat, and she stood up. Nervously pulled down her shorts to cover more of her legs and walked to the door with Alfredo. 

Amanda from nowhere shunned there and opened the door.

A tall woman with shoulder-length black hair entered the mansion. Ámbar should have stepped back when her facial expressions drew out in front of her.

"Juliana?" Ámbar asked, eyes wide open. She had the same face, but with more wrinkles as she examined her more.

Alfredo stepped closer to the woman and hugged her. "Alice! I haven't seen you for such a long time."

They broke the hug and turned to the surprised Ámbar.

"Are you Juliana?" she asked, her words barely louder than a whisper. 

The woman shook her head. "No, I am Alice Urquiza." She smiled at her kindly, showing her white teeth. From where did she hear that name, Urquiza? "Who is Juliana?"

"My coach," Ámbar stressed out with a wavered voice. This woman in front of her was her coach with shorter hair. They had even the same heights.

One of Alice's eyebrows ran up on her forehead. "What's your sport?" She asked suspiciously.

"Roller-skating." Ámbar had no idea what was going on.

Alice's eyes shone up. "Ah, probably she is my sister," she said, chuckling. "She changed her name some years ago, and I always forget what she calls herself now. She always stays Marisa for me."

"Is Marisa your coach?" Alfredo asked while he ran his eyes in between the young and the older woman. 

"No, her name is Juliana," she said. "But I don't know."

Ámbar felt like thunder hit her head. Juliana and her sisters? Why exactly this psychologist? Isn't Buenos Aires huge enough? How could she talk to her afterward? And why was a psychologist necessary at all? Had Juliana changed her name?

The questions raced in her mind. It was too much for her. The days, the lies, the secrets.

"Alice and Marisa are your mother's and Sharon's cousins," Alfredo explained, but Ámbar barely heard anything from it. The questions rolled in her mind, and she couldn't stop them. They hurt, they cut her brain, they wanted to burst her cranium. 

Ámbar couldn't help but pressed her head on her ears, maybe they could ease the question's loud voice. But they were in her head, so it didn't help anything. Suddenly, the pictures in front of her mind started to blur. She couldn't see the two people in front of her, only their two dim figures. 

She plummeted, but she didn't collide with the ground. Strong arms held her weight.

Chapter Text

She felt as if she had fallen asleep. Yes, she definitely was. She hadn't awakened at all, it was all a dream. A confusing, everything in it dream, nothing more.

As her breath regulated, her mind started to clean. It was her imagination that had been too vivid because of the fall and the hit she had got. Due to it were her eyelids so heavy too, that she could barely raise them, only some millimeters. The clarity of the room made her close her eyes right away. It was sharp, harmful, too lightly. But then her eyelids wandered up again, now gradually, slowly and her pupils got used to the strong clarity of the space where she lied that wasn't her room, and Ámbar's eyelids didn't want to get closed one more time, they glued up while she looked around wide-eyed. 

Long, sun yellow curtains framed the window from where the light came. On its left, a dark brown, antique little table stood with a vase of white lilies, two golden framed  pictures and a little table lamp, with a stocky trunk. She was in the living-room. 

Ámbar suddenly sat up—if only she hadn't done that. Her eyesight filled with dark spots, the back of her head felt so heavy, the world twisted around her. She wanted to lay back, but she didn't know where the back was, till she felt a hand under her head and another one pressed her chest gently. A soft pillow was under her head now, the softness caressed her twisting world. Finally, the rotation stopped, and her eyes fixed on the ceiling. Her sight cleared out, the picture was complete again. 

When her body wasn't as unpredictable as before, her brain started to work. If she hadn't been in her room, because she had been in the living-room, she wouldn't have dreamed the absurd situation. She had lived it.

It really happened. 

Or?

She had fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room. That couldn't happen, even if Sharon wasn't at home. She had never done it before, why would she have done it now? 

Ámbar decided she must find out what was going on, so she asked the first question that came into her mind.

"Grandpa, why am I here?" 

When the words left her mouth, she knew it was the silliest she could ask. She had fainted because…

Because? 

What happened? Really?

That woman came who looked like Juliana, and she said she had a sister whose name was Alice or Marisa? But was it Juliana? 

What!?

"Ámbar." Alfredo's soft voice called out for her. Then she felt the end of the sofa sunk under her feet. "You had fainted."

"I said it would be too early for the appointment," a pleasant, but nervous female voice said. 

Ámbar tried to sit up again, now slower than before. Her head still hurt as If something had cut through her skull. With her left hand, she kept her weight up while she placed her right hand on the back of her neck where the pain was the most unbearable. 

With half opened eyes, she looked at Alfredo who was sitting on the end of the sofa, where her feet felt the soft material sink. 

"Be calm," the female voice told her, and Ámbar felt a hand on her shoulder. 

She slowly turned her head to face with the psychologist. The Juliana looking woman had a worried expression on her face, her brown eyes had an inexplicable glitter which Ámbar had never seen in her coach's eyes. 

Ámbar wanted to find out what the hell was going on right now, but before it would happen, she should have found an excuse as to why she had fainted. The doctor didn't say a single word about that possibility, but Alfredo wasn't there to hear nor this woman. She was one step forward. 

"I," her voice trailed off as her mouth was dry as if she had spent long hours in a desert, "I feel better now. It was just too sudden for me, my head still hurts a lot." She didn't have to force a grimace of pain as it had come naturally when she turned her head again to scan Alfredo. He seemed persuaded. Well.

"I know!" the psychologist exclaimed. "I am so sorry, my dear, but Alfredo thought it would help you. I told him you should have relaxed some days before our appointment, but he was so sure. I am so sorry!"

The woman had a pleasant voice, deeper than Juliana's, and Ámbar couldn't say why, but it felt honest. As if she was truly worried about her. A stranger. Or a distant relative, what Alfredo had said. 

"It's not your fault," the words slipped out from Ámbar's mouth.

She was surprised how easy it was to say. How easily she had believed her. How she never felt so comfortable in a stranger's presence. 

A psychologist's presence to be exact.

The woman gave her a kind smile and squeezed her shoulder. 

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Alfredo asked.

"I think it's better for me to leave. Ámbar should relax," the woman said and took her hand off Ámbar's shoulder.

"Wouldn't it be helpful if you talk to her only for a few minutes? I think she needs someone now, and she gets annoyed with my presence." Alfredo chuckled at the end of the sentence that made Ámbar smile unwittingly.

"I don't know. What do you think?" The psychologist turned to Ámbar.

Ámbar tasted the question in her mouth. This woman had a kind radiance—not like Juliana, even though they looked the same. It would be good to talk to someone about being Sol Benson, that is what Alfredo wanted. And that would be even better to talk about not being Sol Benson, but she couldn't do that.

"I," Ámbar gulped. "I actually find it good to talk."

She couldn't believe what she had said. She wasn't allowed to talk. Now she wasn't in a state where she could act well. This sentence had also just slipped out of her mouth. She had no control over herself. 

The psychologist's lips curled into a kind smile, and a glitch of surprise danced in her eyes. 

"Okay," the psychologist turned to Alfredo and continued to speak, "from what do you want to talk about?"

Alfredo understood the woman's gesture, stood up and left the room silently.

Ámbar quickly closed her eyes. What did she do? 

Instead of cursing herself for being so clumsy, she started to search for something usable. 

"I don't really know who I am." The truth left her mouth, but for the therapist it could mean that she couldn't identify with being Sol Benson. 

The woman took a seat in the armchair next to Ámbar's gaze, and placed her hands in her lap, intertwining her fingers. 

"I know. It's hard to accept being someone else who you weren't before."

"That's exactly."

"Alfredo told me that your memories are still missing, and I can't imagine how difficult it is for you now to process." 

Yeah, that was true. It was hard to process her new identity or what it was. 

"It's been months since I know who I am, but there are days I can't understand what it means." 

"And I am not the perfect person to help you. I am sorry," the woman's voice trailed off, "but it's too personal for me too." Some tears glittered in her eyes. 

Ámbar raised her eyebrows. What happened now?

"I remember when you were born and Lili and Bernie brought you home from the hospital. You weren't bigger than a loaf of bread, and your parents were so happy. I really miss them." The psychologist sniffed and took a hanky out of her pocket to blow her nose. 

Oh. 

Ámbar's chin fell, her lips curled downwards. She knew them, she loved them, they were her family. Sol Benson's family.

"I am so happy that you are alive." Alice smiled at her with teary eyes. 

Ámbar forced a smile on her face, but behind her mask, she wanted to break into tears. 

It wasn't only deceiving Alfredo, it was fouling this woman too, and countless other people who didn't deserve it. 

Her world started to spin around again, even if her sight was clear as the freshly cleaned floor—sharp, shiny. There was too much light in this room, it hurt her head. Ámbar placed one hand on the back of her neck and made a grimace.

"Sorry, I need to rest."

"Are you okay?" The woman jumped out of the armchair and quickly stepped to Ámbar. She bent down and placed one hand on her cheek. 

Ámbar raised her gaze till her eyes met with the woman's brown ones that glittered with concern. 

"Yes, just a rest would be good," she reassured her with a weak smile. 

In an instant, the woman's gaze changed, her eyes widened, and she stepped backwards. In the next minute, her kind smile sat on her face again, and said, "I leave you to rest." She bent down for her bag, took it on her shoulder, and looked back at Ámbar. "Bye, have a good rest!" she wished and rushed out of the living room. 

Ámbar's eyes followed her till she left her field of view. With a frown, she leaned back on the couch. Did she see right? That little gesture. Or was she imagining? 

No, she couldn't. Anyways, this whole thing wouldn't have happened. She wouldn't have wanted to imagine a Juliana looking psychologist. She had enough problems in her life without that. 

But because she had faced nothing other than reality, she had to write a new point on her list. Hell, it gets longer every day.

"Did Alice leave?" Alfredo appeared, with a cookie in his right hand. 

"Yes, I need some rest," Ámbar sighed. 

Even if it started as an excuse, she had to admit she really needed some rest. But before Alfredo could ask something else, Ámbar grabbed him with the cookie. "Didn't the doctors say you shouldn't eat these things?"

Alfredo's mouth formed an o while his gaze wandered to the cookie in his hand. Then he looked back at Ámbar. "A little bit is allowed from everything."

"Of course." Ámbar nodded, smiling without forcing it. She was good at finding excuses, controlling situations, but in the last few days, she didn't have to act, it came naturally. 

---

"I am glad you came here," Bia said when she opened the door to let Manuel in. Her eyes shone with happiness, her complexion was full of life now.

"I am glad I could come. Won't your father be angry with me?" Manuel asked hesitantly. 

"No, he is at home too. He knows that you are coming." She smiled at him with her bright, ear to ear smile that made Manuel's heart always skip a beat. But now, it wasn't only her smile that made Manuel's heart abnormally working but the fact that Mariano was here. He felt his mouth go dry, and the temperature raised to five degrees, minimally. 

"Hi, Manuel!" Mariano appeared from somewhere and welcomed him with a smile on his face. Manuel didn't know when was the last time when Mariano smiled at him. Maybe never.

"Good afternoon!" he said politely and quickly turned his gaze to somewhere else. He hadn't been here before, so everything was new to him, and less stressful than Mariano's gaze that seemed kind which made Manuel goosebumps. Yes, that was stranger than if he shot him with hateful glances. 

"Would you like to drink something?" Mariano offered, pointing to somewhere in the room, probably to the kitchen. "We have fresh orange juice if you want some."

Manuel glanced at Bia who nodded briefly, then he turned back to Mariano. "I would like some."

"Good." Mariano went in that direction, and Manuel turned back to Bia fast. 

"What is this?" he whispered, while his brow furrowed. 

"Nothing." Bia mouthed.

Manuel sent her a questioning look before the steps approached them.

"Here it is." Mariano handed a glass of orange juice to Manuel and another one to Bia.

"Thank you," he said and raised the glass to his mouth. The embarrassing silence set in, Manuel could even hear how he swallowed the drink.

"Manuel." Mariano called his name. 

Manuel let down his glass and looked at him, almost frozen. 

"I wanted to apologize for you," Mariano started. "I didn't have to act the way I did with you. Bia's panic attack wasn't your fault, I know." Mariano went silent for a moment before he continued. "Thank you for telling us the truth about the accident. We really appreciate that." Mariano smiled at him with his mouth, but his eyes stayed sad. 

"It's only natural." He smiled back. "I hate lies," he added more to himself than the conversation.

"Come with me." Bia grabbed his right hand and pulled him to her room. It was the only part of her home he had seen before during their video chats. 

"Your father won't be angry?" Manuel asked, while he rushed his fingers through his brown hair. 

"No, he won't. You saw, he apologized to you." Bia smiled at him playfully. "His only condition was not to lock the door," Bia said, rolling her eyes. 

Manuel chuckled and with more confidence, he sat down on one of her chairs. 

Her room was full of drawings, paintings and photos above her desk. In many of them was her with her best friends, Chiara and Celeste, but he found some with Helena. Manuel knew how hard it was for Bia to lose her sister, but he had never known her, so he hadn't felt her missing, but in this room even he could tell something was wrong.

Manuel quickly looked somewhere else, when his eyes fixed on a certain drawing. A guy sat, showing his back, in front of a piano. The corner of his mouth crawled up, and his eyes shone up.

"What are you looking at?" Bia asked curiously and started to follow his gaze. "Oh," she sighed, and a smile sat on her face. "That is my best creation, I named it El Misterioso Chico Piano."

Manuel had to chuckle at that name. The Chico Piiano. He was in the room, personally, not only drawing. 

"I don't have a portrait about La Chica de la Voz, but now that I see this," Manuel stepped closer to the drawing, and placed one hand under his chin, "I think I have to get one. It makes your room," he scratched his chin, "unique."

"Till no one else gets a Chico Piano," Bia added, smiling. 

"If someone gets the real one?" Manuel turned to Bia and raised an eyebrow. 

"How?" Bia stepped closer to him.

"Let me think," Manuel said. "No way."

"No way? So, why did you ask that?" Bia dropped the scarf that was in her hand. 

"Because of this," Manuel replied, while he placed his hand on Bia's cheek, and pulled her closer for a kiss.

Her sweet lips caressed his, while her hands wandered to his hair, shuddering his well combed brown locks. 

Manuel couldn't say how he wanted this kiss, till it did happen. He could feel Bia as close as he hadn't a long time ago. Her skin was soft like a newborn baby's, her lips were graceful on his. She made him feel good. And not that good that you feel when you get a good mark at the university. He was there he was meant to be. He wasn't only a guy anymore who was a mistake from his father’s side. He was someone, a living soul that she wanted. He felt it in every movement of her lips.

Manuel could have continued forever, but their lungs needed air, so they broke apart. The pleasant pampering left his mouth, instead he was facing with a remorseful pair of brown eyes. 

"Manuel, we aren't together."