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Penelope Alvarez was buzzing. Not the good kind of buzzing, like the margarita-and-karaoke kind. It was the sharp, jittery kind that sat under her skin and refused to let her sleep. Elena’s quinces had been beautiful…until it wasn’t. Until Victor appeared like a ghost, and then disappeared just as quickly. Until she saw Elena’s face break in real time. Until her chest felt like it might crack open from holding it all together. So of course she ended up here, in Schneider’s apartment. Again. When he opened the door, she almost forgot why she’d come. His hair stuck up in wild tufts, his T-shirt was wrinkled, and his sweatpants hung loose around his hips.
Weirdly sexy Schneider. Her brain betrayed her with the thought, for the second time and she wanted to roll her eyes at herself.
“Penelope?” he asked, eyes widening. “What…are you okay?”
She shifted on her feet, hugging herself. “Yeah. No. I don’t know. Can I… can I come in?”
“Of course!” He stepped back like he was presenting the grand entrance to a hotel suite. “Welcome to Chateau Schneider, where the coffee is always hot and the snacks are… probably expired.”
She let out a short laugh, tension easing just a fraction. “You’re an idiot.”
“Yeah,” he agreed easily, closing the door behind her. “But a charming one.”
They sat on his couch. She fiddled with her hands, trying to find the words.
“Listen… Schneider, I just – I wanted to thank you. For everything. For what you did for Elena tonight. For my mom. For Alex. For me.”
He blinked, caught off guard. “Oh. Pen, you don’t need to thank me. That’s, well that’s what friends do.”
She shot him a look. “Friends don’t learn a waltz routine for a fifteen-year-old who once called them a human dad joke.”
He snorted. “To be fair, she wasn’t wrong.”
Her laugh bubbled out, but it carried the weight of exhaustion. “And Victor… you tried, didn’t you?”
His shoulders slumped. “Yeah. I pulled him aside. Told him Elena needed him. Told him…” He shook his head. “He didn’t want to hear it. I’m sorry.”
Her hand reached out instinctively, covering his. “Don’t apologize. You’ve already done more than…”
The touch lingered, warm, solid. Too solid. Neither of them moved. The air thickened until he cleared his throat, breaking the moment.
She blinked hard, pulling back like she’d been caught doing something wrong. “I should go.”
He stood with her, hesitant. His eyes softened, searching hers like he wanted to say something he didn’t dare.
“Penelope…” His voice dropped, his eyes looking anywhere but hers. “You looked absolutely beautiful tonight.”
Her chest squeezed. Before she could answer, he bent down and pressed his lips to her cheek, just shy of her mouth.
“I’m glad you let me into your wonderfully wacky family,” he murmured, the warmth of his breath brushing her skin.
Her pulse jumped, and suddenly, leaving felt like the only safe option. “Of-of course.”
It was different this time. Not adrenaline, not frustration. Just despair. The heavy, suffocating kind. She hadn’t wanted anyone to see her like this. But somehow, her feet carried her to Schneider’s door.
He opened within seconds, concern flooding his face. “Penelope?”
Her voice cracked. “I just…I can’t –”
He didn’t wait. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. I got you.” He pulled her inside, arms wrapping around her instantly.
She sagged against him, sobs shaking her shoulders. He stroked her hair, murmuring softly.
“You don’t have to explain. You don’t have to be strong right now. Just… breathe.”
So she did. She pressed her cheek against his chest and focused on the rise and fall. In. Out. Steady. Calming. She matched her breath to his until the sobs slowed.
When she finally lifted her head, her eyes swollen, he was already watching her. His gaze was steady, careful. Tender.
For one terrifying moment, she saw it… something unguarded in him. Something like well, something like love.
Her breath caught, but before she could make sense of it, he blinked and smiled, soft but lighter, safer. “Anytime, Pen. You can come to me anytime.”
The sincerity made her throat ache. She blinked away tears, giving a small nod.
And then, like he had done before, he leaned down and kissed her cheek. Gentle. Familiar. Too much.
Her chest tightened, and she left before she could unravel.
The house was finally quiet. Lydia was home. Alex and Elena were asleep. For the first time in weeks, Penelope had no task, no crisis, no role to play. And that was somehow worse. The silence pressed down on her, and before she knew it, she was at his door again, knocking softly.
He opened almost immediately. His face softened the second he saw her. “Penelope.”
Her eyes filled, and the dam broke. She stepped forward into his chest.
“Oh, hey, hey.” His arms came around her instantly. “I got you.”
He led her to the couch, tucking her against him like he’d done so many times before. His hand rubbed circles on her back.
“You don’t always have to be the strong one, you know,” he murmured.
She let out a shaky laugh. “Yeah, well, someone has to be.”
“Maybe let someone else be, just for tonight.”
She tilted her head up, eyes wet, lips trembling. His eyes flicked to her mouth and back again. It was so quick she might’ve imagined it.
But it gave her the courage she needed... she kissed him. Soft, tentative, desperate.
He tensed. Panic shot through her, and she pulled back. “Oh God. I-I shouldn’t have –”
He closed his eyes, jaw tightening like he was bracing for rejection. “Penelope…”
The way he said her name, it cracked her heart wide open. She lifted her hand, fingers trembling as she cupped his chin.
“Look at me,” she whispered.
He did. And then he kissed her. Not tentative. Not safe. Hungry, aching. His hands tangled in her hair, and she gasped against his mouth. A low sound escaped her, and it seemed to shatter his restraint. When they finally broke apart, both breathless, she pressed her forehead to his. Her mind was static. No words would come. But he didn’t push. He just wrapped her back into his arms, grounding her again.
“Penelope,” he whispered, kissing her forehead, “you’re not alone.”
Her eyes stung as she smiled through tears. She kissed his cheek softly, then burrowed back into his chest, clinging to the steady beat of his heart. There would be conversations later. Complications. Maybe regrets. But right now? This, his arms, his warmth, the rhythm of their breathing together. This was enough.
For now, it was everything.