Rodrigo didn't actually expect Hailey would show up. He thought she only said yes to shut him up and have him finally leave her alone. Afterall he was a frequent visitor to her house. But now here she was, standing in front of him with her hand out to shake.

"Don't be an idiota and just shake her hand. You are just shaking it, no squeezing and eye looking involved." He thought to himself. He barely managed to shake her hand before it became awkward. He hoped no one was watching them. He probably looked so nervous and Hailey didn't look like she belonged near him.

He motioned to the seats and sat down across from Hailey.

"So Mastro, what's the special occasion that you have asked me to coffee?"

He gulped at hearing the M word. No one had called him that in a while. If anything it was something of the past.

"You are the Mastro now Hal-Lai, I-I mean Mastra." Jesus, he must've looked like an idiot, not even being able to speak in music. The language he was fluent in.

"Are you ok? I mean really ok? You're not acting like yourself."

Shit, she noticed. Was he REALLY that scared? What he was doing was life threatening. At least that's what the man at the shop said. Was he really ready to die? He didn't want to answer that honestly.

"Hai-Lai, I have to be blunt with you for this to work."

He swallowed all the possible tears from coming out.

"Me enamoré de ti Hai-Lai y no quiero perderte-"

"What are you saying, Rodrigo? You know I'm not fluent in spanish."

That's the point, Hai-Lai, so you will not know I'm saying.

"Me odiarás por lo que estoy a punto de hacer."

He reached across the table and grabbed her hands, not yet squeezing them. Her facial expressions sent chills to his heart. He was breaking her ever so slowly. Shattering the love they could have had in this reality.

"Por favor, encuentra en tu corazón para perdonarme."

Finally he squeezed. She squeezed back. Harder.

"Te amo, Hai-Lai."

The world then went black for Rodrigo De Souza.