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Raquel was chewing her pen nervously, switching the pages of her textbook back and forth. Weeks had passed since the basketball accident. The bruise had become worse before fading away. She hadn't talked to Alicia since the day in the car, avoiding her the best she could during the day. She had given their situation quite a lot of thoughts, deciding that this situation was the best she could handle for now. She needed time. And more than ever that statement was true.

There were only a few days left before the midterms and she felt awfully behind schedule - which she wasn't if you asked Ana. The blonde had tried many times to comfort her and had tried to persuade Raquel to take a break but all attempts had failed. The brunette had only dove deeper into her notes. The only breaks she allowed herself was to eat, sleep and workout. Ana had learned the hard way that during the exam season, it was sometimes best to avoid Raquel unless you were ready to follow her crazy schedule.

That's why Raquel was surprised when she heard a knock on the door of her apartment. She wasn't expecting anybody. Letting out a swear word and cursing the person who dared disturb her in the middle of a reading on juvenile delinquency through her teeth, she threw off the blanket that was covering her and stood up from the couch where she was slouching. The whole set out of her cramped living room was unlike Raquel. Her usually really tidy and organised appartment was a complete mess. It was expected and Raquel even smiled to herself, the scenery showing how much she had been studying hard for the last five hours. Books were laid out open on the coffee table. There were a few pile of papers meticulously colour-coded and organised next to an empty coffee mug while notebooks were carelessly settled on the floor in an harmonious chaos.

There was a second knock on the door, harder this time.

"I'm coming" Raquel shouted through the appartment, avoiding stepping onto her notes and laptop. She took a quick glance in the mirror. Her hair were tied up into a bun with her traditional pencil, she was wearing a basketball hoodie and some black legging. Despite her rather simple and laid-back outfit, she was somewhat presentable.

Unlocking the door, she opened it. Hugo was on the doorstep, a huge grin on his face.

"Hey love!"

Raquel's eyes widened, surprised. Without thinking twice or asking any question, she jumped into his arms, throwing them both a little backward. Her shriek of happiness was muffled as she buried her head into his shoulder. He lifted her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Holding him tight, she kissed him before letting him go.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quickly, holding onto his arm as if she feared he would slip through her fingers. "You weren't supposed to be back for another three days. Not that I'm complaining. The opposite actually." She said, kissing him again and pulling him inside her apartment. She closed the door behind them.

Raquel hadn't been the only one busy with finals. Hugo had been away for over a week now and she had missed him a lot. They both had been aware of the situation of their relationship as soon as they had started dating. Hugo spent most of his time in Avila, where the National Police Academy was settled. This is where Raquel would go too if she passed the police inspector exam and was enrolled. Some of Hugo's mission sometimes took place in Madrid but those were few and rarer since he had started his finals.

"I wanted to surprise you." Hugo started, holding Raquel close. "My last assessment finished early and I couldn't wait to spend some time with you."

Raquel was busy tidying up a bit but she stopped to look into Hugo's eyes, touched by his words.

"You're so sweet."

She grabbed his duffel bag, dropped a peck on his lips and went to put the bag in her bedroom. "So, how do you feel knowing that you're probably done with your training?"

"I don't know. Bittersweet but mostly excited. I was getting tired of these fake scenarios. I want to see what it's like in the real world, you know?" He sat on the couch, giving a quick look at the stack of paper he had just grabbed before putting it at his feet. "I should be hearing for my instructors soon with the results."

"Did you talk to them about our request?"

If Hugo's results were positive, he would be sent in any police stations of the country to start his 12 months probationary period. Even though she had agreed to this from the beginning, knowing perfectly what a police officer training would require them to do, Raquel couldn't help but feel anxious about their situation.

"Yes I did. I filled a request, talked to my instructors about our situation. They are going to try to send me to a police station close to Madrid but nothing is certain yet."

"Okay, thanks." An hopeful smile revealed on Raquel's lips.

"No need to thank me. I'm doing this for the both of us."

They had been doing long-distance relationship for many months now and the situation had been difficult for her, more than she let everyone see. Focusing on her studies and her life in Madrid had helped. She had just hoped that she would soon share this life with Hugo.

"Let's not talk about that right now. We'll assess the situation if it comes upon us." Hugo decided. "Right now, I just want to spend some time with you."

Raquel nodded, agreeing to his decision.

"About spending time with me…" Straightening herself on the couch, she took a look at the room and Hugo got the gist. "Look… I am really glad you're here but it might not be very fun for you. I still have a lot to do."

She showed the pile of textbooks on her coffee table. "I have readings to do, chapters and articles to go through… I haven't even had the time to make dinner yet."

It was almost ten and she wasn't sure of the content of her fridge. Maybe they could split an apple?

Hugo didn't seem to mind all this. He reached Raquel's hand and pulled her towards him. Leaning into him, she was glad to find his warmth and the comfort of his arm.

"That's okay. I can help you study." He said with a playful voice.

"Oh yeah?" Raquel replied, a grin on her face, up to a challenge.

With a smooth move, he took the book that Raquel was holding in her hand.

"Here, answer me this correctly. Name four different ways of punishing an offender."

Raquel smiled and let out a small laugh. "Easy. Financial penalties, community-based punishment, community service and a residence requirement." Raquel recited with confidence.

Hugo pressed his lips against Raquel's neck. "And here is your reward."

She chuckled. "Hm. I really like this study session."

Hugo nodded and continued the game. "What are the conflicting objectives of our prisons?"

Raquel stayed silent for a couple of seconds, thinking. When Hugo was going to open his mouth to help her, she put her finger over his mouth to silence him.

"We want offenders to come out as better people." She started as Hugo kissed the fingers that were still on his lips. He slowly went off track, meeting her neck again. She shivered and smiled.

She went on, her vice being less steady that before as Hugo's thumb trailed on her bottom lip. "But even if they have a change of mind after getting out of prison, their criminal record sticks with them."

She tried to concentrate on what she was saying but Hugo had started leaving a trail of kisses along her shoulder. She hold back a moan.

"Because of that, their chance of being employed is greatly diminished." She tilted her head to give him a better access while Hugo's hand started caressing her hips. "Prison often fails to rehabilitate them."

She turned her head towards Hugo who kissed her lips with fervour. She laughed, amused by his little game and his way of taking advantage of the situation. To her surprise, she let go of her book, focusing entirely on him. Kissing him back, Raquel stood up without letting go of Hugo's hand.

"Let's continue this study session in the bedroom. I feel inspired." She said, guiding them toward the room.

Raquel woke up to the sound of a shower running and her heart raced for a quick second, wondering who was the intruder in her home. Clenching her eyes, it took her a couple seconds to remember the events of last night and to calm herself down, figuring out who was in her bathroom. A smile appeared on her lips. Tossing a bit between the fresh sheets of the bed, Raquel took her time wondering if she should join him in the bathroom. But she was too late, the water stopped running.

"Plan B", she whispered to herself.

Raquel swung her legs to the edge of the bed and padded across the carpet and along the hallway, making her way to the kitchen. Opening her fridge with a swift motion, she groaned, remembering the sad state of her fridge. A quick look at her cupboard, she sighed also in front of the empty shelves. She really needed to go out, take a break from her books like Ana had advised her. At least to go grocery shopping because she wouldn't last very long with her current lack of food.

At least, she still had coffee. Pressing a couple of buttons on her machine and getting a mug out, she heard Hugo sneaking behind her to hug her.

"Good morning beautiful" he said brightly.

She chuckled and swayed a little. He smelled of cedar soap and the skin of his cheek was smooth against hers.

"Morning!" Raquel replied while handing him a cup of coffee. He took it with a charming thank you and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Sorry, that's the only thing I have to offer for breakfast. I'm kinda low on… well everything." She said laughing to hide her embarrassment.

"That's okay. You've been busy." He dropped a kiss on top of her head. "How about you go get dressed and we'll go get something to eat. My treat."

Throwing a look at her couch still covered in notebook and draft papers, Raquel thought about it for a second. She still had work to do. On the other side, she wouldn't be able to concentrate without a proper meal, right?

"Sounds perfect" Raquel replied, beaming.

Jumping into the shower and getting dressed took her only a few minutes. She came back from her room wearing a simple outfit, her hair still damp from the shower.

Hugo was sitting on the couch, lost on his phone.

"Where do you wanna eat?" Raquel asked, grabbing her jacket.

She frowned when there was no answer from him. He hadn't even took a look at her.

"Hugo?"

"Hm?"

"What's wrong?" She asked, more concerned now.

He shook his head and quickly a smiled formed on his face.

"Nothing."

Somehow she didn't believe him but didn't try to push it further.

"We can try the new place that opened a couple of blocks from here, what do you say?"

She was still looking at him with a suspicious look but decided to let it slide, focusing on the new matter at hand.

"Yup, sounds good."

A few minutes later, they were both seated in a booth of a local cafe, taking a look at the menu. It was a simple joint not far from where she lived with reasonable price and decent food. But Raquel was less bothered by what she was going to get than by the looks Hugo kept giving her. The smile she had seen on him from this morning had faded. It was replaced by the same look her had when he was looking at his phone in her living room.

"What's wrong ?" She finally asked again, putting the menu on the table and crossing her arms in front of her. "And don't tell me nothing, I can see something is bothering you."

He started shooking his head, not willing to let it out but she gave him an inquisitive look. If he was not willing to let her know what was going on, she was going to find out by herself.

"Is this something I've done?" Raquel asked.

"God no, Raquel. Nothing of the sort." He put the menu down in front of him. Seconds passed and she could see that he was trying to find an appropriate thing to say. She was starting to worry. Reaching for his hand, she tried a softer approach.

"Please, tell me what's going on."

"I got a text from my instructor when you were in the shower and I have a good and a bad news." Hugo finally said.

Raquel raised her eyebrows, hooked.

"The good news is I passed. I am officially a police officer."

"Congratulations!", Raquel said joyfully taking his hands. "What's the bad news?"

She suddenly regretted asking him to tell her everything, knowing what all this could only mean.

"The bad news is I'm being transferred to Seville. They haven't taken my request to stay in Madrid into account." Hugo explained. "We're not married, we're not expecting a child so they haven't given us the priority."

"I see." She said, nodding.

Leaning back into her seat, she felt like her world was starting to shatter into a million pieces. She was already thinking of way for them to stay together.

"Maybe I could try to speak with one of your instructors? Try to persuade him?"

"No offense Raquel but I don't think it would change a thing. You know how they are. They don't really like when professional life and personal life are mixed up together."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

It would even have felt weird for her, asking for something so personal when she wasn't even enrolled yet. Being a woman in a world of men would be hard enough and anything remotely close to personal relationship could be seen as a sign of weakness. She didn't need that.

Backing up in her seat, she tried to look for sign of reassurance in Hugo's eyes.

"Seville is six hours away from Madrid. How are we going to see each other?" She asked.

There was a silence between them. Then, propping onto his elbows, Hugo leaned forward.

"Maybe, you could come live with me. You know, in Seville."

There was hope in his voice and she could see all his love for her beaming in his eyes. In hers however, he could read fear and hesitation.

"Well… I- I have to think about it." She stuttered.

Raquel's eyes flickered, calculating all her options.

"Seville is a nice city, I've always wanted to go. And we would be able to be together." She started.

"But?" Hugo asked, feeling like there was something more to come.

"But I mean, my whole life is here. My family, my friends… I have my degree to finish, the police inspector exam to pass…"

She stopped for a second, gathering in her head all the things she would leave behind if she moved in with Hugo.

"I can't do all this if I go to Seville." She finally articulated, more to herself than for Hugo.

It's the moment the waiter chose to come and take their orders. Glancing a quick look between Hugo and Raquel, she left quickly feeling the disturbed vibes around the table. Raquel wasn't even hungry anymore, all thoughts of pleasant time forgotten. She was trying to figure out a solution to have all of what she wanted but it didn't seem to add up. She felt stuck and out of air. This whole situation had backfired against them and she felt guilty for not having a way of solving it.

She could stay here, finish her degree, start her nine-months training and in a couple of years she could become a police inspector. But she would lose a person she loved in the process. Or she could accept his proposition, go with him to Seville, find a nice job in Psychology or as a consultant and they could live together.

But was that enough?

That sacrifice would cost her her dream job, her vocation, the only thing she had in mind since she was seven years-old. She felt her throat tightens.

"Why don't you start your police officer training now and forget about being the police inspector thing? We'll be together way sooner like this. No exams, no studies. Just this." Hugo asked, trying to bring some options on the table.

Raquel shook her head.

"Being just a police officer doesn't interest me. I wanna be an inspector." She explained solemnly.

"What's the difference?"

She raised her eyes to his.

"I don't want to just carry a gun, write parking tickets and do what my superiors tells me to do without giving it a second thought. I wanna be a part of the solution, I wanna make a difference, be useful." Her voice had started calm but had become stronger and firmer as she was explaining her thoughts.

"Are you saying what I'm doing isn't useful?"

Raquel groaned in frustration. "I'm not saying anything. You're the one trying to make me change my dream, my plan for the future. I have been working toward this goal for years, I can't stop now." She concluded.

"Why not?" Hugo asked with an intense look.

Raquel struggled for a second, trying to explain her thoughts but she didn't have time. The waiter came and placed the orders in front of them. The smell of the pancakes in her plate made her nauseous. She waited for the waiter to leave for her to push it aside.

"Is this job more important to you than our relationship?" Hugo asked bluntly.

Raquel looked straight at him and swallowed hard. She didn't know how to answer in a way that would not hurt them both. Eventually, she settled for the truth.

"Yes." She replied after a long seconds of silence.

Hugo stared at her and dropped his head as though he had just taken a hit. She felt guilty seeing him like this. Her heart was breaking for confessing that to him but it also felt lighter for telling him the truth rather than a lie.

"I can't give up now. Not after all this work. I spent years dreaming about this job. I spent the last two years of my life working my ass off for this exam. I can't drop everything just because you ask me to, Hugo." She tried to explain. "You can't ask me to do that."

He nodded but didn't reply. She stared at him, wondering what was going on inside his head. Nothing pretty she imagined.

"Say something, please." She begged, toying with her clean fork.

"What do you want me to say, Raquel?"

"I don't know. That you understand my decision and the reason why I do this" Hugo just shook his head in disbelief. "If I say yes, I know I'll end up regretting it at some point in the future. We might be happy for a while but months maybe years from now, I'll grow to resent you. I'll hate you and myself for not going after what I wanted, I know it. I don't want that. And you don't want that either."

Raquel could feel the tears gathering behind her eyes. In her heart she knew that the news had broken them both. Hugo was the one to make it official.

"I guess this is it then."

They spent the rest of their breakfast in silence and at some point Raquel wondered if it wouldn't have been better to stand up and leave but she had no control over her legs. She knew that it was the last minutes she could spend with Hugo and a part of her didn't want to let go.

They mumbled a few words, trying to make this situation less painful but she could see how much the situation was hurting him. Half an hour passed before he got up and she did the same thing. They said their goodbye. He wished her to live her dream, she wished him to be happy. And just like that, they parted ways.

It took Raquel a few deep breath to realise what had just happened. She could feel the sadness and the sorrow starting to bubble inside of her as she started to wander the busy streets of Madrid. She didn't want to fall apart right now and she did her best to hold it together. Her hands were shaking and she wasn't too sure of where she was going. She only knew that she needed to stay active, to move, to clear her head in order to stay sane. The thought of her apartment made her shiver. She had given him the keys to go collect his things and she didn't want to meet him there.

After quite some time, Raquel found herself in front of Ana's door. She hesitated a quick instant before knocking wondering if she wanted to burden her friend with what had happened. But she was in need of a friend and of some support. As soon as Ana welcomed her in her arms, Raquel broke down, tears running down her cheeks. Ana held her quietly, letting her decide when she was ready to tell her what happened.