That's the end of the story, thanks for making it this far. It only remains for me to add a small glimpse of Victoria's thoughts. Caatmikmak, as you rightly say, love always triumphs, at least in my stories.
Chapter 11. For Me Alone - Victoria
The days at the cabin went by very quickly, having Diego all to myself and no one coming to interrupt was a new experience that I found wonderful. I told him that when we went back to the hacienda we would have to find a way to spend time alone. He told me that he had a lot of experience sneaking around and that he was sure that with a little practice I would be able to do it too.
One of the days I was heating up the food and I noticed him watching me. At first he was smiling, but then I saw he was more serious, and I asked him what he was thinking. He startled a little and looked away, which surprised me. I moved the food away from the fire and approached him. It seemed to me that he was dissimulating, so I sat on his legs, unable to avoid remembering the first time I did it and we were surprised by Don Alejandro.
"Tell me what you're thinking about." I asked him gently.
"It doesn't matter anymore." he replied as he stroked my back.
"But I want to know." I insisted. I wanted to try to understand a little better what was going through his head, sometimes I think he's hidden parts of him for so long that it's going to take him a long time to stop doing it with me.
One of his hands ran down my neck and ended up caressing my cheek as he looked into my eyes. "I was wondering if when you came to see me after I told you, you already knew you could forgive me."
I knew my answer was very important to him. "I was very confused, I actually knew when you got mad at me and yelled at me."
"I shouldn't have done that." he said somewhat embarrassed.
"Why not, I was yelling at you. It seemed only fair that you did the same." That made him laugh and I was glad, because sometimes he's too worried about...well, I guess about everything.
"It was like seeing you for the first time, not the Don Diego who pretends he can't do anything else for others, or Zorro who has to keep anyone from finding out who he is, but the real Diego."
"Even if I have a bad temper sometimes?"
"Everyone can have a bad day, and yours was being really terrible because of me."
He shook his head, with a somewhat sad smile. "It wasn't your fault, but mine, for lying for so long."
"You had a good reason for doing it, and what really mattered to me was that you stopped lying. You didn't hide that you were angry, and then you were honest with me when you said you couldn't be my friend because you loved me too much to keep pretending." I caressed his face as I noticed that my eyes stung and I couldn't quite find the words to express what I was feeling at that moment. "Because I also knew I loved you too much to let you slip away."
This time his smile was indeed one of happiness.
"Besides, I didn't like that your father caught us, but I did like that for the first time you felt safe enough to kiss me no matter what was going on around us."
I had to reheat the food almost an hour later, but it was worth it.
FIN