[FLASHBACK CHAPTER]

I'm all cuddled up in my blanket with Queso nuzzling his head in my neck. He was trying to get me to pay attention to him by pushing his head more into me. Once I finished my homework for school I went on to catch up on my show. Queso purrs into my neck while I scratch his head. My eyes still don't leave the TV as I continue to watch the characters move on the show. The faint dialogue illuminates from the screen with the captions on.

"I should make cookies," I say to Queso while rubbing behind his ears until my words were interrupted by two quick knocks.

I groan and place Queso down while pushing my comfortable blanket off my body, folding it into a neat pile with my throw pillows. I walk over to my door, fixing my hair, and open it.

"Only place I could go to," Armando says quietly without an introduction, my eyes widen at the sight infront of me.

After what went down with his mother dying and the entire AMMO team plus Mike and my dad almost burning alive I'd think he fled the state but here he is right infront of me.

"Was Mike, your literal Dad not an option?" I say back to him in a confused snarky tone. I can't afford to lose my job just cause I'm protecting him so I might as well send him back to Mike. I knew being nice to him would come back to bite me but how did he even get my address?

"I feel safer here. The cops aren't the only people looking for me, don't forget I'm wanted everywhere," He answers with a wink. He welcomes himself in while brushing his left arm against my right.

Armando and I aren't too close but I've spent most of the mission finding out who killed Howard just to in the end comfort him over his mother's death that we all had to witness. I always promised myself to seek revenge on him but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Queso looks up at Armando when he walks in. "Tienes un gato?," He asks me while I close my door. (you have a cat?)

"Yeah, that's Queso and Armando look, you really shouldn't be here. My job is at stake." I explain. "Turn yourself in, that may work in your favor when your court date comes around and they discuss how many years you'll do." I continued. I could care less what he does, just not in my house.

He turns back around and faces me. I'm still near the door but our eyes catch eachothers. He has an uncertain look on his face.

"You're gonna run aren't you? Get a new identity and everything?," I tell him while trying to piece together and guess his next game plan.

"I'm tired of running hermosa," Armando tells me with a genuine expression while walking closer to me.

— "Hasta el fuego Hermosa" those words stay on repeat.

Mike and I were so close to getting to him, but when Armando saw how we were struggling so hard and soon were going to be engulfed into the ocean beneath the bridge, he shared those words with me. By the time I didn't know him or understand but Mike said it sparked a memory of his. —

"You have a good heart Armando, but your actions can't be erased. You have to go turn yourself in. You killed someone and your actions have to have consequences." I say to him.

"Do you still hate me," He asks disregarding what I said, eyes focusing back to mine.

"Depends on what. Killing Howard?," I ask. He still stays silent. "I know you had a reason for it but still Armando..." I continue.

"I'm sorry Y/N," He tells me while staring at me.

"No you're not," I feel a wave of sadness come over my body. He stays silent, proving my exact point. His body moves more steps towards mine to soon engulf me into a hug. It felt soft and comfortable.

"I know you don't believe me and you probably never will but I'm sorry Y/N, I don't know you but I want to," He says.

It feels real but I couldn't put it past me. I push myself slightly off of him where we're both eye to eye. He leans in and we kiss eachother. It was long and I felt a feeling that I never felt before. I couldn't love him, I just can't.

I remove my lips from the kiss and see his eyebrows soften.

"You need to go Armando," I tell him. I know he only felt safe here, I always noticed that familar look in his eyes; when he was going to kill Mike, when he found out that Mike was his real dad, even when his own mother shot him. Those damn eyes. "I won't tell anyone you were here," I promise to him.

"I know you won't. Te prometo que seré bueno," He walks out. (i promise you i'll be good)

The last thing he told me before he walked out my apartment door for the last time while sharing a look with me. The last thing he told me when he had endless court dates settling his sentence and which jail he'd be put into. That day we both made a promise. I'll forever keep it. ——— I've read over this a million and one times so I'm praying there's no misspells or grammar fixes! Thank you all so very much for reading and a new chapter will be posted either tomorrow or Sunday afternoon! 💗