Chapter Nineteen

Gabriel's Pov.

I stared back at Antonia, unable to hide my shock. Did she really just ask if Camila and I were lovers? How did she even come to such a ridiculous conclusion? I wondered to myself, as the thought of it alone made me shudder.

I folded my arms across my chest, feeling a mix of disappointment and confusion at the same time. "No offense, Antonia, but are you one of those people who don't think men and women can be strictly friends?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.

Antonia shrugged, her expression innocent but her eyes probing. "I never said that," she replied. "I only asked if you and Camila were lovers, and you still haven't answered my question."

I shook my head, exasperated. "We are not lovers, Antonia. We never have been, and there's absolutely no chance that she and I would ever develop such a relationship. Camila is my best friend and my assistant at work, nothing more."

I could see the skepticism in her eyes, and it irked me. "Are you really doubting my words? You don't think she's really just a friend?" I asked, my tone sharper than I intended.

Antonia shrugged again, looking thoughtful. "She could be, but I just find it hard to believe that you and Camila have always been just strictly friends. She's really beautiful, and I wouldn't be surprised if you had something together, even if it wasn't anything exclusive."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "First things first, Antonia, it's disrespectful of you to assume that someone like Camila would be fine with being a side piece of mine. She's too prideful to stoop that low, and just because someone is attractive doesn't mean you automatically become romantically involved with them. Camila and I have a long history, but it's purely platonic. So get your head out of the gutter, young lady," I clarified snappily.

Antonia still stared at me with an intrigued look on her face, even after I just explained to her very clearly that Camila and I were only friends.

Her expression told me she had something more to say, but she held back, and just as I was about to ask her what she was thinking, she suddenly yawned, mentioning that it was time for her to go to bed.

I rolled my eyes, not buying her sudden need for sleep. "Did you really come downstairs just to ask about my relationship with Camila? Isn't there another specific reason why you came downstairs in the first place?" I asked.

Antonia quickly shook her head. "You're right, I didn't come downstairs to talk about Camila at all. I only asked the question because of what I saw earlier downstairs. But that aside, I came down because I didn't know what else to do. It was still a little early, so I thought sleeping immediately would be a waste, but now I think I should just go to bed since I don’t have anything better to do."

I pouted playfully. "I'm offended, Antonia. You're saying right in front of me that you have nothing better to do when you could hang out with me. Isn't that more reasonable ?"

She gave me a surprised and confused look. "And why in the world should I hang out with you?"

I chuckled at her bluntness. "No offense taken, Antonia, but we could try to get to know each other better, don't you think? I mean, outside this house, the whole world thinks we're in a relationship, and you'll also be staying for a few days anyway. I don't think it's a terrible idea to hang out together, and I can promise that I'm not that terrible of a companion."

Antonia raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Gabriel, we’re not exactly close friends or anything like that, so hanging out with you will be more uncomfortable than pleasant. Plus, I'm already feeling awkward about staying at your place, so I doubt I want to stay around you for much longer."

"Well, we could change that side of you that's uncomfortable with staying here," I suggested. "Let’s hang out and talk. Who knows? We might actually enjoy each other's company, and once you get used to the house, you'll stop feeling so awkward about being here."

Antonia folded her arms across her chest with a curious look in her eyes. “Okay, Gabriel,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “If I agree to hang out with you, what exactly are we going to do? Drinking anything besides water and eating any food is out of the question because, like I said earlier, I have a shoot tomorrow. And besides that, I can’t think of anything else we could do.”

I rolled my eyes at her, feigning exasperation. “I'm genuinely surprised, Antonia; I didn’t expect you to be so narrow-minded. You do realize that eating and drinking aren’t the only ways we can hang out and talk, right? They're other things we can do,” I paused, an idea forming. “Did you bring anything with you that you can wear to swim?”

Antonia stared at me, confused. “Are you serious? Swimming? That’s your suggestion?”

I shrugged, trying to hide my amusement. “Why not? Swimming is a great way to clear our minds. Plus, it’s been ages since I’ve had the chance to swim with someone. I personally think it'd be fun to swim for a few minutes while we talk, and after that, we'll both get into bed and have a good night's rest.”

"But I already showered," she complained.

I almost scoffed. "So have I, but you can always take another shower, can't you?" I retorted with a playful smile.

She was obviously skeptical, her lips pursed in thought. And when I sensed that she was about to refuse, I quickly added, “You know what? Just get dressed and meet me downstairs. I promise it’ll be fun.”

Antonia sighed, looking frustrated. “Fine,” she muttered. “I’ll come, but I’m only going to sit by the pool. I’m not getting in, and you better not try to force me.”

I couldn’t help but smile mischievously. “We’ll see about that, sweetie. See you in a few minutes,” I winked, earning a mock annoyed glare from her.