Song: La Tortura by Shakira ft. Alejandro Sanz

♠

I snorted glaring at that cursed perfection called Neymar, my damned ex-boyfriend. The bastard had the guts to keep coming to my bakery after all the shit he had put me through.

I breathed a sigh, putting on the usual poker face I used whenever I saw him. My tears for him had been shed, my love for him had been buried six feet under.

"Good morning, how can I help you today?" I asked with the fakest smile I could muster.

"Good morning Cat," he chirped, his hazel-green eyes bright with joy.

"It's Catalina," I grumbled with an annoyed look.

"How are you? It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"What would you like to order?" I asked, ignoring the small talk he was trying to initiate.

"You know what I want," he replied, giving me a wink.

He was really pushing his luck today, but I chose to ignore it and act professionally.

"So one Latte Macchiato and a chocolate donut?" I asked and turned around to switch on the Espresso machine. After that, I grabbed a fresh bottle of milk and poured it into a pitcher to start frothing it.

"Make it two chocolate donuts."

I turned around and caught him staring at my ass. He was such a sleazebag! I cursed myself for wearing a pair of skinny jeans which were a size too small. I shot him a murderous glare as I placed the two donuts inside a paper bag and handed it to him. He brushed his hand against mine on purpose while taking it.

By the time he was out of the store, I was taking deep breaths to calm my raging anger. I glared at the money he had handed me. 50€ for a 7€ purchase. He must be thinking that he could buy anything with his money. Well, he was wrong, he could not buy my forgiveness.

...

"You forgot your change the other day," I pointed out the next time he entered my bakery and handed him 43€.

"That was the tip," he stated smugly.

"Excuse me?"

"For your impeccable skills," he chuckled and took a large gulp of the coffee I had just made for him.

I rolled my eyes and pushed the money over the counter toward him.

He pushed it back.

I pushed it back to him, and he pushed it back again.

We continued fighting until I heard someone clear their throat behind Neymar.

"Take the money and go!" I hissed to Neymar and shoved him aside to serve the elder man who was waiting to place his order.

"I'm sorry for making you wait, sir. What would you like to order?" I asked with a genuine smile.

After the man had left the bakery, I caught Neymar sitting at a small table near the window.

I marched towards him with my hands on my hips. "I thought I told you to leave, what are you still doing here?"

"Having my coffee?" he mused with a haughty tone.

"Really Neymar?"

"Really Cat."

"It's Catalina!" I hissed, getting irritated by the silly games he kept playing.

"Cat, why are you getting all worked up?" he questioned, batting his long eyelashes.

"You know exactly why!"

"No, I don't know why."

"You cheated on me; you broke my fücking heart, and now you have the guts to come to my bakery and play these sick mind games with me? And then you dare to ask why I'm upset? Leave me alone, get out of my life!" I hollered, throwing my hands up in frustration.

Neymar sat up from his chair. His face had turned pale. I guess he had not foreseen that outburst, heck even I hadn't, but I suppose I was fed up with his bullshit. He should stop torturing me.

"Cat..." His voice was as faint as a whisper.

"Get out!" I yelled and ran to the back of the bakery as tears poured down my face.

...

I hummed along to a song playing on the radio as I glanced at the timer on the oven. The red velvet cupcakes were almost ready.

I placed the delicious goods in the display case and noticed that lunchtime time already. I walked to the door and turned the sign from open to closed. Then I headed into the kitchen as I pondered about what I was going to make for lunch.

"Cat?"

The wooden spoon I was holding slid out of my hand, and I spun around in shock. My jaw dropped when I saw Neymar stand in my kitchen.

"H-how did you get inside?" I stuttered, holding a hand to my chest.

"The door was open; I think you forgot to lock it."

"Oh..."

But that didn't explain what he was doing inside my kitchen.

"Why are you here? I thought I had made things clear last time."

He ran a hand through his hair, making it even more perfect.

Screw him and his perfection.

He looked at me and then his eyes shifted to something behind me. A pot of bolognese was cooking on the stove. He was crazy about my spaghetti bolognese.

"Can...I have some?" he asked before I had finished my strand of thoughts.

I have been taught never to deny food to a guest, and though he was more of an intruder, I had an internal struggle about it.

Neymar stepped forward and grabbed the wooden spoon off the floor. He put it in the sink and took a whiff of the bolognese sauce. I heard his stomach growl, and that did me in.

"Take a seat; it's almost done," I mumbled with a sigh.

His face lightened up immediately, and he sat down at my small kitchen table.

I could feel his eyes on me as I continued to stir the sauce and add my secret ingredients to it. I did not let him distract me. Whenever I cooked or baked, I forgot the world. And I have been cooking and baking a lot lately.

"Cat?" his soft voice was behind me, way too close behind me.

I stiffened and pressed myself against the kitchen counter.

"W-what?"

He untied my apron at the back. I watched it fall to my feet, but I refused to turn around.

"I miss you so much," he murmured, pressing his front to my back and nestling his face in the crook of my neck.

"W-what are you d-doing?" I gasped, completely in shock.

"God, you always smell so sugary and sweet," he groaned, slowly grazing the sensitive skin on the back of my neck.

"Stop!" I managed to exclaim and turned around, only to lust-filled filled eyes gazing at me intensively.

The next second, his lips crushed mine as he cupped my face. I pushed him back as hard as I could after the shock had somewhat settled.

"Cat, please," he pleaded and caught my arms, pulling me flush against him once more.

"No! Stop Neymar!" I yelled, but he shut me up with his lips.

I whimpered, trying to make him stop, but to no avail.

When he released my lips to catch his breath, I was fuming with anger.

"Have you lost your mind?" I screamed and shoved at his chest.

"I miss you, Cat. I need you, can't you see that?" he groaned, rubbing his hands down his face.

"You should have thought about that before you went and cheated on me!"

"I didn't think, Cat. I made a huge mistake..."

"If there's one thing I won't tolerate, it's cheating, and you knew it from day one. And still, you went to shove your tongue down someone else's throat because I was not enough!" I yelled as tears brimmed my eyes.

It was me who was living with those horrible memories day in and day out. It was me who had cried herself to sleep for nearly a month because of what he did to me. I wanted to move on, but he continued to show up in my life. Every time I see his face; my heart breaks all over again. Why was he so cruel? Why couldn't he leave me alone?

"Cat...I'm so sorry baby," he whispered and wrapped me in his arms.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed and hit his chest repeatedly, but he didn't let me go.

He kissed my hair and held me tight until I was nothing but a sobbing, shaking mess.

"I hate you," I murmured, sniffling.

"I know, I hate myself too," he whispered into my hair, and the next second he was kissing me again.

"Cat," he moaned when I found my lips moving against his on their own accord.

The kiss turned fervent and needy, both of us clutching onto each other as if our life depended on it. Our hearts were beating rapidly against each other's chests. The Bolognese and his hunger had been forgotten as another more animalistic kind of hunger had emerged.

Neymar ripped my blouse open, the buttons scattering all over the kitchen tiles, and what happened after that was too explicit for words.

"That was incredible," he panted and pressed a kiss to my sweaty forehead as he stood in between my legs.

I kept my eyes closed, too embarrassed to face him now after those two rounds. I didn't know what had possessed me to do this.

"Don't baby, please don't overthink and regret it," he whispered and brushed my worry lines away with his thumb.

"But..."

He kissed me softly to quiet me.

"Ney..."

Another kiss.

"I..."

And another until I was left dazed and confused.

"I miss you so much, and that's the reason why I continue to come to the bakery. Seeing you is the highlight of my day," he said glancing deeply into my eyes.

"Then why..."

"Because I was a fool and she was just...playing some sick game," he finished my phrase with a sigh.

"I thought you are in a relationship with her," I mumbled, feeling the pain deep inside my chest again.

"What? Oh god no!" he grimaced. He cupped my face and whispered, "She means nothing to me, but you mean everything to me. Cat, I love you. I love you so much."

My heart melted when I heard his confession because I never stopped loving him either, but I didn't know if I could forgive him and put what had happened behind me.

I placed my hands on his shoulders to support myself so I could hop down from the kitchen counter. Neymar lifted my thighs instead and made me wrap them around his waist. He took a step away from the kitchen counter, forcing me to throw my arms around his neck for support.

"I don't know what to think about all of this," I mumbled as he held me against his body and nuzzled my neck.

"Cat, after making love twice, I have no doubt in my heart that you still love me and that's all I needed to know. Give me one chance, it's all I ask."

I blushed a crimson red after hearing the first part of his sentence and made a mental note to disinfect the kitchen counter and the kitchen table later on. I didn't know if I was ready to give him a second chance, but he was right. I had buried my love for him deep within my heart all these days, but I could no longer deny that I loved him.

"So are you hungry?" Neymar asked whilst rubbing his nose against mine.

"My Bolognese sauce!" I shrieked. It was probably burned by now.

"I turned down the stove earlier because I knew we would be hungry," he smirked with a naughty wink.

"You are unbelievable!" I groaned and slapped his chest.

Neymar cupped my face gently and gazed into my eyes. "Cat, I love you so much," he whispered in a tone that sent tingles down my spine.

"I love you too, Neymar," I whispered and kissed him deeply.

Hello,

This idea was submitted by MarinaFares. She asked me to write something based on the La Tortura video by Shakira and work out the specifics so I gave it a shot. I wrote this while 

You can submit your own idea, and I will turn it into a short story. Read the instructions before doing so.

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Lora😘