Hello everyone (the one's still reading he). I'm attempting to finish all my stories, and I have as you might know been sick and I'm not well yet, so it's going to take some time. I hope you all are patient with me, there's really nothing I can do about it other than try and find the energy and time to write. I really have no idea which order I'll write, I'll just have to take it as it comes and be happy when I can. Thanks for reading!

I don't own Crossing Lines or it's characters.

She lifted her head to meet the water, letting the soothing stream of warm water wash away the tears she didn't want to admit was there. She was an idiot. A complete and utter fool. What had she been thinking really? That he cared about her the way she cared about him? She wanted to laugh at the sheer stupidity, and she wanted to call him and yell, but her pride wouldn't let her. It wouldn't even let her answer his calls, not yet. Not until she was stable and able to put her mask back on. The one she had wore so many times before, the one that got her through her 20s after her families secret was out, and the one that got her through school. She wouldn't face him until she was completely in control of herself, until all the walls were back up and unable to be brought down again. She had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what she was doing, and that was the reason his calls were coming more and more frequent instead of less. She managed to avoid him, something that wouldn't be possible come tomorrow when they were coming here to help with the case. Maybe that was why he hadn't called yet tonight, figuring that come tomorrow she wouldn't be able to avoid him anymore. He was nothing but cunning, she'd give him that. But tomorrow her mask would be back in place and he wouldn't be able to touch her anymore, in anyway.

She had asked him about her, his brother's wife, after she showed up at work looking for him. He hadn't wanted to talk about it she could tell, and he'd assured her it was nothing that she needed to know. She'd believed him, right up until she caught her flinging herself in his arms, and he hadn't instantly pushed her away. When he did, he caught her standing near the steps, frozen. She saw his eyes widen, saw the woman she now knew was named Rose, smile in triumph. Then she'd left, ignoring his calls for her to stop. She hadn't seen him since, having left for Italy the same night. Now the major insisted on him and Arabella coming here, claiming that they were a team. They still were she supposed. She still trusted him to have her back, her heart was a different story.

Morning came and they arrived at the house with the swat team, thankful they weren't alone, or even alone with Arabella. She knew even her presence wouldn't stop Tommy from getting what he wanted. A conversation was inevitable, but she was grateful if she could postpone it as long as possible. She was still hurt, but some of it had given way to a much more passionate feeling, namely anger. She was so angry that she didn't know what to do with herself, but then came an angel in form of Mateo. Her inner self cheered.