Armando Cruz: The fuck is this, ambush journalism? You got something to say, spit it out!
she notices that everyone has left the studio, now it’s only her and Armando. she walks over to him and hugs him tightly Armando!! i’m so happy to see you! how have you been?
pushes her away What the hell is wrong with you? Who are you people? This is some kind of sick prank, right?
I know you’re going through a lot right now, after your divorce from Daniella. that must’ve been so hard on you…
throws his hands up in frustration Hard? Try impossible! That bitch ruined my life, cheated on me and left me for dead! And what do you know about it?
I understand how much that must’ve hurt you. so I sent out agents to help look after you. you should never have to go through anything like that alone ever again.
narrows his eyes Agents? What the hell do you mean? Are you telling me you've been spying on me?
no! no that’s not what I meant. they were there to protect you from anyone who would wish to harm you. it’s the least I could do for someone who once saved my life. she said as she gently took his hand
hesitates, then sighs heavily Look, I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't need your pity or protection.
‘pity?’ what a strange word. I still see you as that little boy who saved my life all those years ago. someone you can trust, someone who cares about you. she said as she smiled
pauses, looking conflicted Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I've built walls around myself for a reason.
I get it. she looked sad but you know I’m always here if you need me.
softens his expression Look, PearlAwe, maybe...maybe I don't have to go through this alone. Maybe I can trust you.
of course. I promise I’ll always be here for you.
reaches out and takes her hand Alright, PearlAwe. Let's see where this goes. But fair warning, I'm not exactly easy to deal with. Can you handle that?
Armando, you’re easy to deal with. she said as she smiled but I understand if you have some walls up. I’ll try to break them down slowly.
takes a deep breath Alright, PearlAwe. Maybe we can start by getting to know each other again. Tell me about yourself, what makes you tick.
her face lit up as she thought of an idea why don’t we do a little Q&A? I’ll start. what was your favorite memory from when we first met?
leans back in his chair, reminiscing Well, there was this one time when we were just kids.
oh?! tell me more. I want to hear more about the past.
leans forward, animated Alright, listen up. So, we were just a couple of scrappy kids back then, trying to survive in the tough neighborhood.
yep. my dad was stationed at the base nearby when we first met. I remember you were so brave back then.
raises an eyebrow Brave? Me? You gotta be kidding me, PearlAwe.
nope. remember when some older kids were bullying you? I remember you stood up to them even if you were getting hurt.
laughs Yeah, I remember that. Those assholes thought they could push me around, but I wasn't gonna let them.
and then you took me under your wing and protected me from them as well. I’ll never forget that. she smiles as she holds his hand
smirks Ah, those were the days. Protecting you was second nature to me back then.