“I know.” Her shoulders hunched. She felt nauseous. “There is just so much going on for me right now... I didn’t want to do this over the phone.”
He groaned. “Are you breaking up with me, Carolina?” His voice broke. “After all we’ve been through together?”
Ay, she was awful. “It isn’t about you. It’s about me. I’ve been like a caged bird my entire life, dying to break free. You came along and gave me a taste of that freedom. And through being with you, I realized that I need to figure out who I am. Without you, and without my father.”
“So... you used me? Was this some sort of test I didn’t pass?”
“No! There was no test.”
“Then why are you doing this to me?”
Silence echoed down the line. Carolina’s chest shook as she tried to steady her breath, her racing heart. “I’m so sorry. I’m just a mess. I can’t even think about someone else until I find myself.”
“I’m crazy about you. I’m falling in love with you.”
“I think I love you, too! But Enrique, I need to figure out who I am on my own.”
“Got it.” The phone went dead. She dropped it on the bedside table.
She was awful. Truly awful.
Everyone hated her now. She knew she needed to be selfish, but she couldn’t seem to stop hurting everyone in her quest to figure out who she was.
Carolina crawled under the covers in the room and sobbed as the sea lions’ barking drowned out her tears.
Chapter Thirty-One
Later that night, Enrique poured himself a glass of whiskey and sat on his beachfront balcony, gazing at the dark ocean.
Another night alone. Ramón was with Julieta, Jaime was still out of town, and Tiburón was still up in Santa Maria.
And Carolina had dumped him.
Where had he gone so wrong?
He was completely aware that this whole relationship with Carolina had gone fast. Way too fast. He had only wanted to meet her. Then he had stupidly volunteered to play Joseph in Las Posadas. Once she told her father he was her boyfriend, everything seemed to spiral hopelessly out of control.
Christ, he had taken her virginity. Yet she’d walked away and was spending the night alone in a hotel.
How had everything become so hopelessly fucked-up?
She’d seemed so callous and heartless on the phone. And her words cut him deep. Sleeping with Carolina had meant something to him. Because she had chosen him, he’d felt special and worthy.
He needed to talk to someone.
He called Tiburón, who answered on the first ring.
Loud metal music played in the background along with a low hum of voices.
“Hey, can I call you later? I’m with Blanca.”
Of course. He was with Carolina’s sister. “Where did you take her? A Death Angel concert?”
Tiburón laughed. “We got jokes? Nah, just some bar up in Santa Barbara.”
“Sounds fun. I’ll catch you later.”
“You okay?”
