Throwing my hands up, I raise my voice, tired of being the one who takes the brunt of everything.
“No, Mom, I have won the right to be harsh. I understand that she’s your daughter and it’s your business what you decide to do in your home, but you have to accept the fact that not everything is going to be peaceful between her and I. There won’t be any screaming or tantrums on my end. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her get into my head again. It’s not healthy for any of us.”
Hugging my mom, I whisper everything I’ve wanted to say. “I hope that you’re able to talk to her about everything. You know she needs help. Only Ana can decide if she wants it. Right now, she has no reason to think she needs it because she’s so comfortable and has everything she needs plus more, but you already know that. You decide what happens next.Te amo, Mamá, pero no puedo pasar Navidad con ella. Espero que puedas entender. Perdóname.” I love you, Mom, but I can’t spend Christmas with her. I hope you understand. Forgive me.
She squeezes me harder when I struggle to escape her hold. After a couple of seconds, she lets me go, and I run to the frontdoor. Grabbing my mother’s car keys and my jacket, I sprint out to unlock her Nissan she’s had since I was fourteen.
“What the heck are you doing, Kamila?” Rafael yells from somewhere behind me.
Opening the door, I spot him and my mom trying to run to the car. I speed out of the driveway before they can reach me.
I’m driving past houses I’ve been seeing for years not knowing where the hell I’m going because everyone I’m close to is too far away. All I know is that I need to get out of this town before Rafael tracks me down. I realize then that the gas pedal feels odd against my foot and remember that I’m still in my PJs and big slippers.
“Yeah, you really thought this through well, didn’t you, Kamila?”
Hitting the steering wheel out of frustration, a billboard that has a familiar last name written in big, bold letters catches my attention. Finally, I call the one person who can help me find what I need.
“Hey, Kami. What’s up? Make it quick because I’m headed out to dinner. Remember that it’s late here, and my father will throw a fit if I’m not there on time.”
“Yeah, I know, you go to Saint Tropez almost every year, good for you.”
“Well fuck. Somebody’s touchy,” Jake says, clearly surprised at my rudeness.
“Sorry, it’s been a long day,” I say impatiently.
The sound of a door shutting fills the speaker. “Are you okay?”
“A story for another time. Listen, I need a small favor…”
Chapter Fifty-Three
CAMERON
“One thing. I asked for one damn thing.” Mom slaps me and Ethan with her spatula.
“Actually, it was my idea to sneak them in there,” Dad mumbles quietly from across the kitchen island.
She turns her spatula to him and starts swinging.
“Save it for the bedroom, honey,” Dad says in between hits.
Ethan throws his head back in laughter and I follow suit. That is until Mom starts heading in our direction and we immediately duck and run. Apparently, she wasn’t a fan of the dirty-shaped cookies my dad molded.
“Yeah, not so funny now when it’s pointed at you. I’m small but fast, boys.”
She gets a few hits in till we eventually tire out and drop down on to the kitchen stools, waiting for the cookies to cool.
“Please pass a penis cookie.”
Mom rubs her temples together while Ethan lets out a small choking sound.
“I’m so happy I didn’t have more than one child because I apparently married another.”
Dad walks over, puts his arms around Mom’s waist and whispers something into her ear. Whatever he says makes hershoulders relax until she has that love drunk look in her eyes. A zing of jealousy hits me, catching me off guard. It’s not something that’s ever happened with my parents before, but after Kamila, my head has been all kinds of fucked up.
“Do either of them know anything at all?” Ethan asks quietly beside me.
The feeling of his eyes on me is intense. “They only know that Kamila goes to Driscoll because of my mom’s friends. She hasn’t asked me anything yet, therefore I’ve kept my mouth shut.”
