“You know how she is. She can smell deceit from a mile away.”
“She’ll worry like crazy. Hell, she might go after MC’s attacker herself.”
“I’ll try to contain her, I promise. But not telling her will only trigger the hound in her. She’ll do everything she can to figure it out.”
He’s right. It’s better if we can break the news to her and control the narrative. I turn to Lex again with a question in my eyes. “Are you staying tonight?”
“Yes, I’ll find a hotel with high security and book us a room.”
“Perfect. Thank you. Would it be okay to have dinner with my parents, Rafa, and Kate? In the hotel’s restaurant, maybe? If you’re up for it,” I add to Rafa. He nods and explains Kate will be here soon, straight from work.
Lex is just done booking our accommodations for the night when my parents come out. “She wants to see you two,” my dad explains. My mom still looks shaken, her face pale and confused. Hopefully, I’ll get to offer her some reassurance before we leave for Seattle tomorrow.
Lex and I take their places by Maria Carmen’s side, each taking one of her hands.
“So, mynietasaved you twice?” she asks Lex, much more tired than when we arrived.
“She did,” Lex confirms.
She sighs dramatically. “Ay, entonces ya no hay esperanza para mí.” I shake my head at that.Oh, then there’s no hope left for me. “You’ll never leave her now.”
“She could get tired of having to save me and be the one leaving me.”
His suggestion brings a little twinkle to her eyes, either from the humor of it or some remnants of hope. Just in case it’s the latter, I say, “I’ll never leave him. ¿Dónde voy a encontrar otra verga tan perfecta?”Where else would I find another dick so perfect?
“No me andes restregando tu felicidad, chamaca insolente.”Don’t rub your happiness in my face, you insolent girl.
I chuckle at her feigned jealousy.
She yawns so hard it’s a wonder she doesn’t dislocate her jaw before saying, “I think I’ll rest for a moment.”
“We’ll leave you be, then,” Lex offers.
“Stay until I fall asleep,guapo. That way, if I never wake up, your face will be the last thing I’ll see before I leave this world.”
“Don’t say things like that!” I scold her.
“Cálmate, Andrea. I’m jesting.”
“Don’t even joke about it. You will get better.”
“Yes, yes… I will be fine.”
As she asked, we stay until her snores fill the room. When Kate arrives, we both leave her to sweet dreams of eloping with Lex to greet my best friend. I warned her we were on our way before we got to the plane, so she isn’t surprised to see us. But that doesn’t stop her from attacking me with a bear hug, pressing me tightly into her skirt-suit.
“Where were you?!” she asks, releasing me from her tight embrace to hold me by the shoulders. “We were so worried when you didn’t answer.”
“We were in… Canada,” I say with a wince.
“Cana—What? I thought you were down south exploring the Caribbean Sea?”
“Yeah, I have a lot to tell you. But not here. Lex booked us a hotel room for the night. MC is fast asleep, so maybe we should all just head there. It’ll be safer.”
“Safer? From what?”
I don’t answer, looking at the two security guards posted, which attracts Kate’s interest. “Okay, what the hell is going on?” she demands.
“I’ll tell you. But not here.”
