Grace glanced at him. “Alma?” she whispered. She slid from the counter and started across the room in a panic.
“Shit,” Rafael said, looking down at his pants, hurriedly trying to button himself back together and hide his bulge. He stepped behind the counter, hoping he could perch there until he’d calmed himself a bit.
Grace glanced at him before she opened the door, and he gave a quick nod.
Alma burst into the room in a frenzy, marching right past Grace and unwinding her scarf, obviously clueless about what she was interrupting. His sister apparently had a knack for cock-blocking his passionate encounters with her best friend, even if she was completely oblivious each time.
“What’s going on?” Grace asked, shutting the door and trailing behind his sister.
Alma started pacing a route through the living room. She eyed Rafael wearily and then whipped back around toward Grace.
“Obinna and I are done,” she said, her voice full of an emotion he’d never heard from her before. “And I don’t know what to do.”
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
“What?”Grace tried to regain her composure and focus on what Alma was saying, but she was still breathing a little harder than usual, and her bra hung limply under her shirt. Maybe she should have tried to hook it back into place before opening the door. She snuck a glance over to Raf, who was tucked behind the counter, leaning with his forearms pressed to the shiny black surface. God, he was gorgeous, and there was still an almost painful warmth spreading between her thighs, but she wasn’t supposed to be thinking about that. She needed to reset her brain and listen to her best friend. There was no way Alma and Obinna could be done.
Alma resumed her pacing, and words fell out of her mouth, English mixed with Spanish, so Grace was only catching pieces of the rant. “Too much pressure,” she was saying, and “of course I’ve thought about it, but just not to that extent.”
Rafael, who must have had a better grasp of what was happening, spoke up then. “It’s all new for you,mi hermana. Obinna must understand that. Have a seat, and I’ll make you something to drink.”
“I’m too furious,” Alma said, pressing her hands to her cheeks. She didn’t look furious, though, more like she was on the edge of crumbling, just barely holding herself together. It was a side of Alma that Grace had never known before.
Grace stroked Alma’s arm and led her toward the sofa. “Sorry,” she said. “I don’t think I’m quite understanding.”
Despite her frantic energy, Alma did manage to relax into the couch with Grace by her side. She took a breath and started up again but stuck to English. “He started talking about marriage and children. And I was open to having that discussion, I really was, but then he got so upset that I hadn’t given it much thought, as if that meant I’m not committed to our life together. I mean, we’ve barely said we love each other, you know? I’m not one to get ahead of myself, and I still don’t know if I want to get married or any of that. Not because of him, but just because…”
Grace nodded, and suddenly Rafael’s earlier response made perfect sense. All of this was very new to Alma. She’d never had such a serious relationship in her life, and it wasn’t surprising that she was hesitant and unsure.
“Anyway, it turned into something much larger than I was anticipating. About how I don’t feel the same way he does, and if I’m not certain of us then something must be wrong with our relationship. He said if we don’t want the same things, then it’s better to know that now, and if I’m not serious enough about us…” She hung her head, covering her face with her hands.
“Oh, Alma,” Grace cooed. In ten years of friendship, it was rare that Grace was the one doing the comforting. She wasn’t sure where to begin.
Rafael handed over the drink before settling himself into the chair across from them.
“It sounds like tensions were high, and you just need to have another conversation when you’ve both calmed down,” Grace said.
Alma shook her head. “He was so upset with me, Gracie. So hurt. He said maybe we should take some time away from each other, but I don’t think he’ll even want to speak to me again.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Raf said.
“I just walked out. I didn’t know what to say anymore. I felt like he wanted me to decide our whole future right away, like I should justknow.I’m sorry to barge in like this. I meant to call on my way, but I was too overwhelmed. I didn’t mean to ruin your plans for the night.”
Grace and Rafael shared a glance, and Grace used all her might to keep her face neutral. She couldn’t imagine offering up the news that she’d started boning Alma’s brother in the midst of everything else. “It’s totally fine. I was just doing some dishes.”
Alma glanced over at Rafael. “I’m surprised you’re not out for a wild night on the town charming some beautiful women.”
Grace started coughing uncontrollably. Even before anything had happened between the two of them, Grace had never known Rafael to do such a thing. She’d never even seen him with another woman, but maybe he just refrained from bringing women home while she lived there.
“I don’t do that,” Raf said, frowning. He jumped up and grabbed Grace a glass of water.
Alma squinted her eyes at him. “Um, yes, you do. I also thought you’d both be trying to get out of the apartment and as far away from each other as possible, but I’m glad you’re both here.” She took a sip of the concoction Raf had created for her. “Can I stay with you?”
“Stay?” Rafael repeated.
Grace finally stopped coughing and nodded instead. This was probably a sign. She shouldn’t be having sex with Rafael, and here was her reminder, waltzing in and throwing a blanket over the fire, making sure Grace didn’t make any further mistakes.
“I could sleep with you, Gracie?”
