“I didn’t do shit,” I yell at her, but she doesn’t look convinced, and goddamnit if she doesn’t believe me how the hell am I going to convince Bibiana?
“Yo,” I turn and find Dominique and Roman a few feet away. Allie beside them.
“Either of you seen Bibiana?” All three shake their heads as they move closer. Dominique shifts to Kasey’s side, taking a protective stance beside her as his expression screams to every guy within range to back the fuck off.
“No. She was looking for the bathroom before Roman found me. It’s been kinda long for that though,” Allie says, and I rub the back of my neck.
“Would she have gone to your place?” I ask Kasey. Desperation bleeds into my voice. Where is she?
She shakes her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Fuck.”
“Hey,” Allie says, stepping closer. “What’s going on? What happened?”
I run my hands through my hair. “Nothing, but Bibiana thinks something did. I just need to find her.”
She reaches out and places a hand on my arm. “Take a breath. We will. Let me call her.”
I nod, my gaze still scanning the room in case I catch sight of her. Allie dials her number, but then pulls the phone away from her ear to frown down at the screen. “What—”
“One sec. She sent me a text.”
I move to peer over her shoulder as she reads it aloud.
Bibi: Catching a ride home. Sorry. I’ll explain later.
I rush out the front door. Who the hell would she get a ride with? Everyone who’s fucking trustworthy is right here with me. I don’t want some random asshole trying to take advantage of her. If she’s leaving though, then she has to be outside somewhere. I ask a few of the kids I recognize if they’ve seen her when I spot her curly hair in the dark cutting her way through the crowd. Relief floods through me. I take a step forward, and then notice that she’s veered straight for the bright red car sitting in Kasey’s driveway. One I know doesn’t belong to either Henderson.
I squint. “You have got to be kidding me,” I curse, heading toward them when the driver comes into view. He is someone I immediately recognize and someone I do not want anywhere near Bibiana right now. Not when she’s pissed. Probably hurt over what she thinks she saw. Fucking Jae. Can’t this guy just disappear or something?
“Bibiana!” I shout her name and she spins, her face red and splotchy in the moonlight, wet trails running down her cheeks as she stumbles a bit before regaining her footing. My chest tightens. Shit. I did this. “Mariposa, please. Talk to me.” The endearment rolls off my tongue, but as soon as she hears it, she flinches as though struck.
I’m almost to her but she manages to swing open the car door, climbing inside and shutting it quickly behind her. I slam my palm against the glass and lift the door handle, but it’s locked. “Momma, open the door.” She won’t look at me. I can tell from their mouths moving that she and the fucker inside are arguing about something, but I can’t hear their words. I can feel her slipping through my fingers. If she leaves right now without talking to me, without hearing me out, I know deep down in my gut that we’re done. I don’t know how I know that, but it’s a visceral feeling I can’t shake.
I need her to open the door. Now.
Twenty-nine
Atext message flashes across my screen.
Allie: Stay. I’ll take you home if you don’t want to see Emilio but you should hear him out. I don’t think he did what you think he did.
My fingers fly over the illuminated screen as tears track down my face. Of course she would take his side.
Me: I know what I saw.
He had his shirt off, his hands holding her to him as she sucked on his neck like a goddamn vampire. So, no. I do not want to hear him out. I don’t want to ever talk to him again. Urgh! I press the backs of my hands to my eyes.
Nothing can excuse what he did. What he was about to do. God, I am so stupid. I thought I meant more to him. I thought that the flirting and whatever at school was unintentional. Like maybe he didn’t realize what it looked like. I tried to brush it off, but this, I can’t ignore this, and god does that hurt. I thought—I thought maybe he wanted to build a life with me. That we could be a family—him, me and Luis. But I was wrong and now I feel sick. Nausea twists and turns in my gut as I buckle my seat belt.
“Can we leave?” I ask Jae, ignoring the look of concern on his face.
Emilio never cared about me. I was convenient. Easy. A heavy weight presses down on my chest as I realize just how insignificant I am to him. Was this all just a ploy to hurt me? Was any of these past few weeks real?
I shake my head, the alcohol making my head spin.
“Bibi—”
