Page 95 of Sweet Heart

“If this were love, hija,” he says, his voice softer now, “you would have stepped away instead of letting her destroy her career. You would have sacrificed what you wanted for what she needs. Do you understand what I am saying?”

He looks at me, his eyes tracking every single one of my movements as his words slowly start to sink in. The poison starts to spread through my mind, and suddenly, I have to fight to keep tears from falling.

“I do love her,” I whisper, and he nods once, as if he understands.

“I believe you think you do,” he says, sliding forward and tapping the palm of his hand against my knee once. “And if that is true, you now know what to do. It isn’t too late.”

With that, he rises from his seat. I am rendered speechless and can’t seem to move a single muscle as he sees himself out without another glance. The tears never fall, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt a pain this sharp before. What if he is right?

***

04:31 p.m. – Katherina

Amor, my mother has summoned us to dinner. Can you be ready at six?

I stare at the message and feel my heart racing. Why would she invite me now? Hasn’t her husband already done enough? Is this their way of making sure I leave their daughter so she can build her career?

They aren’t wrong. Cat has sacrificed everything to get where she is. That much I do know. And I know how important her reputation is to her, or was, I guess? Still, Cat doesn’t even seem to pause at the fact that she is going to bring me home to her parents.

04:32 p.m. – Mary Mary

Of course. Anything you need me to bring?

04:33 p.m. – Katherina

Just yourself, amor. That is more than enough.

I want to roll my eyes, but my lips tick up regardless. I allow myself to enjoy this moment, before the inevitable happens. She doesn’t know it yet, and my body seems to choke at the mere thought, but tonight, her parents will try to talk her out of this relationship. And I already know I can’t compete with them.

I’m just putting in my earrings when Cat enters the apartment. She already looks immaculate in tight black slacks, a light blue silk top, and matching heels. My breath stops somewhere down my throat, and I can’t seem to peel my eyes off of her. A soft shade of pink colors her cheeks, and she shrugs.

“You look beautiful,” I stammer, the compliment sounding more like a question.

“I always have a spare set of clothes in my locker,” she mumbles as she places her keys on the cabinet.

She comes up behind me, pressing her front against my back and wrapping her arms around my waist. Her lips find the curve of my neck, and my eyes instinctively flutter closed as she presses them warmly against my skin. My stomach dips pleasantly, and my soul hums in answer to hers. Home.

“And you, mi amor, look positively edible.”

She purrs the words close to my ear, and I feel the heat rush to my core. Now it’s my cheeks that are flushing, and I catch her grin in the mirror.

“Katherina,” I warn, but she only grins wider.

“I know, I know… you are dessert.”

I chuckle and turn into her arms, pressing my lips against hers. I should really tell her about what happened, about what we are about to walk into. But she seems so happy that when I open my mouth, nothing comes out.

It takes a little over twenty minutes to get from Cat’s home to the suburbs where her parents live. She pulls up in front of a little brick-and-stone bungalow with a baby-blue door, and a white porch with two wooden chairs overlooking the huge lawn. There is a little cobblestone path from the sidewalk to the door, and a large bush with small white flowers off to the side. It is gorgeous.

“Are you ready, baby?”

Her voice is warm and gentle, and her hand slides over mine in an effort to calm my thudding heart. I’m not ready. I am anything but ready, but I nod regardless. She is out of the car in a blink and pulls my door open so fast I almost think she slid across the hood.

Our fingers intertwine as we walk up to the house, and for a moment I manage to push away the memory of this morning. The door swings open, and a gorgeous, voluptuous woman storms out.

“¡Mi hija está aquí!”

“Mamá.” Cat smiles and wraps her arms around her mother as I stand awkwardly to the side.