Page 96 of Jagged

Wyatt leaned closer so that his lips pressed my ear. "You're in love."

"Yeah. Like you. Smitten boy." I motioned at Tati.

"Shut up." He bumped me with his elbow, and I nudged him right back.

We returned our attention to the others, and I watched as Clem reached into the deep purse that hung off her elbow. I heard the word vinho tumble from her rolling tongue and understood as she pulled the dark colored bottle from her bag. She shook her head, gesturing toward Tati as she handed it to her.

"Tenho a certeza de que o vinho é bom." Tatiana kissed her cheek. "Obrigada."

"É claro." Clem waved her hand in front of her while smiling.

"I kinda understood that," muttered Wyatt.

"I think social etiquette supersedes some language barriers at times," I said, a smile curving my lips when Clem returned to me.

With pinkness in her pale cheeks, she nibbled her bottom lip for a moment. "Hi."

"How'd that go?" I chuckled and cupped my hands around hers when I noticed her wringing them.

"Muito bem." She smiled and scrunched up her cheeks.

"Good thing I understand muy bien otherwise I'd be totally lost," I said with a smile.

"You understand more than you think," she said, then glanced at Tati who reached for wine glasses from the open shelves in the kitchen.

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yep. She said you understand Reagan best."

"I do. She speaks more simply in Portuguese."

"She's fluent though, just age-appropriately fluent."

I smiled while I listened to the kid and her grandmother return to baking. I understood most of the food words they said and listened to how Tatiana's mom instructed her on stirring the concoction. A swell of emotions washed over me and I swallowed the thick feeling in my throat. Images of baking with my own grandmother bubbled to the surface. With the anxiety of the situation around me, that vulnerability left room for memories to pop up.

"They're very cute," said Clem, her voice soft as her hand fell to the small of my back.

"Yeah." I gulped, then drew my eyes away.

"Let's go see your room," she chirped, a playful smile making it to her lips.

"It's very small…"

"I don't care—"

"And kind of immature—"

"I don't care about that either."

"And I don't have a lot of stuff—"

"Are you going to be there?" She huffed as her brows narrowed.

"Um…well, yes."

"Then that's enough for me." She held her hand to me. "Show me."

"Okay." I laughed as I led her away from the others toward my closed bedroom door.

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