Page 69 of Explosive Prejudice

“How did you find out?”

“In the swimming pool. It was the first time I saw you…” He stopped and gave me an awkward look. “You know what I mean. It was the first time I saw Diesel and not Nero shirtless. Until then, you always wore clothes that covered up your tattoos. And there was also the pink hair.”

I nodded because he was telling the truth. I always made sure to cover up my ink, and the pink hair? Now that my hair was back to its natural black, I’d completely forgotten about it.

“The truth was that I should have known it was you, but—” He paused, took a deep breath. “I was blinded by hate and failed to see what was right in front of me,” he admitted.

I knew exactly what he meant. There were times Llorón seemed familiar, yet I never made the connection. All the clues were there, displayed before my eyes, but my hate for Shay-Lee was so strong that I refused to see the truth. Perhaps, subconsciously, I didn’t want to make the connection.

“What about now? Still hate me?”

A smile spread on his lips, and he half turned to face me. “That’s already your third question.” He raised three fingers between us. “It’s my turn.”

“Go for it,” I said, shaking my head with amusement.

“What about you? Do you still hate me?”

The little brat.

If he had asked me the same question a few days ago, my answer would have been a blunt lie, not to him, of course, but to myself. Because until tonight, it was hard for me to accept that despite everything, Shay-Lee Rogers was my Llorón.

“No. I don’t.”

He didn’t smile or say anything back, but I saw the relief in his eyes.

“But it doesn’t mean I’m ready to pick up from where Nero and Llorón stopped.” There was still too much between us for me to see how it could work.

Nodding, he bit on his bottom lip. “Yeah, of course. I mean, it makes sense.” The disappointment in his voice was vivid, but I’d have to endure it because right now, we were both too raw to dig into those fresh wounds.

“Vamos, chico.” I nudged him. “Ask me another question.”

His face lit up as he pursed his lips together and hummed before asking who Kai was and how we met. Without noticing, we spent the next two hours answering each other’s questions. At some point, it started drizzling, so we moved inside. Now, curled into himself on the other side of the couch, Shay-Lee frowned at me.

“You expect me to believe you’ve never tasted meat? Not even a bite?” I nodded, and he scrunched up his face. “Fuck off, how’s that even possible?”

“I was always a vegetarian. You know, I felt bad for hurting animals? Then in juvie, the food just sucked. It literally made me sick, so I changed my diet once out.”

Nudging my thigh with his feet, he smirked. “Aren’t you full of surprises.”

Rolling my eyes, I shoved him away. “Stop being a bitch.”

“I mean it.” He pulled his legs to his chest and hugged them. “You are surprising. I mean—” His words were cut by a deep yawn.

Checking my phone, I saw it was almost 4:00 a.m. “You tired?”

“N-no.” His eyelids were heavy before he rested his head on the armrest. “I’m not tired at all.”

Another yawn.

“Why won’t you go to bed?”

“Is that a question?” he murmured in a sleepy voice, a small smile on his lips as he looked at me with hooded eyes.

“Maybe.”

“Well…” Yawn. “The room is too dark.”

My brows pulled closer. “Ain’t that the point?” I poked his elbow, and he curled harder into himself.

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