Page 3 of Trapped

“I’ll be right back.” Josefina releases my hand and exits the room. I take deep breaths, waiting for her to return. I am relieved when I see Olivia walk in. She smiles at me. Of all the sad looks I received this week, it was hers that broke me the most. She tried to stop my father, but she was already forced into a marriage because of him. She knows his orders reign supreme in the Consuelo Family.

“Are you okay with this?” she asks. I nod, looking at her through the mirror.

“I’ll be right here, Corazon de Melon.” I smile at her silly name. She’s been calling me that since we were little girls.

The door opens, and Josefina walks in. My heart stops when I recognize the boy beside her.No, not a boy. A man.I scan the memories of the articles I had read.Right.He is eighteen, and I will be turning seventeen next month. I continue to look at him through the mirror. My back is facing him, but he meets my eyes in the mirror. I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face.

He looks different from last night. Today, he’s fully dressed in a black shirt with a large pagan star on it, black jeans and shoes. There’s no way in hell my father knew what he looked like beforehand. Silas is everything my father hates. He takes me in. I’m in black pajama shorts and an old flannel shirt. I look like a damn hobo. A small laugh escapes me at my own roasting session in my head. Silas’s head snaps to his mother’s. Her soft smile meets his scowl.

“Silas, this is Thalia, the bride to be.” She gives me a reassuring smile as she motions a hand to me.

Worried I insulted him with my laugh, I jump out of my seat and walk toward him. I laugh again, just from nerves, and Olivia’s eyes widen toward me.Shut up, Thalia. I make my way toward him, his eyes on mine. Everything about him sends chills through me. His dark eyes cast shadows around us. Nothing exists in this moment, in this room. Just him and me.

“Nice to meet you. Again,” I say.

To my surprise, he offers a smile that would etch itself into my heart for eternity. The sickening feeling I had this morning is now replaced with butterflies. He is perfect for me. He is the hope I envisioned last night. I continue to take him in—his full lips and dark eyes. Something about his eyes feels like staring into the night sky—a hollow reflection of my own. I stick out my hand in an effort to keep my mouth from embarrassing me any further. The sinister glint in his eyes meets mine as his hand envelops mine. It’s warm and firm. I don’t want to let go, and the butterflies turn violent inside me.

“Why don’t you two play a video game? Olivia and I can run and get you both something to eat before the events start and your father comes looking for you,” Josefina says to Silas.

We’re an hour into Grand Theft Auto, and I have mastered the game. I have also learned Silas is quiet compared to me. Quiet, but far from shy. He fills me in on all his hobbies. The ones he’s forced into, like gun training and combat, as well as the ones he chooses—drawing, motorcycles, and horror movies. With every minute that passes, we inch closer, until our thighs are touching. I kept my eyes on the monitor despite the heat radiating around me.

“Dammit! You wasted me again!” He shakes his head and sets down the remote. He lets out a small laugh, and my heart pounds fast against my chest. I have killed him three times since he taught me how to play. He hasn’t gotten frustrated with me, though. He’s acting like he is proud. He has been the one to teach me everything, and now I have gone from student to master. I smile so big my cheeks hurt.

“Bruja,” he says, handing me one of the chili dogs from the table.

“That’s what the kids I ate last night said,” I tease. He holds his laugh in with a full bite in his mouth.

I have never had a boy laugh at me. Especially at Saint Rita’s, where I was considered a freak for my unique style. I had been called Bruja by many people, but it never made me feel the way I felt when Silas said it. I had never even flirted before today, and I’m not even sure if I am doing it right. In a few hours, this handsome and obscure man is going to be my husband.

Nervously, I reach for the condiments and begin assembling my chili dog—onions, jalapeños, pickles, and my signature touch, cream cheese. I feel eyes on me and look up to meet Silas’s.

“Did you just put cream cheese on that?” His eyes are wide, and his face is twisted. “That looks disgusting.”

“It’s actually amazing,” I say. He watches as I shove the chili dog into my mouth. There’s really no sexy way to eat a hotdog, so I look away from him.

“You’re a food terrorist! I can’t marry you,” he says.

“Don’t knock it until you try it.” I roll my eyes. I do have some weird food combinations. Hopefully, he will adjust once we are married. I don’t want to stop dipping my sausage links into my orange juice or eating peanut butter and jelly on jalapeño bagels.

I watch as he assembles a chili dog the same as mine. He repeats the exact same steps in the exact same order, saving the cream cheese for last. He takes a bite, and I watch him chew, like a creep. I’m staring at his mouth. The way his tongue licks the crumbs from his lips. His throat moving as he swallows the bite.

“Okay, it’s not bad,” he finally says.

“I told you.” I take a bite of my chili dog, and we eat in silence. It isn’t an awkward silence, but we are both deep in our own thoughts, staring at the paused video game. I have spent the lastfew months dreading this day, and now, I want the hours to drag on. I want more moments where I can feel this ease and explore every type of butterfly that has taken residency in my stomach. I want to know him—his quirks, his fears, and everything he loves. I want him to know all of me and make it onto that list.

When he feels the weight of my stare, he looks up. He inches toward me and rubs his thumb over the side of my mouth.

“You have chili on you.”

When he pulls his hand away, I can’t help but miss the jolts of electricity from his touch. His face is still near mine. He doesn’t bother wiping the chili off his thumb, but instead, he brings it up to his full lips and licks it.

“Should we practice our first kiss now?” he whispers. I have never kissed a guy before, and my only experience has been through Doña Clara’s daily telenovelas. I stare at him, and those eyes pull me back in. Anxiety builds in the pit of my stomach as the butterflies begin fluttering manically like they are possessed. Maybe I’m the one possessed. I inch toward him, hell bent on conquering my fear, when the squeaking of a door sounds. I quickly pull away from him and look up to see Olivia. Heat warms my cheek as I offer her a forced smile.

“Thalia, we’ve got to go!” Olivia gives me a suspicious look, and I return it with a grotesque one of my own.

“Say goodbye, Thalia. We need to get you into your dress. The photographer is here. Silas, your father is looking for you.” She exits the room and my nerves pick up again. Silas stands and shuts off the video game.

“I’ll see you out there,” he says and walks back toward me. He brings his index and middle fingers to his lips and kisses them before pressing them to my lips; the gesture a match to the fire building inside me.Watch out, little butterflies.

---