Page 34 of Punished

“You are really as stupid as your father if you think anyone would love you.” She pushes it through and slices me all the way open. This one takes me out.

I wake up in the elevator, hyperventilating. I must have fainted. I used to do that when I was younger. Stop breathing when I would try not to cry in front of my mom. Don Mario is in front of me, waving some kind of salt under my nose. Why the hell does he have that?

“There she is. What happened, girl?”

“I… I just feel like I’m going to—” and then I vomit all over.

I am in a good mood, the thought of Mireya screaming out my name still replaying in my head. The feel of her squirting all over me was the hottest thing I have ever experienced. I need to keep luring the freak inside her to come out and play. I bring my focus back to the empty table in front of me. This is not the time or fucking place to be thinking about my sex life.

I’m waiting for my mother. I’m hoping she is in a place that she may want to actually see me now. When she comes to the visiting area, I stand up to hug her. She squeezes me tightly and looks surprised I actually came to see her.

“Adrian. Mijo, what are you doing here?”

“I came to check in on you. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing good. I’m so happy to see you. I started hypnotherapy, and it has been helping me so much. I don’t feelas many withdrawals.”

“Ya, Patricio told me.” More like he was invading her privacy and watching her sessions, but to-may-to, to-mah-to.

“Are you two getting along now?” Her face lights up, and her smile is so big that I don’t want to disappoint her, so I nod.

“Patricio is a good man. I’m so happy he found you. I had hit the ultimate bottom of the barrel when they convicted you. I-I thought I had lost you forever—” she begins, and I wait to see what she has to say, but then she just stares blankly as she fights the tears.

The same way Mireya does. I know I crushed her when she confessed she loved me. I wanted to say it back, but I’m not sure. I’m not sure I can trust her, or anyone else, ever again. Especially when her mother has a vendetta against me.

Soledad grabs my hand from across the table.

“Where’d you go?” she says.

“Just thinking.”

“I am here. If you want to talk about it. You’ve carried the world on your shoulders for so long, but I am still your mother, and I still love you.”

“You don’t think I’m a monster?”

“I think that neither of us were brought into a fairworld. You may have his blood, but you also have mine. I was lost, but when I find myself, Adrian, when I am able to show you a healed version of me, you will see yourself. You will see your strength and determination mirror mine. I may not have been the mother you needed, but I will make up for it.” Her hand strokes my cheek. My chest aches at the words I’ve waited so long to hear. And just like I did with Mireya, I freeze up.

“Now, who is the girl?” she says, and my brows arch.

“A mother knows when her son is in love.”

“It’s Mireya.” The words escape before I can think. I can’t hide her from the world, and even if I can’t admit what I feel for her, it doesn’t take away from the fact that she’s mine.

“Be careful with her mother, Adrian. Mireya has always loved you. I saw it in her eyes when she was a young girl, and I saw it again the night you rescued me. I don’t think she ever stopped. Her mother is no better than your father, but she is not her mother, just as you are not your father. Just be careful.”

“I don’t think I can be the person she needs,” I admit.

“Why not?”

“I’m not the flower-buying type. She has so much potential to be something in life, and I will just suffocate her.”

“¿Y eso?” she scoffs. “Flowers die, mijo. Genuinelove is giving your heart to the other person.” Her eyes warm.

“Is that how you feel about Patricio?” Her smile brightens at his name. Her love for him has survived through all the heartbreak and pain. Why couldn’t mine with Mireya?

Iplay loteria with my mom and a few other residents until they are called away to dinner. I promise my mom to return within the next week before I leave. Taking out my phone to call Mireya, I see eight missed calls from Thalia. She doesn’t pick up when I call her back, so I race back to the hotel. When I open the door to my penthouse, she is sitting in the living room.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

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