Page 113 of Burn for You

May narrows her eyes. “Yeah…that wasn’t so convincing.”

Marisol’s eyes snap to May, as if she wasn’t expecting the honesty. She’ll get used to that.

She laughs nervously, but May and I are both looking over at her. Maybe she’s used to getting out of conversations she doesn’t like in the city by batting her eyelashes, but it won’t work here.

She swallows, resting her fork on the side of her bowl. “Jack is trying to ruin my career, so uh, it’s not so much fun at the moment.”

“What do you mean?” I ask. I might be annoyed with my sister, but that doesn’t stop me from caring about her.

She sighs. “After that night in Sorrento, I went digging, and I found out that he’d been cheating on me the entire duration of our relationship. I was so angry, but I was content to let it go, just pretend it never happened and keep out of each other's lives.” I scoff and shake my head, but May cuts me a disapproving glare and I go back to my stew.

“But when I tried to cut my contract with him…it didn’t go down well. I ended up getting out, but he’s made it his personal mission to tear my career apart, to ruin any reputation I’ve built for myself over the last two years.”

May grabs her hand and gives it a squeeze of encouragement.

Marisol shakes her head. “He’s told everyone he can think of that I was cheating onhim, that I’ve been a nightmare to work with and that he was the one who broke our contract. I’ve reached out to other agencies, but I haven’t heard anything. Not even a ‘thanks, but no thanks.’ Just nothing.”

I shake my head. “I always knew that guy was bad news,”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, you know best, Rafael, as per usual.”

May lets go of her hand and sinks back into the couch, moving out of the firing line.

“Sorry I don’t live my life the way that you want me to,” she says, her voice laced with venom, and it stings more than it should.

“Of course not, Marisol. If you would’ve done what I wanted you to, you wouldn’t have left this town when I begged you not to!” That shuts her down.

May clears her throat, placing her plate on the coffee table. “I’m gonna shower. It’s been a long day.”

She pushes off the couch in her not-so-subtle attempt to leave us alone for whatever is going to come next. She gives me a kiss on the cheek as she passes me, and I run a hand along the back of her thigh before she’s out of reach, needing to feel her skin to ground me.

Just when she’s about to disappear down the hallway, she pins me with a ‘sort this shit out’ kind of look, and it kicks me into gear.

“Marisol, I’m sorry?—”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” That leaves me with nothing to say. She leans back into the couch. “You’re right?—”

“What?”

She rolls her eyes. “You’re right. Jack was always an asshole. I was just blinded by his confidence in me, in the opportunities he could provide for me, that I ignored all the other stuff. Some of it…I really shouldn’t have.” Her eyes soften. “I should’ve never left.”

I struggle to disagree. “You did what you felt was right at the time.”

She lets out a humorless laugh. “No, didn’t. I did what was easiest for me. In the face of grief, I was…I was a coward.”

I open my mouth, but she stops me. “Don’t try to disagree. I know that’s what you think of me.”

I look down at my hands in my lap, fiddling with the ring on my pointer finger as a point of distraction. “I needed you,” I say. “I’m the older brother, the one who is supposed to be strong, and I did fine. But I could’ve used my sister by my side. I’ve missed you, Mari.”

She nods, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I know you think I’m only here now because of what’s happening with Jack, but if I’m honest, seeing you in Sorrento was like a punch to my gut. I missed you more than I realized, and it freaked me out. I’m sorry that I didn't hang around for longer that night.”

I stand up off my chair and join her on the couch, pulling her into my side. “He really was a dickhead.”

That makes her laugh. “He was,” she sighs before changing the subject. “She’s perfect for you, huh?”

“What? You've known her for five minutes and you figured that out, did you?”

She punches me in the side. “Well, I’ve never met any of thewomen you used to see. You definitely wouldn’t have made stew for them.”

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