Page 22 of Bound and Blitzed

Can’t that be enough for now?

I’ll call Abuelita soon.

I hold my breath as my texts appear on the screen. I can see that my sister has read my messages, and her lack of a reply is both a relief and a disappointment.

I confide in Carla in ways I’ve never been able to with Ale, Mom, or Dad. Or any friend or classmate. My sister is the only person, save for Abuela, who is privy to my true thoughts and feelings, and even then, I hold back.

I never told her about Dane. Not the good or the bad. There are things I’ve never confessed to anyone, so I continue to let them eat away at me.

But Carla would run to Ale. She would want to defend me, to have my back. She’s the best sister in the world and I don’t deserve her. Mostly because I can’t be as honest with her as I think she is with me. This is the first time in my life I’ve truly pushed back on something. Me sticking up for my “romantic entanglement” with a man is new territory for me and for us. And Carla knows it, which is why she keeps me on read.

Sighing, I toss my phone in a cross-body pouch. I shift my weight to tug on my socks and sneakers.

“You okay?” Avery asks quietly and I know he can read the change in my mood.

“Yeah. I just hate lying to my sister.”

“I do too.”

I glance up.

“The first day here, when I got out of the shower… I talked to Raia and everyone knows we’re together.”

“Do you think your family is going to be disappointed?”Do you think they’re going to resent that your choice is me?

It’s the follow-up question I want to voice, but I don’t have the guts to say it. Instead, I hope Avery is skilled at reading between the lines.

He frowns. “I’m more worried they’re going to feel like I upstaged my sister and Cohen. The timing couldn’t be shittier.”

I gasp at the realization that he’s right. “That’s awful. The last thing I want is Raia to feel slighted. Or betrayed.”

Avery shrugs. “She’ll get over it. My whole family will. And once they get to know you, I think they’ll think you got the short end of the stick.” He smirks and I can’t tell if it’s to take the truthful sting out of his words or because he’s truly joking.

“I don’t know about that.”

“What about your family?”

I stand up from the floor and dust my hands off. “They’re going to have heart attacks.”

Avery snorts and then his laughter dies off. “You’re serious?”

“My papá is going to fly off the handle. Ale is most likely going to assume that you got me pregnant. Mom will cry.”

“Damn, Lena. Why didn’t we talk about this more?”

I shrug. “They’ll get over it. Eventually. I don’t have another choice and honestly, if Papá hadn’t meddled in the first place, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” If my family was more supportive from the beginning and I didn’t always have to jump through hoops to follow my passion, this ordeal with Avery might have been avoided. “I’m not going to pretend it’s not weighing on me. I hate lying. I despise the fact that we’re doing something illegal. I know it’s wrong. And yet… I don’t have cold feet.” I smirk back. “At least, not yet.”

Avery grins. Shakes his head slowly. “Me neither.”

“Good.”

He holds out his hand and I take it. Then, we leave the hotel, hop in the rental car he secured, and drive out to McKinney Falls.

The drive is easy. A comfortable silence stretches between us as we’re both lost in our thoughts. I enjoy the passing countryside.

When Avery parks near the start of the trail, I climb out of the car and pull in a deep breath. “I love this,” I admit.

“Hiking?” He steps beside me.

---