Page 59 of The Last Sunrise

Her eyes fill with tears, and she blinks them away like the inconvenience she’s always labeled them as.

“How did you even meet him? You never told me how you met his son. You said you were with Amara and her friends. God!” she shouts. “I don’t even know what my daughter has been doing since we arrived because all I’ve cared about and focused on is this damn company and building this resort. I brought you here to show you how beautiful it is, how wonderful life can be when you just let the energy of the city into your soul, but I’ve been so blind. I owe this company my life, and yours… and you know what?” She smiles, but it’s the furthest from happy as it can be. “I’ve given it to them at the expense of everyone. I’ve convinced myself I was doing the right thing by taking over the acquisition and build because of the money I knew it would bring to his family, knowing damn well that mandoesn’t care about money. They were going to do it anyway, Ry; the plan had already been set in motion, but I took over, knowing I could get Mateo a better deal, more money. God, even as I’m rationalizing what I’ve done, everything is about money, and I don’t know when I became like that.”

Tears fall down my cheeks and I wipe them away, mirroring her movement. “His son is the boy I was going to tell you more about,” I hesitate but add, “when you canceled our boat tour.”

She shudders. “Ry, I know you hate me, but I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done, because it’s kept you alive. But I wish—” Her chest continues to heave. “I wish I would have done better, by you, by my mare, by Mateo… my god, Mateo.” My mother presses her palm against her chest as if to keep her heart attached to her body.

“Mom—” I struggle to authentically comfort her because it’s been so long, if ever, that I’ve seen her truly open and remorseful. I wish we hadn’t lost so much time. And more than that, I wish it wasn’t running out.

“Do you love him? Julián?” she asks me, grabbing ahold of the banister closest to her. Her shoulders slump as if she can barely hold herself up.

I nod. “I do.”

“You must hate me.”

“I can’t hate you. I hate what SetCorp did and what they made you do… Julián and Mateo’s lives have been turned upside down and I don’t know how they will recover from this, but I know how much your work means to you and how much theirs means to them.” I gulp, staring at the glimmer of lights reflecting off the pool water.

I will never understand how she, or anyone, could putmoney or a job before their morals, but I keep that thought to myself in this moment. She’s been through enough for one night, and hurting her more isn’t going to make things right.

“I can’t go back in there. My colleagues, the hotel employees, I’m so embarrassed. It wasn’t supposed to go this way…”

I can’t tell if she’s referring to the event or the chain of events since we arrived here in Mallorca.

“Let’s go around to the front and to your room,” I suggest.

She shakes her head. “I can’t be a coward. This is my event, my job, my responsibility. I can’t just run away.”

“Why not?” I ask her.

She looks at me like I’ve grown an extra head or two. “Why not? Because I can’t.”

“But you can. What makes you think you have to go in there and finish out the evening acting like nothing happened, when you’re clearly upset and heartbroken? You don’t have to keep suppressing yourself, Mom, you have every right to ‘run.’?” I hold up my fingers in air quotes. She isn’t running, she’s been working her ass off for months on this event. Her job is done.

“Heartbroken?” she snarls, the look in her eyes changes from hurt and distraught, and a slight chill runs over my bare arms at the shift. “I am not heartbroken, Oriah,” she scoffs, lying through her teeth with a voice full of defense.

“Mom, it’s okay to be—”

“Do not tell me what’s okay and what’s not. You don’t have a clue about the real world, or what I’m thinking or feeling right now. I am not concerned about some man I loved thirty years ago. I care about my reputation at the company that has done so much for me, for us. Who do you think pays for your treatments? Your MRIs? Your private hospital rooms andmedication? Your livelihood is directly connected to my career. Not Mateo or his son. My priority is you, no one else. I’m not going to let anyone or anything chance that, Oriah. Not him, not this damn island, nothing.”

Here she is, Isolde Pera, in full force. Acting cold and disconnected from her emotions and reality. Using my condition as a wall, a never-wavering excuse to not care about anyone or anything else.

“I may not have a clue about the real world, and that’s because you have never allowed me to, but I do know you, whether you’re aware of that or not, and I know that you don’t only care about your job. Why is it so hard for you to admit that you care about something other than your fucking work? And stop using me as some sacrificial lamb for why you behave the way you do! I’m not my condition, Mom, I’m so much more than that, so stop blaming it for your emotionless, empty heart!” I’m getting angrier by the second.

I try to take slow, deep breaths and ignore the pounding sound and throb of pain behind my earlobes. The low sound of water trickles and I know what’s coming. I can’t stop it.

“You told me you were going to show me where you came from this summer! You promised me that you would spend time with me before I fucking die, and you haven’t looked up from your phone long enough to know that I haven’t even been taking my medication! Julián has shown me and taught me more about this island and where I came from, my culture that you robbed me of knowing anything about my entire life! It wasn’t yours to take away from me, but you did, just like you do everyone else! Julián—”

Her eyes are nearly popping out of her strained face. The veins on her neck and forehead are angry and deep purple.“What do you mean you haven’t been taken your medication? Did he tell you not to?”

I throw my hands into the air. “No! I made the choice myself. I made a choice for myself, and for once it has nothing to do with him or you, or anyone except me!”

“I don’t believe you. He’s influenced you enough to stop taking your medication, and you had a seizure today! You could have died, Oriah! You’re not to see him again. I’ll file a report against him for stalking, and you know what money can buy. You’ve seen it and lived in luxury your whole life. Better yet, you’re going home. I’m putting you on the next flight out tomorrow and you will not involve yourself in this any longer.”

Rage rips through me and I scream at her, knowing I have seconds at best.

“Do you have any idea how much I resent you? How lonely I’ve been my entire life, desperate for love and affection and starved of it? I’ve never been this happy and I’ve never felt love from someone else like I do now. I’m not leaving this country until I die, which lucky for you will be sooner than later. The fact is that I stopped taking my medication the moment we got here, and you didn’t notice because you barely fucking look at me! I heard the doctor tell you that my tubers shifted, so I went and saw him alone and I know the truth. Julián has been the best thing to happen to me, and I love him, and you will not keep me away from—” My vision begins to blur, and I imagine Julián there behind her, rushing toward me as I lose my footing, and someone screams my name. The warm pool water wraps me up, hugging me, pulling me under…

Chapter Twenty-Four

---