Page 66 of The Last Sunrise

The idea of living in a fantasy world felt so damn good, but slightly unfair to Julián since he would be the one dealing with the aftermath.

“Just what we’re doing now. Thinking about changing things leads to disappointment and we’ve both had enough of that, correct?”

I laugh louder. “Yeah. I guess we have.”

“So, Ry, let’s focus on now. On what’s in front of us and hold on to it with our lives.”

His words comfort me as they tear me apart. He doesn’t understand that my life isn’t capable of holding on to a single thing. Not even him.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Wear comfortable shoes, we will be walking a lot today,” Julián tells me as I wake up.

“Huh? Where are we going?” I stretch my arms out, trying to grab ahold of his waist but he dodges me, grinning. I reach for one of the down feather pillows and chuck it at him.

“Come on, baby. Time to wake up.” He’s buzzing with excitement, but I have no idea why.

The room smells like espresso and sugar. He must have been up for a while. Dressed in a denim button-down shirt and beige shorts from his stash of clothing in my room, he looks delicious and ready to take on the day. I can feel the crust in my eyes as I groan, rubbing at them, wishing for some of his energy. The sunglasses he claimed to hate just days ago are already on, pushing back his curly hair out of his face and off his forehead.

“You changed your mind on the glasses?” I can’t help but tease him.

He shrugs. “They’re here, I’m here… We’ll be out in the sun today.”

“Just admit you like them.” I stick my tongue out at him.

With a wink, he pops another Nespresso pod into the machine. “Never.”

“You’re insufferable.” I plop back against the mattress.

“As are you, amor meu.” I know enough Spanish to know what that means. I flip over and bury my face in the pillow, making fake snoring sounds.

The soft whir of the espresso churning and filling the cup is the only noise I hear. Just as I’m about to pop my head up and see where he went, I’m yanked by my feet and dragged out of the bed. I shriek and he belly laughs as he throws me over his shoulder, carrying me into the bathroom as I kick my feet and try to tickle his sides. Just my luck, he’s not ticklish at all.

“Time to get up, princess. Your coffee’s done and you should brush your hair.” He points to my head as he softly lands me on my feet. I look in the mirror, but my hair is fine, mostly.

“Gotcha. I’ll give you twenty minutes before I become even more obnoxious.”

“Is that possible?” I ask, lifting the shirt of his I slept in over my head and tossing it onto the floor.

“You have no idea, baby.”

“Okay, okay. But can I have a hint?” I whine, pouting my lips.

“We’re going to the past,” he says simply as he hugs me from behind.

I cock my head, staring at him in the mirror. Excitement brushes over my skin at whatever he’s planned for today.

“You should change, though you look incredibly sexy in my clothes.” His eyes touch me, caress me as they scan his cutoff shirt barely touching my thighs.

I get dressed, a swimsuit under trouser-style shorts and a white tank top. The neck is high, my shell necklace twinkling in the center. Julián brings me the espresso he made me, and my medication, and about one hundred kisses, distracting meand smearing the lip gloss I keep attempting to apply. It’s all over his chin and cheeks by the time we go to leave, and I rub a wet hand towel across his face, before making him wear sunscreen again, much to his dismay.

“I haven’t seen you two in ages!” Amara’s voice is a scream when we reach the lobby.

Julián grumbles as she comments on how chic and grown-up he looks, how she knew he would love the sunglasses after all. He curses her out in Spanish, and she laughs, looking around the lobby behind us.

“Word has it your mom and her suits have been on a warpath the last few days, so be careful roaming around here, since I know you’re trying to avoid her,” Amara whispers.

I wonder if word has spread from the event that Isolde Pera’s daughter passed out in the pool during the most important event of SetCorp’s plan here, or if the partygoers were oblivious, continuing to drink and stuff their faces as it happened. At least there’s resolve there, knowing that while they were drinking and enjoying themselves, money was being put toward a good cause. I make a mental note to ask Lena how much money was raised later. I know my mom won’t offer the information easily. I can imagine my mother waltzing back inside the event, saying my health declined again, using something minute like a stomachache, so I had to return to my room. I feel guilty as I look at Amara, debating what I should divulge to her and not, but before I can get too in my head, Julián gently tugs my hand, and I kiss Amara goodbye before we head out for the day.

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