Page 41 of Unspoken Truths

Pulling out my phone, I say, “She was voice messaging me on Thursday when you decided you needed to keep her from her day.”

“So formal,” he rumbles. “You really don’t like me, do you, little sister?”

“I don’t know you,” I remind him. “It’s obvious you had something to do with the newspaper stunt.”

“So why aren’t you squealing to the admin team?” he asks, brow raised.

“One, I’m not a pig,” I say. “That’s what I think of when I hear someone talk about squealing. It also isn’t my place to speak without having clear evidence.”

“Your dad was a lawyer, right?” he asks drolly, and that’s when I turn away from him. “Oh, come on. Is Daddy dearest not on the talking points?”

It’s probably a good thing I no longer have sharp implements because I’d use them to stab him. Thankfully, Liliana has no such issue, pulling her knife and throwing it at his dick. Ignacio plucks it from the air easily, chuckling.

God, I guess she’s definitely telling the truth about the mafia thing. Not that I didn’t believe her to begin with, but this definitely hammers the nail in the coffin of any disbelief I may have had.

“Anyway,” Liliana says,“Mr. Emil was very upset about the stunt, and I could have been expelled if the administrative team chose not to believe me. So, your stepfather asked my dad to scare Miss Hailey over the weekend. Remind her of what’s important.”

“Spoken like a true mafia man’s daughter,” Ignacio says smugly. “That’s who you’re getting in bed with, little sister. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how close you two are.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Liliana says.

At first it sounds as if she’s denying what my stepbrother is saying, and it hurts. Glancing out at the world, I try to figure out if what my mind is telling me is real or not. It doesn’t make sense for her to tell Ignacio that she doesn’t care about me, because that’s what I’m hearing.

“Rachelle,” Liliana says, crawling over the stone slab to straddle my lap.

“Lili, you’re both going to fall,” Ignacio sighs. “I have to go home today, please don’t force me to explain how you both plummeted to your deaths.”

“So dramatic,” she sighs. “Vayase, Nacio.”

“No, I’m staying right now to make sure this isn’t some fucked up Juliet and Juliet shit,” he says, making me giggle.

God, he really is dramatic.

“Hush,” Liliana says. “Your father and mine wouldn’t care if Rachelle and I date. I didn’t expect to have to say this with an audience, but meh. I don’t really care who hears. I wanted to take this slower, but there’s too much noise around us, including your annoying stepbrother.”

“I’m no such thing, Lili,” he says.

Whatever that is between them sounds like more than friendly banter, but I’m drowning in Liliana’s caramel brown gaze.

“I want you to be my girlfriend, Rachelle,” she says, her lips brushing against mine. I’m facing her, my arms wrapped around her waist. “We’ll work out the semantics when we don’t have an audience, baby.”

Ignacio pretends to gag, but all I feel are Liliana’s lips, and I’m opening mine so I can taste her. Her tongue slips between my lips, making me whimper, while Liliana deepens the kiss. Her hips grind against my pelvis, surprising me, and I realize she’s looking for friction.

Oh my God, I really am so innocent, but she’s so soft and feels so good, I refuse to let anything else into my mind. Even the knowledge that Ignacio is watching fades away, until she raises her head with a smirk.

“Are you going to leave me hanging?” she asks.

“I forgot the question,” I breathe, staring at her. “You’re just so pretty.”

I can feel Ignacio’s presence in the tower, but he’s not saying anything. The first drops of rain begin to fall, but the pressure of the weather system hasn’t dissipated yet. It’s as if the world is waiting for me to answer her too as I touch her silken hair.

Grinning at me, she says, “I’ll try to stop distracting you. Will you go out with me tomorrow? I feel like you need to see more of Portland. My original question was ‘will you be my girlfriend?’”

“Yes to both,” I tell her with a grin. The idea of seeing more of Portland is exciting, I don’t have anything to ground me here yet. I need places to haunt, things to keep me excited about being here outside of all the other bullshit.

The sounds of Ignacio’s shoes going down the stairs is the only reason I know he’s gone. That’s how little I’ve been paying attention.

“He’s going to be a problem,” Liliana murmurs, stealing another kiss. “I don’t think he knows how to feel about you.”

---