Page 34 of Between Us

“Oh, okay,” I agree with a quick nod.

He smirks down at me and shakes his head. Gently lifting my chin with his thumb, he meets my gaze and says, “I hope you use it. Bye, Storm Cloud.”

Blinking up at him, I watch him pull his hand back and walk backward toward his car a couple spots away. He doesn’t break eye contact until he’s almost there.

As he’s about to turn, I call out, “Bye, Adrian.”

The last thing I see before getting in my own car is his bright smile and the appreciative look he throws my way over his shoulder.

Chapter Seventeen

Blake

Imakeithomebefore my dad, who has to stop at the hardware store for a new paint swatch my mom wants for the kitchen. We all know she’s not going to change a damn thing, but we let her have her fun anyway. Selena Lucia Miller may be a fun-loving, take-life-by-the-horns, and all those other idioms type of woman, but she despises change in her home. She likes the comfortable and the predictable where that’s concerned.

And who am I to judge? That comfortable and predictable have always been my saving grace.

After I drop off the multitude of gifts for my family on the counter, I make my way upstairs, only to find the devil herself waiting for me in my room.

“Hello, mother,” I say dryly but with a tender smile.

“Oh good, just the daughter I was looking for,” she says as if she had any others, and pats the spot on my bed next to her. I roll my eyes but plop down in the spot anyway.“¿Qué ha estado en tu mente últimamente, morrita?”

What’s going on in that head of yours, little girl?

It’s her favorite way to start one of her maternal conversations, unfortunately I know what this one is about—the same thing that had her worrying when someone else dropped me off after work.

Rolling my eyes, I retort,“¿Esto de nuevo?”

I knew she wasn’t fully convinced last night, but it doesn’t mean I want to have this conversation. And I didn’t think she’d bring it upthissoon.

“Yes,‘this again,’” she repeats but in English now. “Blake, what happened to your tires? Was it those gir—”

I shake my head earnestly, cutting her off. My parents and insurance pay Catalina very good money so I can talk about itthere.Not here. In my home, in my room. I refuse to letthemtaint everything. “No, no. It wasn’t anyone, Mom.Lo prometo,” I emphasize the promise to her. She takes a breath, not looking wholly convinced.

She does her best, still it always comes back tothe incidents. Plural. I know she means well, but I don’t want to talk about it—about the fear, the shame, the way it all mixed into anger before fading into a hollow, exhausted numbness.

And from the look on my mom’s face, I know she’s replaying that day we all ended up in the head mistress’s office, rather than the swim trials that were happening in the gym—the last day I ever stepped into that god-awful building.

Trying to shake off the memories and lingering dread, I link our hands together. “I really think it’s just because of that stupid pothole by the clinic. Even the Pain in My Ass was complaining about it when she brought Benji last.” Giving her a wry look, I add, “It might be theonlything that we’ve agreed on.”

“Blake Carmen, don’t be mean. You know she’s just… eccentric.”

“O loca,”I mutter under my breath.

Her airy laugh fills the room as she leans back on the pillows, pulling me down and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. We lay like that for a while, staring up at the glow-in-the-dark stars she helped me put up when I was younger. I remember being so jealous when I walked into Grady’s room and found him with the girl from next door, Vivi, jumping on his bed and sticking them on the ceiling.

The next day, my mom came home with all different packs—different sizes, colors, and a variety of space shapes—and spent hours helping me place each one meticulously and filling me up on homemadepan de dulceuntil my stomach hurt.

Grady never cared that I had more orbetterstars. For him, it was about the little redhead girl he got to spend those hours with. For me, it was about not wanting to feel left out. Again.

“How was your day with Adrian?”

Finallyshe brings up the topic I know is the other reason she was waiting for me.

“My day was fine. There’s a bunch of shit on the counter from everyone.”

“Don’t cuss,” she reprimands. “He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?”

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