Page 123 of His to Bedevil

I nod as I pull my hand away from his and rub my sweaty palm down the material of my dress. “Nervous, my love?”

I nod again, starting to feel shaky. I hear Alejo fumbling around behind me for a moment while I gaze out the window, then I hear liquid being poured. “Here.” He presses a glass into my hand at the same time as he presses his lips to my temple.

I look up at him and give him a grateful smile. Bringing the glass of whiskey to my lips, I sip it and enjoy the burn. Sighing, I rest my head against his shoulder. “I’m so nervous,” I finally admit out loud.

“Then let me come in with you.”

I smile, loving the fact that he really wants to be there for me. “I need to do this on my own. I can’t have you there as a crutch.” He starts to object, but I don’t let him. “I need to be able to say the things I want to say and to hear the things I might not want to hear. I can’t have you there intimidating her.” Because, man or woman, Alejo would never allow someone to say something to hurt my feelings or piss me off. He would never just sit there quietly and let me take it.

His arm goes around my shoulders and pulls me in close. “Okay, my love.” He kisses my temple again. “I’ll give you some time by yourself in there.”

“Thirty minutes.”

“Ten,” he retorts quickly.

He’s the worst at negotiating. “Alejo,” I warn.

He lets out a deep breath. “I’ll give you twenty minutes. Then I’m coming up.” I know in his tone that that’s his final offer and he’ll break the door down if he has to.

We pull up to a gated apartment complex with one side of the building overlooking the ocean. “Thisis where you set my mother up?” He just nods when I glance up at him. “Wow, it’s nicer than the one you set me up with in Colorado,” I mutter, and it earns me a chuckle from him.

“Only because there’s no ocean in Colorado.”

The limo stops in front of the entrance, and I stare at it for a long moment. Alejo gives me a solid minute before speaking. “We don’t have to do this today, you know. This is all up to you.”

I shake my head and look at my husband. I lift a hand and cup his cheek and gaze at his ruggedly handsome looks. “I’m ready for this.” I press my lips gently to his. “Te amo.”I love you.

Alejo has a couple of guys check the perimeter first and then lets me out of the back of the limo. He walks me inside the building then lets me go the rest of the way myself. Well, with another guard, but they’ve become as familiar as my own shadow to me. We head up to the top floor, which is only on eight, and I’m suddenly standing in front of her door. She knows I’m coming today, so I know that she’s right on the other side of this door. Probably just as nervous as I am.

I’m not sure how much times passes, but before I can lift my hand up to knock, the door swings open.

Mama looks like I remember before she got herself hooked on drugs, but much older. Drugs will do that to you. Age you. But underneath the early wrinkles, she’s still so beautiful. I can see a lot of me in her, something I was too young to see before.

Her eyes instantly water, and I can see her shaking. She looks like she’s fighting the urge to reach out and touch me or maybe hug me, but she doesn’t know if she can. I’m thankful for her restraint because I don’t think I could handle her embrace yet.

“May I come in?” I ask in an impassive tone.

She rapidly blinks and nods her head. “I’m so sorry. Yes.” She moves to the side and gestures for me to come in. Her voice is a little different, but I would still recognize it anywhere.

I walk in and take a look around. The apartment is small, but it’s lavish and updated. The living room has a set of sliding glass doors that lead out onto a balcony that overlooks the ocean. I look around again at the rest of the place and know that Alejo is responsible for it, and I can’t help but think she doesn’t deserve all of this. She shouldn’t forgo taking care of her own daughter and then be taken care of like this as a reward. I need answers from her, and I need them now.

“Can I get you something to drink, Irma?”

I spin to face her, and she’s standing there awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable in her own apartment. It gives me some sort of sick satisfaction, knowing I have the upper hand on her territory. I nod my head. “I’ll have some water,” I clip.

I make myself at home and sit down on the couch, all the way to one side so that when she sits down, we’ll have tons of space between us. She comes over and places a glass of tap water in front of me then sits on the other side of the couch.

We sit there in silence for a while, and the more I see how uncomfortable she is, the less nervous I am.

“You look so beautiful. I can hardly believe it,” she says in a shaky voice.

I give her a tight-lipped smile. “Thanks.”

Another silent moment passes. “How long have you and Alejandro been married?”

“No,” I snap, and her eyes widen. “I’m not going to tell you about my life until you tell me about yours. I deserve answers. I won’t just accept making mistakes as an excuse.”

She swallows hard and nods her head. “Okay. Where would you like me to start?”

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