Page 353 of As the Rain Falls
Except Angelina and Mateo are fighting.
Again.
“I trusted you with it!” she snaps, hands gesturing wildly. “I trusted you with the only thing I cared enough about!”
“I told you, it was in my backpack before I left home…” I don’t get to hear what’s being said next because the music is too loud. “I didn’t even touch it!”
“So what? Did the fucking tooth fairy steal it away?” She seems to be on the verge of tears, her eyes dropping whenever he isn’t looking. “You don’t care.” She shakes her head, taking a step back. “Why don’t you care?”
“You know I care.” He breathes deeply, trying to rein his emotions. “Of course, I care. I’ll find it for you. I’ll look around the house again, okay?”
“But what if it’s not there?”
“It will be, Angelina. I promise.” And when he finishes his drink, her shoulders drop, weighed down with something heavier. “Hey, don’t. Don’t look at me like this…”
What is going on?
“That’s his third.” I mention it thoughtfully.
Beckett’s lips brush against my temple. He hums in acknowledgment, blue eyes flickering between me and our friends, confusion evident.
“Baby, what are you talking about?”
The nickname makes me melt.I’m glad that he’s listening to me and to my stupid worries. It feels good to be able to share my opinions with someone, even the most frivolous ones.
This is how a partnership feels, right?
I’m doing this right.
I can be such a good girlfriend.
“Mateo.” I wet my lips before adding. “That’s his third drink, and we’ve only been here for an hour.”
Beckett frowns, his features hardening.
The cocktails aren’t strong enough to knock him down, but lately, it seems like Mateo can’t talk to someone without being at least a little bit tipsy. Worst thing is, sometimes we don’t even realize that he’s getting tipsy until his laugh sounds too loud and too wrong. I never know what to say, how to act, or how to make him feel better. He won’t talk to any of us about what’s upsetting him.
I’m really counting on his birthday to changes things for the better. Maybe he’ll see just how much the rest of us care about him, especially Angelina, and stop acting like a jerk.
Beckett winces, watching me carefully. “He was hungover at the parade too. It’s why he felt sick in the first place.”
“Really?” I tilt my head, giving him the sweetest quick peck on the lips. “Is this why you’ve been acting weird around him?”
“I’m just trying to keep my distance.” Beckett kisses me back. “I wish you’d follow my lead about that.”
“Mn, I don’t know. Mateo is my friend, and I don’t want to be weird to him just because he’s going through a hard time.” I cuphis beautiful face and smile gently, but my thoughts are still too tangled. “I really think it’s a problem.”
“Me too,” Beckett agrees quickly. “And it’s fine if you still want to talk to him, I’m not telling you not to. I’m just giving you a warning because I think Mateo might be getting close to Caleb again.”
I frown. “What makes you say that?”
“He didn’t want me to hit Caleb at the carnival,” Beckett explains. “lt felt like Mateo was trying to make me drop my case, or something.”
“Oh?” I swallow hard. “I didn’t know that.”
Knowing about this hurts me a little.Not enough to feel completely betrayed, but definitely enough to make me feel confused.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to tell you at the time and risk you getting more upset over Caleb,” Beckett admits, half-apologetically. “You already had a lot going on.”
