Page 162 of Through My Window
Claudia arranges my clothes on my shelves in silence, a smile dancing on her lips.
“What?” I ask. “Say it.”
“I have nothing to say.” She keeps smiling.
“Say what you want to say,” I sigh.
She finishes her chore and turns to me, holding the empty basket against her hip.
“I’m glad you finally decided to talk to her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Claudia licks her lips, smiling. I don’t understand what she finds so amusing.
“We both know you do. It’s been so much fun seeing you two mutually watching each other. I always thought she’d be the one to talk to you first, but, apparently, you couldn’t take it anymore.”
“You’re talking nonsense. Mutually watching each other? As if I needed that.”
Claudia nods. Her face wears an expression of mockery that annoys me a little.
“Whatever you say, Hidalgo, but asking Apolo for help shows how interested you are.”
“You’re crazy, Claudia. It’s not what you think. I just want to teach her a lesson.”
“Since when do you invest your time and energy into teaching a girl a lesson? Why plan it so carefully?”
“I’m not going to have this conversation with you.”
Claudia bows in mockery.
“As you say, sir.”
And she leaves, still smiling.
I smile at that memory as my eyes land on Raquel again. Maybe it took me so long to talk to her, to confront her, because I knew she would be the one to make me feel this way, the one to hold my heart in her hands. Maybe I knew it from the beginning and that’s why I fought against it so hard. Even while keeping my distance, the bag with her handmade bracelets was always under my bed as a physical reminder that the girl who saw me through her window had smiled because of me, and that smile would be etched in my memory forever.
FIFTY-THREE
The Dance
- RAQUEL -
Ares returns as they’re getting ready to sing my birthday song. It was getting late, so we all moved inside the house, and we’re scattered around the living room. I stand in front of the cake, and he stands on the other side of the table. Everyone starts singing while I awkwardly stare at the candles, not knowing where to look. Finally, I focus on those blue eyes, and the voices fade around me. He looks so beautiful in the dark, with the lights from the candles on my cake illuminating his face.
I love you . . .
I want to say it, but I know there are too many eyes on me.
I blow out the candles, and everyone applauds and congratulates me. Ares takes a step back, disappearing into the crowd. I receive hugs, kisses, and congratulations, while my eyes search for the Greek god without success. Where has he gone? Most of my aunts suffer from cake sickness, which means that when the song is sung and they’ve had a piece of cake, it’s their cue to go to sleep. The party is over for them.
My cousins take advantage of this to put on different music once we’re alone. Whistling and cheering, they start dancing. Camila turns off the rest of the lights, leaving us in almost total darkness, which makes it harder to find Ares.
After checking one side of the “dance floor” without finding him, I pass through the crowd, brushing shoulders and backs. The vibe in this group feels electric, almost sexual. In the middle of them I stop, remembering that night at the club, when Ares watched me from the VIP area like a predator. I remember how I looked for him after that.
I’ve always chased him. I’ve always sought him out. Maybe now it’s his turn to seek me out.
I start dancing, feeling the rhythm, which is soft but so sensual. The lyrics are full of sexual overtures. I don’t normally listen to this kind of music, but it’s fucking catchy and good to dance to.
