Page 191 of Soul So Dark
“AlexfuckingBarrera!” she hisses.
She’s finally registered that I’m standing in front of her after an eternity and she’s decided to be angry about it.
“What’s the matter?” I ask.
“Oh my god,” she murmurs to herself, clasping her hands over her mouth. “You’re here. But…but…” Now she sounds like she’s talking to herself. “You’re here, but I can’t—but I’m…”
“What? Is Bostwick your boyfriend?” I ask, knowing the answer doesn’t matter.
Per my letter to her, dated almost six years to the day, I’ve already stated what will happen if she’s dating anyone upon my return. Dallas looks up at me with hectic eyes, her breaths turning erratic as she glances around the concourse with a chaotic blend of rage and anxiety.
“Why do you keep looking around?” I ask. “Who are you looking for?”
“You shouldn’t be here.” She looks down at the marble floor anxiously. “You’re not supposed to be here. I’m…I’m supposed to…”
“Meet someone?” I finish her sentence as she trails off.
Her head snaps up and her eyes go wide. I can see the wheels turning behind her eyes, plain as day, squinting at me as she works it out.
“No…” she mumbles. “No, no, no…”
“There are no coincidences, DallasRileyLutz,” I take a step toward her, “you’ve always been playing mygame.”
“What?How…youliedto me?” she creaks out.
“No, Dal, I never lied to you.”
“Your name is not AJ!” she snaps, finally finding her words.
“Sure, it is. Alejandro Joaquín Barrera Torres. Says so right on my birth certificate,” I grin. “Isn’t that whatPonyboysays?”
“Your middle name isJoaquín?And…Torres?”
“No, I have two first names, followed by my dad’s surname and my mom’s surname.”
Dallas blinks, trying to comprehend my explanation. “But it didn’t sound like you…” she trails off, trying to make it make sense. “That wasn’t your voice.”
“The voice mod rec I gave you was good, wasn’t it,Cariño?”
At that, she jerks her head up, stunned. “Youdidn’t!” she seethes through clenched teeth.
I couldn’t help it, I thought for sure Dallas would catch on when I called her,Darling, the other night, but she didn’t. Then again, she was kind of distracted. Can she blame me, though? Probably, but it was worth it. In the end, all of this will be worth it.
“But, AJ—” then she stops herself.
AJ isn’t coming. At least, not the AJ she was expecting.
“I made you a promise, Dal. I told you I’d end any man I found you with when I came back. And look,” I say with a venomous smirk, “Ikeptthat promise.”
I need to get her out of here so we can have a civilized conversation somewherenotin the middle of a thousand other people. But before I can utter another word, an icy splash of water smacks me across the face. I cringe, but remain steady, squeezing my eyes shut as the water drips down my face. When I open my eyes again, Dallas is glaring at me. She slams the empty pitcher back down on the countertop and stalks past me toward the glass doors.
Ignoring the shocked reactions and some girl whining about her stiletto boot getting drenched, I follow Dallas out into the night. Fortunately, she heads toward the surface lot where my truck is parked. Not taking my eyes off of her, I take a detour into the lot, hurry down the second row, and whip out onto the street before she can reach the next crosswalk.
I slow the Raptor to match her pace. “Get in the truck, Dal,” I call out the window.
“You’re a real piece of work, Alex!” she shouts back.
“Dallas,” my tone sharper this time, “get in the truck.”
