Page 72 of A Lie so Dangerous and Fragile

I took a glance at Eduardo, who was driving us to the airport, and kept my gaze outside the window.

Tristan rushed out of the car as soon as it came to a halt. We were escorted to the jet waiting for us. The air hostess welcomed us with a stunning smile.

I looked around the interior. It was very classy. The lustrous wood showed my reflection. I took a seat and put on my seat belt. Tristan sat in front of me. He undid the buttons on his jacket and leaned back on the seat, not caring about the seat belt. He closed his eyes and stayed quiet.

“I’m sorry. Please stop treating me like this is all my fault,” I said as I felt the plane move.

“I never blamed you for anything. Let’s enjoy the flight,” he said with his eyes still closed.

The air hostess came by and asked me what I’d like to drink or eat. I went for a sandwich and orange juice. She called Tristan, but he didn’t answer her.

It was a short flight. A black car was waiting for us when we arrived. Being back in Cuba was bittersweet. The familiar air and streets made me burst with excitement. I had missed the fresh aura, bustling life, colors, and hot air. I smiled as we drove by a store. I had gone shopping for the twins in the same store. I wanted to tell Tristan about some of the places, but he still had his head back and his eyes closed. He wasn’t ready to talk, and I guessed it wasn’t the right time for that. All that mattered right now was getting Kayla back.

We were going to crash at the hotel tonight and go over to the place tomorrow. The silence between us was killing me. He hadn’t said a word since we had arrived. The elevator ride was quiet. The hotel worker carrying our bags looked uncomfortable, as if he could sense the bad energy between us.

“Thank you,” I said to the guy after he dropped our bags in the suite.

I locked the door and turned around. Tristan was taking off his clothes. He walked to the bathroom only in his briefs. Soon, I heard the sound of the shower running.

I undressed and tied the white towel I had found in the bathroom cabinet around me. I decided to use the bathtub in the middle of the bathroom since Tristan was using the shower. I packed my hair in a messy bun, turned on the tap in the bathtub, and went to brush my teeth. I looked at Tristan, he was turning away from me as he stood under the shower lost in his thoughts. I wish he would talk to me; I knew it was a lot to take in. I took off the towel and entered the bathtub when I was done brushing. The foam swallowed me from the neck down. I rested my head back and relaxed.

I opened my eyes when the shower door opened. I watched him as he grabbed a towel and tied it around his waist.

He stood in front of the mirror and dried his hair.

“So, how long are you planning to ignore me?” I asked.

“I’m not ignoring you.” That was all he said and left the bathroom.

I rinsed my body and came out. He was not in the bedroom when I entered the room. I wore my sweatpants and a white tank top. I decided to look around. I found him in the living room, sleeping on the couch.

“Can we please just talk?” I said standing two feet away.

I wasn’t sure if he was still awake. I waited for him to say something, but he didn’t.

I went back to the bedroom and cried myself to sleep, alone on the king-size bed.

***

It was past ten in the morning. We were in the dining room, having breakfast. Actually, I was the only one eating. Tristan said he wasn’t hungry. He was waiting for me to finish so we could leave. I could sense his impatience.

He stared at me with his arms across his chest. We had brushed at the same time in the bathroom and didn’t say a word to each other.

“It’s been twenty minutes, Chloe. You don’t have to eat everything,” he said with an aggravated sigh. That was the first thing he had said to me since we had woken up.

“You should eat something. It might be a long day,” I said instead.

“I will be waiting for you in the car,” he told me and left.

The ride to the adoption agency was quiet. I kept staring outside the window at the familiar road.

I recalled that day.

It had been very sunny outside. I was sitting very close to Kayla, who was asleep in her car seat. I’d used my body to shield her from the sun.

I remembered Mrs. Rodriguez trying to talk me out of it, but I’d told her I wasn’t going to change my decision. I’d left Kayden with Yoselin. I couldn’t bring him to watch me give his twin sister away. All I felt was guilt as I held Kayla in my arms, but I also felt like I was making the right decision to give her a better life. I remembered crying throughout the ride home, to the point that I’d had a migraine.

“Chloe?” Someone touched my arm, making me jolt from my old memories.

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