Page 76 of Taming Liberty

“I understand… But what about Julia? Don’t you want to see her before you leave?”

He runs a hand through his thick hair while he thinks and backs up a step. “I do, but…”

“But what?”

He drops his hand, his chest rising and falling with a sigh. “This is not easy, Lib. I fucking hate it here.”

I give him a sympathetic frown as if I understand, but I’m lost. He wants to see her, so he should see her. What is so difficult? “I know you do… I’m sure it will be nice for her to see you, though. You said you’re on good terms. Christmas cards and all.”

He nods. “We are. It isn’t her I’m worried about.”

I tilt my head, waiting for him to explain. Then it hits me.

He’s worried about seeing his nephew. The boy whose father he took away.

Shit… Okay, he’s right, that’s hard.

I step up to him and take his hand. “You know you’ll regret it if you don’t go.”

Several seconds pass before he blows out a breath and nods. “I know…” He turns to look over his shoulder at something by the bed then peers at me, his face sagging with defeat. “Let me get my shoes.”

17

Angel

My cells are vibrating.

It’s a strange sensation, like every tiny piece of my body is trying to escape through my skin. There’s a prickle at my neck. My fingers feel like they’re going numb.

And still, my hands are steady.

I don’t know where I mastered the ability to mask my emotions, or if it was even intentional, but I struggle more with showing them than I do hiding them. If there was ever a time when I wanted someone to see the regret I feel inside, it’s now.

Lib and I stand side by side at Julia’s front door. Neither of us say anything, and neither of us move to ring the doorbell. Julia has no idea I’m in Spain, let alone on her doorstep. For all I know, I could be unwelcome, which would certainly be fitting for this trip.

“You okay?” Lib asks.

I glance at her, then ring the doorbell without giving a response. I’m partially angry with her for pushing me into this and partially grateful. I need to be here. I needed to be here fifteen years ago.

Someone inside yells before footsteps sound on the other side of the door. I take a deep breath and hold it as the knob twists and the door opens.

A teenage boy with short brown hair and chocolate irises stands before me. He has a broad nose and thick eyelashes, and his face rests in a bored state that tells me too much about his personality. I know him from pictures, but even if I didn’t, I’d know without question who this was. His resemblance to my brother is haunting.

He looks between Lib and me. “Yes?”

I blink and straighten my shoulders, caught off guard by him speaking, as if I expected him to be a hologram. I’m also surprised by the English.

“Hi,” I say, steeling myself. “Is your mother home?”

He turns, one hand on the door. “Mamá!”

“One minute!” she calls out, also in English. Hmm.

My brother’s clone, Samuel, turns back to us. “She’ll be a minute.”

I nod and stare at him like I’m looking at a ghost.

I want to look away. Ishouldlook away because I can tell I’m weirding him out by the way his eyebrows pinch. But I can’t. My eyes are glued to him like he’ll disappear if I blink.

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