“Yeah… Probably. But that has nothing to do with him wanting you.”
 
 “He doesn’t want me. He’s pissed I dumped him and left for Las Vegas.”
 
 “That usually does it for men like him.”
 
 “Yeah… I don’t know.”
 
 Crossing my arms over my chest and chewing on my lip, I seriously think about his motivations and what had prompted him to follow me.
 
 “He hated that I’d made my own plans,” I suggest.
 
 “Yup,” she agrees.
 
 Our eyes lock.
 
 “He must’ve thought I was really stupid.”
 
 “That happens often, too. He got word you were shopping for a car, and he knew your struggles. He knew it wasn’t only because you wanted a new car. That made you suspicious in his eyes.”
 
 “Yes. It did,” I say, reflecting on what happened afterward.
 
 Las Vegas.
 
 Damaso.
 
 Beau getting beat up.
 
 Of course, he’s mad and wants revenge.
 
 And wants the worst kind of revenge.
 
 “That’s why I need to leave tonight,” I say. “I’ve been back for a few hours, and it’s chaos. And my father is not even back. Speaking of which… I need to go,” I say, pushing to my feet. “I’ve asked someone to fix the door, and he’ll be there in an hour. I need to get a cab.”
 
 I flick my gaze to the floor upstairs.
 
 I don’t want to wake Tina. Hopefully, I’ll be back, but predicting what happens next is hard.
 
 “If, for any reason, I can’t come back before I leave, tell her…”
 
 She cuts me off with a clipped gesture and rises to her feet.
 
 “I know what to tell her. Don’t worry about us.”
 
 Her words make me feel a little better.
 
 “Okay. Thank you so much,” I say, and we hug each other.
 
 Later, a cab picks me up, and I’m headed back home.
 
 What a day.
 
 * * *
 
 CARMINA
 
 It’sdark outside by the time the man fixes the door to my father’s house.
 
 I hand him some cash before he climbs into his truck and pulls out of the driveway.