Page 18 of Shock

“Es Ella?” I blink a few times before nodding my head.

I confessed to her once why I was single. The woman had gone to hooking me up with women to men thinking I was gay. The memory of that awkward conversation still makes me smirk.

“Diego?” Hannah’s voice echoes up the stairs, and I panic.

“Have you told her?” She hands me the box as I shake my head.

Juana tucks the blankets around me and kisses my forehead softly.

“You in here, oh. I’m sorry.” Hannah stops in my doorway and smiles at Juana.

“Dios mio, que Bella.” Hannah blushes slightly, and I wonder how much Spanish she really understands.

“Gracias,” She whispers to Juana’s glee.

“AYA! Un mujer que sabe habla español. Bono, me llamas se me necesitas.” Juana raves Hannah’s praises and then disappears down the hallway to my front door.

“Lovely woman. Although, my dad wouldn’t have allowed me not to learn, no matter how much I fought against it. Here’s your clothes and phone. How did you answer before?” He folds them and lays them on the corner of the mattress and then sits next to me, handing over my phone.

“Oh, it’s a smart house. The AI is integrated.” I watch as her face contours.

“ARIA?” The AI beeps, and Hannah chuckles.

“There’s an inside joke here, isn’t there?” She nods and falls back on my bed like she belongs.

Her long blonde curls stretched out over my legs, and I can’t resist fingering one of them.

“Story for another time. How’s your head?” She turns her face my way, and I can’t breathe.

She’s in my bed. Again, finally.

Her eyes drop to the box in my hand, and she sits up slowly. I offer it to her, and she takes it gingerly from my fingers like it’s a bomb.

“It’s not a ring, is it?” I snort because that’s also in my sock drawer, but we’re taking baby steps here.

“Promise it’s not a ring, but it is old and delicate. I’ve been safeguarding it for a while.” She peels the corner of the box back and gasps.

“You left that morning in a rush, but you forgot that.” Her eyes go from the dried-up flower to my face.

“This is my senior prom corsage.” I don’t speak as she puts the pieces together.

“It was you?” I nod.

“All these years, and you never said anything!” Her words turn angry, and I cover my ears as she gets louder.

“Concussion, remember,” I smirk at her, and her eyes bulge out.

“You took my virginity!” The memories unfold in my mind, and I lick my lips.

“I know, I was there.” I don’t see the left hook until it’s too late.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

SHOCK

“Ouch,”Diego wipes his lip and frowns at the sight of his own blood on his fingers.

“Now we’re even.” I huff and shake out my limbs.

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