Blocked by Jennifer Lane

him getting on her case—she’d done nothing wrong. “That news story was days ago. You must not have been that concerned.”
    He refused to look at me, and his voice lowered with fury. “I had a test to study for. I’m in medical school.”
    As if I didn’t know that. He’d shared that fact with every news outlet in America. Not that one year of med school made him the expert he purported to be on health care policy.
    “I just…” He sighed. “Are you okay here, Lucy?” He cradled her elbow as he searched her eyes.
    “I’m fine.”
    “Dad told me he offered to find you another place, but you didn’t take him up on it.”
    I felt my eyebrows lift. That was news to me.
    She snuck a glance at me, and that lovely blush spread across her face. “I don’t have time to move, and the agents can’t find another place, anyway. Like I said, I’m fine.”
    “I still don’t like it.”
    And I didn’t like him hounding her for something outside her control. “Dude, what do you think? That I’m going to force her to drink Democratic Kool-Aid or something if she lives here? This wasn’t her choice.”
    “Stay out of this, cabrón . Why are you even here?”
    “Classy. Call me bastard again and you won’t be here for long.”
    He popped to his feet. “You’re all about choices , ¿verdad? I know how your mother loves choice. Abortions have killed fifty million babies. That’s a great choice right there.”
    “You’re such an assbag.” I was on my feet before I knew it, and I loved the height advantage over Adolf Junior. “Just like your father.”
    “Our father has more honor than a hundred Democratic senators!”
    “Oh, yeah, like the Republicans have so much honor. Kicking mentally ill people off disability? Does that make you proud?”
    “Damn bleeding-heart liberals! You’re ruining our country.” His flaring eyes and clenched jaw made me wonder if he was going to take a swing at me.
    Lucia cried, “Alex!”
    We both turned to her. I’d almost forgotten she was there.
    “ Cálmate, hermano. Tranquilo .” She rubbed his shoulder.
    Tranquilo . Her soothing voice echoed in my mind, instructing me to calm down. I inhaled a long breath, trying to remember what Phil would tell me when I freaked out in the huddle in the middle of a close game. But even the Bridgetown setter didn’t have the audacity to label my mother a baby killer.
    “It’s okay, Alex,” Lucia cooed. “It’s okay to disagree on stuff.” She kept murmuring soothing words in his ear, and his shoulders slumped as he nodded. How did she do that? She was the freaking Tea Party Whisperer or something.
    The evaporation of his rage now complete, Alejandro returned to the sofa. Feeling calmer myself, I sat back down too. He gave me a sheepish look. “ Lo siento . That wasn’t my most mature moment. My dad always tells me I’ll never get anywhere unless I learn to control my temper.”
    Huh . Mom had said the same thing to me.
    “That wasn’t right to say that stuff about your mother,” Alejandro said.
    But no way in hell I’m retracting my criticism of your father . “Especially since it was her generosity that allowed Lucia to live here.”
    “Generosity?” Alejandro’s eyebrows rose.
    Apparently enfurecido had replaced tranquilo .
    He sucked in a breath. “You…You actually believe that? That she’s generous?”
    “Alex?” Lucia fidgeted next to him.
    “ Lucy .” He scoffed, then looked at her. “You can’t let him get away with that.”
    “Get away with what?”
    He knocked the heel of his hand on his forehead. “Jesus. Don’t tell me you’re so naïve!”
    “Stop being a jerk, Alex—I’m not naïve.”
    “This is all a political ploy!” He threw his arms in the air. “This isn’t about generosity. She has ulterior motives for everything she does!”
    Shut the fuck up .
    “What are you saying?” Lucia seemed baffled.
    “She ‘allowed’ you to live here to distract the media from Yemen.”
    My