want me? I thought I would go mad with the pain of it, the not knowing.”
“Did you confront Emilio?” His arms tightened around her.
“I had not the courage, and I feared earning his disapproval. He came to the school a few days after the dinner. Spoke with the principal and offered to take me to my mother. He said she had been searching for me. That I had been stolen from her. I did not know what to think. There was something about Emilio. Something that made me uneasy. But he is the son of the governor of Roraima. The principal gave me permission. It all happened so fast.”
Memories chased away the present, and all she could hear were Consuelo’s cruel taunts. She shook her head, but the cobwebs sticking her thoughts would not let go of the beach and those awful words, “You cannot fuck your sister.”
“Look at me, Jacinta. I want you to remember that something that told you Emilio wasn’t to be trusted. Hold on to that, and if you ever feel it again, trust it.” His palms warmed her face, and his eyes had gone muddy again. “Always go with your gut.”
“My gut tells me that you know my mother. And you know much about me but do not want to tell me.” She covered his hands with hers and willed some nuance of what he felt to show in his gaze.
“I don’t know your mother.” He met her stare. “I know of her, but I don’t know her.”
“Por favor. Tell me what you know.” He blinked, looked away, and an icy chill coated her skin. Dread weighted her shoulders. She dropped her hands and fixed her focus on a knot in the table. “She is dead.”
“Yes.” He lifted her chin. “Her name is Rosa Nunez. And she died recently.”
“Nunez. That’s the name you called me before. Have you known from the start?” She gritted her teeth, knowing if he lied now, all that had happened between them meant nothing.
“I didn’t know until I saw your face in the car. You are the spitting image of your mama.” Demon kissed her forehead. “You’re handling this well, kitten.”
“Do not patrosize me. I would have the truth now.” She crossed her arms and chewed one lip until it stung, needing the pain to stop certain tears.
“Patronize. And that’s the last thing I would do to you. The truth is that your mother died suddenly not two months ago.”
Her insides twisted, and she bent over, clutching her stomach.
Winding his arms around her, he dropped kisses on her forehead and hair and hugged her so tight she couldn’t breathe. “It’ll be okay. I promise. It’ll be okay.”
“No.” She swatted his shoulder. “You don’t understand. It was okay before I left the cloister. Nothing is okay now.”
“I know you’re hurting. And if I could, I’d take it for you. Lean on me. Let me take care of you now.” He caged his whole body around her, touching her everywhere. “I’m not letting you go. Cry. Hit me. Do whatever you need to.”
She squeezed her eyes shut for a second and then surrendered to the safety of his embrace. Tilting her head back to meet his gaze, she let the heat and sheer intensity of the declaration in his brown eyes wash away the rawness of the pain. She touched his jaw, enjoyed the softness of the stubble covering his chin, and knew without a doubt she loved him. “I thank you. I don’t know what I would have done these last days without you.”
He colored, a bright stain coursing over his stubborn jaw, and cleared his throat. “You should eat more.”
Something he’d said earlier hit her hard, as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
“Two months? You said my mother died not two months ago? Had I not delayed my decision to leave the cloister—” Jacinta jabbed her fist against her mouth. So close. She had been so close. It was no use; nothing would stop the tears. They rolled down her cheeks in great, fat blobs, and her chest ached. Hearts did break, for hers split apart in that moment.
“It’s okay.” He had her crushed so hard against his chest that she
“Did you confront Emilio?” His arms tightened around her.
“I had not the courage, and I feared earning his disapproval. He came to the school a few days after the dinner. Spoke with the principal and offered to take me to my mother. He said she had been searching for me. That I had been stolen from her. I did not know what to think. There was something about Emilio. Something that made me uneasy. But he is the son of the governor of Roraima. The principal gave me permission. It all happened so fast.”
Memories chased away the present, and all she could hear were Consuelo’s cruel taunts. She shook her head, but the cobwebs sticking her thoughts would not let go of the beach and those awful words, “You cannot fuck your sister.”
“Look at me, Jacinta. I want you to remember that something that told you Emilio wasn’t to be trusted. Hold on to that, and if you ever feel it again, trust it.” His palms warmed her face, and his eyes had gone muddy again. “Always go with your gut.”
“My gut tells me that you know my mother. And you know much about me but do not want to tell me.” She covered his hands with hers and willed some nuance of what he felt to show in his gaze.
“I don’t know your mother.” He met her stare. “I know of her, but I don’t know her.”
“Por favor. Tell me what you know.” He blinked, looked away, and an icy chill coated her skin. Dread weighted her shoulders. She dropped her hands and fixed her focus on a knot in the table. “She is dead.”
“Yes.” He lifted her chin. “Her name is Rosa Nunez. And she died recently.”
“Nunez. That’s the name you called me before. Have you known from the start?” She gritted her teeth, knowing if he lied now, all that had happened between them meant nothing.
“I didn’t know until I saw your face in the car. You are the spitting image of your mama.” Demon kissed her forehead. “You’re handling this well, kitten.”
“Do not patrosize me. I would have the truth now.” She crossed her arms and chewed one lip until it stung, needing the pain to stop certain tears.
“Patronize. And that’s the last thing I would do to you. The truth is that your mother died suddenly not two months ago.”
Her insides twisted, and she bent over, clutching her stomach.
Winding his arms around her, he dropped kisses on her forehead and hair and hugged her so tight she couldn’t breathe. “It’ll be okay. I promise. It’ll be okay.”
“No.” She swatted his shoulder. “You don’t understand. It was okay before I left the cloister. Nothing is okay now.”
“I know you’re hurting. And if I could, I’d take it for you. Lean on me. Let me take care of you now.” He caged his whole body around her, touching her everywhere. “I’m not letting you go. Cry. Hit me. Do whatever you need to.”
She squeezed her eyes shut for a second and then surrendered to the safety of his embrace. Tilting her head back to meet his gaze, she let the heat and sheer intensity of the declaration in his brown eyes wash away the rawness of the pain. She touched his jaw, enjoyed the softness of the stubble covering his chin, and knew without a doubt she loved him. “I thank you. I don’t know what I would have done these last days without you.”
He colored, a bright stain coursing over his stubborn jaw, and cleared his throat. “You should eat more.”
Something he’d said earlier hit her hard, as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
“Two months? You said my mother died not two months ago? Had I not delayed my decision to leave the cloister—” Jacinta jabbed her fist against her mouth. So close. She had been so close. It was no use; nothing would stop the tears. They rolled down her cheeks in great, fat blobs, and her chest ached. Hearts did break, for hers split apart in that moment.
“It’s okay.” He had her crushed so hard against his chest that she
Similar Books
