Chapter 10
FACING THE TRUTH
CAROLINA
It’s been over half an hour since we left the boutique to go explore the island, just like we used to when we were kids.
It had been a long time since we’d spent a whole afternoon together, and if it weren’t for the little argument I had with Ana, it would have been perfect.
I know her relationship with Victoria went sour after she told her the reasons why she’d broken up with Elena—that she can’t stand her and has been out for her ever since—but she was the only person I could turn to for help with this whole mess.
As for her, I asked her to wait until she was alone with Elena to tell her, so my nerves have calmed down enough for me to enjoy the rest of the day with a smile on my face.
Ibiza is beautiful, with that Mediterranean charm that bathes the coast of the islands in this gorgeous sea; painted in blue and white, with flowers, sun, and light everywhere.
I love having had the chance to get to know it and enjoy it since I was a little girl.
The first time I set foot on its beaches, I was ten years old.
My parents were looking for a different kind of vacation spot and fell in love with all of this the first day they sailed through its turquoise waters.
That same summer I met Elena and Jorge, Ana and Inaki…
and two years later, Victoria. Pablo was the last to join, and since then we’ve formed a group that has stayed in touch despite the distance between us and the strange things that have happened.
Ana and Elena have fallen behind; I still don’t know how they can walk so slowly without their hips hurting.
I’ve pulled ahead a bit and let myself be drawn in by the curiosity I felt toward a bookstore window; it’s been ages since I’ve read anything, and that reminds me of how eager I was at the end of Wings of Blood.
My mind clears when I hear the girls laughing, and I smile as I catch up to them, breaking their huddle to slip between them and guide them along a little more quickly.
“Ana and I were wondering if you and my brother had thought about your farewell party,” Elena says, looking me in the eyes with curiosity.
“Actually, no,” I shrug. “There are still a few weeks left before we celebrate it, right? I’m sure we’ll come up with something.”
“Elena had thought of something you might like. Tell her.”
“Go on, tell me,” I insist. “And don’t tell me you want us to go on a bender because your brother’s already got a lot of things planned. I don’t know where he finds the time.”
“I guess between races he has plenty of time to think.” Ana’s comment makes us burst out laughing, and I shake my head a couple of times. “I pray he doesn’t go crazy and take us on a tour of the island.”
“Believe me, he already is. Well… tell me, what’s the plan?”
“Do you like the idea of having a nighttime barbecue at my house?” Elena asks with a hint of excitement in her voice. “It’s been a long time since the group got together, and something like that would be nice, don’t you think?”
“Actually, that’s a great idea…” I reply, slowing my pace to think it over. “I’ll mention it to your brother and see what he thinks. But I’d love to!”
“Who could say no to a good barbecue?” Ana asks, and we keep walking until we come to our favorite ice cream shop. “Plus, the view from Elena’s house is amazing. Do you guys want a chocolate cone?”
“I promised you ice cream, so yes. It’s on me.”
While Ana goes to order them, the two of us walk among the tables on the terrace to find one bathed in the last rays of the sun.
“This place is beautiful…” I say, glancing at the pots overflowing with pink geraniums. “It has a Greek vibe that I just love.”
“I think that’s why it’s been my favorite since I was a kid.” Elena scans the café’s decor, and suddenly I see in her eyes that spark of melancholy that appears when the past stirs in her mind. “Victoria and I used to love coming here.”
“Who didn’t…?” I ask, crossing one of my legs in an attempt to relax. “How are you handling seeing her again?”
“Not very well, but it’s been a few years now, and I want to believe it won’t be such a big deal,” she explains without looking at me. “In the end, it’s something that had to happen sooner or later since Jorge is my brother, Victoria is your friend, and…”
“She was yours, too,” I remind her, and then she turns her attention to me. “I think you deserve to talk and get back what you had.”
“I don’t think that’s possible, Carol,” she says firmly. “There are lines that, once you cross them, there’s no turning back. She and I were so much more; it fell apart and…” she sighs. “It’s better to leave things as they are.”
“Don’t you miss her?”
“Everyone misses the person they love, don’t they?” she confesses to me, and I feel a twinge in my heart as I realize what those words mean. “But don’t worry. Everything will be fine; that’s what matters.”
“If you say so…” Ana, as much of a killjoy as ever, breaks the spell of the conversation, handing us our ice cream. I, on the other hand, shoot her one of my hateful little glances. “Don’t look at me like that—I didn’t say anything.”
“Is something wrong? You guys seemed really weird in the boutique,” Elena emphasizes.
“Like what?” I shake my head a couple of times and cover my mouth with the ice cream cone. “You know how grumpy she is. She’s not too thrilled about Victoria coming back.”
“I see…” Elena looks at her ice cream and, with the spoon, scoops up a bit of chocolate and pops it into her mouth.
She doesn’t stop staring at us; I know she’s doing it because she’s looking for something in us that will tell her we’re lying.
“Look, if there’s one thing I hate more than anything, it’s my best friends hiding things from me, so you better start talking, or else…
” She settles back in her chair. “You can forget about the band at the wedding, and you…” She points at Ana. “I’ll think of something.”
“Victoria has a girlfriend and she’s bringing her to the wedding,” I blurt out so quickly that even I cover my mouth in surprise.
“Carolina, damn it!” Ana protests. “I was supposed to tell her! You blabbermouth!”
“Wait, what?” When we turn our attention to Elena, I can see a mix of emotions in her eyes that I’m not quite sure how to describe; I’d love to be able to turn back time and change my decision. “Victoria has a partner? Since when?”
“Six months. But don’t ask me any more because I don’t know anything!” I exclaim, a little nervously. “I found out today and, well… I couldn’t keep it from you.”
“I didn’t want you to find out like this…
” Ana hugs her, and I feel like the worst person in the world right now.
I don’t know what to do, how to make this moment less painful for my sister-in-law, so I stand up and hug them both in silence, knowing that I’m the only one to blame for all this, and that I’m the only one who can find a solution.