Chapter 41
I didn’t know how long I could keep up the lie. I didn’t sleep with anyone this past weekend. How could I? All I could think about was how much I loved him. My parents cooked me breakfast and took me to dinner. All the while, my heart was disintegrating.
I wrote his name on a piece of paper and drew horns like he was Satan, but I still loved the devil. In my mind, he wasn’t a saint, but my heart was bleeding.
When he told me in the shower right before he fucked me into oblivion that he didn’t sleep with her, it was like an angel answered my prayers. I don’t know what she was doing at his house, but I want to find out.
I got up from the couch Rey placed me on when he drove us over to his house in my car.
Javier is in the kitchen, and I make a cup of coffee. He turns and smiles when he sees me open the coffee maker.
“Are you okay?”
I smile. “I think so. Why?”
He raises his hands. “I’m just asking. He needed to carry you after you disappeared in the locker room, and I figured he must have tired you out.”
“What if I slipped and fell?” I ask sarcastically with a light tease in my tone.
“There is only one thing you could have fallen…on. One th ing that would make you both moan like you were filming a porno that echoed throughout the gym.” My cheeks are on fire, and he can see I’m embarrassed, but he continues. “The fact that he had to carry you out wearing different clothes, and when you walked out… I hate to say it, but you walked funny to the car.”
I burst out laughing. “I was not,” I say defensively. “Oh, yes. You were,” he says with a laugh.
I place my hands over my cheeks and drop my eyes to the coffee as it fills the cup.
“She lied to you.” My eyes meet his, and I stay quiet, listening to what that bitch Julia lied about. “She showed up begging to use the shower because the sewer in her house was supposedly backed up. I’m not an expert, but that is what she said. Rey didn’t want to let her in and told me to make sure she showered and left. He left for his room, and I didn’t stay to watch her leave. When Rey couldn’t reach you, something told me to check the camera, which is how we knew you showed up. Julia said something that upset you and made you think the worst.”
“She’s a bitch.”
“Yeah, I don’t think she can accept that Rey is in love with you. He didn’t touch her, Ari. He confronted her via text and told her to never set foot in our house and never speak to us again. I never thought my brother could love so hard.”
My heart feels like it’s hovering. “It’s crazy how jealous and spiteful people can get when they don’t get what they want. People are not objects.” I look up at Javier. “I love Rey with everything that I am, Javier. I love him so much. I want to work out my trust issues. I want to trust him.”
He nods. “I think you guys need to figure things out.”
Rey walks into the kitchen after his shower. I wanted to join him, but I was recuperating on the couch from our locker room session .
He smiles at me and kisses my temple, and I want to melt against him.
We order in, and the three of us watch a movie, but we mute the sound so we can shoot the shit and eat in front of the TV.
We sign or send Rey a text. When he laughs, I stop and stare. I’ve never loved someone’s laughter the way I love his.
I stayed the night, and after a warm bath, I fell asleep in his arms.
He woke me up with a protein shake and a smile. I know he can’t make me breakfast because that is one of Rey’s weaknesses. The kitchen. He sucks at it.
He motions for me to check my phone. I lean over and grab it from the nightstand.
Rey: After school today, are you ready for your first lesson?
I pinch my brows in confusion because I don’t know what he’s talking about.
Ari: First lesson for what?
Rey: How to throw a punch.
I look up and take a sip of the shake he made me. It’s chocolate peanut butter, and it tastes good.
He wants to teach me how to defend myself? After the whole thing with Jimmy and how he attacked me by pulling my hair, he’s right. I don’t know how to defend myself or throw a solid punch.
I can land one, but it hurts like a bitch.
I shrug my shoulders and nod, telling him that I want to. He smiles and signs, “I’ll wait for you so I can take you to school.”