CHAPTER 20
Victoria types rapidly on her laptop. Since their blunt conversation a couple of days ago, it seems they”ve both managed to focus, and the words flow with surprising ease. Lost in her creative world, she”s oblivious to Micaela, who has just set down two cups of coffee. From the doorway of the kitchen, Micaela watches her, captivated. Every minute, her fascination with the Toledan writer grows, the attraction spiraling beyond her control.
Micaela loves to watch her, adores the intense expression Victoria wears while writing, and the nimble dance of her fingers across the keyboard. She could spend hours just observing, but opts not to push her luck, wary of catching Victoria”s eye and potentially sparking another outburst. She places the cup beside Victoria on the table and retreats to the sofa, waiting patiently for Victoria to finish so she can read the new chapter and start on her own.
”Thanks, I was just thinking how much I”d love one right now,” Victoria says, accepting the coffee with a surprising glint of warmth in her eyes.
Micaela, startled, turns to face her. She”s so used to Victoria burying herself in her work that she half-expected her gesture to go unnoticed. ”You”re welcome,” she replies, feeling a jolt of electricity ripple through her as Victoria”s smile flickers before she returns her gaze to the laptop screen.
The writer, known for her steamy scenes, stands frozen, unable to peel her eyes away from Victoria. The sudden ring of the doorbell jolts her, causing her to spill her coffee. ”Damn,” she curses, blowing on her fingers to soothe the sting of the hot liquid.
Victoria looks up, her eyes darting between the door and Micaela, weighing her next move. ”Did you burn yourself?” she asks, finally rising to approach her.
”It”s nothing, but I”ve made a mess,” Micaela admits, looking down at the splattered coffee with dismay.
Victoria”s laugh bursts forth, genuine and unguarded. Micaela can”t help but look up and get caught in the infectious laughter. ”Go see who it is. I”ll clean this up,” Victoria suggests, nodding towards the door.
”Expecting someone?” Micaela asks as she heads to the entrance.
”Not me. It’s probably Javier coming to annoy us,” Victoria concludes with certainty.
Micaela cracks a smile and opens the door, only to be faced with a tall man in a suit, looking at her as if she had something on her face. ”Hello, I”m looking for Victoria. Is she here?”
Micaela eyes him warily, her mind racing with thoughts of him possibly being Victoria”s lover. The urge to slam the door shut wells up inside her. ”Who”s asking?” she challenges, blocking the doorway.
”Santiago, her husband.”
”Ex-husband,” Victoria corrects, appearing behind Micaela. She exchanges a smile with Santiago that doesn”t sit well with Micaela, who now feels an urge to kick him rather than just slam the door.
”I”m sorry to just show up, but I needed to talk to you, and Dani gave me the address the other day,” Santiago says, his eyes flicking to Micaela.
Victoria makes a face at Micaela, apologetic. ”Sorry, it will just be a minute, then I”ll finish the chapter,” she says, stepping past her and pointing to the porch table for Santiago.
”Sure, no problem,” Micaela responds, feeling a strange, uncomfortable twist in her stomach. She should be indifferent to this man visiting Victoria, but the evident familiarity between them stirs jealousy within her.
”What”s up, Santi?” Victoria asks, her voice tinged with concern as she clasps her hands on the table.
”I”m here about Dani. I know he told you Maria was mistaken, and I accept that, but he”s acting odd. He used to always pick up my calls, and now he calls back in the mornings, between classes.”
”What are you suggesting?” Victoria”s expression shifts, her nose wrinkling as if smelling trouble.
Santiago chuckles, a sound that seems too light for the tension between them. ”I think he”s seeing someone and doesn”t want to tell us.”
”Why would you think that?” Victoria”s voice rises slightly, her nerves frayed from being so isolated in the house. Her only contact with the outside comes through Daniel”s calls, trusting that her ex-husband had everything under control.
”Think about it. If he only finds time to call then, it”s because he”s busy in the evenings, probably with someone he doesn”t want to mention.”
”Damn it, Santiago, I”m a terrible mother,” Victoria explodes. She points toward the house with a trembling finger, then clamps a fist over her mouth, her breath hitching as she sighs heavily. Santiago gently pulls her hand away—a gesture Micaela doesn”t miss as she spies on them from behind the kitchen window.
Micaela”s blood boils, and she mutters curses in Italian under her breath, the urge to hurl a bottle at Victoria”s ex-husband nearly overwhelming her.
”Victoria, what”s wrong?” Santiago asks, his voice soft and soothing.
Their marriage might have ended in shambles, but back when things were good, they shared everything, supported each other—a companionship Victoria probably misses the most since their divorce.
”It”s nothing. What do we do about Dani?” Victoria asks, her voice laden with worry.
”I don”t know, that”s why I”m here. You”re the sensible one. If it were up to me, I”d hire a private detective.”
”For heaven”s sake, Santi,” Victoria gasps, but a laugh escapes her, infectious enough to make Santiago chuckle too.
Micaela knows she”s fallen for Victoria”s laughter among other things, but it stings when it”s not directed at her.
”Why don”t you try talking to him this time?” Victoria suggests.
”I”ve never meddled in his private life, Vicky, not even in the public bits. Maybe that”s my screw-up as a dad,” Santiago admits.
”It”s time for a change then. If he”s got something troubling him, he didn”t want to tell me. Maybe he”ll find it easier with you. You”re both men, after all, you think alike. Maybe he”s smitten with some classmate, or even a teacher,” Victoria”s eyes widen at the thought. ”Damn, maybe it”s that, an older woman manipulating him,” she says, horrified.
”Okay, calm down,” Santiago requests with a playful smirk, ”and don”t jump to conclusions. I”ll talk to him, find the right moment, and see if he opens up.”
”Alright. Please, call me if you get him to talk,” she pleads.
”Yes, don”t worry.”
Victoria watches him for a long moment and smiles.
”What?” he asks, reading the curiosity in her gaze.
”Nothing, just noticing the change in you. You used to be such a jerk, indifferent, and now you”re really stepping up for our son.”
”You want the truth?” Santiago asks, his face innocent.
”Of course.”
”I”ve started seeing someone. She has a son too, and she”s making me see all the ways I”ve failed as a dad, and as a husband,” he says with a grimace.
”Is that an apology, Santi?” Victoria blinks in disbelief, but smiles.
”I guess it is.”
”Well, accepted, and I”m really glad you”ve met someone,” she says sincerely.
”Thanks,” he replies, nodding. ”So, what”s really going on with her?” Santiago nods toward the house.
”With her? Nothing, nothing, just a bit unbearable,” the writer tries to downplay.
”Are you sure that”s all?” Santiago presses, taking her hand across the table. ”You seem really tense.”
”Truth is, he just gets on my nerves for a bunch of reasons, but I”d rather not talk about it right now, Santi, really,” Victoria sighs deeply. She longs to confide in someone about what happened the other night and everything she”s felt for Micaela since, but she”s not ready to delve into those waters with her ex-husband. So, they part with a promise from him to handle the situation with Daniel and keep her in the loop.
When Victoria steps inside the house, Micaela struggles to mask her annoyance. All that hand-touching with Santiago and their shared smiles send sparks flying from her eyes.
”Something wrong?” Victoria asks as their eyes meet.
”Me? Nothing,” Micaela responds tersely, settling into a chair with a cross of her legs.
Victoria sits in front of her laptop, staring at the screen. However, Santiago”s visit has thrown her off her game, making it hard to concentrate.
”Where was I? Did I finish writing?” she asks Micaela.
”You should know,” Micaela snaps, standing abruptly to move to the sofa.
”What the hell is wrong with you?” Victoria demands, baffled by the sudden shift in her demeanor.
”I”m fine. Just finish up; you”re holding us back,” Micaela retorts without looking at her.
Victoria takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. She has enough on her plate without entertaining Micaela”s antics, so she decides not to indulge in a fight and focuses on the chapter instead. The writer from Toledo reads over her work three times, but Micaela”s attitude has her so flustered that she can”t concentrate on anything else. She tries to guess what might be bothering her, but finding no answers only frustrates her further. Finally, she closes the laptop and turns to her.
Micaela, for her part, is puffing like a buffalo, bouncing one knee compulsively.
”Are you going to tell me what”s wrong?” Victoria asks.
Micaela turns, surprised.
”Nothing”s wrong. Are you done?” she asks, nodding toward the laptop.
”No, I”m not done because your huffing is driving me insane. Tell me what”s bothering you, now!” Victoria demands, her voice rising with each word.
”I told you, it”s nothing. I”m just having a bad day. Ignore me,” Micaela says, standing up and brushing past Victoria, effectively ending the conversation.
”Where are you going?” Victoria calls out, her voice tinged with anger. She can”t stand being left mid-conversation.
”To take a shower. Just finish up,” Micaela growls, her steps heavy on the stairs.
Victoria stands still, watching the infuriating sway of Micaela”s hips as she ascends. Once Micaela is out of sight, Victoria tries to calm herself. She closes her eyes and rubs her temples while taking slow breaths, but it”s no use. A bubbling rage mixes with something undefinable inside her, and she refuses to let it simmer just because the Italian writer is throwing a fit.
Driven by a force she can”t control, Victoria gets up and follows her upstairs, determined to get an explanation. The closed bathroom door is no barrier to her resolve. She pushes it open forcefully and stops only when she finds Micaela completely naked.
Their hearts thunder uncontrollably, the air between them crackling as their gazes lock, sending the room”s temperature soaring. Victoria had stormed up with every intention of demanding an explanation, but the raw excitement of the moment erases every thought but one. Micaela”s eyes blaze with the hunger of a predator that”s finally cornered its prize. Without hesitation, she reaches out, grabbing Victoria”s sweater, pulling her close so abruptly that Victoria”s back slams against the cool marble of the sink.
Dizzy with desire from the proximity, Victoria allows herself to be swept along as Micaela steps back, sitting on the edge of the sink before wrapping her legs around Victoria.
”Fuck me, damn it,” Micaela demands in a husky whisper that unleashes a Victoria who”s been holding back for days.