CHAPTER 27
Victoria punches Micaela”s address into her GPS, her fingers trembling slightly, unsure if she”s making the right move. Just yesterday, she had nearly bolted from the Italian-named writer’s presence, and now, faced with a crisis, Micaela is the one she seeks.
Throughout the drive, Victoria”s mind whirls with the revelations about Daniel and Javier. Now that she knows the truth, the pieces fall disturbingly into place. She understands her son”s urgency to leave his father”s house, where he couldn’t have Javier over, the editor tangled in his own marital webs. Gripping the steering wheel, her knuckles blanch with the force of her grip, pain shooting through her fingers.
Memories flood back—of the day Micaela’s book was launched, Daniel arriving with Javier, claiming it was a surprise for her. Now, she”s sure the surprise was meant for Javier. And Javier”s ever-ready agreement to dine with Daniel when she couldn’t... it fuels a fire of betrayal in her chest, burning as bright and fierce as any blaze.
As Victoria pulls up in front of Micaela”s home—a too-modest townhouse for someone with such a flamboyant pen—her heart skips a beat. Barely ten minutes pass before an Uber pulls up alongside her, and Micaela steps out. Victoria’s heart leaps, her breath catches at the sudden tickle fluttering through her chest.
Micaela, pausing before Victoria’s car and peering through the windshield, feels a similar tumult, yet she clamps down on her emotions, wary of another letdown.
“You didn’t have to change your plans for me,” Victoria says as soon as she exits her car, the evening air crisp between them.
The two stand face to face, the air charged with an unspoken desire.
“I didn’t change them; I was already finishing up,” Micaela replies, her voice a breathy whisper. Her gaze locks onto Victoria’s lips, which she moistens unconsciously.
Without another word, Micaela ascends the three steps to her door, key sliding into the lock. Victoria follows closely, not waiting for an invitation inside. As soon as the door shuts—a bit too forcefully—Micaela turns and their bodies collide with an urgency that has been simmering since their last encounter. Their lips meet in a kiss that is both a revelation and a homecoming, fiery and profound.
They don’t make it past the living room, clinging to each other as if separation is unthinkable. They tumble onto the sofa, letting loose all the pent-up passion that has built up since their last fraught meeting.
“Do you want something to drink?” Micaela asks, rising from the sofa. Her appearance is tousled, her pants unbuttoned and slipping down, her pulse still racing from the intensity of their connection.
”Water, please—I”m parched,” Victoria says, her voice a parched whisper as she fumbles around for her pants and underwear scattered across the floor.
Micaela heads to the kitchen and returns with a pitcher and two glasses. Without a word, as if bound by an unspoken agreement, they both choose not to mention the whirlwind of passion that just swept through the room.
”So, tell me,” Micaela urges as she fills Victoria”s glass, her movements smooth and familiar. ”What”s this terrible thing that”s happened?”
”Javier is having an affair with my son, Daniel,” Victoria blurts out, her words cutting through the air like a cold breeze.
The shock hits Micaela so hard she accidentally spills some water. ”Seriously?” she gasps, sinking down beside Victoria on the couch.
”Yes.”
”I thought Javier was married,” Micaela murmurs, her brow furrowing.
”He is. He”s married and now he”s ensnared my son, the bastard.”
Micaela watches her for a moment, processing, her mind racing to find a way to soothe Victoria”s turmoil. ”How did you find out? Did Daniel tell you?” she probes, her gaze intensifying as she notes how the distress somehow brings out an even more striking beauty in Victoria.
”No,” Victoria shakes her head, her voice a mix of anger and despair, and recounts the whole saga. Micaela listens intently, her expression a blend of shock and intrigue.
”Damn, that would make a great plot for a novel,” Micaela comments without thinking.
Surprised, Victoria raises her eyebrows, and just as Micaela starts to apologize for her ill-timed remark, Victoria bursts into laughter, a sound that lightens the heavy air between them. ”Yeah, it certainly would make a good book,” she agrees, her laughter infectious, drawing a chuckle from Micaela.
Without realizing it, they”ve slipped back into the easy camaraderie they”d forged during their time together, the comfort of their connection pushing aside the uncertainty of their feelings for each other.
”I don”t know what to do. If I tell Santiago, I”m terrified of how he”ll react. He knows Javier too, knows he”s married, and—damn,” Victoria brings her hands to her head, her distress palpable, ”he”s old enough to be Dani”s father. My son”s just a kid, and he...”
”Hey,” Micaela interrupts, placing a reassuring hand on Victoria”s arm, sending a jolt through her that momentarily stills her. ”I don”t have kids, and I can”t imagine exactly how you feel, but I think I understand. Maybe you should talk to Javier before you tell your ex-husband, or even Daniel. It could just be a foolish fling.”
”It”s not just a fling, Micaela. You should have seen the way they looked at each other in those photos. And it”s not recent; in some, they”re in winter clothes, in others, summer.”
”Wow,” Micaela says, her eyebrows arching in surprise, ”Javier really had us fooled, didn”t he?”
”I”ll fool him when I see him next,” Victoria spits out, her words sharp but making Micaela laugh.
”Seriously though, I think you need to confront him first, even before you talk to your son. Javier”s the one who”s married and leading a double life. As you said, Dani”s just a kid and could easily be charmed by someone like Javier, who”s personable, friendly, and attractive.”
”You”re right. I”ll talk to him first and then see what I do,” Victoria decides, her tone resolute.
They share a look, a soft smile playing on their lips, a moment of understanding and connection that feels both comforting and thrilling.
”Maybe you should wait until tomorrow, though. You”re upset right now and it”s not good to handle big situations like this when you”re heated,” Micaela advises, surprising even herself with her own maturity.
”I know,” Victoria says, reaching for Micaela”s hand and kissing it gently, a gesture filled with tenderness and familiarity.
”Do you want to stay here tonight?” Micaela asks, her voice soft.
Victoria doesn”t hesitate. ”I would love to. How was the vermouth with your parents?” she asks, genuinely interested.
”Actually, it went surprisingly well,” Micaela explains, settling next to her on the plush sofa. ”They called me first thing this morning, said they were in the city. Honestly, I was taken aback after how our last dinner ended, but they insisted we meet, and when I got there, they apologized.”
”Really?” Victoria asks, her voice tinged with excitement for Micaela.
”Yes. They”ve been reflecting a lot on our last conversation and realized I should be the one to make decisions about my life. They”re still not thrilled I write erotic romance, but I think it”s a step forward that they won”t attack me every time we meet now.”
”That”s progress,” Victoria says, wrapping an arm around Micaela and kissing her cheek. ”They”re coming around. They just need a bit more time.”