Chapter Nineteen #3
At this, his mouth stretched into a grin. “I’ll make sure of it.”
—
It was hard to act as if I wasn’t vibrating out of my skin when Alex arrived at my parents’ house the next morning.
He greeted me as he normally did, with a kiss to the cheek, but I could admit it chafed that he didn’t linger before greeting my mother and then my tití.
But Alex was his normal charming self, exchanging lighthearted flirting with the older women and banter with my dad and Javi.
I watched in a nervous, detached fashion, convinced that if I got too close to him, everyone—especially my mother—would be able to detect my lovesick emotions.
The morning progressed smoothly, and after a lunch of pork and beef empanadillas and leftover rice and beans, Alex went around the house and wished every person goodbye.
Mamí insisted on sending Alex home with a dozen frozen pasteles, half a dozen empanadillas, and leftover pastelón, clicking her tongue as she packaged the items like a disgruntled hen.
The family gathered in the courtyard to wish Alex a merry Christmas, but thankfully did not stand around to watch as I walked him to his car.
“This was the best Christmas I’ve spent in years,” he murmured, opening his car’s back door to place his duffel bag inside.
“That’s because you ate so well,” I quipped, holding up the paper bag my mother had packed for him. Reaching around him, I placed the bag on the floor behind the seat. “If you couldn’t tell, my mother’s love language is food.”
“Well, I’m happy to be the recipient of her love,” he said, a bit breathlessly.
That caught my attention, and I glanced up, abruptly realizing how close we stood.
The front of my body brushed against his, and my eyes flew wide at the contact.
A family member could step outside and see us pressed together on the side of a residential street, staring at each other like two loons. Gritting my teeth, I took a step back.
Alex blinked, tearing his gaze from my face to glance at the house behind me. “When do you plan to head home?”
“Around three o’clock, I think.” I licked my lips, focusing on his Adam’s apple. “I’ll text you when I leave.”
“Please do.” Alex stepped toward me and bussed my cheek…before dragging his nose to my ear and nuzzling it. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
I watched as Alex climbed into the driver’s seat, my legs trembling and my mouth dry. When Alex rolled down the window, he peered at me over the top of his aviator sunglasses. “See you soon, Sofia.”
And he drove away, leaving me a puddle of want on the curb.
Somehow I got through the next few hours with my family.
I helped Papí and Tío Alejandro prep the meat and sides for their carne asada dinner and did a few loads of laundry so my parents had clean sheets and towels.
I even sat with Olivia and Javi to schedule a time to visit them before the baby arrived, and I managed to do so without letting Javi goad me into an argument.
I also made sure to remind them that Sofia was a superior middle name for a baby girl.
As the afternoon progressed, I began to quietly pack my bag and straighten my room. I had just slung my bag over my shoulder when Mamí appeared in the doorway.
“Are you leaving already, mi hijita?” She leaned back against the frame as she studied me. “I didn’t expect you to go home this early.”
I couldn’t blame her assumption. Now that I didn’t have a traditional nine-to-five job, I didn’t have to rush home. Yet here I was, eager to be on the road.
Clearing my throat, I said, “I’m just tired and want to sleep in my own bed.”
“Is someone going to be joining you in that bed?”
The gasp I let out was so loud I was surprised the rest of the family didn’t come running to see what was wrong. But for her part, my mother arched a judgmental brow.
“Mamí,” I whispered, horrified. “Why would you say that?”
“Because I have two eyes in my head and a lick of sense in my brain. I’ve watched how that man has you tied up in knots.
” My mother reached over and grabbed my hands.
“Please be careful, nena. I don’t know what’s going on between you and Alex, and him and Caitlin, and Caitlin and you, but someone’s going to get hurt. ”
That someone would probably be me.
Unable to meet her eyes, I stared at our clasped hands. “I don’t know what’s going on, either. I just know that I—”
Like a steel trap, my throat clamped shut, and I opened and closed my mouth fruitlessly.
“Ay, mi hijita.” Mamí enfolded me in her embrace, my chin resting on her shoulder. “You can’t even say the words. Is your heart already engaged?”
I nodded, miserable.
“That’s what I thought.” She stroked my back. “Nena, you know I like Alex. He’s a nice young man, but Lord knows he’s too handsome for his own good. So I want you to consider something, mi amor.”
Pushing me back by the shoulders, Mamí waited until I met her gaze.
“If Alex is willing to mess around with you while dating Caitlin, what makes you think he won’t do the same to you?”