Chapter 17
Bacon sizzling in a pan woke Esmie from her troubled dreams. She sat up on the lumpy couch, it happened to be very comfortable, which was why she knocked out the way she did.
Between that and the crazy past day and a half she had, exhaustion had crept up on her, pulling her under its spell.
Esmie stretched, noting the gray morning hues reflecting on the large glass panes.
In the building across from Leo’s apartment, figures roamed about in different stages of getting ready.
That’s right! She was in Leo’s apartment.
Esmie popped up off the couch, spun around, and froze. It wasn’t Leo in the kitchen cooking breakfast. Instead, Samson wore a tight black tank top with semi-baggy sweatpants. Esmie forced her gaze back to Samson’s face as he peered over at her and flashed her a brilliant smile.
“Where’s Leo?”
“Well good morning to you too, sunshine. Or is it buenos días? Hasta ma?ana?” Esmie swallowed her giggle at Samson’s scrunched up face. At least his accent was on point.
“It’s buenos días or buen día.” Esmie glanced toward Leo’s bedroom which was empty.
“Your brother left early this morning to grab some things for you from your mom. She insisted on coming over to give them to you, so he went to her to avoid the showdown.” Samson pointed to the hallway where a small suitcase sat upright against the wall between Leo’s bedroom and bathroom. “Then he rushed off to work.”
“You don’t have to rush in?” While Esmie didn’t want to be left alone in the apartment all day, she also wasn’t sure how she felt about being here alone with Samson. It’s not that she didn’t trust him to be alone together, she just didn’t trust herself not to act a fool in front of him.
“Nope. I get to work more in the field than Leo does. Today is a work from home day, which will be a mix between working and helping you control your powers.” Samson plated eggs, bacon, and toast then set it on the small counter.
“Breakfast is ready. Go freshen up and we’ll get started after you eat.
You’ll need the energy. I’ll make you a café con leche,” he said it more as a question than a statement. Esmie smiled and nodded.
Samson turned back to the stove, making another plate which he set aside before pulling out the coffee machine.
Esmie grabbed her suitcase. Entering the small bathroom, she glanced in the mirror then covered her hands with her face.
Her hair was a tangled mess, fluffed out in a triangle, and her face needed a good wash.
Great. This was what she was afraid of. Already she looked ridiculous in front Samson whom she couldn’t get out of her head, or her life for that matter.
She hoped Mamá packed her makeup since she thought Esmie would be going for an interview, although hiding the purple around her eyes would be difficult.
Pulling out her toothbrush, Esmie contemplated her situation.
Samson and Leo wanted her to control her powers.
Did this mean they weren’t sure if they could reverse the effects of purple glass?
Living the rest of her life with a purple slash across her eyes wasn’t appealing.
How could she explain it away? She could afford to miss a couple days of school, but with this being her last year in college, she didn’t know if she could afford to miss the rest of the semester.
Then again, school was the least of her worries.
If Mamá ever caught wind of this, Esmie would never see the light of day.
Opening the bathroom door, Esmie almost tripped on a folded towel on the floor.
She snuck a glance to find Samson cleaning up the kitchen.
For a moment she thought she saw cutlery floating in the air, but on her double take, they were firmly in Samson’s grasp.
Snatching up the towel, she dashed across the hall to the shower.
The hot water flow eased the tension in her shoulders and head.
While her migraine had mostly subsided, the area behind her eyes still felt tender as if the awful migraine would come back any minute.
Esmie eyed the towel hanging on a hook next to the glass shower door.
Her thoughts trailed to Samson, a mysterious handsome stranger who didn’t feel much like a stranger.
Thinking back, even to the first time Esmie laid eyes on Samson in Nightcrawler, he had a presence about him.
Yes, he irritated her at times, but she couldn’t deny her attraction to him, not only to his appearance, but to his calm strength.
For Leo to leave him alone with her also spoke volumes to Samson’s character.
Her brother was the typical overprotective type when it came to boyfriends.
Not that she really had any. She told Leo everything, including any crush she had, which he would always go on about how they weren’t good enough for her.
He was usually right, but with Samson it was different.
They…clicked, almost the same way Leo and her got along, without the attraction of course.
Losing the purple slash on her face might take away the incredible powers she had, but it also might remove Samson from her life.
Did she want Samson out of her life? Esmie shook her head.
It would be much better for her if he was, as she didn’t have time for a relationship, and she wasn’t looking for one.
Even imagining being in a relationship with him was ridiculous.
She needed to focus on getting her life back to normal.
Finish school, get a great internship and begin her life the way she had been told by her parents for so many years.
Besides, Samson probably didn’t even think of her that way, and here she was fawning over her brother’s best friend. Stupid crush.
Toweling herself off, Esmie gathered her things and went back to the bathroom, to put on makeup and fix her hair.
Fingering her wavy curls, she stared at herself in the mirror.
The makeup did nothing to hide the purple streak on her face, but it did help with some of the blotches on the hollow of her cheeks and her chin.
It was the best she could do. Donning yoga pants, a t-shirt and feeling refreshed she stepped out to join Samson in the living room.
“Here. Take these. They will help eliminate any residual effects of the radiation sickness.” Samson handed her two white pills.
“I could have had pills instead of being injected?” Esmie’s eyebrows rose, but she took the pills and glass of water Samson held out and gulped them down.
“No, we still needed to inject you because the injection removes the sickness faster. It’s more potent. The pills only finish the job.”
“Gotcha.” Esmie shuddered upon remembering the injection. She abhorred needles. Samson waited until she sat down, before giving her a plate of food. She thanked him then practically inhaled it. The café con leche warmed her throat. She sighed in delight.
“That good?” Samson chuckled.
“I’m so sorry, I promise I eat more lady-like than this. Not eating dinner last night made me famished.” Heat rose to her face. Why couldn’t she get it together in front of him?
“No worries. There are leftovers from dinner in the fridge. We can have them for lunch.” Esmie nodded, grateful.
Samson joined her in eating but at a much slower pace.
When they finished, he stood up, taking both plates.
Before going back to the kitchen, he reached in his pocket and held out an object.
“Leo fixed your phone. Put the anti-tracking software in and encrypted it. You can use it again. Before we get started you can check your messages. I’ll take care of the dishes. ”
Esmie took the phone as if it was a treasured object.
“Thank you! I probably have a ton of messages to go through.” Samson washed the dishes while Esmie answered texts from Mindy, Tessa, and Mamá.
Mindy and Tessa were worried about not hearing from her since the club incident.
They thought her mother found out and had grounded her for life. Esmie chuckled at their group text.
After reassuring them she was fine and giving them the same lie Leo told their mother, so everyone was on the same page, she sobered at the realization this was another piece of her life impacted by purple glass.
She missed her friends. Not being able to confide in them, this very horrific event happening in her life made her feel utterly alone.
Putting the phone on the arm rest, Esmie pulled her knees into her chest.
“Finished?”
“What?” Esmie jerked at finding Samson standing in front of her. He pointed at the phone. Esmie’s brow furrowed and she bit her lip. “Oh. Yeah, I’m finished.”
Samson’s warm gaze stayed on her. She knew she should get up to start whatever he had in store, but the sorrow squeezing her heart wouldn’t let her. It encased her in a swirl of ruminating thoughts she couldn’t figure out how to push past.
“Why does Leo call you Quita?” Samson’s question stopped the tornado of emotions in her mind. Esmie shook her head, fully pulling herself from her dark thoughts. He sat on the loveseat, facing her and leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. She had his full attention. Wonderful.
“When I was little, I loved lady bugs. I tried to keep one as a pet but since they are endangered now, we aren’t allowed to have them.
When I found out, I was inconsolable. My following birthday, Papi bought me a ladybug dress and Mamá put my hair in two pigtails on top of my head with matching ladybug clips.
Once I was dressed and ready to go, they took Leo and I to the ladybug sanctuary, where I got to spend the day walking around this enclosed dome, with ladybugs everywhere.
It was the best day of my life.” Esmie smiled.
“What does ladybug have to do with Quita?” Samson’s quizzical expression broadened her smile.
“Well, afterward I demanded to wear the ladybug dress every day and put my hair in pigtails with the matching clips. When Papi and Mamá wouldn’t help me, I made Leo help.
He started calling me Mariquita, which is Spanish for ladybug, but he couldn’t say it right, so he called me Quita for short.
The nickname stuck, even though he’s the only one allowed to call me that.
” Esmie laughed remembering how Leo’s child tongue couldn’t wrap around the full name mariquita.
She didn’t mind because she really did want to be a mariquita.
Esmie glanced up to find Samson smiling at her.
“I love that for you both. To have such a close brother and sister relationship.”
“Do you not have siblings?” Esmie was glad to shift the conversation from her to him.
“No, unfortunately not. My father died when I was incredibly young. My mother never remarried. He was the love of her life.”
“Their love sounds beautiful although, I’m sorry about your father.” Esmie placed a hand over her heart.
“Thank you. I don’t know much about him but the stories I do know are from what my mom told me.
I’m not exactly sure where we came from, something about an island not far from the mainland, but they used to speak Spanish together.
When he died, she stopped speaking it. I only remember a few phrases.
Leo has been cool enough to teach me more.
It’s been slow going but I’m getting it.
” Samson brushed his shoulders off. Esmie laughed.
“I can help you too while I’m here.”
“Let’s focus on you controlling your powers first, and letting me have my bed back, then we’ll revisit this.” Samson smirked and winked. Esmie leapt up from the couch staring in horror between him and it.
“I-I didn’t mean to take it. I’m so sorry. You should have said something sooner.” Esmie stomped her foot. Samson replied with a deep belly laugh.
“No worries. It wasn’t on purpose or anything, although I’d like it back.
It may not be much but it’s mine. Plus, I think my frame is a bit too tall for this loveseat and you looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you.
” He grinned at her crossed arms. The thought of them both sleeping in the living room together, only a foot apart, horrified her even more.
She hoped she hadn’t snored or done anything else humiliating.
Samson pulled out a stack of blankets and towels.
“Come on, let’s get started. First, help me cover up these windows.
The glass is reflective in the daytime, but I don’t want to take any chances when it comes to you practicing. We don’t need any nosey onlookers.”
Samson moved toward the window, his back muscles flexing on full display in his tank top. Esmie gulped. If that’s how he looked just walking, how would he look while they worked together? Hiding her attraction for him wasn’t going to be easy. This was going to be a long day.