โLooks like the reality TV princess finally decided to return to her tequila throne.โ Lorenzo drops into the stool beside me and places his whiskey glass on the counter.
โDonโt you have anything better to do with your time than hang out here?โ I scan the relatively empty bar.
He shrugs. โNot really.โ โYou need a job.โ
His brow rises. โAt eight p.m. on a Tuesday?โ โHow about a hobby, then?โ
โDoes plotting against my enemies count?โ
My brows rise. โYou have enemies? In Lake Wisteria?โ
He laughs into his glass, although the sound comes off as chilling and haunted rather than warm and hearty.
โWhat areย youย doing here?โ he asks before I have a chance to follow up. โMeeting up with my sister.โ I check my phone for the third time within
the last ten minutes. When I called for an emergency girlsโ night, Lily suggested we meet at Last Call after she closed the shop for the night, claiming she was craving their curly fries.
โLily, right?โ
I turn to glare at him. โWhy are you asking?โ
He ignores my question and asks one of his own. โIs she single?โ My eyes narrow. โNo.โ
โHm. Whoโs the guy?โ
โJesus, so donโt bother hitting on her.โ
โShe wants to become a nun?โ
โClose. Virgin until marriage.โ I swallow back a giggle before it gives me away.
Lorenzoโs upper lip curls with disgust. โGreat.โ I wave Henry over and order two seltzers.
A few minutes later, the door to the bar slams open, and my sister barrels inside wearing my favorite winter coat and stolen designer boots. She shrugs it off with a shiver, revealing another one of my outfits.
โI could kill her.โ
Lorenzoโs eyes darken as they trail down my sisterโs body. I swat the back of his head. โStop checking out my sister!โ
He drains the rest of his whiskey before raising his hand to request another.
My eyes roll as I slide off the barstool and drag Lily to the other side of the bar, far away from Lorenzoโs burning gaze.
โSince when are you friends with Lorenzo?โ she asks with a frown. โYou know him?โ
โNot really.โ Her nose twitches. โHe passes by the shop every Friday to pick up two custom bouquets.โ
โAnd?โ
She shrugs. โI donโt have a good feeling about him.โ
Maybe Julian was right about Lorenzo after all, and itโs best for us to stay far away.
At least Lily doesnโt seem interested in him.
Lily shimmies into the booth across from me. โSo, what was this emergency meeting for?โ
I pass the unopened vodka seltzer can. โIโm having a dilemma.โ She laughs to herself. โYouโre quite famous for them.โ
โIโm being serious.โ
My sister takes a sip of her drink after opening it. โAll right. Whatโs going on?โ
โI got an offer for a new show I pitched.โ
โCongrats!โ She taps her can against mine before locking eyes. โOr not?โ
I slump against the table. โItโs in San Francisco.โ โThatโs far.โ
My shoulders slump. โJulian says he is willing to moveโฆโ โBut you donโt believe him?โ
I fidget with my jacketโs zipper. โMore like Iโm afraid he will follow through with his promise.โ
Her head tilts. โNow Iโm confused. Shouldnโt that make you happy?โ
โI donโt want him to change his whole life for me.โ He could come to regret his decision and resent me in the process, and I donโt know if I would overcome that kind of heartbreak a second time.
Lily reaches for my hand. โHave you considered that he might not only be doing this for you but also for himself?โ
I stay quiet, and Lily fills the silence with another shocking revelation. โJulian has been saying he wants to scale back on his job for years, but he never made a move to do so, despite how obvious it was to everyone around him that he should.โ
I blink a few times. โReally?โ
โYes. So imagine how surprised we all were when he suddenly began working on a project with you, started visiting his construction sites more often, and canโt stop smiling when he speaks about working on new houses with youโsomething he hasnโt done in at least two years.โ
A lump forms in my tight throat. โHeโฆ Iโฆโ
Lily gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. โAnd donโt get me started on the carpentry thing. Everyone in town wonโt stop talking about how he was so jealous that he gave a guy a promotion to keep him away from you.โ
We both break out into laughter. โHow did they find out?โ I ask.
โThat carpenter he promoted lovesย chismeย more than Josefina.โ
I take a long sip from my seltzer can. โI didnโt ask Julian to do all that.โ โThatโs my point. He decided to do those things because they madeย him
happy, so why are you going to start doubting him and his choices now?โ
My gaze drops to the table. โBecause Iโm afraid he will come to regret them in the long run, once the honeymoon phase ends and reality comes knocking.โ
โWhat if he doesnโt?โ She leans back. โNo offense, but Iโm more concerned aboutย youย making the wrong one if you decide to push him away.โ
My brows rise. โWhat?โ
โMen like Julian donโt come often, so you should be thanking your lucky stars that he stayed in this small town, because if he had moved away, someone would have surely snatched him up by now. That much I know.โ
The idea of him being with someone else makes me physically ill.
Thatโs because you love him.
But if my love wasnโt enough to save a doomed relationship before, what makes this time any different?
Falling in love with Julian was easy, but forgiving myself and moving on from a past that still haunts me?
Damn near impossible.
Instead of going home, I drive over to Rafaโs house. Iโm not sure who is more surprised by my visitโme or himโalthough he welcomes me inside without making a big deal of it.
Nico and I spend five minutes catching up before Rafa orders him back to bed.
โLove you!โ Nico throws his arms around me for one last hug before running to his room.
โIโm sorry to stop by unannounced like this,โ I blurt out as Rafa steers me toward the living room.
โIt made Nico happy, so itโs fine, but donโt make a habit of it.โ I laugh. โWouldnโt dare.โ
โCan I get you something to drink? Weโve got water, aguas frescas, and alcohol.โ
โIโm good.โ
โSuit yourself.โ He drops onto the comfy leather seat across from the couch and pulls out his phone for the second time tonight.
I take a seat, my posture stiff, while he taps at the screen before swapping it for a beer.
โThanks again for not shooing me away or something.โ
โNot sure you would have left regardless.โ He lifts his beer in a mock toast. โSo, whatโs going on?โ
โI donโt know how to ask this without being rudeโโ
โWeโre practically family, so Iโm still obligated to forgive you regardless.โ
โFair point.โ
โDoes your visit have something to do with my cousin?โ he asks. I blink a few times. โSort of.โ
โI thought as much.โ
โBut itโs also aboutโฆyou knowโฆthe thing I told youโฆโ I stammer. โAbout not being able to have kids of your own?โ
I let out a sigh of relief. โYes.โ
โWhat about it?โ His tone remains nonchalant. โIโve been struggling with the news.โ
โUnderstandable. I had trouble coming to terms with a similar thing when Nico was diagnosed with his eye condition.โ
โAfter finding out about Nico, did youโฆโ I struggle to finish the sentence.
โThink about not wanting kids again?โ My shoulders slump. โYes.โ
โYup. It was impossible not to after learning my son is going blind because of a condition he inherited from my screwed-up family.โ
โThere was no way you could have known about some uncle having the same condition.โ
He takes a long sip of his drink. โIย knowย that, but parents have a tendency to feel guilty for whatever happens to their kids, whether itโs our fault or not.โ
My gaze drops. โI can only imagine.โ
โBut to answer your original question, I made the choice to get a vasectomy after I found out about Nicoโs condition.โ
My brows rise. โReally?โ
โIt felt like the responsible thing to do. If I ever want another childโbig emphasis on theย ifโIโll pay it forward and adopt.โ
โThat would make Josefina happy.โ
โShe would be happy withย anyย grandchild. Sheโs been hounding me for years about giving Nico a sibling, and yes, before you ask, she knows about my inability to have kids of my own anymore.โ Rafaโs piercing stare makes me feel like Iโm being picked apart.
I gather some courage to ask my second question. โDo you think Julian would care in the long run about not having his own child?โ
He takes so long to speak that I worry he wonโt bother answering me.
I speak up again. โIโm not sure if he has talked to you about wanting kids of his own or ifโโ
โIsnโt this something you should be asking him?โ โI have.โ
His eyes flicker over my face. โBut you donโt trust him?โ โI donโt trust myself, so itโs nothing personal.โ
His grip on the beer bottle tightens. โMy cousin has his faults, but he is a man of his word, so if he told you he doesnโt care about having biological kids, then he means it.โ
My throat dries up.
โBut I do remember him mentioning something along those lines a few times over the years.โ
โHe did?โ
โYeah. He and I donโt open up about our feelings often, but I know enough about his life before I came along to be comfortable saying it was rough.โ
My fingers turn white from the way I clasp my hands together. โI was too young to understand how much everything impacted him.โ
โJulian is great at channeling his emotions into other things.โ
โSo Iโm learning,โ I mutter under my breath.
โI know you donโt believe him, and I donโt blame you. People like you and meโฆweโre not the trusting type anymore, after being hurt the way we were.โ He stares off into the distance.
Watching him battle his demons is like staring at my reflection for the first time.
Goose bumps spread across my skin, and the hair on the back of my neck rises as I come to grips with my biggest fault.
I love Rafa, but I donโt want to end up like him, blaming myself for a failed relationship years later while struggling with trust issues.
God no.
Heavy pounding in the distance startles me. โAre you expecting someone else?โ
Rafa stands. โNo, but you are.โ