“Right, yeah, I’ll whip out a nice Devil’s food cake in the hotel microwave. No problem.”
“Ingenuity, thy name is Tristan. I have to go. Good luck, everything’s copacetic, you know nothing.”
And she hung up. Tristan set the phone aside and leaned back on the bed. “My sister’s piece-of-shit husband broke into my house and tried to attack her or take her or something.”
“Shit. Is everything good?”
“Surprisingly, yes. My kitchen took the worst beating.” He swallowed down a surge of icy panic at that thought. “And Lucia called the cops on his ass this time, so maybe he won’t get off scot-free.”
“It sounds like it went as well as a home break-in possibly could.”
Yeah. Yeah, it had. Tristan grabbed Henry’s hand and held it tight. “It’s weird, you know? She did what I wanted her to do all this time, and all I can think about is how I should have been there. Though honestly, it’s probably better that I wasn’t. Our friend Karen’s staying there, and she maced his ass when he went after Lucia. I don’t own mace.”
“Okay, so look at it straight on, then. She’s fine and you’re here doing what you love. Plus, if she called the cops, maybe he’ll get the message this time.”
“Maybe.” But his baby sister had been left to deal with her abusive husband alone because he’d gone to this baking show.
“You’re where you need to be. I don’t buy into any kind of God and Jesus crap, but I believe there’s an energy to the universe. There’s potential, and there’s places where we make choices that are important. You being here was an important choice. You’re going to be a hit on TV, assuming this show takes off, which is going to help you make the money to support her through this. And you met me, which... you know, not to be an egotist, but I’m pretty great.”
Tristan chuckled. A little chuckle, but it was there. “You are pretty great. And I know this is the best place to be, if I’m totally objective. But it still feels like I should have been there for Lucia. At least beenavailable.”
On cue, his phone rang. It was a call from home. Henry smiled and winked at him. “You seem available to her. Now that she needs you.”
Henry was right. Talking to her was all he’d be able to do at home. It wouldn’t be any different over the phone. And now that she was definitely going to be staying with him longer term—he had every intention of insisting once she came clean about what happened—he needed the money from this competition even more. Not to mention for the repairs to his apartment, maybe a divorce lawyer if she was finally cutting Robert all the way off.
Henry silently disappeared into the bathroom, and Tristan picked up. “Hi, Lucia.”
She started with a heavy sigh. “So I assume when Karen went to wash her hands for fifteen minutes, she was filling you in on everything?”
“Thatwas her excuse? I promised her I’d feign ignorance, but you’d think she could give me a better lie to work with.”
“I knew she’d call you as soon as I told her not to.”
“Hey, go easy on her. Slayer of giant angry men, right?”
Lucia laughed. “Yeah. I guess I can give her this one. But I was going to call as soon as I was done talking to the cops.”
“Well, it’s done, now.” Tristan tapped his fingers on the end table. “So you’re okay?”
“You know something, Tristan? I haven’t felt this good in years. Probably not since I married Robert. Standing up to him, like, calling the cops to finally fucking report him? It’s... amazing.” Though he didn’t miss the clot in her throat, the telltale shake in her voice.
“I’m glad you did it. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to see him getting maced.”And to support you.
“I’m not. It made me stand up on my own two feet and... Goddamn it, Tristan, I’ve been an idiot.”
“Lucia—”
“No, Tristan. I’ve been a complete moron for the past six years with that bastard. And you constantly put up with me.” Her voice thickened further. “You never told me to leave him or pressured me. You just gave me your stupid hide-a-bed until I dumbed up enough to go get back with him.”
“First of all, you’re not an idiot, you’re not a moron, and you didn’t dumb up enough to go back. Robert is an abusive shit-bag. What happened is onhimnot on you. And second of all, that’s what I had to do. You needed space, and I needed to be in your life. And in case no one’s told you yet, you’re brave as fuck for standing up to him.” He needed to tread carefully on the next part. “And if you ever do go back—”
“I’m done with him, Tristan.” For the first time in the whole conversation, her voice bit out, fiery and sharp. “I’ll swear it on Our Lady of Guadalupe if I have to, but I’m not going back to Robert.”
“Swear it on Tia and I’d believe it more than you swearing on the Virgin Mary.”
She didn’t hesitate one second. “Done. I swear on the soul of Tia Conseulo, Robert can rot in Hell before Ievertake him back. I’m filing for the restraining order tomorrow as soon as the county clerk opens up.” She cleared her throat. “Also, like, until I can get everything squared away, I don’t really want to go back to that house. Other than to get some stuff I left so Robert doesn’t destroy too much of it, but I’ll have Karen for that—”
“You can stay on my hide-a-bed, as long as you admit it’s not stupid.”
