“Mmmhmm,” my niece assured me with an enthusiastic nod.
“Well, I’m sorry we can’t stay—but I’ll see you again soon, okay?”
Her shoulders slumped as she reminded me, “But abuela made your favorites.”
“I know. You’ll have to save me some.”
“I will.”
Looking to Jed, I held out my hand. He was quick to stand and take it. I didn’t hesitate, but headed for the door and pulled him through it with me. We didn’t stop until we reached the curb.
Before he kicked his leg over his bike, he asked, “You okay?”
“A bit mortified, but otherwise fine. I’m really sorry. I never thought—”
“Hey, don’t apologize.”
I frowned, still taken aback by mami’s behavior. “I’m so tempted to stand here and make excuses for her.”
“You love her. She loves you, too. Emotions were high. Situation you’re in is shit, and she was lookin’ for someone to blame. I was an easy target.”
“But you don’t deserve that!”
“Think you made that perfectly clear,” he said with a smirk. “Proud of you. Don’t imagine that was easy.”
I stared up at him in awe.
He was a Wild Stallion. He was my beautiful mammoth. He had a hard, resilient exterior. Of course, my mother’s words weren’t strong enough to leave a mark on the likes of him. He knew who he was, and he didn’t need me to stand up for him. Even still, he’d earned the right to be upset and he wasn’t. Not even a little.
With a shake of my head, I asked, “How is it that after everything you heard, you’re the one comforting me?”
“You’re focusin’ on the worst part. It won’t be long before I forget what she said about me—but whatyousaid? Darlin’, I hope I never forget it.”
My insides did that thing, elated that anything I said could mean so much to him. I took a step toward him, pressing my hands against his chest as I murmured, “I meant every word.”
“Right,” he drawled before moving to mount his hog. “Come on, gorgeous. We’ve got someplace to be.”
“We do?” I muttered with a furrowed brow.
“Yup. Bed. Naked. As fast as we can get there.”
The laugh that bubbled out of me took me by surprise, but I didn’t fight it or my man. Instead, I climbed on his hog and wrapped myself around him, wishing to go wherever he wanted to take me.
JedandIspentthe night mostly naked. He had his way with me in bed, then he fed me before feedingonme atop his dining room table.
Later, when I called Bella, I was in a far better mood than when I left the house. We talked for a while, and by the time we hung up, I realized I needed our chat as much as I needed Jed.
Apparently, after our rapid departure, I missed quite the argument between mami and Alejo. Part of me felt guilty for that—the part of me that had been trying to protect everyone all the time. I wanted to protect Alejandro from himself. I wanted to protect mami from the darkest parts of an addict’s life. I’d spent years trying to shoulder every burden I didn’t think anyone else in the family was strong enough to hold, and I felt guilty for dumping the load in the middle of the kitchen before walking away.
But after talking to Bella, after hearing how mami stood up for me as she laid into Alejandro for the danger he put me in, it dawned on me that it was okay for me to let it go. It was okay that I didn’t have it in me to shoulder the weight of the world. It wasn’t my responsibility to carry everyone. I had my own life and my own problems. I could love and support my family without sacrificing myself in the process.
I had no idea where Alejandro and I stood or what it would take to heal our relationship, but I had to believe we’d be okay. He’d always be my best friend, no matter what. No one would ever be able to take his spot in my heart. We knew each other in ways no one else ever could—which meant we’d find our way back to each other. Somehow. It would just take time.
It was after ten when my phone rang. I was in bed, but I was alone, so I checked to see who it was. When I sawMamilight up my screen, I took a breath before I answered it.
“Hello?”
“Alexia…” She hesitated before she murmured, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I can say, but I am truly sorry for the way I acted tonight. I don’t know how to begin to make it up to you.”
