AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Because what happened to him was horrible, and he has every right to lash out.
Yet…I can’t help but feel this inferno consuming my soul whenever he acts out and all his outbursts affect me.
Sometimes…
Sometimes I hate my brother.
As his internal scars hurt everyone, but most of all me.
And it’s a secret I can never tell anyone but you.
From Florian’s emails to Jimena…
Wipe away your tears, princess, and wear your prettiest dress for tomorrow’s performance.
You won’t be there alone because I’ll be in the crowd.
You didn’t think I’d miss it, did you?
While you do all that…forgive your brother for being selfish.
As sometimes selfishness is our only source of comfort when madness and agony imprison our souls.
Jimena
“Hotness overload.” Luna fans herself while sweeping her gaze over the guys, and we step away from my parents. “They’re responsible for a lot of my dreams, if you know what I mean.” She wiggles her brows at me as I finish my drink. “It’s a crime that none of them are taken.” She sighs, pressing her glass to her cheek. “Such good genes going to waste.”
I make a face at her while grabbing a pecan from the nearby table and popping it in my mouth, needing to munch on something as nervousness washes over me because they move toward us at full speed, ready to welcome me back home. “Control yourself, woman. One of them is my brother, and I do not want to hear how hot he is.” I shudder in disgust, and she laughs, reaching for the peaches, but deep down, I know she feels nothing for them.
One of the reasons she’s my best friend, compared to most girls in my circle, is that she never tried to befriend me to get close to one of the guys.
“I’m surprised you’re not sprinting to Florian and jumping in his arms like you’ve always done.” She frowns and narrows her eyes on me while I munch on another nut, hoping my blank expression gives nothing away.
Confessing my little secret, even to my best friend, seems like such a disaster so I prefer to keep my mouth shut.
Being pathetic and idiotic is one thing. Letting people know that about yourself is quite another.
We Cortezes are very proud people, and my pride holds me together as my heart breaks over and over again into tiny little pieces the closer they get.
Have you lost your mind, Jimena? What the fuck are you doing?
My hands clench at the familiar harsh voice in my ears, pulling me back to a time one year ago when I gambled on love and lost. The invisible scars imprinted on my soul are still hurting, and sometimes it feels as if nothing would ever heal them.
Because I lost the one person who was always there for me, and in this, I became truly alone. And is there a scarier feeling than that of loneliness?
“I’m nineteen now, and he’s thirty. I don’t think it’s appropriate to do that. Might start unwanted rumors.”
She blinks at my excuse. “Rumors? What kind of rumors? That you’re in love with him or something?” She barks out a laugh, snagging another peach, and freezes as her jaw drops. “Oh no. Jimena!”
I have no time to respond to her realization because my brother reaches us in two short strides and lifts me up in a hug. “Hola, hermanita.” His deep voice eases some of my earlier anxiety, and he places me back on the floor, palming my head and grinning at me. “Cómo estás?” Like always, all his attention focuses on me whenever this question leaves his mouth, daring me to lie to him.
Something I’ve never learned to do, and as a result, a lot of people got their asses kicked whenever they upset me. Santiago takes protectiveness to another level.
Covering his hands on my cheeks with mine, I muster up all my courage and say the truth, even if it’s still a lie in some way. “Happy to be back home.”
“That’s where you belong.” He kisses me on the forehead. “Let’s have breakfast together tomorrow, all right?”
My brother might be an asshole to everyone around him, but he has a soft spot for me, so despite the guilt rocking me, I nod. “Sure. But you need to behave tonight.” His body grows tense next to me as indifference settles on his features, alarming and scary in its nature, and I’m glad I’m his little sister.
