My parents greet me as I enter, smiles on their faces, completely unaware of the chaos that unraveled last night. No signs of panic, no sharp questions—just the soft murmur of their usual small talk.
I had texted Dad from Gabriel’s, letting him know I’d be staying the night. But still, a part of me expected my mom to bombard me with questions the second I walked through the door. She’s always so nosy, especially when it comes to Gabriel.
“Did you have a good time last night?” Mom asks, her voice light and casual as if nothing’s wrong. She glances at my dad, who’s already buried in his newspaper, one hand lazily stirring a cup of coffee. The clink of his spoon against the ceramic mug blends with the familiar scent of Italian food filling the air.
I force a smile, the muscles in my face feeling tight. “Yeah, it was nice,” I say, keeping my tone as easy as theirs. Relief loosens the knot in my stomach. I don’t linger—just a couple of nods and polite chuckles before I make my escape upstairs. Each step feels lighter, the distance between me and their questions a necessary buffer.
Shutting the door behind me, I let out a sigh of relief. Thank God. They didn’t know. They didn’t have to worry.
I flop down onto my bed, the mattress sinking beneath me like it’s trying to swallow my exhaustion whole. My phone catches my eye—its screen cracked from last night, a reminder of everything I want to forget. Great. Just what I need, another thing to deal with. Swiping through the notifications, I quickly clear the missed calls from Gabriel and the rest of the guys. But my attention sticks to the missed calls and texts from Adriana.
I hit call before I can second-guess myself, the trill of the outgoing ring pulsing in my ear, my heart matching its rhythm. After the second ring, she answers, bombarding me with a flood of questions—no buffer, no warning.
“Are you okay? Julio called last night and said you were missing, but he wouldn’t give me any details,” she huffs. “He said you and Gabe got into a fight, and you weren’t answering your phone, but seriously, where the hell have you been? I get ignoring the guys—if Gabriel was being an asshole, I’d ignore him too,” she grumbles, her tone softening as she adds, “But you didn’t answer me either. What gives? And don’t lie. Are you okay?”
I consider making something up or blowing off the question, but lying to Adriana doesn’t sit right with me. Besides, I’m tired of carrying this by myself.
“Well …” My chest tightens, hesitation curling in my gut. I can just tell her. She won’t be mad like Gabriel. At least, I don’t think she will. I doubt she’ll be happy but—Screw it.I need to tellsomeone, and Adriana is the safest option I have. She’s the least likely to judge me for it and the most likely to understand.
I take a breath and dive in, giving her the quick version of last night’s events. “Gabriel and I went to his mom’s wedding, and … well, she definitely wasn’t thrilled to see him.”
Adriana’s response is immediate, but her tone remains steady. “That sucks,” she says, her voice even, controlled. I know she’s absorbing it, processing it in her own quiet way. She and Gabe used to be close, so she’s already familiar with the messy dynamic between him and his parents.
“Yeah, it wasn’t great. I could see how much it hurt him, and I tried talking to him, but he was just ... pissed. Really pissed. He lashed out, blamed me for the whole thing going sideways.” I pause, feeling the sting of those words again.
“Of course he did,” Adriana says, her voice so matter-of-fact it almost stings. “Like you could’ve known his mom was gonna act like that.”
“I know, right?” I huff, rubbing my temples. “But he was hurt, so he lashed out at me. You know how it goes. Hurt people, hurt people.”
Adriana lets out a soft exhale, not quite a sigh. “Yeah, I get it.” There’s a beat of silence before she adds, “You’re a lot more forgiving than I’d be. I wouldn’t have let him off that easy.”
I try to laugh, but it comes out weak. “It’s fine now. He apologized. I get why he was upset, and I don’t hold it against him.” I hesitate, knowing the next part is going to hit harder. “But that’s not even the worst of it.”
Adriana’s voice stays neutral, like she’s waiting. “There’s more?”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “After he stormed off, he sent me home with Felix. I was upset, too, so when I got home, I went for a walk to clear my head.” I hesitate again, chewing on my bottom lip. “That’s when things really went south.”
“South how?” Her tone remains calm, but I can sense the subtle shift—she’s on alert now, piecing things together.
I take a deep breath. “Austin’s mom found me. Cornered me while I was alone.”
Adriana doesn’t react at first, just a pause that stretches longer than I expect. “What do you mean, shefoundyou?”
“I was going for a walk. She pulled up with her driver and sorta cornered me on the side of the road. I tried to walk away, but they made it pretty clear I didn’t have a choice.” I swallow hard. “So, I got in the car.”
Another pause. Then, Adriana says quietly, “You got in the car with her.” It’s not a question. More like she’s repeating the words to herself, trying to make sense of them.
“I didn’t have a choice,” I explain, the defensiveness creeping into my voice despite myself. “Trust me, I didn’twantto. But she wasn’t giving me any other option.”
Adriana’s response is slow, deliberate. “Okay. So what did she want?”
“She was freaking out because Austin made bail, and they couldn’t find him. She wanted to make sure he wouldn’t come after me. Not because she gives a shit about me, obviously. But so Austin doesn’t land himself in more hot water. So, she kept me with her until her husband tracked him down.”
A low exhale escapes Adriana. “She kept you with her,” she repeats, her voice steady, though I can hear the tension beneath it. “And you’re okay?”
“Yeah,” I say quickly, needing to reassure her. “I’m fine. She didn’t hurt me. But she talked about this plea deal. Five years for Austin, three for Gregory and Parker. Court-ordered therapy for all of them when they get out.”
Adriana is quiet for a moment. When she finally speaks, her voice is calm, but I sense the shift in her energy. “And you’re considering it.”
