I only had him for a few hours. Now I ache for him. This pain—this distance, this absence—it’s unbearable.
I clutch the quilt to my chest, sobbing beneath the weight of his absence.
A cool palm presses against my cheek.
My eyes fly open.
He wipes the tears from my temple, his thumb grazing my skin with impossible gentleness.
“You didn’t leave.” My voice is thick with tears.
He sits on the bed beside me and cups my face in both hands, thumbs brushing away the last of my tears.
“I have no intention of leaving anytime soon, Princess.”
I cover his hands with mine. “You’re serious?”
“Have I ever not been serious?”
I laugh softly and kiss his palm. He leans down and kisses my lips lightly, then my forehead, cheek, jaw, neck.
I slide my hands over his bare chest, tracing the hard planes. Feeling the tightness of his muscles beneath his skin.
He pulls back, eyes blazing. “Don’t tempt me into fucking you this early, Princess.”
I smile, but it vanishes when a knock comes at my door.
I sit up, pushing at Salvario’s chest. He rises with infuriating calm, hands me my clothes from the floor, and walks into the closet. I quickly dress, run a hand through my hair, and stumble out of bed.
Another knock comes just as I reach the door, but then I remember how Avi reacted when she saw me and my room.
I bolt to the bathroom and look at my face.
Holy shit.
My neck is blooming with purple marks. My lips are swollen, bruised. It won’t take more than one look for anyone to know I had sex.
I open the drawer and quickly mix the ingredients for my face mask, then tie my hair in a bun and slather the solution over my face and neck—covering every mark. I don’t wait for it to dry or even settle before rushing back to the bedroom and smoothing the sheets.
Finally, I open the door.
No one.
I walk downstairs. Ma’s voice drifts from the kitchen. I head there.
She looks at me. “We’re leaving. Take care of yourself. If you get lonely here, ask your dad to send you to San Diego or take you to DC.”
I nod, doing my best to hide the joy on my face. I almost forgot about their trip after... well, after having my mind blown.Now I wonder, did Salvario know about this, or is it just coincidence?
Whatever. Who cares?
For a week, Ma and Pa will be gone. I’ll live here alone.
I hug Ma tight, keeping my face angled away from her.
“I’ll miss you, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just hang out with Rosie and wander the house like a ghost.”
She chuckles.
