Page 57 of Mutual Discord

We spent a few more minutes on the summit, and I took several pictures of Alex and Camila with the valley unfurled behind them. When Alex asked another hiker to take a photo of the three of us together, I held my protests…and then later held my breath as Alex draped his arm across my shoulders and pulled me into his side. And when he inspected the photo and said, “Me with two of my favorite ladies,” it took everything in me not to cry.

Which was why I was uncharacteristically quiet on the hike back down. Oh, I listened attentively to Camila’s impressions of Phoenix and the ways in which Alex had stayed busy since the end of the WNBA season. I even marveled at the easy dynamic between the two and the apparent affection the siblings shared for each other. It made me miss Javi fiercely, and I was thankful I would see him and Olivia in a few short weeks.

But as always, I knew I needed to hold myself back. Ideally, it would have been Caitlin who was on this hike with Alex and Camila. Caitlin sharing inside jokes with them and cuddling up to Alex because she was free to do so. Yet it was me here with the Castillo siblings, desperately aching to be a part of their unit without the specter of my best friend lingering over my shoulder.

When we reached the parking lot, I was not surprised that Alex insisted on walking me to my car. As I opened the back door and tossed my backpack inside, I tried to ignore how Alex propped his elbow on the top of the doorframe. It was obvious he was studying me, although his sunglasses still hid his gaze.

“Come to lunch with us,” he said simply.

“Yeah, Sofia,” Camila chimed in from behind him, “we’re going to stop at the hotel, shower, and change before heading to this Mexican restaurant I saw on social media. Please join us.”

My brow furrowed. “Hotel?”

Alex shrugged. “I booked us a suite at a resort in Scottsdale. I wanted to be able to explore this part of the valley without having to worry about fighting traffic to head home.”

“That’s smart,” I replied. Nibbling on the inside of my cheek, I knew I should say thanks, but no thanks. I had met Camila and spent time with them on the trail. No one could claim I wasn’t friendly and social with my best friend’s boyfriend and his family. I didn’t need to go to lunch with them, too.

Instead, I heard myself say, “Depending on where the restaurant is, I can probably meet you.”

“Yay,” Camila exclaimed, stepping forward to grasp my arm and shake it.

As for Alex, he simply nodded. “Good. I’ll send you a pin.”

—

An hour and a half later, I found myself in a booth in a dimly lit Mexican restaurant, my shoulder inches from Alex’s. I had assumed he would sit next to his sister, but when Alex went to slide into the booth next to Camila, she shook her head.

“You’re a righty and I’m a lefty, and I’m not about to sit next to you so you can bump my hand right when I’m taking a bite of enchilada.” She’d scowled at him before her expression turned sweet. “You can sit next to Sofia.”

Without a word, Alex slid into the seat next to me, his familiar scent rushing to drown my senses. This was a bad idea.

Gradually the conversation helped me relax, and soon I was finishing my club soda with lime and ordering a michelada.

“What’s a michelada?” Camila asked as the server walked away.

“It’s like a bloody beer,” I explained. “Bloody Mary mix or Clamato, your beer of choice, a squeeze of lime, various seasonings, and hot sauce. Depending on the bartender, it can be bland or a flavor combination that will have your eyes rolling into the back of your head.”

“It sounds orgasmic.” Camila let out a loud cackle when Alex choked on his beer.

Alex scowled at her as he wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Ay, Camila, I can’t take you anywhere.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re such a prude sometimes. Sofia didn’t even flinch at that.”

“I may not have a younger sister,” I rushed to explain, “but I have a good friend named Denise who takes particular delight in embarrassing me.”

“Well, I have to meet her. She sounds like a hoot,” Camila said.

“How is Denise doing? I haven’t seen her since that night we all got dinner.” Alex ran his finger around the rim of his beer glass. “We were supposed to go salsa dancing.”

“I want to go salsa dancing,” Camila interjected.

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot.” I glanced up at him. “I’ll talk to her about planning something. Although,” I said, turning to look at Camila, “I don’t think the club is open this week, but maybe we can plan something for the next time you visit.”

While Camila grumbled good-naturedly, Alex placed a hand on my arm, drawing my gaze. “That would be great. I’ll be back in town Tuesday of next week, and I’m free after that.”

I swallowed down the words that sprang to my tongue. Words like Where are you going? or Who will you be spending Thanksgiving with? But they stuck in my throat like peanut butter because I didn’t want to know the answers. Alex would probably be joining Caitlin in California to spend Thanksgiving with her family, and I didn’t want to hear him confirm my thoughts.

Instead, I nodded. “Maybe we can plan something for New Year’s?” I whipped my head to Camila. “Can you come back and celebrate New Year’s with us?”