Page 53 of No Merciful Corruption

I watch her defenses dissolve in real time. Her face crumbles and falls apart, creases forming between her brows and lines around her mouth and eyes as she struggles not to cry. A tremor runs through her body and her shoulders shake with the effort to contain herself. Mere seconds pass and in the time it took for the walls around her to dissipate like seafoam against a rocky shore, they take form again. Lava rises until it solidifies into the hardest volcanic rock which she uses to fortify herself.

Karina and I have always been the same that way. But where I lash out, she shuts in.

The bell rings and it’s the perfect escape.

“I forgot.” She gets up. “We ordered Chinese.”

* * *

We’re halfway through our meal when the doorbell rings again. At first I wonder who it could be when I remember I texted Alejandro to pick me up.

“Crap,” I look around the kitchen for a clock. My phone is charging in the living room. “Is it three o’clock already?”

“Is it Alex?” she walks over to the window above the sink and pulls back the curtain. “Is that his car pulling into the driveway?”

“It’s a rental.” I say. “Sorry, I forgot to⁠—”

“It’s fine.” She offers a small smile. “I’ll tell him to come in.”

Karina uses the side door and waves at him from the top of the stairs. They lead down to a paved driveway and beyond that a small but pretty backyard decorated with chairs, tables, and an umbrella all covered for the winter. Alejandro steps out of the car and comes up to greet her with a kiss on the cheek and Karina pulls him in for a hug. They exchange words briefly and Alejandro must’ve made her laugh because she comes back inside with a smile.

“You know, I forgot much I liked hot European boyfriend,” she says.

“Not European,” he corrects. “But thank you.”

“We ordered Chinese.” I extend a carton of Lo Mein. “Not bad for Jersey.”

Karina opens one of the cabinets and grabs a plate. “She acts like Jersey isn’t a hop, skip, and a jump away from the island of Manhattan! There’s good food here too.”

“Meh.” I crinkle my nose.

Alejandro removes his coat and places it on the back my chair. He leans down and kisses me. “The fried rice looks good.”

Karina puts down another place setting on the dinette table as Alejandro washes his hands. When he returns, it’s to a healthy serving of food on his plate and the three of us eat in a comfortable silence.

“How was the traffic?” Karina asks.

“Not too bad. The Holland wasn’t backed up for once.”

“How have you guys liked living in New York the last year?” she pours herself another cup of soda. “Do you plan on going back to Barcelona any time soon?”

I haven’t told Karina that Alex and I have only recently gotten back together. Somehow, my relationship problems seemed so insignificant compared to hers. Mentioning it now would’ve been in poor taste. In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter.

Alejandro looks to me for direction and I come up with something on the fly. “We have a house on 92nd Street. You should come visit us sometime.”

She looks up from her plate and smiles a real smile for the first time in what feels like ages. “I’d really like that.”

“How about this weekend?” He suggests. “We could⁠—”

A loud screeching sound followed by a bang draws our attention outside.

Alejandro is already on guard and rising from his seat.

“What the Hell was that?” I glance outside the windows.

“I…I don’t know.” Karina pushes her chair out with trembling hands. “Where⁠—”

“Karina?” the voice is coming from the front of the house. “Karina!”