Page 71 of Raspados & Regret

“I have sensitive skin.”

Anita rolls her eyes and says, “You have sensitive judgment.”

Fatima grabs at my glasses, and I dodge the baby hand. “Control your child.”

My sister adjusts her daughter but stares at me. “She’s just trying to get a better look at tío’s bad decisions.”

“I’m going to tell Julio you said he still reads like subtitles are chasing him.”

“He knows,” she deadpans.

“I swear to God, your marriage is built on bullying.” I chuckle.

“And yours is going to be built on crop tops and denial.”

I blink. “Marriage?”

She grins wider.

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Absolutely not. We’re not doing that. It was one kiss.”

“Was it?” She purses her lips and gives my neck a once over.

“One kiss,” I repeat, my voice cracking only a little.

Her eyes narrow. “Why’d you say it like a liar?”

“I said it like a man with privacy.”

“You live here,” she snorts. “You gave up your right to privacy when you moved back home.”

“It’s temporary⁠—”

“You’ve been saying ‘temporary’ since you were twenty-four.”

Fuck, she has a point. “That’s because rent is violent in the Bay Area.”

She reaches toward my neck, and I slap her hand away. “Don’t touch it.”

“Awww. You’re protecting it?” she says with that saccharine tone that makes me want to vomit.

“No.”

Jesus fucking Christ, if this is how the day is starting, I’m going to call in sick and go back to bed.

“You like it,” she says, pushing past me into the bathroom, and starts digging through the top drawer of the vanity.

“I like when people respect boundaries,” I gasp. “Like how you should get out of the bathroom when someone’s using it.”

“Sorry, hermanito, crashing out in the bathroom because you like that Fabián put his mouth on you is not an acceptable reason to hog the bathroom.”

My face heats up, and Anita gasps like she just won bingo.

“You do,” she says. “Don’t you?”

“Get. Out.” I hiss through gritted teeth.

“Pero… are you blushing?”