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“Maybe you shouldn’t have done that,” she snaps. So cheeky. She clearly didn’t learn this morning.
Lyle comes up behind me, and I hold a hand up to keep him at a distance. “What were you doing?”
“I wanted to speak to my family,” she barks. “I wanted to let them know I’m okay.”
“If you weren’t okay, they would know,” I snarl. “I would have sent you to them in pieces. That can still be arranged.”
She doesn’t say anything at first, then she stands. “I can’t believe what a monster you’ve turned into. You were so kind. How? How the fuck did you go from being such a kind, caring person to this fucking atrocity?”
I step into the office. “You made me this way, Kira. This is your doing.”
“How? What did I do that was so terrible, Miguel?”
“Is your memory so bad?” I wave for Lyle to come closer. “Did we really mean nothing to you?”
She looks taken aback, but before she can answer, I turn to Lyle. “Lock her in her room.”
I turn and leave. I can hear her arguing with Lyle, but I know he won’t put up with it. I take the stairs quickly and go into the library because I know there’s a stocked bar at the back of it. I pour myself a glass of whiskey and sit down at the bar, slowly sipping on the drink.
Thirteen Years Earlier
I can’t believe we’ve been together for two months already. Exams are fast approaching, but I spend most of my time studying with Kira. My frat brothers totally understand, and I make time for them when I’m at the house, but mostly I’m focused on my studies and Kira. My grades can’t slip, or my father will poke around and ask about it, but at the same time, Kira is just intoxicating.
It’s really early in the morning, but I want to get to Kira’s dorm to walk her to class. The day promises to be glorious, with lots of sunshine and no clouds. It seems like such a waste to spend it indoors with old professors lecturing on shit we already know from textbooks. A plan formulates in my mind.
I wait outside for Kira, who comes out a few minutes after I arrive. She kisses me softly. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I murmur before kissing her again. “Listen, I have an idea.”
“You always have an idea,” she giggles, and the sound fills me with unexplainable joy.
“I know, but you have to trust me with this one. Why don’t we skip today? Just go to Central Park, lie on the grass, eat some hot dogs, and spend the day together.” I grin mischievously.
“We can’t just skip class,” she says. “Besides, it’s such a risk to go off campus. What if one of our family members sees us together.”
“I doubt your family knows who I am, and I doubt my family knows who you are, so we would be fine. Besides, our families don’t come from this side, really. Their businesses are all on the other side of New York. I mean, the reason we both came here is that they don’t really have influence here.”
She looks up at me and bites her lip. “I guess.”
“Come on,” I take her hand, “I promise it’s going to be an awesome day.”
Kira squeezes my hand and smiles. “Okay, let me go put my textbooks away. Give me yours I’ll stash them in my room. Kerri has gone home for the week so that she won’t notice.”
I grin and wait for her. Once she’s back, we head off campus. No one stops us, and we are both nervous and excited. I call a cab, I could take my car, but I don’t want it to be recognized. We climb into the cab and tell the driver to go to Central Park, and then we snuggle down together.
Kira strokes the back of my hand softly.
I pay the driver, and we go into the park. We spend the day resting under the trees, talking about our dreams and what we want for our futures. What we wish we could actually study. We steal kisses, and once or twice, a little more, with a brush of fingers. I get us hot dogs and soda for lunch, and soon enough, we’re just relaxing in a quiet part of the park. She’s sitting with her back to the tree, my head is in her lap, and my eyes are closed.
She’s stroking the slight stubble that is growing because I haven’t shaved.
“Miguel?” I love the way she says my name.
“Hmm?” I sigh contently.
“I know we said it that one night. But I really do love you. You are my whole world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
My eyes snap open, and I sit up abruptly, turning to her. “Kira, that’s all I want. I don’t care if we have to run off together. I love you so much.” I lean in and kiss her deeply.
