Brady and I let go of each other quickly. I pinch Paco’s chin and give it a shake. “No, we’re not going to kiss, you little cheater.”
Paco’s cheeks fill with color, but he laughs. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a pretty face.” His expression falls slightly, and he looks confused. “But why weren’t you two gonna kiss?”
I smile down at him. “Because Brady and I are just friends, silly.”
Paco looks up and rolls his eyes. “If you say so.”
I roll my eyes back at him and rub his head before he runs off, giggling.
Brady rubs his chin between his fingers. “That kid’s got it bad.”
I laugh. He’s not the only one.
Brady and I hang out at the Center for a few more hours, playing with the kids. As I watch Brady, I realize I have zero romantic interests in Harrison. I care about him as a person, but my feelings don’t extend beyond friendship. Harrison is a sweet guy and will make some girl a wonderful boyfriend. Just not this girl, because this girl is falling hard for Brady Hunter. Now this girl just needs to make Brady Hunter fall for her back. Great, now this girl is thinking about herself in third person.
Brady interrupts my mental rambling. “Do you want to stay up here tonight? There’s a great place between here and Ensenada to eat, and they have rooms. You can have your own room, of course.”
There’s no chance we’re staying in separate rooms if I agree. Maybe if I can get Brady alone, he’ll finally open up to me. I’m suddenly thrilled I brought a bag and a change of clothes with us. “I’d like that, but I don’t need my own room. You can sleep on the floor.” Feeling bold, I wink at him.
He eyes me suspiciously. “You’re trouble, Sunshine. You know that?”
Thinking he has no idea, I turn and walk to the truck without saying another word. Brady’s feet crunch on the ground behind me as he follows.
Brady
We drive for over an hour before I spot the hint of a building buried behind overgrown bougainvillea bushes and pull into the parking lot. It’s hard to believe there’s a restaurant here, let alone hotel rooms. Rodrigo brought me here a while back for beers, and I’ve wanted to come back since then.
We enter through the restaurant, and the back wall is open to the ocean. It’s too dark to see the water, but you can still make out that the building is built on top of a cliff. I walk to the front desk, and Tori follows me. When I speak to the desk clerk in Spanish, Tori looks at me as though she’s surprised at how fluently I speak the language.
I smile at her slyly. Holding up my index finger in a number one, I mouth “one room.” She bites her lip, smiling, and nods. She’s blushing, and I’m having inappropriate thoughts about her naked. One room is begging for trouble, but I go through with the request. Trouble and I go way back.
We go into the restaurant and sit in a booth next to the window overlooking the ocean. Tori’s face lights up when she sees the view. Even though it’s dark, the moon casts a dim light over the water. A waiter comes over to the table and asks what we’d like to order. After telling me what she’ll have, I order for us in Spanish.
When the waiter leaves, Tori takes her napkin and places it in her lap. “When did you get so good at speaking Spanish?”
“Had to, I guess. I’m studying law, remember? If I’m going to practice in Southern California, mastering Spanish is a must.”
She nods her understanding, and we continue talking. I open up to her about school and my internship that I’d been looking forward to – until my world was shattered by lies and mistakes. I don’t mention the ugliness of why I turned it down, simply telling her that it fell through. I tell her about my decision to take a semester off from school. I avoid discussing Vanessa or my parents, which are the two subjects I’m sure she would prefer me to open up about.
She excuses herself to go to the restroom, and I watch her walk away. The shorts she’s wearing wrap perfectly around her ass. One room is definitely a mistake. I’m envisioning her naked again, with my fingers curled around her hips. Spending all this time with her is not helping to dispel my feelings. This friend thing I agreed to is getting increasingly difficult, because the more time I spend with her, the more I want to have her. The lines have definitely been blurred, and I’m not sure what to do about it.
I keep denying my feelings because if I love her, I can’t lie to her. I’ll have to tell her all my secrets – the things that have led me to give up on life, too many lies, too much hurt. Secrets that, if they should come out, would destroy Tug and Liv, turn their lives upside down. It’s a “damned if I do, damned if I don’t” situation. A battle of love for my siblings versus love for her. It is love I feel. I’m positive, because the thought of not being with her is unbearable.
Despite my denial, I suddenly want to take the risk. Having her won’t be easy on my family, but she consumes me: every thought, and every fantasy. If I don’t try, I’m not worthy of her love. My parents’ lies have hurt me. She may even hurt me. The difference is, she’s worth the suffering and pain if it means she’s mine.
Chapter 19
Tori
Once I finish my girly business, I look at my face in the mirror. “Okay, Sunshine. You chose Brady, now make it happen.”
The girl looking back at me seems confident. I can do this.
I slide in the booth opposite Brady. He’s deep in thought, staring out the window. “Whatcha thinking about over there?” I ask him softly.
He brings his eyes around to me, soft, green, and warped with conflict. “Tori, the more time I spend with you, the harder I find it to keep myself from wanting you.” A moment of vulnerability flashes across his face.
Getting him to admit he wants me is easier than I thought it would be. I stand and slide into the booth next to Brady. “Then why keep yourself from me?” I whisper in his ear, and then pull back to see his reaction.