“Welcome, familia,” Roberto boasts as he walks in the door with some grocery bags in his hands. “I tried to go get some wine before your arrival, but you beat me back here.”
“I was desperate to escape Cary,” Dad says, smiling as he greets his friend with a quick hug and pat on the shoulder.
“Why don’t I show you to your room?” Mildred asks Misty and me. “That way you can make yourselves at home.”
I pick up my bag and my sister rolls her suitcase as we follow Mildred and my mother, who are walking ahead of us, talking about the décor.
“Rosa tells me you’re studying journalism.” Mildred looks over her shoulder at Misty. “You know I’m going to want you working for the magazine.”
“I would absolutely love to,” Misty says, smiling. “New York is always calling my name.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“That makes one of us,” Mom says. “I’ve been enjoying having her back home, even if she did refuse to come back to the house and was dead set on having her own apartment.”
“I go home every weekend,” Misty says.
“At least one of you does.” Mom shoots me a look, then smiles. “Though I’m hoping Jo will join us for dinner on Sundays from now on.”
“I will. As soon as I get my car working.” I let out a laugh.
“I spoke to your father about that. I think you’ll find that you’ll have a working car again soon.” Mom winks. Misty reaches for my hand and squeezes, letting out a little excited squeal. I laugh.
“Here we are.” Mildred steps inside a bedroom that has the same view as the living room, enormous windows that showcase the mountains. There are two queen-size beds with white comforters and a large television on the opposite wall. It looks like a spa. It even smells like a spa.
“Wow.” I step inside and go to the glass door that leads to a balcony.
“The balcony wraps around the house,” Mildred says. “The boys’ room is next door, but I already told them to be on their best behavior. No walking around naked or half naked, as they like to do.”
I’m glad I’m facing forward because I feel a blush come over me as I think about Jagger walking around half naked in the house we share. The house no one knows we share. The house we may no longer be sharing soon enough if we keep this up.
“I know you girls like to explore, so if you want to go shopping or whatever, there’s a car at your disposal,” Mildred says. “The keys are hanging by the garage door.”
“Thank you,” I say.
“You’re too kind, Milly,” Misty adds.
“Nonsense. You’re family.” Mildred waves us off. “Come, Rosa. Let me show you to your room.”
They shut the door behind them when they leave and Misty and I sit in our respective beds. We always choose sides—her bed is always the one closest to the bathroom, so mine is naturally the one closer to the window.
“It’s really beautiful here.” I smile as I look out there again.
“It really is.” She sighs, plopping back onto the bed. “So comfortable too.”
I pick up the control beside me on the nightstand and examine it. I click a button and the window turns dark. I click the other one and it goes back to normal. Cool.
“Are you going to talk to Jagger?” Misty turns onto her side.
“Nope.”
“That’s fair.” Misty nods. “I mean, it’ll be difficult to avoid him this weekend, but I respect that decision. He’s still a dick.”
“He is.” I shut my eyes and face down on the bed.
I’ve been trying so hard not to replay that video in my head—that girl straddling and making out with him, and according to my sister, disappearing upstairs with him. Every time I think about it, it feels like another punch in the gut. He was so quick to judge Lawrence for his infidelity, so quick to tell me all about it and warn me against him, and yet, this is what he does once he earns my trust? No, we weren’t together the way Lawrence and I were, but still. It’s still messed up. It still makes me sad and mad and like I want to punch something, preferably his gorgeous face. But I won’t.
I won’t.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Jagger
My brother hasn’t stopped talking about a brewery he wants to visit, so finally, after dinner, I get ready and take him up on the offer. Anything is better than sitting around this house with Jo so close yet so far. Not that I want anything to do with her. My head and heart are at odds with this though. Or maybe it’s my dick and my head. I’m not quite sure. All I know is that when she walked out of her room wearing those tight jeans and that black bodysuit that dips so low that’s just begging for me to reach out and lower it even more, to let her perky breasts loose and suck her pretty nipples into my mouth, I knew I had to bolt out of there. It’s bad enough she went back to that dickhead Lawrence. I definitely don’t need the reminder. I haven’t even been home in a week because I knew seeing her would bring out something in me that I wasn’t quite ready to expose. It would be ugly. I thought having the week away from her meant that when I saw her again I’d have control of myself, but I was wrong, because the moment I saw her at her parents’ house I wanted to grab her by the neck and fuck her. I’m sick. I must be sick.