The memory of Elise, with her perfect poise and figure, is burned into my memory. Even if he hadn't betrayed me, would I ever be able to actually believe I'm his? That he actually wants a woman like me?
I mean, I’m a dork, but I hope I'm a lovable dork. Doesn't that count for anything? I want to sob.
Toni tells us a little, in between yawns—how she saw Ricardo and thought at first he was Miguel. How she thought he’d come with news of her mother. How when he saw her, he threatened her and made her promise to get in the car. How scared she was.
My phone buzzes with a text from Allie.
Allie: Michelle Soto apprehended, at Bourne police station.
I release a breath I didn’t know I’d held.
Slowly, too slowly for my own satisfaction, the mystery is beginning to unravel. Soon it will all be clear. But for now…
“Let’s get you ready and up to bed,” Miguel says. Toni yawns wide and walks to the stairs. She doesn't ask for another TV show, or delay brushing her teeth, or come up with any of the excuses that she normally does to put off going to bed. She's an expert at that. Instead, she pauses to look at us from halfway up the stairs. "I might be a kid, but even I know something’s wrong with you two. I hope you fix it while I'm sleeping. You two are smart enough to fix things. Not everyone is."
Then she turns away from us and trots up the rest of the stairs. I watch her, jaw unhinged. I'm surprised that a child like her knew something was wrong, but then she’s wiser than her tender years.
I hear Miguel telling her good night, then the door clicks shut.
And then we’re alone.
He prowls toward me with that look I know all too well.
“Now, where were we?”
I’m tempted to back up but stand my ground. I won’t let him physically intimidate me. Well, not this time.
“Michelle Soto was apprehended and is currently at the Bourne police station.”
“Good. I’ve already given my statement. We’ll see her in court.”
“We?”
He stops a few inches away from me. God, why does he have to smell so good?
Like a shield, I pull up my phone and display the documentation Madison unearthed earlier today, just hours before we were served papers from our landlord.
“You asked where we were. There. That is where we were.”
Scowling, he takes my phone, and when I try to take a step back, he grabs my hand and yanks me back over. “Not so fast.” He reads it over. “Well, shit.”
“Allie says you were just using me.”
“Bullshit.”
“Madison says you did it to get the space for yourself, but how could you, Miguel?”
“Babe, I didn’t do it.”
“And you just used me. You used me. You knew if you distracted me I wouldn’t see what you were up to, but you—”
“I didn’t do it. Will you listen to me?”
“I know I’m not a wealthy, high-ranking member of society, but I—Wait. What?”
He was backing me up and I didn’t even know he was. My legs hit the back of that sofa I love—do I really even love his sofa? But I do—and I make an oof grunting noise as my ass hits the cushion.
“Raul did this.”
“But you put him up to it!”
He nods. “I did.”
A pang hits my heart with maddening pain. “You did?” I half expected him to deny it.
“Samantha, stop.”
I close my mouth and glare at him. He glares right back. Shit, he’s a good glarer. I forgot about that in my need to say all these things.
“Are you going to listen to me, or do I need to tie you up and gag you first?”
“This is not a time for foreplay,” I hiss.
“I’m not flirting with you,” he hisses right back.
Oh. Well then.
A beat passes between us. “Are you listening now?”
I nod. I mean, I’ll give the guy a chance to speak.
“Alright then. I did it before I knew you.”
“You were plotting against us? To move us out? I mean, the girls said you were going to do that, but I didn’t believe them.”
“I wanted the space. I didn’t want your shop in there.”
He’s drawing little circles on my hand with his thumb. It feels seductive, and I’m trying to not be seduced. So I yank my hand away. He stares at my lonely hand, and I think for a moment he’s actually pouting.
“So you just decided to muscle us right on out?”
“I did.”
“Well that’s just a shitty, bully move.”
He nods. “It is. And do you really mean to tell me this is the first you heard of this? It was hardly a secret.”
I bite my lip. “Well, no. I had all sorts of plans to undo your work. One of us, I will not say who for reasons, even concocted a really brilliant smear campaign we’d fully planned on executing, but we halted plans because… well, because of us.”