Through My Window(Hidalgos #1)(34)

Ouch!

I can almost hear my heart breaking.

And, for once, I find myself at a crossroads.

I have always said that life is about choices, good and bad, and I’ve made both. In front of me, I have two:

1. Turn around and walk away with my head down.

2. Stay, get my necklace back, and maybe have a good time with Ares’s friends. Show him that I’m okay and that I don’t care about him.

And if he can act like nothing has happened, then so can I. I need to regain my dignity; I need to do something to stop feeling like a lovesick girl. So I swallow my heart and, with a big smile, sit down next to Marco, the one who hasn’t spoken so far.

“Do you want a beer?” Luis asks me, and I nod, thanking him when he passes it to me.

Gregory raises his bottle. “Let’s drink to the fact that the only friend Apolo has made at school is pretty.”

Luis raises his. “Yeah, I have to say I am impressed.”

Blushing, I clink my bottle with theirs. The two boys look at Marco, but he doesn’t move an inch. Luis looks away.

“Let’s drink without him. He’s grumpy like Ares. No wonder they’re best friends,” says Gregory.

We toast and continue drinking. When Marco stands up, he’s almost as tall as Ares, and he’s shirtless. My eyes have no shame and travel down his chest to his abdomen. The Virgin of Abdominals has been very generous to these guys. My eyes follow his movements as he dives into the pool.

“He’s hot, isn’t he?” Luis asks playfully.

Fun and daring Raquel surfaces. “Yeah, he’s pretty hot.”

“Oh, I like her.” Gregory gives me five. “She’s honest.”

I raise my beer to them with a smirk. We talk a bit, and I realize that they’re not the pretentious guys I thought they might be, nor do they think they’re superior to anyone else. They’re very polite. Luis is a fun guy who makes something crazy out of everything and makes you laugh, while Gregory is more into telling interesting stories.

And for a moment, while talking with them, I completely forget about Ares. They make me realize that there are more men in the world and it’s possible to get over him. Yes, there could be a guy out there for me who is cuter than he is, with a better heart. I don’t have to get stuck with that stupid, sexy Greek god.

I don’t even bother to look around to see where he is or what he’s doing. Someone puts on a song that I really like, and I get up from my chair, dancing. Luis and Gregory follow my lead, dancing and throwing their hands in the air on the spot. Gregory slips and almost falls, and we crack up. We laugh so hard that everyone looks at us. I notice that people are staring, but I don’t pay attention to them. I have to admit that the alcohol is having an effect. I feel freer and more confident when we sit down again.

“Confession time, Raquel,” Luis starts in, amused.

Marco returns to the table, his wet hair dripping on his face and lap, and takes a long sip of his beer.

Luis ignores him and continues. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

A chuckle leaves my lips. “Nope.”

Gregory wiggles his eyebrows. “Would you like to have one?”

“Ohhhh.” Luis snorts. “Apparently you have an admirer.”

“Flirting so soon, Gregory?” I tease.

Marco clears his throat and we all look at him. When he speaks, his expression is serious. “Don’t waste your time. She’s with Ares.”

My jaw drops. What?

Gregory pouts. “Ugh! It’s so unfair.”

Offended, I look Marco straight in the eye. “I’m not with anyone. I have nothing to do with him.”

“Of course,” he replies, sarcasm evident in his tone.

“What is your problem? Why do you hate me if you don’t even know me?”

“I don’t have a problem with you, I’m just warning the guys.”

“You have nothing to warn them about. There is nothing between Ares and me.”

Luis intervenes. “The girl said so, Marco, and I believe her.”

Gregory raises his beer to me. “Why don’t you prove it?”

Frowning, I ask, “How?”

Gregory holds his chin, thinking. “Dance for me.”

Marco laughs victoriously. “She never will.”

I open my mouth to protest, and my eyes go to the pool. Ares is still in the water with the girl hanging on his back, laughing. I’ve been here for over an hour and he hasn’t even come out to greet me. And he’s got that girl attached to him.

The boys follow my gaze, and Luis groans in defeat. “It can’t be. She turned to look at him. Marco is right.”

I stand up, determined to prove them wrong. “No, he’s not.”

I take a few steps toward Gregory, and he looks at me with excitement. “Will you dance for me?”

But his expression falls when I pass by him. In front of Marco, my confidence wavers, but his gaze is full of it. It’s as if he’s telling me that he’s sure I’m not capable of this. I ignore the protests of my embarrassed conscience and begin to move my hips in front of him. He leans back to get more comfortable, accepting the challenge.

Imagine you’re dancing in front of the mirror, Raquel.

I let the music flow through me and run my hands down my body, pausing for a moment on my breasts and then going down the curve of my waist. Marco’s eyes follow my movements. I remember how much power I held over Ares when I danced for him, and that gives me more strength.