Through My Window(Hidalgos #1)(88)

“I’ll wait for you at the table.”

She smiles and walks away. I leave the candlelit room and make my way to the table. The first to greet me is Gregory.

“You came back.” He gets up to whisper in my ear, “Comb your hair a little, Mr. Obvious.”

I run my hands through my hair quickly, and I walk over to Marco.

“Do you have cigarettes?” He nods, pulling a box out of his pocket.

“Do you want one?”

“Yeah. Will you join me for a smoke?”

“Of course.” He nods.

We pass through the candlelit room to go to the balcony on that side. I barely set foot out there before I’m remembering the time Raquel left me turned on in this very place. So much has happened since that night.

We light our cigarettes. I take a puff and blow the smoke out into the cool night air. Marco rests his forearms on the balcony railing and focuses on the view. Silence is rare between us; it’s awkward, but the conversation that’s coming is one we both know we should be having.

“There is no need to beat around the bush between us,” he says casually.

“This is not a game to me, Marco,” I begin, inhaling again. “Not this time.”

“Do you really like her?”

“It’s more than that,” I answer.

He bursts out laughing.

“Don’t fuck with me. Are you in love?”

“Yes.”

He grimaces. “I thought she was just the weird girl who stalked you, how things change.”

“Marco, I’m serious, she’s not a game to me,” I repeat. “No games, no bets, no challenges.”

He raises both hands in the air.

“Oh, I got it,” he says with a mocking tone.

“Say what you have to say.”

“Am I supposed to listen to you? Did you care when you screwed things up for me with Samantha?”

“You never told me you really liked her; that it wasn’t a game. How was I supposed to know? By reading your mind?”

“You knew how I felt about her! It shouldn’t have been necessary to tell you. I’ve had feelings for her ever since we were little, and you knew it.”

I knew this would come out someday, but I didn’t expect to have this conversation today.

“I can’t control her feelings. That’s not on me.”

“But any hope I had with her went to shit when you started fucking her for pleasure, for fun, fooling her.”

I put the cigarette out in an ashtray.

“I never wanted to play with her, and you know it.”

“But you did,” he replies. The anger in his voice is clear. “You screwed us both with your damn selfishness. You never think of others. Only about yourself.”

“What do you want? An apology?”

“Nah, I just hope that now that you’ve found someone you really care about, you’ll learn. I just hope you grow up. How would you feel if I took Raquel away from you? Imagine watching me use her for pleasure, knowing that you’re there feeling a thousand things for her.”

Just thinking about it, I clench my hands at my sides.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“It feels horrible, doesn’t it? I’m glad you can put yourself in my shoes now.” He turns his back to me, and sighs. “Relax, I’m not going anywhere near your witch, I just wanted you to understand how I felt.”

Swallowing my pride, I speak.

“I’m sorry.”

Marco looks at me again, surprise clear on his face, but I continue.

“I’m really sorry, bro. You’re right.”

“You’ve never apologized to me.”

“I know,” I sigh. “But now it’s easier to admit my mistakes. I think she makes me a better person.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“And Samy will heal, Marco, and you’ll have the chance to win her back.”

He bursts out laughing.

“I hope so. For now, I’ll settle for her glares.”

“So, we’re good?” I ask.

“We’re good.”

With everything clear, we both walk back into the club. When we get to the table, Raquel is laughing out loud with Gregory, and Samantha is standing with Andrea, dancing a little to the music. Apolo and Daniela are on the dance floor, doing some crazy moves.

I move closer to Samantha to whisper in her ear: “I dare you to dance with Marco.”

She pouts. “I hate your challenges.”

But she does it. We’ve always done the challenges we set for ourselves. I watch them go to dance, and my eyes fall on my witch. She looks so beautiful laughing. Her cheeks are flushed; I’ve noticed her face turns red when she’s had too much to drink. She notices my presence and her eyes light up, and she raises her hand, beckoning me to her.

Yes, definitely, being destroyed by her is a privilege.





FORTY-FOUR


   The Walk Of Shame



- RAQUEL -




“Raquel.” Someone is shaking my shoulder. “Raquel!”

Being violently shaken brings me from the world of unconsciousness back to life.

“Raquel!” A demanding whisper reaches my ears, but I don’t want to open my eyes. “For God’s sake, wake up!”