Redeemed (Dirty Air #4)(33)

Santiago looks peaceful and unplagued by the worries that force his face into a permanent scowl. It takes everything in me not to watch him snooze, stuck between being a creep and offering the man some privacy.

I pull myself away from the bed, grab my sneakers off the floor, and exit Santi’s room without making a noise. While his confession last night about his reason for lying touched my heart, I can’t find it in myself to speak more about it today. Not when I need time to decompress from the whole experience.

As I walk down the main road, my eyes land on my father’s house. I hate the stupid gate standing between us—a physical barrier as much as an emotional one. It reminds me of my failure and lack of confidence to approach Matteo and be honest.

Here I am getting angry at Santiago when I’m just as much of a liar. A stupid, cowardly liar who can’t face the one obstacle getting in the way of what I want.

But I have a good reason to lie. I’m afraid of being rejected by another parent.

I turn away from the gate, unable to face any more feelings for the day. I’ve reached my limit of bullshit, especially when it comes from my own self.





13





Chloe





I clutch onto the handle of the mop as I swipe it across the floor of the shop. The bell above the door chimes and I turn to face the newcomers.

“Hi, Chloe!” Marko waves. His headphones match his Iron Man costume.

I turn in time, dropping the mop as Marko runs into my arms for a hug. “Hey! I’m happy to see you’re feeling better.”

“No more pukey.” Marko makes a funny face.

“I like your suit. Reminds me of someone I know.” I look at Santiago. He wears a ball cap, hiding his eyes beneath the bill. His T-shirt and jeans mold to his firm torso. Sigh.

He smirks when my eyes connect with his. “Hey.”

Busted. How does one word out of his mouth make all the nerves in my body fire off in unison?

My cheeks heat. “Hi.”

His lip twitches. He sets Marko up at an empty table with his iPad before walking back toward me. “I didn’t get a chance to say thank you again before you snuck off this morning.”

He came all the way over here to say thanks? My heart betrays me, racing in my chest. “Yeah. I didn’t want to be late for my shift.”

“I see.” Santiago looks around the empty shop. Matteo is working in the back office, counting supplies since it’s a slow day.

“So...” I rock back on my heels.

“Well, I actually need to tell you something. You fell asleep last night and...” His voice trails off. His eyes slide down my body, and I feel every second of it.

“Well, to be fair, you didn’t say anything for a while and I kind of knocked out.”

He smiles, small and hesitant. “Yeah. About that... I don’t want to have more lies between us. It was fun—and a bit messed up—pretending in front of Maya and Noah about us, but that’s not how I usually am. I swear you’ve seen the worst parts of me.”

“Are you sure there’s a good part?”

He laughs. “Maybe. But really, my sister was excited about the idea of you so I just went along with it. She’s going through a rough time, and I did the first thing I thought would take her mind off things. And to be fair, a fake girlfriend was the first idea I could come up with to explain why there was a stranger in my house. But either way, it’s not right, and I plan on confessing the truth to her once—”

“You don’t have to do that. It’s fine. We can make something up instead. But it should be your last lie.”

“Okay.” Santiago clears his throat, bringing my attention to his thick neck and the muscles bulging out of the back of his shirt. He removes his cap and runs his hand through his roguish hair. The muscles in his arms twitch, attempting to say hello.

Seriously. Can he please be less appealing?

My eyes slide from his body to his face. “Was that all you needed to tell me?”

“No. I don’t want you to be mad, but there’s something else you need to know about me. I’m hoping my honesty about the situation makes up for the dishonesty in the first place because I like hanging out with you. For real. So, please don’t be too angry, okay?” His voice carries a hopeful note, but his words make me apprehensive.

“It’s not fair to ask someone not to be mad before you—”

“Oh, mio dio, sei Santiago Alatorre!”

Santiago’s eyes widen. “I thought you were alone.” He curses under his breath.

I look over my shoulder to find Matteo’s mouth opening before closing again.

Matteo catches himself. He walks up to Santiago and offers his trembling hand. “You’re here! In my shop! Wow! My family has always been a huge fan of racing, and when we heard you were living here, we couldn’t believe it. Especially since no one has seen you in person. But here you are in my shop of all places!” Matteo’s cheeks turn bright red.

I turn toward Santiago. I look so damn hard at him that I wonder if my eyes will turn into lasers. Who is he and why does Matteo recognize him? And what does Matteo mean about racing?

“A fan?” My voice croaks.

“Let me explain.” Santiago’s eyes snap from me to Matteo and back to me again.