The Slayer (Untamed Hearts #2)(43)



“I love you too.” He rubbed her back gently. “Like friends.”

She hit his shoulder. “Friends don’t give each other sixty thousand dollars.”

“Yes, they do.” He held up his hand to the dash. “I just proved it.”

“No.”

He wiped at her cheeks. “You keep messing this up.”

“Is it bad?” she asked as she fought against the emotions still overwhelming her. “Is the mascara running?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.” He rubbed a thumb under her eye. “We’ll fix it. You wanna come in with me?”

She nodded, more tears spilling down her cheeks even while Chuito tried to fix the disaster of her ruined makeup.

“You got to stop crying, mami.”

She sucked in a hard breath, blinking at him through the tears. “I can’t.”

“Then f*ck it.” He took his keys out of the ignition. “The rain will hide it. Put the check in your purse.”

“Okay.” She grabbed the check off the dash, but another sob burst out of her as she looked at the memo section, seeing that Chuito had written, For Juan, as if knowing she would understand. “Oh, Chu.”

Chuito ended up having to put the check in the card. He tucked it into her purse for her along with the phone, because her hands were shaking and she was still crying. She sat there sobbing until Chuito got out and walked around the car to open her door for her.

She looked up at him standing there in the rain. “I shouldn’t go in. I’m crying. Everyone in there will think I’m crazy.”

“It’s okay.” Chuito forced her to get up. “We’ll be quick.”

“I don’t want to. I need more time,” she argued, even as Chuito draped an arm over her shoulder and slammed the door behind her.

“You’re fine.” He pulled her toward the Cellar. “Don’t tell Jules about the money. She’ll get the wrong idea.”

“What’s the wrong idea?”

“You know what the wrong idea is.”

“That you love me enough to pay for law school?”

They stopped when they got under the awning, and Chuito surprised her by kissing her forehead. Then he opened the door and gestured for her to go in. He followed in behind her as she worked on blinking away the tears and wiping at her face.

Her hair was drenched, and she pushed it away from her forehead.

“Come on.” Chuito grabbed her hand, tugging her in.

“My purse is all wet. I should’ve left it in the car.”

Chuito raised his eyebrows at her. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Just go. I’ll stand here. Go get your stuff. I’ll wait.”

“Keep me company.”

“In the men’s locker room?”

“Sit outside the locker room.”

“You said it was going to take you one minute,” Alaine complained, even as Chuito was using his hold on her hand to tug her into the main part of the gym, that she only now noticed was completely dark. “Why are the lights off?”

Alaine blinked when the lights unexpectedly came on, glaring and fluorescent.

“Congratulations!”

She held up her hands, blinking again at all the people who were suddenly there. The entire Cellar was decorated, with streamers hanging down from the ceiling. There was a table in the middle, with the biggest cake she had ever seen in her life.

Even bigger than the one Wyatt bought Chuito after he won his title belt.

“Oh.” She covered her mouth as she started crying again and turned to Chuito. “Did you do this?”

Chuito shook his head. “No.”

“I did this!” Jules announced as she ran up to hug her, forcing Alaine off her feet in her enthusiasm. “I’m so proud of you! Valedictorian. I couldn’t tell you how excited I was because I thought you’d suspect. Oh, darlin’, I am so proud.” Jules turned back to everyone else. “Her speech was amazing. It made me think the world could be better. I believed her.” Jules glanced back to Alaine, tears running down her face too. “Look at what you did. You did it. I feel like—” Jules touched her chest as more tears ran down her cheeks. “It’s like my baby graduated. You’ve grown into such a powerful, strong woman and—”

“If you don’t call her mamá,” Chuito started as he gave Alaine a look, “I will.”

Jules punched his chest. “Shut your trap!”

“I’m just saying—” Chuito held out his hand to Jules as evidence but then flinched when she hit him. “Co?o, Jules! You bruise me when you hit like that.”

“I’ll bruise you.” She kicked his shin, making him jump. “You ruined my moment. You’re worse than Wyatt.”

“Your moment was making every man in here uncomfortable. One crying woman is enough.” Chuito dodged another hit. “I did my job. I got her here. I even had to use that nasty bathroom to buy time. Now I’m gonna go have a beer.”

“You’re driving! You can’t drink.”

Chuito gave her another harsh look. “Okay, mamá! I can have one beer.”

Alaine couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing and held her hands up at everyone. “This is my life. Do you see what my life is?”

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