Camilla, absolutely reveling in the drama, gave a pointed look. "Axel, why are you wasting your ti helping her?" She gestured at like I was a stain on the ground. "Rosa is here. You don’t need to be holding onto so pathetic—"
"I’m here for María José."
The words ca sharply in contrast to the atmosphere in the air.
I jutted my neck up to look at him. He was watching Rosa with a bland expression, but there was an unmistakable finality in his tone.
Rosa dimd her eyes. "...Why?"
Axel’s gaze flickered to , then back to her. "The butcher tried to take sothing that wasn’t his. María José fought back."
Oh, gosh. He thought he was helping but he really was ruining things for him. How do I explain the cruelty of my father and siblings to him?
How do I make him understand that they DO NOT care? To save their face, they might even sell off to the butcher.
I shut my eyes in exasperation. Too much of everything was bad. Too much of the bad in my life was weighing down.
Camilla laughed. Actually laughed.
I flinched.
But Rosa?
Rosa gasped.
And before I could process what was happening, she was suddenly in front of , grabbing my shoulders inspectively . "Are you okay? What did he do to you?"
I stared at her, completely blindsided.
For years, Rosa had been distant, untouchable. She had never paid much attention, never looked at with anything other than vague disinterest.
But now, she looked furious. Protective. Like a real sister.
Tears burned the back of my eyes.
I didn’t know what to do.
I had spent my whole life waiting for soone to defend . To fight for . To care.
And for the first ti ever, soone did. Want to know what made it hurt?
Knowing that she didn’t an it did. Knowing that this was just an act in front of Axel. Knowing she couldn’t give a damn what happened to .
Rosa continued to firmly grip my shoulders, her wide, concerned eyes locked on mine. It felt so strange, almost surreal, seeing her like this—protective, almost sisterly.
But I wasn’t stupid. I knew what this was. A performance.
I slapped her hands away. "I’m fine." My voice ca out aner than I intended, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t about to play into whatever show she was putting on to impress Axel.
She couldn’t even try to win him over by being herself? She had to pretend. Pfft. Axel was a good guy and he deserved way better than her.
Camilla gasped so dramatically, you’d think I had just committed a cri.
"Dios mío! Did you all see that?" She turned to Axel like she had just found undeniable proof of my evilness. "She’s so ungrateful! Axel, do you see now? Do you see how horrible she is? Rosa was just trying to be a good sister, and look at her! Look at how she treats us!"
Axel glanced at briefly before schooling his shoulders. If he had an opinion on my behavior, he didn’t show it. But that wasn’t going to stop Camilla. Oh, no. She was in her elent now.
"She does this all the ti," Camilla continued with fake disappointnt in her voice. "She acts all weak and pitiful when people are watching, but behind closed doors? She’s a little brat. She plays the victim, but really, she’s the villain!"
Gosh! She was so intent on making seem bad, wasn’t she?
All that pent-up pain from watching Axel embrace Rosa was already keeping at the edge. Camilla’s stupidly was all the push I needed to snap.
I whipped my head toward her, heat rising in my chest. "You must be confused, Camilla, because that sounds a lot more like you."
Camilla’s lips parted in an exaggerated ’How dare you?’ expression, clutching her chest as if I had physically struck her with my words.
Rosa, still in her pretend peacekeeper mode, sighed dramatically and stepped between us. "Let’s not fight, okay?" She gave a stupid patient look as if I were so uncontrollable child throwing a tantrum. "María José, you know Camilla didn’t an it like that."
Man, I definitely can’t stand this!
"Oh, please," I scoffed, crossing my arms. "She ant exactly what she said."
Camilla grinned like the devil. "You know so well, hermanita."
Before I could retort, the door behind them creaked open again.
I felt it before I saw him. It was a cold aura, sinking and weighing on my shoulders
Don Diego. Father. He was here.
My blood ran cold.
There he was, stepping onto the porch, dressed in his usual dark slacks and white shirt. His hair was styled back, his beard trimd with. He looked exactly terrifying man I had grown up fearing.
And the mont he saw standing outside, his face scrunched up in rage.
I could see the exact mont his mind processed it, his brows drawing together, his sharp eyes boring into as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
His lips parted slightly before pressing into a hard line. "María José." His voice was controlled, but I wasn’t stupid.
That tone? That was danger.
I swallowed hard. My troubles might just never end.
"What are you doing out here?" His gaze swept over , then landed on my dirty legs against the dirt. His nostrils flared. "Why are you not in your room?"
I opened my mouth, but nothing ca out. I was stuck. Completely frozen in place.
I told Axel. I warned him. Father wouldn’t like this.
My legs felt weak. I knew this mont would co. I knew the second Camilla ran inside, this was a possibility. But knowing didn’t make it easier.
Just as I felt the first tremor of panic stringing up my spine, Axel ca to the rescue.
He placed himself between and Don Diego—not entirely blocking , but enough to make it clear he wasn’t about to stand aside. "Señor Diego," Axel greeted. "I was the one who brought her ho."
The temperature dropped.
Don Diego did not like Axel.
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