Risking It All (Kingston Brothers #4) - Isabel Lucero Page 0,11
you’re young. Like it can’t possibly be real if you’re a teen, because teenagers aren’t supposed to know what real love feels like. But what I felt for Merrick wasn’t just puppy love. It wasn’t just lust, either. I know, without a doubt, that I loved him with all my heart. That’s why it hurt so much when he lied to me. Not just once either, but over and over.
As I’m driving home, my sister calls. I hit the answer button and her voice comes over the speakers in my car.
“Mami wants to know when you’re gonna be here.”
“Hello to you, too. Yeah, I’m fine. How are you?”
Liliana laughs. “I like to get straight to the point. Hi, big brother. How are you doing this wonderful, warm evening? Are you okay? Is life going well? I only want the best for you,” she croons.
“Ugh. I prefer straight to the point.”
“Exactly. So, shut up. When you coming home?”
“I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Mami! He said tomorrow!”
“Can you not yell directly into the phone?”
“Oh, sorry.”
“How’s my baby niece?”
“She’s kind of a diva. She cries when she doesn’t get what she wants. She also doesn’t really know what she wants. And she expects me to cater to her. Can you believe that?” she jokes.
I laugh. “Wow, sounds just like you.”
“Shut up,” she says with a laugh. “But kidding aside, she’s perfect and amazing and beautiful. Also, like me.”
“Anyway.”
“Hater. So, I hear Merrick’s in town. Have you talked to him?”
I didn’t tell my sister about me and Merrick either. Nobody knows, because he’s not out, and regardless of what he’s done to me in the past, it’s not for me to out him to anyone.
Her and my mom have asked what happened between us, so I’ve given a half-truth—we had a fight.
It’s not a lie, but there’s more to it than that. I just never led them to believe it was a big deal, so they always ask if I’ve heard from him or if we’ve made up yet. No is the answer to both. He stopped reaching out when I kept ignoring him.
“No, Lili, I haven’t. I told you we aren’t friends anymore.”
“I know, but it’s been a long time. It couldn’t have been that big of a fight, could it?”
“Coming from the grudge queen, that’s funny. You’re still mad at Sarah for wearing your shirt when you were twelve.”
“First of all, that bitch knew that was my favorite shirt, and she didn’t just wear it, Alejandro, she stole it, wore it, and ruined it. So, this is not the same.”
“She’s our cousin, Lili, you have to get over it.”
“Hey, I still talk to her, but I’ll never forget.”
My sister’s always had a flare for dramatics, but at least I got the subject changed.
“Well, I’m about to be home. I’ll call you tomorrow. You comin’ over to Mami’s when I get there or what? I need to hold my niece.”
“You can hold her, change her, feed her, and whatever else allows me to have a nap. So yeah, I’ll be there.”
I chuckle. “Okay. Love you. See you tomorrow.”
“Love you, too.”
When I pull up to my house, my phone dings with a text message.
Lili: Don’t think you got away with not answering my question. I’ll bug you about it manaña.
She has the nerve to end it with an angel emoji.
I wish I could tell her what happened, because maybe then she’d understand and not keep questioning me about it.
But telling her the truth would drudge up a lot of memories I’d rather stay buried.
8
Alejandro
6 Years Ago
Hours after our encounter in the alleyway, as I’m asleep in my bed, my phone goes off incessantly. Text message after text message keep popping up, lighting up my room and filling it with that annoying high-pitch bing-bong sound.
I snatch it off the nightstand and start looking through the messages. Clearly, Merrick’s been drinking, and now he’s drunk texting me.
Kingston: I’m sorry.
Kingston: I wanted together
Kingston: To do this together. Everything togerther
Kingston: You have a boyfriendd and I justw ant you
Kingston: I may be drunk buut I want to tel l you something.
Kingston: I’m gonna tell everyone. Right now. I’m about to telll them all the truth.
Kingston: Party at my brothers. Everyoness here so I mightas well.
“Oh God, oh God,” I murmur, yanking the covers off me and hurrying out of bed. I hit speaker and call his phone while I shove my legs through a pair of jeans. It goes to voicemail. I hit redial while I’m putting on a shirt.