Love or Money - Elizabeth Roderick Page 0,22

if he wanted to.

Isaias finished the argument and slammed the phone back on the console, sighing and raking his fingers through his hair. Then, to Riel’s immense relief, he put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. “That fucking bitch,” he muttered, but Riel had nothing but words of praise for Mama Maria right then.

He didn’t try to speak to her further as they drove home, seeming lost in his thoughts. When they pulled into the driveway, she unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out before he had even come to a full stop. She ran inside and found Lizette in the kitchen, stirring a kettle on the stove.

Her sister looked up wide-eyed when she came in. “Riel, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she lied. “Hey, has Evan stopped by?”

Lizette’s brow furrowed, and she shook her head. “No. Why?”

Riel’s heart sank, but it was still early. He could still come. “If he shows up, I’ll be in my room.”

“Okay, Riel, but—”

Riel didn’t stick around to hear what else her sister had to say. She heard the front door open as Isaias came in. “I’m going to go practice my guitar now,” she said. Riel left her sister to look after her worriedly as she dodged out the kitchen door and down the hallway, locking herself in her room.

She heaved a sigh of relief. As long as she stayed in here, she should be safe. Until Evan comes.

She sat on her bed, picked up her guitar, and hugged it like a huge, wooden teddy bear. Evan, please come, she prayed. She fought back tears and started to play. The music drove everything else out of her head: Isaias, the leering men at the club, even Evan—almost.

She didn’t know how long she’d been playing when there was a light knock on the door, and she looked up, her heart accelerating.

“Riel,” Lizette’s voice called, “está la cena.”

Riel’s heart stumbled and fell. She looked at the clock; it was almost seven. If he hadn’t come by now, he wasn’t coming. “I’m not hungry,” she called back, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

There was a pause. “Everything okay?”

Riel wiped her eyes. She should be able to confide in her sister, but she just couldn’t. Not about this. Lizette had enough to deal with without knowing the full extent of her husband’s assholery, and she couldn’t even bring herself to say Evan’s name aloud right now. “I’m fine,” she said. “Just tired.”

After a moment, Lisette said, “Okay, but I’ll save some for you in the fridge. It’s sopas.”

The floor creaked as she walked off, and Riel resumed playing. Tears spilled over, falling onto her guitar. I don’t have anyone. Her throat grew tight as she thought of Marissa, back in prison. Had she found another girlfriend yet? She’d probably never know. And Evan…

She took a constricted breath, which shook with sobs. Her fingers got tangled up on the fretboard. She gave up playing and pressed her forehead into the cool, polished wood of the instrument’s body. Stop blubbering. You’ll figure a way out of this on your own. You know you can’t rely on other people to save you. You have to save yourself.

After a moment she quit crying, but she felt completely numb and worn out. She set her guitar aside, turned off the light, and curled up under the blankets, letting that horrible day slip out of her consciousness as she fell asleep.

***

The next morning, Riel didn’t get up until Lizette knocked for the third time. By the time she showered and got dressed, Isaias was waiting for her in the kitchen, looking thunderous.

“Make her a sandwich or something to go,” he ordered Lizette. “We’ve got to get moving.”

Lizette nodded, and started piling fried eggs and bacon onto slices of toast. She slathered on mayo and Tapatío sauce before wrapping it in wax paper and handing it to Riel with a worried look. “Have a good day at work,” she said quietly.

Riel didn’t respond. Isaias was tapping his foot, so she followed him out of the kitchen and through the front door.

A biting wind seemed to drive the icy rain clean through Riel’s bones, but she felt like she’d rather be stuck out in the weather than climbing into the cab of the pickup with Isaias. She got in anyway, feeling so hopeless that she wondered if she had the strength to fight him off if he made more advances.

Isaias got in and started up the engine, sighing through pursed lips