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“A, that was the right thing to do. You cannot go behind Ollie’s back and do that. Your grandma should have never suggested that. It’s not cool, and your dad is going to hate hearing about that.”

Her eyes threaten to come out of her head. “Lux, please. Don’t tell him. I know I have to tell him, but I don’t need to tell him about that. He would keep me from my grandma. I love my abuela. I just want to talk to my mom from time to time. I know she left, but she told me she was scared. I don’t want Papi taking her away from me.”

Her eyes fill quickly, spilling just as fast. My heart bends.

How can she think he would do that to her? Doesn’t she know he would cut off his arm to make her happy? “He wouldn’t do that, Ay. Never.”

She shakes her head again. “She hurt him, and she left us. He wouldn’t understand how I want to keep in touch with someone who hurt us.”

Pain explodes in my chest because I do understand. This is how I feel about Walter. No matter what, I sometimes want to talk to him. Chase and Cam don’t understand. They’ve cut him off for good.

“Okay, I won’t say anything today, but you need to.”

“Aunt Lux, don’t be mean?—”

I shake my head at my niece. “I’m not being mean. She should not lie to her dad. Neither of you should lie to your parents. Ayla has to come clean. I think your dad will appreciate it more if you tell him and you explain it to him like you’re explaining it to me. He won’t like to find out from someone else.”

When Ayla says nothing, I tighten my grip on her hands and make her look at me once more.

“Ollie loves you more than anything in the world. He will do anything to make you happy. Promise me you’ll tell him.”

I need to help her make the right decision. I tug at her hands.

Finally, she nods. “I’ll do it tomorrow night when he comes back.”

She starts sobbing. I pull her into a tight hug. My niece starts crying behind her, and I pull her into a hug with us.

I wish life could be simpler, that I could guarantee that this will go well, but the little voice in the back of my head whispers of how bad this could get. Ollie tenses when he talks about Noris. The longer it goes, the worse it will be.

Maybe I should tell him so he’s ready.

You just promised Ayla that you would let her tell him.

Yeah, she needs to be the one to tell him. It’s her mom and his ex-wife. If you tell him, she won’t trust you again.

The last thing I want is to cause division between Ayla and Ollie. I’ll give her the chance to tell her dad tomorrow. That way, I will be keeping my word, and if she doesn’t, I will be the one to tell him.

And then what? Dump him?

Fuck my life.

22

Oliver

I rub a hand over my neck to quell the kink. I’m tired, even though I slept through the flight.

My negrita spots me right away, her smile brightening the day as she hugs Bron and heads my way. I hug her so tight. She clings to me.

“I’ve missed you so much, Papi.”

“Me too.”

We get in the car, and she’s telling me about the last three days. In between baseball practice and shopping, she lets it slip that she spent time with Luciana at Cam and Adri’s. I’m nervous as hell about what I have to do. I pull up to the diner, and we go in.

“I want to talk to you about something that’s been going on for a while,” she says.

Oh god. She knows.