Page 112 of That Last Summer

“I’m not in the habit of talking about my sex life with my brothers,” I clarify.

“Are you sleeping with Alex?” River asks then.

“What? Why would you say that now?”

“Because that reaction isn’t normal,” he says, pointing to the door Alex has just stormed through. “Not even for the two of you. Yeah, you’re definitely sleeping together.”

“Well, yes, we are,” I admit, tired.

“Since when?”

“Since the beach bar opening.”

“And you’re telling us now? After weeks of... Wait...” River interrupts his own speech. “You two don’t look surprised.” He’s referring to Marcos and Adrián. “Did you know?”

“If it’s any consolation, Pris didn’t tell me,” Marcos says. “Neither did Alex, by the way. I figured it out on my own.”

“Oh, so perceptive of you,” Adrián says in a mocking tone. “Congratulations.”

“What can I say, I’m a GEO.”

“See? He’s a GEO,” Jaime says in a whisper.

“He’s a cop!” I, once again, insist.

“That’s what I said.”

“Okay, but there’s something I don’t get,” River cuts in front of the debate that was about to start. “Now I understand—well, more or less—Alex’s stampede and door slamming, but Hugo’s?”

Hugo? Hugo’s gone? We all look at the empty space next to River, where Hugo was sitting a moment ago. Why did he leave? What’s...

“He was here a minute ago,” Adrián says, confused.

“Fuck! Holy fucking shit!” Jaime exclaims, jumping up and making a dash for the exit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him run so fast.

And it’s not hard to figure out why. Oh, my gosh, unbelievable.

“Jaime! Have you slept with Hugo?” I shout before he crosses the threshold.

“Do you remember when I promised you that tomorrow I’d tell you what’s been on my mind lately?” he shouts back, without even turning around. “Well, it was Hugo.”

Then, he disappears.

“Fucking fantastic. Jaime and Hugo? I thought you were the one fucking him,” Marcos says to Adrián.

“What?” Adrián asks, eyes wide.

“He’s done nothing but hit on you since he arrived, and then you started playing along,” Marcos says.

“I played along because I realized he fancied Hugo. And Hugo fancied him. I wanted to push him so he would stop bullshitting. He was really fucking everything up.”

“And why did you go into the bathroom with him at Dad’s birthday?” River asks.

“Did you think I was fucking him too?”

“Well, if I have to be honest, I hadn’t reached a verdict yet.”

“Do I have to remind you of the tiniest detail that I’m straight? Let me spell it for you, HE-TE-RO-SE-XU-AL.