The Spanish Love Deception

Chapter 135

“No, coming was the right thing to do if you believed you had to be here.” I clasped my hands together,

keeping them from fumbling. “You did it for Gonzalo, and that’s very brave of you.”

He laughed with bitterness. “I don’t think anyone at that table would agree with you. Except maybe

Gonzalo, and he wouldn’t use the word brave.” His hands slipped into the pockets of his slacks.

Again, he wasn’t wrong about that either. My parents had always been polite even if distant, but just for

Gonzalo’s sake. For Isabel’s sake too. They knew how important Daniel was to him and how, without

him, they wouldn’t have Gonzalo in their lives, and they loved him to pieces. But I still didn’t have a

doubt that they’d never forgive Daniel for breaking my heart all that time ago. For having a part in what

I had gone through.

“Listen,” Daniel said before releasing a breath. “I know it’s probably too late for this, but I wanted to tell

you that I am sorry. I don’t think I ever did.”

No, he had never apologized.

“But I never meant for everything that went down to happen. I never even imagined it was a possibility.”

Of course he hadn’t, and hadn’t that been part of the problem? He dragged me along, and when things

started looking ugly, he fled the ship. Leaving me there to sink with it. And that had been exactly what I

did; I had been pulled under the surface, and I’d had to fight my way up. Alone.

His apology was long overdue—perhaps it was even too late—but at least I was finally getting one. And

that counted for something.

“It’s water under the bridge,” I told him, and I meant it. Even though a little part of me would always

remember that he had been a big player in something that left a scar I’d always carry around. “Don’t

worry about what my dad said, by the way. He’s a little emotional.” I waved my hand in front of us,

stopping myself the moment I realized I didn’t owe Daniel a single thing. I shouldn’t have been trying to

make him feel better. I cleared my throat. “You know how weddings bring out the best and worst of us.”

I was the living proof of that, my fake boyfriend sitting at a table with my family, finally facing my newly

engaged ex.

Although the problem with coming back home for Isabel’s wedding—single, dateless—had never been

about seeing Daniel. It was about facing everyone else while doing that. It was the anticipation, the

idea, of having every single person who had seen me grow up, fall in love, get my heart broken, lose a

little part of myself for a while, and then flee to a different country. It was about facing a man who had

clearly put his life back together when I hadn’t. That was what had set this whole thing into motion,

exactly what had made me push the panic button.

And how stupid had that been? How dumb had it been to let something like that drive me to lie? To

create and sell them this ridiculous and wholesome image of myself that I’d thought would make me

complete and happy in their eyes?

I realized now, as I stood in front of the catalyst of this whole mess, that it had been very fucking stupid.

“I hope you mean that, Lina. This whole thing is better left in the past anyway.” Daniel looked at the

ground for a moment and then nodded his head. “Are you happy now? With your life? With him?” He

tilted his head. “You don’t look completely happy.”

My throat dried, my eyes widening, as I tried to process his words. “Of course I am,” I said, but it came

out in a breathless way. Pure shock swirled in my body, mixing with stupid fear at being called out on

my lie. “I’m happy, Daniel,” I repeated, those two emotions turning into something else. Something that

tasted a lot more bitter.

“Are you sure about that?” he asked calmly, in a confident and patronizing way that had me rearing my

head back. “He seems like a stand-up guy, this Aaron. Although he looks a little … dry. Stuffy,” Daniel

continued, and my eyes fluttered closed for a fraction of a second, a strong sense of protectiveness

washing over me. “But I guess he’s good to you. He has been stuck to your side since the moment I

met him.” He chuckled. “Not my style, this guard-dog vibe, but I could understand the appeal.”

My lips parted as I found it hard to believe the words leaving my ex’s mouth.

“But are you really happy, Lina? I know you, and this is not the carefree Lina you are. You have been

on edge in the short time you’ve been here, and I’ll be honest, I can’t help but be concerned.”

Concerned? I blinked. Then, I did it again. And again and again.

Had I been on edge? I could believe that. I had certainly felt that way more than once. But … whether

what he thought was true or not wasn’t important. It was the fact that he believed he had any right to

deny something I was telling him myself.

Oblivious to my growing outrage, Daniel kept going, “It could be coming back home. That must be a lot

of pressure for you. Or maybe it’s that Isabel is getting married and you aren’t.”

A breath got stuck in my throat.

“Or maybe it’s him. I don’t know, but—”

“Stop,” I hissed. Something lit up inside of me. Like a bonfire. I could even hear the flames crackling

and sizzling. Burning away the remains of my patience. “Don’t you dare do that, Daniel.”

His brows wrinkled together, his expression one of confusion. “Do what?”

“Do what?” I repeated, my voice going up an octave. Closing my eyes, I tried my best to get back my

composure. “Do not pretend that you care or that you even know me anymore. You have no right to

judge or doubt my happiness.” The pace at which my breath entered and left my lungs increased, my

anger not receding. “So, stop throwing in my face whatever it is you think you know or see. You lost

that right a long time ago.”

He shook his head, sighing loudly. “I’ve always cared about you, Lina. And I always will. That’s why I’m

worried about you. Why I’m trying to have a conversation.” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“You’ve always cared about me? You’ll always care?”

“Of course,” he puffed out. “You are like a little sister to me. We are about to become family.”

Something deep inside of me turned to ice. The marrow in my bones freezing, rooting me to the spot.

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