Page 80 of Wild Embers
Levi raises his brows. What’s going on?”
Not ready to tell them about what happened, I play dumb. “There was another murder last night, and?—”
Santiago cuts me off, clearly not buying my act. “Not what we meant. We know about that already.”
I try again. “But I was there and?—”
Levi rests his forearms on the table. “Walker arrested you and interrogated you this morning. We know that.”
“We want to know what’s going on between you and Walker,” Santiago states, leaving no room for interpretation.
My gaze drops to my hands. “Oh. Um. Nothing.”
Santiago nudges me with his shoulder. “You’re a bad liar,mi Cielo.”
“I’m not lying.” I assert.
“That’s one, Butterfly.” Levi holds up his index finger. “Lie again, and that’s two.”
I can't stop the smirk that tugs on my lips as I interpret his tone and insinuation with my mind in the gutter. “What happens when I get to three?”
Levi lowers his voice to a sultry tone. “You don’t want to find out.”
I lean closer toward him. “What if I do?”
He smiles back at me, a playful glint in his eye. “We can talk about that later.”
Santiago shifts in his seat next to me and I realize the exchange he just witnessed. “Oh my God.” I bury my face in my hands. “What am I doing?”
“You and Walker hooked up.” Levi assumes out loud.
I peek through my fingers at both of them.
Santiago tilts his head. “No,” he states as if reading my mind. “But you wanted to.”
Levi snaps his fingers. “They kissed.”
Groaning, I drop my forehead to the table. “I’m just going to hide under the table now.”
Shame swarms me. What I wouldn't give for a cenote to open up right under my seat and swallow me whole.
Santiago rubs circles on my back. “Are you afraid that we’d be upset?”
Propping up, I rest my chin on my fist. “Honestly, I’m not sure I want to know what you guys think at all.”
Levi covers my free hand with his. The warmth of his touch soothes my anxious thoughts. “Why not?”
I sigh and close my eyes, not wanting their expressions to sway me from telling them the truth. “Because if you care, that’s not good. And if you don’t care, that’s still not good.”
Santiago shifts to playing with my hair. “How do you figure?”
“Caring means you’re angry with me. I can’t handle that.” I open my eyes and speak directly to Santiago. “Not caring means our night together didn’t mean anything.” I turn to Levi. “And our moment at the clinic doesn’t mean much either. Again, I can’t handle it.” I drop my gaze again.
Levi flips my hand over, tracing random lines on my palm. “You know, there’s a third option you’re overlooking.”
“What’s that?”
Levi lifts my hand, planting a tender kiss in the center. “We don’t care because we just want you to be happy.”
