Page 30 of In a Perfect World

“That’s not all,” I told her, my heart beating faster inside my chest at just the thought of Kairo.

“Christ, there’s more?”she asked, flummoxed.

“I...”I let out a calming breath, scared to say the words, even to my best friend.“What I’m about to tell you, you can’t tell anyone, Sonia.I mean it.You can’t...you can’t utter a word about it to anyone.”

She immediately scowled.“You know me better than that.”

“I know,” I quickly assured her.“I do...it’s just...”

“Jesus, what is it?”

Steeling myself, I told her everything about Kairo from the first moment that I’d met him to what just happened earlier.I left nothing out, and I even admitted how I felt about him.After all, Sonia wasn’t going to be able to give me any useful advice if I wasn’t completely honest with her.

When I was finished, she stared at me in shock, her eyes wide.“Are you serious?I mean...is this for real?You’re not bullshitting me or having some kind of psychotic break?”

“Oh, I’m probably having a psychotic break, but I’m not lying,” I told her.“Kairo Booker kissed me, and I’m thinking about that more than I’m worried about being jobless.”

“Jesus Christ, Triana,” she remarked carefully.“I...I don’t know what to say.I mean, you know that...that nothing can come of this attraction between you two, right?”

I nodded dejectedly.“I know.”

After a few seconds, she said, “Okay, look...while this thing with Kairo Booker is...is huge, we need to discuss the aspects of your life that you can control, and that’s your next steps to finding a new job.That, or else you cave and marry Romelio.”

“I’m not marrying Romelio,” I told her.“I mean it.I’m not backing down on that.I will not allow my parents to control my life to such a stifling degree.Plus, Romelio hasn’t even reached out to me, and he has to know by now that I’ve said no, or else my parents wouldn’t be so pissed.”

“Well, we don’t know that for sure,” she replied softly.“Being so concerned with their supposed good name, they might be holding off telling him until they absolutely have to.”

“You might be right,” I conceded.“However, Romelio and his family will find out soon enough.”

“What do you think Tomasco will do?”she asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” I sighed.“He’ll be pissed, but I also don’t want him sacrificing his relationship with our parents.It’s no secret that he’s expected to take over the business once they retire, and in all honesty, this isn’t his battle to fight.”

“True, but you’re still his sister, Triana,” she said.“There’s no way that Tomasco is going to side with them.”

“No, he won’t,” I agreed.“Still, if I can keep him out of this mess, then I will.”

After a few seconds of silence, she said, “Okay, so...we’ll spend the rest of the evening creating your resumé, and then we’ll create a job search account and see what’s out there.”

“Honestly, I’m not even sure that I want to continue living here,” I confessed.“I’m so angry and hurt that I don’t even want to chance running into them at the store or anywhere.”

“Oh, Triana,” she whispered.“I...I’m so mad on your behalf that I hadn’t even considered how hurt you must feel right now.”

I shook my head, the tears coming again.“But if I move, then I’m leaving you and Tomasco, and that’s definitely something that I don’t want.”

“First off, as much as Tomasco and I would miss you, do not make any life choices based on whatwewant, Triana,” she said sternly.“After all, that’s what all this is about, right?If you’re going to make life decisions based on what we want, then you might as well marry Romelio.”

“No, I get that,” I sighed.“I really do.It’s just...it’s just everything, and I don’t know what to do about any of it.I feel like my emotions are all fighting each other in this...this tornado of chaos, and...I don’t know.I don’t know anything.”

Sonia reached out to squeeze my leg.“Triana, even if you didn’t have all this...this craziness happening with your family, you know that you have to stop seeing Kairo Booker, right?’

“But why?”I asked like a stubborn child.“Why can’t he and I just...just enjoy this for a little while?”

“Look, I’m the first person to advocate for casual sex, but that’s not what you’re talking about,” she said.“You said that you havefeelingsfor him, and that’s a dangerous thing to have for someone that will only bring you misery, Triana.You and Kairo Booker have no chance at a future, so why put yourself through the heartache that’s sure to follow if you don’t stop seeing him?”

“He crossed the border just to kiss me, Sonia,” I reminded her.“I’ve never had a man want me like that.”

“While I get how that might impress a girl, shit like that will get the both of you arrested, Triana,” she pointed out.“This is serious, and more so since he’s Administrator Booker’s son.”