Page 33 of Dissolving Prejudice

“Only ’cause you turned me into one.”

Shay-Lee didn’t bother answering me and instead turned around and began walking back to the restaurant. Even though my bike was parked in the same direction, I didn’t join him, staying where I was, with my eyes locked on his back. If tonight had taught me one thing, it was that Shay-Lee had shit-tons of grudges to unleash before he’d ever come close to forgiving me. In addition to some new secrets he was clearly holding on to, like whatever the fuck he felt toward his father. And while the evening had gone off course, my plan still worked, and Shay-Lee’s armor began cracking. Slowly, he was giving in to having me back in his life, even if he claimed otherwise.

I pulled out the pack of gum I had in my pocket and popped a few in my mouth. Chewing on them, I smiled. Thanks to him bringing up our old questioning game, I had a new idea that would also involve going down memory lane. One that would definitely remind my Llorón who owned his ass. Being the feisty kitten that he was, he scratched me with his claws all night. If he thought, even for one second, that I’d let him get away with it, he was about to discover he was wrong. He might have claws, but I had fangs, and I was never the type of hound to bark without bite.

Shay-Lee

“He just keeps following me around, showing up at my work, texting me. It’s unhinged, and last week, I fell for it.” I sighed, then rubbed my nape while thinking back on that dinner. It was amusing until it wasn’t, and I’d lost control over my emotions. It was nothing if not humiliating to let Camilo see this vulnerable side of me again. “I agreed to go to dinner with him just so he’d stop this nonsense, and you know—” Turning around to face Soren, I stopped when I noticed he was busy handing Cyrus his teddy bear. “You weren’t even listening,” I complained, then moved to sit on the edge of the bed Soren was half lying on with Cyrus by his side.

It had been a month since he’d gotten shot, and because he was doing well, Soren was released from the hospital two weeks ago. Although, for now, he’d have to stay at home to rest. He wasn’t happy, already eager to go back to work. Of course, Ash was having none of it and nearly took off Soren’s head when he tried to suggest bringing some of his work home.

“Of course I was listening,” he said over Cyrus babbling. The baby was still unable to talk, but as of recently, he’d learned a few words. Da-da was one of them. “You said Diesel was wooing you.”

“Wooing?” I raised one brow at him before I pretended to gag. “You clearly haven’t listened.” Closing my eyes, I slumped down, my back sinking into the comfy mattress. Fuck. Coming here straight after work, I was so tired that I might just fall asleep.

“He texts you, buys you gifts—”

“Cat food is not a gift,” I cut in, but Soren went on.

“Takes you out for dinner. I’d call it wooing.”

“Have you forgotten I’m engaged?”

Soren snorted. “For some reason, I don’t see Diesel as the type to care.”

Moving to sit, I turned and gave him a harsh look. “Why does it sound like you’re cheering for Diesel?”

Soren answered me with a soft smile before he picked up Cyrus to sit in his lap. Now with the toddler in his arms, he spoke. “I’m cheering for you to be happy, Shay-Lee.”

I huffed and crossed my arms. “And I am. Or at least, I was until Camilo popped out of nowhere to shit all over my perfectly good life.”

Soren side-eyed me so hard it was fucking brutal.

“What?” I frowned at the judgment on his face.

“Are you actually happy, though?”

“Of course I am.” I swallowed hard. “I have my job, Jordan…”

“Haven’t you said you’re struggling to be intimate with him?”

I had, but it wasn’t because of Jordan but because of me. I guess sex didn’t interest me anymore. Besides, the only partner I’d ever truly enjoyed sex with was Camilo. He was the first person to show me what sex should feel like, what intimacy could be. Before him, I either got high or wasted in order to get through the whole thing without wanting to die. Since I now avoided drugs and only sometimes drank, it was harder to get into the mood, which meant Jordan and I weren’t the most sexually active partners. We did have sex once in a while, mostly because of how guilty I felt over it. Jordan never forced me, and neither did he ever complain, but I knew he wished we had more sex. It’s only natural, considering we’re both in our twenties. I actually told him he could sleep with others if he wanted to, but being the good man that he was, he obviously refused, telling me he didn’t care about sex as long as he had me.

“Can we even talk about sex when he’s here?” I asked while waving my finger at Cyrus, who, for some reason, sucked on his teddy bear’s leg.

I guess he didn’t get Soren’s brain.

Soren chuckled while taking the puppet from his baby and putting it aside. “Don’t be ridiculous; he’s nine months old. He doesn’t understand what we’re saying.”

“Whatever.” I huffed. “You know I don’t know shit about babies.” I sat back down when he chuckled.

“Instead of changing the subject, why don’t you tell me about the dinner you two had.”

I shrugged. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“So Diesel didn’t try to tell you why he’d left?”

“I don’t care why he left,” I said, feeling my body tense with my lie.