Page 86 of Dissolving Prejudice

“Dion found out I’m out of the country, and he told me to come back, okay?”

Did he just say… Dion?

With my heart beating so fast I could hear it in my ears, I tried calming down my thoughts so I’d be able to understand what he was saying. “Why the fuck would he care you’re here? I thought you said you’re no longer working for him.”

Camilo hissed a low fuck before he scratched his chin. “I sort of still am…”

“Speak louder.”

“Fuck,” he grunted and got up from bed, quickly grabbing his boxers from the floor and putting them on. “I’m still working for him, okay?”

My eyes opened wide, and betrayed, I got up, not giving a shit I was naked. “So earlier today, you lied.” I stomped toward him. “You told me you were done working for that scum, but you were lying.”

“I didn’t lie.” He looked aside. “I’m almost done with him.”

“Almost?” I grabbed his jaw and forced him to look me in the eyes. If he was lying, the least he could do was do it to my face. “You’re either working for him or you’re not.”

The longer he stayed quiet, the more anxious I became, and in seconds, this entire evening was colored in a whole new shade.

“You’re a fucking liar, Camilo.” I punched his chest and was ready to hit him again when he grabbed my wrist.

“Calm down!”

I released myself from his hold and stepped back because he had no right to touch me. Nor did he have the right to lie to me, but mostly, he had no right to leave me. Again. And while I knew getting pissed at him over a lie after I’d just cheated on Jordan was rich, I didn’t give a shit. I thought we had something special and that he was ready to atone for the past, but he clearly wasn’t.

Looking at him, I knew that I could either stay here and confront him on the subject, which would probably lead to nothing, or leave, which would also change nothing. Nothing I did ever made any difference when it came to him. Because clearly, Camilo was still a stubborn asshole who kept tons of stuff from me.

“I hate you, Camilo Goméz,” I said once I found my voice.

“Llorón.” He whispered my name softly while attempting to touch me again when I shrugged him off.

“I fucking hate you!” I shouted, then turned around and began gathering my clothes from the floor. My ring fell out of my pants pocket as I picked them up, and my stomach rolled as I reached for it. I was such a fool for coming here tonight with the naive thought of a fresh start. Of course we couldn’t have one. We couldn’t move forward because he was still working for that hideous man, doing God only knew what and tossing his life into the fucking garbage.

“Fuck, just hold on and listen to me.” He grabbed my arm when I was already out the door.

I turned to look at him, my eyes furious.

“I have one last job to do for him, and then I’m free. I swear to God, Shay-Lee.” His face twisted with pain, and I could see the sorrow in his dark eyes, and while my heart ached for him like it always did, now I didn’t care. I was simply too furious.

“Llorón, please.”

My eyes locked on his hand that still held me before I took a deep breath.

“Just go back to California.” I shrugged out of his hold. “Leave like you did before. See if I give a fuck.”

I sat on the cold sand, my knees close to my chest as I waited for him to pick up. The ringing sounds of my phone mixed with the waves, and I was about to hang up, thinking he might not be available, when he finally answered.

“Shay-Lee, isn’t it the middle of the night there? Is everything okay?”

I half smiled at his worry, because it was so Soren to bombard me with questions the second he picked up.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” I said and hugged my knees a bit tighter. “I just felt like calling.”

He let out a deep sigh. “At three in the morning?”

I snorted because I guess the timing was telling.

“I slept with Camilo,” I admitted, then gave Soren a moment to process my out-of-the-blue announcement.