Page 75 of Caught in Us
His gaze is uncertain, but he attempts a smile. “Alicia, this is Lucía.”
Lucía.
Our half-sister.
The one who’s supposed to be in Spain where Dad hid her and his second family for most of our lives. Anger rushes through my veins. The events of the morning play back in my mind and hit me all over again. Guilt lays thick in my throat, making it hard to breathe. Lucía is here. Sitting with my family as I should have been.
She pushes to her feet, moving with a pleasant demeanor to step forward. Her lips curve with a smile that looks too much like my own. Like my father’s.
“What—?” My chest heaves. My pulse rockets. I feel crazed, almost outside of my body. “What is she doing here?” My words lash out sharply.
Ricky’s brow furrows. His eyes confused. “She’s family.”
“She’s a stranger!” I throw my hands out.
“Alicia.” Chase crowds my body, resting his hand against the small of my back. “Calm down.”
“No!” I shove away, glaring between him, my brother, and the woman I don’t even know.
“Alicia.” My brother steps forward.
“Stop! Okay!” I squeeze my eyes shut and shake my head. “Stop trying to pretend this is okay.”
“Maybe I should go?” Lucía offers.
“No,” Ricky says, his face stern. “You deserve to be here as much as any one of us.”
“I can’t believe you brought her here.” Panic quickens my breath and my mouth feels too dry. “She might be blood, but that doesn’t make her family.”
“You need to go take a walk,” Ricky commands, raising his voice. “Get some air.”
“I just got here,” I practically shout.
“Well, you’re acting like an entitled asshole, so go take a walk.” He turns his back to me and walks to Lucía, comforting her with an embrace.
My jaw falls open. Watching my brother offer her comfort after berating me pushes me over the edge. I can’t be here. I storm out of the room, passing the elevators and shoving into the stairwell. I take each step like I’m in a race to the first floor, but really, it’s in vain. There’s no way to escape my thoughts or the rage swirling inside my chest.
Chase follows behind. He’s silent but for the echo of his footfalls on the cement stairs. He hasn’t said much since we found my family.
I feel as though the walls are closing in, even after we push out into the lobby. I stomp out the sliding front door and away from the building, struggling to catch my breath. “Can you believe that?” I spin around and throw my hands toward the hospital tower. I sound hysterical even to my own ears, but it doesn’t stop me. “What the fuck were my brothers thinking?”
He doesn’t answer, his jaw tight and gaze not meeting mine.
“Chase?”
His jaw works back and forth. “Did you mean what you said back there?”
I don’t understand what he means. He almost appears angry. I shake my head.
“Because I’m trying to figure out if I’m as expendable as Lucía.”
Fuck.“That isn’t the same.”
“But isn’t it? Our son doesn’t know me. I’m practically a stranger. Does that mean I don’t belong? If, God forbid, something happened to bring him to the hospital, would my feelings and opinions matter?”
I swallow hard. The truth of his accusation is bitter on my tongue. “Chase.”
“I deserve to be more than a bystander in our son’s life, Alicia.” His eyes are hard and cold. “And I want a partner who respects me.”
