Page 80 of Dissolving Prejudice

“Of course not.” He held me closer. “You were so brave that day, Llorón. So fucking brave that I couldn’t have been prouder.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, torment in his eyes. “I mean every word.”

It was like a rock had been lifted off my shoulders because it was a worry I’d carried for years and was too ashamed to admit it. After he’d left me, I wondered if it was because it took me so much time to show up in court. I felt like a coward who’d failed us both, but as it turned out, Camilo didn’t think the same way.

Flooded with emotions I’d repressed for so long, I bit down on my bottom lip and nodded.

“Llorón.” He whispered my name like a prayer, and I leaned against his palm.

“So is it over now? Or do you have one more year left?”

“It’s over. He decided to set me free because I saved his life.”

It almost sounded too good to be true.

“So you’re done with him?”

A faint smile pulled on his lips as he moved his palms from my face to hold my hands. “I’m yours for when you’re ready to take me back.”

He’s mine for when I’m ready to take him back.

Shay-Lee

Overwhelmed by what had happened today, I made my way back to my suite after Camilo dropped me off at the resort’s lobby. My heart had been beating like crazy since we parted ways, my body already yearning to be back in his proximity. But the butterflies this afternoon filled me with were all gone once I thought about facing Jordan.

Since my phone was dead pretty much the whole day, I bet Jordan was worried sick. To be honest, I couldn’t even come up with an excuse for where I’d been, and I doubted it would even matter. After Camilo finally told me the truth, I had no more reasons to try and stick with Jordan. It was cruel, I know, but life is cruel. And while I definitely knew I had to end things with Jordan, it was only fair to hold my tongue and wait until we were back in LA. Knowing I’d crush his heart, it was probably better to do it at home rather than here, in what was supposed to be a romantic getaway.

“Supposed” being the key word.

I walked slowly on purpose, taking my time getting back to our suite. But after delaying the uncomfortable encounter with Jordan for as long as I could, I reached our door. Brushing a hand over my shirt, I looked down to ensure I was decent and took a deep breath before opening the door. The room was completely silent, and me stepping in broke the stillness. My nerves were skyrocketing, and I swallowed my spit when I heard a rustle from inside.

Well, I’m the only one to blame for being in this position.

Walking in, I saw Jordan sitting on the bed with his back to me. From the look of it, he’d just taken a shower, judging by the towel wrapped around his waist.

“Hey,” I said to the too-quiet room.

He kept silent.

Fuck.

“I know I worried you, but my phone died…”

He sighed heavily, and I watched his shoulders tense before he placed both hands on the mattress. “Your phone died? Is that the best you could come up with?”

“I swear it’s true.”

“Sure. So that explains why you didn’t answer my calls.” He got up and turned to face me. “But where the fuck were you?” Anger oozed through his words, and knowing I deserved it, I shrank into myself.

“I… I just went for a walk.”

“You went for a walk?” he repeated after me, his lips twisting with disdain. “You just went for a walk for eight hours? Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No—”

“So how about you tell me the fucking truth?” he snapped, and his shout put me on the spot.