Page 27 of The Wrong Reciprocation

TWR Version One - Magickal Realism-8

She no longer thought in terms of "safe" versus "unsafe". There was nowhere that she was safe from Arturo because he'd made it clear that he wouldn't stop coming for her until he found her. The cabin was huge and on the surface there might have been plenty of places to hide but no matter where she was he always seemed to show up. Now it was public versus private.

Most everyone was out by the lake. Vanessa and several of her cousins were jet skiing, while her mama, aunts, and uncles were sitting on the small beach under large umbrellas playing card games and drinking cocktails. She'd opted out of riding a jet ski because she wasn't down with falling into a body of water where she couldn't see the bottom. A couple of her cousins felt like she did about the lake but still wanted to swim so they were down in the indoor pool. That left Twyla who then decided to make her way up to the third-floor game room to play some pool by herself.

She was on her third attempt to break the balls when a prickle of awareness made her shiver. Glancing over her shoulder, she was unsurprised to find Arturo standing in the entryway with his intense gaze focused on her.

I'm not going to stop coming for you. I can't.

He strode toward her and spun around, dropping the pool cue just as he scooped her into his arms and met her mouth with his. Her butt met the pool table and she gasped and pulled out of the kiss, clinging to him tightly.

"You can't sit me up here! It'll break!"

Arturo paid her no mind, pressing kisses and nipping at her neck and shoulders. "It's fine. The table can hold at least three hundred pounds. You can't be more than two-eighty at most."

She stared at him,

Laying her back, he pulled her leggings down and dropped the

12

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

Twyla sat at the table hunched over a mug of coffee, her fingers threaded into her braids as she tried to figure out a solution to her problem. Linda and Mable entered the kitchen talking and laughing and Twyla cringed. The only reason she had come to the kitchen was because she'd thought everyone was out by the lake and she'd have a few moments of solitary peace. Her mama stopped behind her and gave her a hug, then moved on to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of orange juice.

"Why are you looking so stressed, niece? We're on vacation."

Lifting her head, Twyla tried to offer her aunt a smile, but the weak thing wavered briefly before disappearing altogether.

"I look stressed because I'm incredibly stressed, Auntie."

Linda scoffed. "What do you have to be stressed about, little girl? Any problems you had are back in Houston. You should be enjoying this all-expenses-paid trip."

Annoyed at being so quickly dismissed, Twyla straightened her back and glared at her mama. "Actually, no, my problems are not all back home. I have a very big one here under this roof and it's because of your secrets that I'm so stressed out."

Baffled, Linda gaped at her, an empty champagne flute in one hand and a bottle of prosecco in the other. "Are you still upset about Arturo? He's here now, what more do you want?"

Twyla fumed at Linda's flippant tone. She knew that she should just keep her mouth shut and go wallow somewhere else, and the knowing look that her aunt was sending her way should have told her that she was dancing on dangerous grounds, but her anger fueled her. Everything wasn't so cut and dry just because they had finally decided to embrace their half-brother. Lives were effected by their selfishness—her life was effected. With her palms flat on the tabletop, Twyla stood and held her mama's gaze.

"Yeah, Mama. I'm still upset, because I'm hurt by this."

"I really don't see the problem," Linda quipped. "What would you knowing about him have changed?"

"Linda—just hold on now. Let her speak." Mable placed the glasses she had been retrieving from a cabinet onto a tray and nodded at Twyla. "Gon' 'head, niece."

Twyla swallowed against the lump in her throat. She'd been too embarrassed to give her mama the whole story when the truth had first come out but now she wished that she had. Maybe she wouldn't have had to come on this trip and be repeatedly tortured by what she couldn't have.

"Arturo and I were on a date that day when you saw us. We were making plans for another one. We were going to be together. And now I'm sick and disgusted with myself because even though I know that I shouldn't, I can't stop wanting him. Your lies put me in this position!"

Twyla's chest heaved and her face was scrunched and there were tears in her eyes that she fought not to shed. Linda stared at her with her mouth agape, pure disbelief on her face. And Mable—well, Mable's expression surprised Twyla. Mable's face was red with anger, but it wasn't for Twyla. With her hands clenched into fists, Mable glared at Linda.

"Still keeping secrets, Linda? Just like your damn mama! Tell them damn kids the truth, right now."

"What's going on?"

All eyes swung behind Twyla to find Arturo standing there in wet swim trunks and a damp tank top. He was still dripping water and it looked like he had just hopped out of the lake pool, pulled his shirt on, and headed this way. Without a doubt, Twyla knew he had been looking for her and the unfairness of it all settled heavily onto her chest, causing her to burst into sobs. Immediately, Arturo went to her, wrapping her in his arms and asking what was wrong, but she couldn't answer. She was torn between relishing in the feel of his concern, and being mortified that her mama and aunt were seeing them like this.

"Enough is enough!"