Page 28 of Raspados & Regret

I’m never being volunteered for anything ever again. My tío appears above me, holding a coffee and wearing the expression of a man about to become a problem.

“You okay?” he asks, giving me a once-over.

“Fine.”

He looks at my hand. “You’re bleeding.”

“It’s not that bad.” I huff, rolling my eyes as I search my tool cart for a semi-clean towel.

“You’re distracted.” He shakes his head.

“I’m not.” I grimace as I press the cleanest piece of cloth I can find to my busted knuckle.

“You almost put coolant in the windshield fluid earlier.” He stares.

“That bottle was mislabeled,” I stare back. “and on the wrong shelf.”

He sips his coffee. “This about the market?”

“No,” I snap.

“That was a fast no.” He chuckles, then takes another sip. “You know, your tía saw some video… on the Tak Tak app.”

My entire soul leaves my body. Slowly, like it’s just accepted death. “What video?”

My tío gives me a look so disappointed it could make a parking ticket weep. “Don’t act stupid. You’re not so good at it.”

“There are a lot of videos.” I shrug.

“Of you and Elías.”

I say nothing, because that feels like the safest bet. Why further incriminate myself?

He nods like my silence confessed to three crimes. “She says you looked handsome.”

“Okay.”

He keeps going. “She says Elías looked handsome too.”

“I really don’t give a shit if he looks any type of way.”

“She says you both have a nice… ¿Cómo se dice… chemistry?”

I sit up so fast my shoulder hits the Altima. “Chemistry?” I squeak, and my tío’s mouth twitches.

I point at him with the wrench. “Don’t.”

“I say nothing.” He laughs and walks back toward the front desk.

I sit on the creeper, breathing through my nose like a normal person.

Normal.

Normal.

Normal.

What the fuck is normal in this situation?