Murphy sniffs a few times before grinning. “I know, I know, I should be nominated for the Nobel Prize in human motivational psychology.” Though he feigns a mocking tone, I can see that my words got to him.
A mushy warmth that, thanks to Eva, I am now almost familiar with spreads in my stomach. It’s that sensation you feel when you’re certain that others care for you. Eva loves me. Mother, Malcom, and my aunt, too. Also, my crazy and sometimes annoying brother does. The sudden realization that I have so many special people to be thankful for makes my heart risk bursting. And it seems I will become CEO, after all. Mother is right. If I’m not the luckiest man alive, I don’t know who is.
Mother dabs her eyes with a handkerchief. “There’s nothing more brave or more rewarding than loving someone. I’m so glad we could help you realize it.”
“Me too, Mother, me too,” I murmur while Mother and Murphy assault me with a hug, which is probably the weirdest moment of affection I’ve ever experienced, but instead of recoiling from it, I embrace them tightly. The liberating knowledge that my own family had faith in me and cared enough for me to watch out for my happiness as well as for my career fills my chest with an unknown elation. It’s thanks to them that I found Eva. It’s a gift I won’t ever be able to repay.
A sudden urge to go and fetch Eva swamps me. I need to annihilate the last remaining grain of my lie to Eva as soon as possible, so she can share my joy and meet my family as my official girlfriend.
I’m about to leave, when Zach enters.
His face is pulled into a severe frown that I’ve only seen on him once, when he learned that his sister was in an accident. What could have happened?
He strides to me and holds out his hand in silence.
I glance at his stretched palm and all blood leaves my face.
“Where did you get these?” I ask, but the ache gripping my belly anticipates the answer before my friend has time to articulate it.
“Eva left them for you. She said you would understand why she had to give them back.”
I take the small diamond drops from Zach’s hand, but my skin doesn’t register them landing between my fingers.
Murphy pulls up his shoulders. “What’s this, Nate? What happened?”
My voice comes out like a robotic creak as I hiss between my teeth. “Eva knows about the bet. I don’t know how, but she does. She must have left. I need to go and find her.”
In my mind there is a tempest of thoughts swirling. If she knows, she must hate me by now.
How can I salvage this?
I MUST salvage this.
Chapter 35
(Eva)
“That’s your stop, my love.” The taxi driver throws me a get-out-quickly glance.
My eyes dart to the windows.
We’re nowhere near to my house yet. The large, dimly lit square to my left is the outskirts of my district, a good twenty minutes’ walk from my street. There are crushed take-out cups, crumpled wrappers, and empty liquor bottles beside the bench that stands next to the only working streetlight. A few grackles are drinking from a greasy-looking puddle beside a flattened cardboard box and a ratty blanket just beside the pole. Whenever I can, I avoid this area even in daylight. It has a reputation of being a popular place for shady, late night encounters and among junkies—and probably rats and cockroaches, too.
“This is not Liberty Street,” I say with a trembling voice.
Please take me, home—I want to add, but I can’t, because if I speak more, I won’t be able to suppress the sobs. It took all my willpower not to cry during the car ride. The only thing helping me withhold the tears has been repeating La Mujer Sin Alma’s rhyme over and over in my head. As if replaying the words that became my prophecy could cancel out the guilt about my own stupidity and the sorrow over Nathan’s cruel betrayal.
“No, it’s not. But thirty bucks won’t get you further than this.” He bores the dimple in his chin with his thumb, while his eyes give me a slow once-over.
“I told you I’ll get you more once we arrive at my place. I just don’t have any more cash on me right now,” I mumble.
To tell the truth, I didn’t have any. The tiny clutch purse didn’t allow me to carry much besides a lipstick, a small comb, and my cell phone. I didn’t anticipate that I'd be using my wallet when attending a charity ball with Nathan. I was lucky that Lola could lend me this much money, otherwise I couldn’t have called a taxi at all.
The driver’s glance illuminates with a dirty glint. He licks his chapped lips with a gesture that makes my stomach churn. “If you want, we could make a sweet deal. What do you say?”
“How dare you?” I shriek, pulling a hand to my cleavage self-consciously.
The man snorts. “Ah, so you’re okay with attending parties in posh villas and sharing your jewel with hotshots, but you refuse a humble guy like me? This is barrio Latino.” He fakes a thick Spanish accent. “Not your client’s suburb. You need to make a reality check, love.”
Though my chest is throbbing with disdain, a small part of me understands where the man is coming from. He must think I’m a call girl. Even if I hate to admit it, the contrast between Nathan’s Mother’s luxurious mansion and my own address could lead to this conclusion. Plus, add in that I’m in a fancy ball gown, but unable to pay for my ride, and the picture of a lady-of-the-evening is complete.
I lift my chin with as much dignity as I have left and throw the dollar bills at the man. “It’s the end of our ride then, thanks.” I struggle to climb out with the puffy underskirt, and a
