For Shits and Giggles [2024]

Chapter 35

Santiago ripped the chest open with ease; the top went flying through the clouds, one of Gracie's nails stuck to the inside; blood and scrapes decorated the inside. Santiago held her to his chest, the bottom of the chest hurled down through the giant oaks.

Finally, floating high above the world, Gracie was safe in his grasp.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingertips bloody and raw from clawing at the inside of the chest. He hugged her tightly to his body, taking in the smell of her hair, her skin, the new soap and shampoo he didn't recognize.

She had lost too much weight, her cheeks were gaunt, hollow, there were dark circles underneath her eyes, her tan skin had taken on a pale, sickly color. But underneath that, it was still Gracie, teary-eyed and smiling, with her face buried in his shoulder. He wanted to barrage her with questions, but he didn't. Not yet. He just needed to hold her.

They hugged like this for a long time, hundreds of feet off the ground.

"Santi," she pulled away finally, the moonlight illuminating her eyes. "It's really you," she placed a hand on his cheek. Flesh, warm flesh. It was true, this was real. Santiago had come to rescue her.

"It's really me," he offered her his famous, crooked smile. But it was wavering. Their eyes met for a moment and she glanced away.

"Who did this," Santiago asked, his eyes never moving from hers. "What happened?"

"Camilo..." she mumbled.

"I knew it," he said, his pupils glowing red now. She felt his grip on her tighten, a warmth radiating from his eyes. "I'm going to kill him."

She didn't protest.

He wasn't looking at her anymore. He was looking past her, transfixed on some point beyond the clouds that didn't exist. He imagined all the ways he would hurt Camilo. He obsessed over the idea; finally giving Camilo what he deserved. He had no reason to before. Before tonight, Santiago was just some jealous crush, angry that the woman he loved wasn't his. That alone couldn't justify all of the pain he wanted to inflict on Camilo. But this—kidnapping Gracie, torturing her, that was more than enough reason. No one would blame him for the hell he was about to put Camilo through.

Then Gracie touched his cheek again, and he was back on Earth. Rather, he was back to floating above the Earth with Gracie in his arms.

They looked into each other's eyes again. Gazed into them wordlessly. This time, Gracie didn't turn away. She closed her eyes, leaned in. She felt her ears burning, her cheeks that were so devoid of color and life, were now a bright red. She waited, waited to feel his soft lips press into hers, for his hand to hold her head and pull her in close. She waited for him to kiss her with a passion she hadn't felt since college. Since Felix.

The moon was full and bright, the heavy rain echoed a perfect soundtrack. But the kiss didn't come.

"Are you in love with him?"

Her eyes shot open, her heart dropped into her stomach.

"What?"

"Felix... are you in love with him?"

His grip on her tightened again, "Were you having an affair with him?"

She had never seen this look on Santiago's face before. She had seen him angry, full of rage, ready to kill. But this wasn't that. It was more serious than that. It wasn't disappointment or sorrow. What was it? She wanted the rain to consume her, to drown her so she didn't have to find out.

Instead, she nodded.

Santiago felt his chest tighten. "Fuck," he mumbled, "Fuck... "

"Santi..." she started, but he began to fly. Fast.

The cold rain crashed into her like tiny needles, she buried her face into his chest for protection.

"Santiago, please!" Gracie shouted. But he didn't hear her, he wouldn't hear her. Not until they were back in town. When he finally came to a stop, they were in front of the Pleasantwood Memorial Hospital.

He set her down gently, but she held onto him for balance, her legs aching from her position inside the chest.

"Santiago," she tried again, but he wouldn't look at her.

"I'll check you in," he said, his head still turned away.

"Listen to me!" She yelled, yanking his shirt with all the strength she had left.

He turned to her and she saw that he was crying. The rain was heavy, but the redness in his cheeks and the puffiness of his eyes betrayed him.

He collapsed to his knees.

"I love you so much," he shoved his face into his hands. "Fuck... FUCK!" He shouted, his voice like thunder. It was late, no one was outside. Only a handful of windows inside the hospital were lit up, a couple of people shuffled inside.

"I love you too," she said quickly. "I love you more than anything!"

He wouldn't look up.

"It's true," she pleaded. "I did sleep with Felix... but it was a long time ago. It was before they were married, it was stupid! I was stupid, Santiago, look at me!"

She dropped to her knees in front of him, grasping his shoulders, "Please just look at me!"

He did, the fact that he was crying undeniable.

"Do you still love him," he mumbled.

Every morsel of her being wanted to scream No. Every part of her heart, body, and soul wanted Santiago, and only Santiago. But the curse.

The damned curse.

"Yes," she said.

Gracie began to panic, "Yes." Each time she rounded her lips to say No, all that came out was, "Yes!"

She tried to shake her head no, instead she nodded up and down. But she kept trying, kept trying to shake her head no. She began to sob. She sobbed loudly, violently.

Up and down, up and down. The more she tried to shake her head no, the more her body nodded yes. Her head began to hurt, her brain pounded against her skull. But she didn't stop, she wouldn't stop trying. She needed him to know.

She was dizzy, ready to fall over, but still she kept nodding and nodding and nodding. Because maybe one of those nods would turn into a shake and Santiago would understand that she was deeply in love with him, and only him.

He stared at her in shock, his eyes wide. She looked deranged, out of her mind. Her body wobbled as she nodded hysterically, he could tell she was ready to pass out. After a few moments, he reached forward to catch her cheeks between his hands.

He held her head still. Her hair was a wet mess, she had snot running down her nose. He looked deeply into her eyes. They were swollen, desperate, pleading. But most importantly, they were as yellow as the morning sun. Finally, Santiago understood.

"I believe you," he said softly, still holding her cheeks. "I believe you."

He pulled her cheeks in, Gracie froze.

Her body felt foreign, like it didn't belong to her. As if she was just some hollow and forsaken ghost simply possessing it.

Then he kissed her.

There, on the ground of a dirty Hospital parking lot, with the frigid, cold rain beating against them, Santiago and Gracie shared their second kiss. Santiago kissed the past two months away, kissed her fears and troubles and regrets all away. Here in his arms she felt hope creep in again, she knew that real happiness was possible even if the curse never broke. She felt truly seen by him, truly understood.

She never, ever wanted to let him go.