Twisted Loyalties

24

I couldn't believe I'd completely forgotten about my mom's side of the family coming back from Colombia.

The rush of nerves hit as soon as I remembered, and I bit my lip. My mother is great, so warm and welcoming, but my aunts and cousins?

They could be... intense. The kind of intense that came with judgmental stares and whispered comments.

I really didn't want to face that alone, and the idea of Julian by my side made it all feel a little less daunting.

I looked over at him, wondering if he'd even want to come along for something like this. But as he stood up, his face softened with understanding, and he simply said, "I'll come."

There was something about the way he said it—solid, like he meant it without a second thought. I found myself staring, really looking at him for a moment.

His tan skin, the sharp lines of his jaw, the way his muscles shifted as he moved... the early morning light made every detail stand out.

My gaze lingered over the toned lines of his chest, and when he caught me staring, a faint smirk played on his lips before he pulled a shirt over his head.

I quickly shook myself out of it and grabbed my dress, heading with him to the bathroom. We tried to fix ourselves up quickly, each of us adjusting hair, smoothing out wrinkles, and laughing at our still-sleepy reflections.

Julian leaned against the doorframe, glancing over at me with a warm look that made my cheeks flush, and I felt that familiar flutter in my stomach.

With a quick, final glance in the mirror, I slipped my shoes on and reached for his hand as we headed out the door.

As I drove toward Sabrina's house, I could feel a hint of tension creeping into the car.

Sabrina fidgeted a bit in her seat, glancing at me before looking back out the window.

When we pulled up, she turned to me, her expression a little uneasy. "Just so you know... my family can be a little... judgmental. But they mean well."

I nodded, bracing myself for whatever that meant. "Alright," I said, giving her a small reassuring smile. "I can handle it."

She reached behind the seat and left her dress tucked away in my car, and I raised an eyebrow. "What about your dress? Aren't you going to take it with you?"

She looked at me, eyes widening a bit. "Do you really think I'm going to show up wearing a whole different outfit and carrying a ball gown? My family would definitely read into that and think... well, let's just say they'd get the wrong idea."

"Right," I said, nodding in agreement. "Better avoid that."

We got out, and I watched her take a steadying breath before she knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal her mama, who looked pleasantly surprised—and maybe a little intrigued—to see me there.

I'd only met her a handful of times when I came to pick up Sabrina, so our conversations had been brief at best.

"Hola," I greeted, offering a polite smile. She glanced between the two of us, a small smile tugging at her lips as if she was already reading into the situation.

The living room was already bustling with family—cousins, aunts, uncles—all of them chatting away in Spanish.

The smell of coffee and fresh pastries filled the air, and it was clear that they'd just arrived from a long trip.

Sabrina stayed close to my side, guiding me through the room as we greeted her family members. Her mom gave her a look, raising an eyebrow as if to say, Who exactly is this?

Sabrina offered a brief, tight-lipped smile, then leaned closer to me, whispering, "Just... stay close. They're a little intimidating."

I chuckled, leaning in so only she could hear. "I think I can manage."

We made our way over to her cousins, who greeted Sabrina with excited hugs and a few looks that slid over to me, unmistakably curious.

One of them, a girl around our age, gave me a once-over before giving Sabrina a sly smile.

"Sabrina, who's this?" she asked, her tone teasing. "We didn't know you'd bring someone so... guapo."

(guapo - handsome)

Sabrina gave a half-laugh, half-sigh. "This is Julian," she said, giving me a quick look. "He's just... a friend."

Her cousin raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced, and said something quickly to another family member, making them both laugh softly.

Sabrina tensed beside me, clearly picking up on the comment.

Just then, her grandma I think appeared, carrying a tray of small cups of coffee, offering one to each of us.

"So, Julian," she began, her voice warm but probing. "Tell us, how did you meet Sabrina?"

I looked over at Sabrina, whose cheeks were now turning a light shade of pink. She gave me a look that said, Please don't make this awkward.

"We met through some mutual friends," I replied, keeping it simple. "I guess you could say we just... clicked."

Her grandma smiled, nodding slowly as if weighing my answer, and Sabrina's aunt suddenly chimed in with a knowing look. "Clicked? That sounds like more than just friends."

I felt Sabrina squeeze my arm, a silent signal to keep things light.

"We've been friends for a while," I said, glancing at Sabrina and giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm just here to make sure she's not facing all this family on her own."

Sabrina's grandmas expression softened a bit, and she gave Sabrina an approving look, as if to say, Good choice.

"Come, sit, eat something," her mom said, gesturing to the table.

We found seats near each other, and I could feel Sabrina finally relaxing next to me, her shoulders losing some of their tension as the conversation started drifting elsewhere.

Her other aunt, an older woman with sharp eyes, gives her a curious look and says, "Since when did you start bringing boys home, Sabrina?"

Sabrina doesn't miss a beat. She shoots back in Spanish, "Desde que decidi traer uno que vale la pena."

(Desde que decidi traer uno que vale la pena -  Since I decided to bring one worth it.

I smirk, not missing the proud spark in her eyes, and reach over to lightly draw circles on her hand with my thumb.

Her aunt raises an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that response.

Sabrina gives my hand a gentle squeeze, all I can focus on is the quiet warmth between us, her hand in mine, grounding me in this moment.

AUTHORS NOTEEE

Her family is quite judgemental but I feel like every family has its flaws.