Twisted Loyalties

25

The looks from my family aren't exactly subtle, but they're keeping it mostly respectful—for now, anyway.

I can feel their eyes darting between Julian and me, assessing, silently exchanging glances and whispers.

But, I remind myself, at least they haven't openly insulted him yet, which is more than I was expecting.

Then I hear my papa's voice behind me. "Y quién es este?" he asks, his gaze narrowing as he takes in Julian for the first time.

(Y quién es este? - And who is this?)

I forgot he hadn't met him yet; he only knew of Julian from a few things Mama had mentioned.

"This is Julian, my... friend," I say, and I feel Julian's hand give mine a reassuring squeeze, though I know he's probably bracing himself, too.

Papa raises an eyebrow, his expression a mix of surprise and skepticism. "Next time you bring a boy home, you ask, Sabrina," he says, his tone light but firm, the kind that says he's half-joking but also dead serious.

I nod, keeping my expression steady, and glance up at Julian, who looks unfazed, even giving my dad a polite nod.

But I know him well enough to notice the way he stands a little straighter, as if ready to make the best impression he can.

"Sí, Papa," I reply, a little smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Julian's respectful, though. You'll see."

As the family chatter fills the room, I lean close to Julian and whisper, "Are you okay?"

He glances down at me, his voice steady. "I'm fine, Sabrina. I'm not going to break if they say something."

I release a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, letting a little smile pull at my lips. "Okay. Stop worrying so much," he adds, his fingers tracing light, calming circles on my hand.

I try to keep listening to my tia's stories and nod along to my cousins laughter, but honestly, all I can think about is how much I'd rather just be with Julian right now, away from all the noise.

My family means the world to me, but the longer I sit here, the more I find myself glancing over at him, my mind drifting to what we could be doing instead.

Finally, I lean over, lowering my voice. "Do you want to go to my room?"

His eyes spark with interest. "Sure."

We both stand, slipping quietly out of the living room and making our way up the stairs. As we step into my room, Julian looks around, a slight smirk on his face.

"The last time I was in here was... what, ages ago?" he says, looking amused as he takes in the familiar posters and shelves that probably haven't changed since high school.

I laugh softly, nudging him. "Yeah, back when you used to sneak over to help me clean my room."

"Clean?" He raises an eyebrow, grinning. "Sure, we'll call it that."

I roll my eyes, but his teasing just makes me feel lighter. "I know, I know... it's a little... the same," I say, gesturing at the room, feeling a bit self-conscious.

He takes my hand, tugging me gently to sit beside him on the bed. "Nah," he says, looking at me, "I like it. Feels like you."

Sabrina's laughter is warm and infectious, and the way she's so close to me, her shoulder brushing against mine, makes everything else fade away.

I look at her, caught up in her smile, and there's a feeling I can't ignore, one that's been buried too long.

My gaze drops to her lips, and before I can think twice, I lean in and kiss her.

She responds instantly, her lips soft and familiar against mine. It's like no time has passed, like all those months apart didn't matter.

Her hands move up, fingers grazing the back of my neck, pulling me closer. The kiss deepens, our breathing growing heavy as I wrap my arms around her waist, feeling her melt into me.

Then, she shifts, straddling my lap without breaking the kiss. I hold her closer, letting myself get completely lost in her warmth, in the way she's pressed up against me.

Everything feels right—until we're interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a camera click.

We break apart, and I glance over to see her cousin standing in the doorway, phone in hand, grinning like she's just won the lottery. "Ha! Caught you!"

Sabrina's reaction is instant—she scrambles off my lap, her face a mix of panic and anger. "Gabriella," she hisses, her voice sharp. "I'm not joking. Delete it right now!" She switches to rapid Spanish, her tone growing more desperate.

Gabriella just laughs, clearly entertained by Sabrina's panic. "Relax, it's just a picture," she says, waving off Sabrina's frustration as she saunters out of the room, still smirking.

As soon as Gabriella leaves, Sabrina looks at me, panic in her eyes. "Oh god," she mutters, pacing a little. "If my dad sees that, I'm dead."

I reach out, gently catching her arm. "Hey, it's okay," I say, trying to calm her down, though I can feel my own pulse quicken at the thought.

Her dad's already on high alert, and that picture won't help things. But seeing her so stressed, I just want to reassure her. "We'll figure it out, okay?"

Sabrina shakes her head, her eyes wide with panic. "No, no, you don't understand, Julian. My dad... he can't see that picture. He's going to be so angry with me. You don't know what he'll say, what he'll think..." Her voice trembles, and she's clearly spiralling.

I try to soothe her, keeping my tone steady. "Gabriella won't send it, Sabrina. She's just messing around. It's going to be okay."

But that doesn't calm her down. She's pacing again, running a hand through her hair. "You don't get it," she says, voice shaky.

"My dad is... he's strict about this kind of stuff. I'm supposed to be this perfect daughter around him. And if he sees that I was... that we were—" She cuts herself off, clearly overwhelmed.

I step in front of her, holding her shoulders gently to ground her. "Sabrina," I say softly, looking into her eyes. "We'll talk to Gabriella if we have to. I won't let her get you in trouble. But right now, just breathe, okay?"

She lets out a shaky sigh, looking up at me with uncertainty. I can still see the worry etched on her face, and all I want to do is take it away.

AUTHORS NOTEE

Guys Sabrina is so real because my dad does not play abt stuff like that😭

Stupid Gabi for ruining the damn moment🙄