Heartbreak Hotel: This Place Hotel

Chapter 55: Masks

Liana

The sound of our doorbell echoed through the house like the bells of sixteen chapels. It was late, the sun had just begun to set in the sky and I was resting my aching feet and clearing my mind before I went off for my shower. I had been a long day, and I was hoping to call it night early. I had another morning shift to work at the hospital that next day and if I didn't get the sleep that needed now. I never would. 

The doorbell rung again and it was followed by three loud knocks. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. Searching for the strength to lift my tired body off the chair. 

Another ring. "I'm coming!" I called as I peeled my self from the sofa. "Jesus," I mumbled as I turned towards the foyer. I wonder who it was that was being so impatient. 

The person banged on the door three more times. This time, harder and louder than before. "Who is it?" I shouted. I was too short to look through the peephole. 

"Miguel!" 

My eyebrows knitted together, and I stepped back and pulled open the door. 

He looked livid. And it was weird because he was fine earlier. Now he was tight-lipped in with a hard face. 

"Are you okay?" I asked, frowning with concern. 

Miguel ran his hand over his slick black hair three times and fixed his hard eyes on me. He snarled as he spoke, "Where is Sasha?" 

"She's inside. Why?"  He didn't respond. He barged through the door and invited himself into the house.  I shut the door and turned back to him. Grabbing his arm before he could walk any further in the house. "Miguel," I hissed. "What are you trying to do?"

 When he turned at last to face me there was no trace of tears, not in his eyes or in track marks on his reddening face. His eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold, hard. At that moment I knew he was already far away.  "I need to talk to her," he snapped.

"About what?" I whispered.

A short scoff escaped his mouth and he reached up to run his hand down his face. "I need to know..." he began, as he averted his eyes. "I need to know why she didn't know all this. Why she didn't make it her business to see about our baby girl. She's her damn mother for God's sake."

I studied his frustrated face for a moment, watching has his jaw clenched and he began to chew his tongue. Something else was there. His eyes were bloodshot. I took a couple more steps towards him He reeked of alcohol which meant that he wasn't fully aware of what he was doing. "Okay," I managed to say. All I could do was help calm him down. "I get it. You're upset. But--"

Miguel ripped his arm away from my grasp. "No, Liana, I ain't no upset. I'm pissed!" His eyes were elated with anger. "She had her fifteen years! Watch her grow up and didn't do a damn thing for her! When she needed her she wasn't there like she needed to be. I didn't even get half the chances she got and I loved her first. Me!" His voice was now above a whisper and I was pretty sure Sasha heard everything he said. There was no point in keeping him quiet now. I thought that he was about started on a rant or why he needed to see her, but instead, he huffed exhaled deeply."I deserve an explanation," he concluded calmly before turning on his feet and storming out of the foyer calling her name.

I followed him through our living room where he came face to face with a confused but tired face. "What's the matter with you?" she asked him, her brown eyes flickered to mine and she read my expression. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk, Delores."

Sasha's eyes pierced her the middle of her forehead when Miguel referred to her by her middle name. "About what?"