A Quiet Kismet

Chapter Twenty Three

AGE 26

The constant sound of tapping woke me up. I wasn't a particularly light sleeper, but with everything going on with Ruben and with Derek, it wasn't easy for me to sleep. So when I realized the tapping wasn't going to stop, I rolled out of bed and followed the noise to the window.

I threw the window open when I saw both the groom and his best man down below. "What are you doing here!" I hissed.

Leo froze and dropped the pebble in his hand. From behind him, I spotted Derek trying to hide a smirk. I just can't catch a break, can I? "I-uh...this is actually kind of awkward."

Awkward? My eyes automatically searched Derek's, he was still smirking but something in his eyes had changed. The mischievous spark in them dulled and now a nervousness I had never seen in him took over.

"No shit." I said turning back to Leo. From behind me, I heard the bed creak and a second later Julia was shuffling over to me, half awake.

"Who are you talking to?" She said stifling a yawn, "You're not getting mad cow disease and talking to dead relatives again, are you?" She laughed lazily.

I shot her a look, "Har-har, aren't you the jokester. No, Juliet, your Romeo is down there trying to get your attention."

Julia's eyes shot open and she almost trampled over me to get to the window before stopping herself. "Oh no, no,no,no,no,no." She frowned.

"What's wrong, I thought you'd be happy to see him." I furrowed my brows, confused. Just a few hours ago she was mushy and sentimental about him, and now she was treating him like he had the black plague.

"It's bad luck! If he sees me it could ruin our entire wedding...no scratch that, our entire marriage!" She hissed,digging her nails into my arms and shaking me back and forth. I tore myself away from her iron grip and rubbed my arms, I was going to bruise for sure.

I can't believe she actually believed in that old wives tale. Mom was always going on about superstitions. It's why we grew up without a black cat, or if we heard an owl hoot we couldn't acknowledge it or risk a bad spirit following us. Mom never made tamales angrily because she didn't want to risk the masa getting flat. We always crossed ourselves whenever we passed by a church even if it wasn't a catholic church. We couldn't get near anyone's feet with a broom or risk them being poor or widowed for the rest of their life. If we saw a cute baby we had to touch it or else risk it getting el mal de ojo. And pregnant women had to wear a safety pin on their shirts during pregnancy or else the baby will be born with a cleft palate.

To my mom these were rules to be followed, not be made fun of. But I couldn't help it, they all seemed illogical to me. I didn't believe them and I didn't think anybody else did, but Jules seemed to have bought into the hype.

"Tell him to go away!" She cried, pushing me towards the window.

"Jules!" Leo called up. "Can we talk? Please? Look, I didn't mean what I said earlier."

I turned to Jules, questioningly. She sighed heavily and whispered, "We got into a fight. He thinks I'm making a mistake marrying him. He doesn't think I know what I'm getting myself into. Leo really took your words to heart last night."

I didn't think he would, he seemed okay the night before. He didn't seem angry or put off in any way. Wow that guy was a wall then. I shook my head, no time to dwell on that Amelia. I had to make this right. "What if you could talk to him without having to see him?"

Julia frowned, "What are you talking about?"

"Follow me." I said, tugging her towards the door.