Page 14 of The Enemy

“Lourdes.” He said my name low like a warning. I bit my lip to stop gasping since I was sure he had never said it before. He didn’t whitewash it or say it in French as others did, he said my name with Spanish consonants like my mami used to do. “Don’t insult me like that again. If a man can’t carry you, then he’s a pussy and not worth your time.”

His words did nothing to diffuse my blush. His smell, his closeness, and now his words made my lower belly tingle. And I was beginning to worry about the state of my nonexistent panties. Myfajapanties were crotchless since it was a bitch to roll the damn thing down and up.

I did not have my mother to talk to about these things, but how did women who whorefajashave one-night stands? I didn’t think it was very sexy to pull out your dress and be all,Tada.Look at my Colombian shapewear.

Neo didn’t make conversation for the rest of the walk, which I was okay with because it allowed me to gather my thoughts.When the parking lot came into view, I took a relieved breath. Instead of going toward my pink Porsche, he walked us to his matte-black Bugatti Mistral. If rumors were to be believed, it was one of the last things his father had gifted him. He was still alive to put the order in.

“I can drive,” I said as the passenger door slid up.

“You drank all night.”

“What about my car?”

“I’ll make sure it gets dropped off.”

Okay then, that was settled.

The drive was silent, which made me fall asleep.

He arrived at my house at some point because I woke up to him carrying me again. I was too sleepy to protest, and at least this way I got to keep my word on keeping on my shoes the whole night.

I didn’t think much about my room. Especially not the fact that he had never been in it, but I could tell it was something he didn’t expect because once he opened the door, he stood still, taking it all in.

My room was the last gift my mother gave me. She had it remodeled after my quinceañera. The walls were a dark purple that almost looked black. The bedding and room accents were all in silver, grays, light pink, and mauve. My bed was massive, with a gazillion pillows, translucent black canopy drapes, and so many fairy lights all over that there was no need for the chandelier to be turned on. The white faux fur that surrounded the bed made it seem all that much cozier.

In hindsight, my mom probably knew I would need a safe space to deal with her absence.

Neo sat me down gently at the edge of my bed.

I should probably thank him, right?

Just as he was about to leave, I opened my mouth, but those weren’t the words that came out.

“I thought you weren’t going to help me if I busted my ankle tonight?”

He stopped moving but didn’t turn around to face me. He just craned his neck, and based on the cold look on his face, I already knew I was going to regret not saying thank you and try to put this night behind me.

“You’d already embarrassed yourself enough by that point,” he sneered.

“Fuck you.”

It was not very original, but it was all I had. He didn’t even bother to acknowledge it. He kept walking. I got so mad at him, but more at myself for lowering my guard. I took my heel off and threw it at him.

I totally missed him, but he still paused to look at it as it hit the wall.

“That wastacky, little sis,” he taunted as he stepped through the threshold.

“I hope your dick falls off!”

FOUR

NEO

Twenty-five years old

Two yearslater

Exhaustion was seepingthrough my bones. Although I was barely twenty-five, some days, I felt like I was in my fifties.

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