Page 57 of Hate That Blooms

I nod, feeling the weight of everything we just discovered.

Nathan raped her. One of my best friends violated her in the worst possible way. And I let him live.

Not for long.

“He is going to pay for what he did,” I promise, my voice steady, even though I’m not sure how I’ll do it yet. “I’ll make sure of it.”

She gives me a small, tear-filled tired smile, the kind of smile that’s meant to comfort but doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“I know you will,” she murmurs.

And with that, she turns, walking back inside with everyone else. I stand there for a moment, the chaos of the night around me, not knowing how I am going to prove myself to her.

A whistle from behind draws my attention. A group of three guys standing at the curb next to a few Harleys motions for me to come over. All three of them are wearing MC cuts and smoking. “Is what the piece of shit said true? He raped Cora’s friend.”

I nod. “Gabriela, she my...” the man holds up his hand to stop me.

“You gonna let him continue to breathe air,Mano? That shit don’t fly around here.“ He turns his face up in disgust. He holds out his hand to me, and I take it. “The names Diego, I’m Cora’s cousin, andLos Muertos Vivoswould be happy to help you with this little problem.”

Chapter36

Gabriela

“So, what do you want to do for your birthday?” Cora asks, shifting through the display table of the little girl shirts to find Mireya’s size. “It’s next weekend.”

I take the shirts she holds out to me and toss them in the cart. “Do I have to do anything? I really just want to use the day off to catch up on things around the house.”

Mireya giggles from the other end of the aisle, dragging a fuzzy dinosaur hoodie across the racks and tossing it into our cart with an exaggerated flourish. I pull it out noting that it isn’t her size.

“You need to have fun, Gabby! We can do something super chill, like a movie night at your place. Or—” Cora looks up thoughtfully, as though trying to conjure up the perfect plan. “We could go to that new taco place downtown! I heard it’s fantastic.”

I shoot Cora a look, half-amused and half-exhausted by the thought of planning anything extravagant. The last few weeks had been a blur of work, errands, and trying to keep things together. A quiet day at home didn’t seem like too much to ask.

“I don’t know. Mireya might get overwhelmed.”

She raises an eyebrow—her hard gaze narrowing at me. “Is that all?”

I sigh dramatically, but my lips twitch into a reluctant smile. “No. I miss him, Cora. Plus, I’d rather spend the money on Mireya’s birthday. She wants to go bowling. We’re going to do hers two weekends from now, since hers falls on a school night.”

Cora finally finds the right size jacket for Mireya, who takes the jacket and holds it up to her chest with a pleased squeal. “Soft!” she declares. “Mama, I want a sandwich.”

The thought of food actually sounds good, and after we check out, we decide to pick up lunch from the local deli around the corner. It’s a small, family-run café that makes the best sandwiches and smoothies in town.

The small dining area is half-empty when we walk in, the midday lull clear in the quiet hum of the room. As we approach the counter to order, my eyes automatically scan the room, looking for any familiar faces, though I don’t expect to see anyone I know here.

And then there’s Thiago.

He’s standing at the far end of the counter, eyes flickering over the menu in front of him. His expression is neutral, but there’s a tense air around him—something I rarely see. It’s only when he looks up and his gaze lands on me that I freeze, just for a second.

There’s no mistaking it: his eyes widen slightly in recognition. His body stiffens, as though he wasn’t expecting to run into me with Cora. Things were tense between all of us from New Year’s. Even Cora has been distant with Thiago after everything she heard of Nathan’s confession. That night, Thiago told her everything and she kicked him out.

Before I can make a move, Thiago steps to the side, glancing back toward me once more with an almost imperceptible nod. “Gabby,” he says quietly. “Can we talk for a minute?”

I hesitate, but I nod and excuse myself from the group. I can feel Cora’s curious gaze on me, but I don’t say anything as I follow Thiago out into the little side alcove by the bathrooms.

Once we’re out of earshot, he takes a deep breath, his eyes searching mine as if looking for something—maybe forgiveness, maybe something else. His hands are shoved in his pockets, his posture tight with discomfort.

“I... I wanted to apologize,” Thiago says, voice low, hesitant. “For everything. For the way I acted. For going along with all that—” He trails off, his words heavy, filled with regret. “I didn’t know how to stand up for you, Gabby. And I should have. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

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