Page 101 of Forget Me

“Oh. Is that what Ben says she wants? Some guy who’ll make bank and look good in a suit? Someone who’s not an idiot?” I knew it was true, but it rubbed me raw that she’d talked with her brother about it. And that her brother had told my cousin.

Miguelito rolled his eyes. “I’m paying you pretty well, and you know you look amazing in a suit. Plus, you’re smart.”

“Fuck you and your charity. You know you only hired me because your mother made you.” So I wouldn’t have to look into his mocking face, I walked to my bag and plucked out my water bottle. I took a long swig.

He shoved my shoulder, and my water went everywhere. Into my eyes, down my shirt, onto the spotless floor. Fucking ninja had snuck up on me. I wiped the water from my face. “What the hell, Lito?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? If you weren’t smart, do you think I’d have put you in charge of my security? Of my own mother?”

“Well, I—”

“No, Mateo, I wouldn’t. I didn’t hire you because Mamá told me to. She didn’t. She’d prefer it if she didn’t have a security detail at all. I didn’t hire you because you’re my cousin. I hired you because you’re competent and because I—because I trust you.”

I gaped at my cousin. “You trust me? But you background-checked me!”

“You have to admit you weren’t the most trustworthy person when we were kids. You used to steal my dates. And at first, I didn’t trust you not to make a move on Ben. But now I do. You’ve developed some integrity since then.”

“Developed integrity?” I yelped. “I always had fucking integrity. It was your dates who didn’t. None of them were good enough for you. If they were, they would’ve shut me down when I flirted with them. None of them did. Not until Ben.”

He propped his hands on his hips. “Be that as it may, you’ve proved again and again that you deserve my respect. And that’s why I hired you. But if you’d rather have a different job, we can work that out. I want you to be happy, primo.”

And we were back where we started. At least I knew what he was talking about now. “I’m happy working for you. Protecting your mom. I’ll let you know if that changes, okay?”

“Okay.”

He just stood there with his hands on his hips, like we hadn’t had a major breakthrough. My cousin had a brilliant brain, but his heart was sometimes slow on the uptake.

“Bring it in, primo.”

He wrinkled his nose. “We’re both sweaty, and you’re soaked.”

“Exactly.” So I wrapped my arms around him in a bear hug, which was exactly what we both needed after a moment like that.

“Enough!” But when he stepped back, a smile teased at the corners of his mouth. His gaze flicked to the open door behind me, and he lowered his voice. “So what are you going to do about Mimi?”

The sunshine I’d swallowed when Lito told me he respected me faded to dense black like the fog rolling in at night.

“Nothing. I’m not doing a thing about Mimi. She’s made her choice clear. She wants that job at the foundation, and dating me was only a show. She doesn’t want me to be part of her life.”

“But—”

“No, Lito. This isn’t something you can fix with a kind word or even a bucket of cash. Mimi and I split up, and it’s what’s best for her.”

“What about what’s best for you?”

“What’s best for Mimi is best for me, too. I love her, and knowing she’s happier without me…” It would have to keep my stupid-healthy heart beating for the rest of my life. “It’s for the best.”

“Okay.” He frowned. “But you deserve love and happiness, too. Maybe Mimi isn’t your person. But that doesn’t mean the right person isn’t out there for you.”

He cleared his throat. “I thought someone I loved was it for me. And if I couldn’t have him, I didn’t want anyone. I’m glad Ben was able to push past all that. Because I’m happier now with Ben than I’ve ever been. Than I’d have been even if…even if that other person could have loved me back.”

I couldn’t imagine him loving anyone other than Ben. Though when he’d come to the island, before Ben had chased him there, he’d been a disaster. Had that other person broken his heart? The fucker.

“Someone is going to love you like that one day.” He put his hand on my arm. “I know they will.”

I mumbled down at my sneakers, “Maybe it’s not worth it.”

“Of course it’s worth it. That’s what I’m telling you.”

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