Page 88 of Love or Leave

Antonio winced slightly and looked at Cara.

"Yesterday?" Cara asked. Her normally brilliant eyes had dulled, and she'd caved in on herself, as if to minimize the hurt by becoming smaller.

Antonio shook his head, overwhelmed, searching for what to say to make the situation better. He'd only prepared himself for Max.

He hadn't expected Fran and Cara and Max.

Fran's eyes darted between him and Cara. "Are you two…" she paused, stumbling over her words. "Maria said it was just… You told me she was just some girl."

It was as if she'd detonated a bomb.

"Some girl?" Max asked, in a chilling tone. "What the hell is going on here?"

"She's not some girl," Antonio said to Fran, shaking his head. Shehadbeen some girl at the start. But she wasn't anymore. Not by a long shot.

"Yesterday?" Cara asked again, this time her voice full of hurt.

"No," Antonio said, pushing past Fran and Max.

He reached for Cara’s hand, but she pulled it away.

"I didn't say that yesterday," he said, hoping he could stop the bleeding. "I spoke to Blake yesterday at the hospital and I told Maria about it. But I never said you were just some girl yesterday."

Cara softened at the pleading in his tone.

Max only became harder and colder. "But my sister was 'some girl' to you before that?"

Antonio turned to him and saw nothing but murder in his eyes. He’d expected Max to take it badly, even under the best of circumstances. But this—this was the worst possible timing, and he hadn’t braced himself for the sheer hatred staring back at him.

"Yes," Antonio said with a nod.

Max's neck corded, and his jaw clenched. "You've got to be kidding me," he said with an intense, fevered stare. "I told you to stay away from her because I know how fucked up you are."

Antonio bristled, but there was nothing he could really say. Hewas fucked up before he met Cara. But everything had since changed.

"Why would you do this?" Max asked.

He spared a glance at Cara, and his heart sank. She looked totally checked out. She’d lowered her face toward the floor, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.

He had to fix this.

"I'm sorry, Max," he said. "It just sort of happened and I—"

"Stop." Max's nostrils flared. "I knew this would happen. Iknewit. You're a fucking sociopath—"

"Enough, Max," Cara said, finally looking up from her feet.

Somehow, Max did what she said.

"I want to talk to Antonio," she said. "Alone."

Max shook his head, holding Cara's eyes with a glare. "You know he does this," he said, waving his hand between Antonio, Fran, and Cara. "He cheated on his neighbour with his wife."

Antonio bristled again. "Ex-wife," he said, but he honestly shouldn't have bothered. Max was too enraged to notice.

Cara looked Max squarely in his eyes. Finally, a look other than shock and dismay covered her face. Unfortunately, it was anger.

"I knew that." Her tone of annoyance stopped Max in his tracks. "Max, please wait for me in the car."

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