Page 87 of Resilient Love

I stare down at the furry, wide-eyed spider. It looks like it’s ready to chest bump me to show me it’s the bigger woman here, so I do the only acceptable thing, catapulting off of the counter and running like hell out of the fucking house, slamming the door behind me.

I make it to the porch, letting out a relieved sigh as I take a seat on the bench and peer inside through the small window beside the door.

Each time the spider moves, Rafael, Chelsea, and Letty scream their heads off, and I can’t help the laughter that spills out of me at the sight. Who would’ve known watching a big man like Rafa yell like that would be so damn funny?

I hear the stomping before I see her.

Adhira’s back in her fluffy green robe with an empty plate and a look that could kill. She swings it around the room as she approaches the kitchen, setting the dish in the sink before bending down. When she pops back up, she’s holding a can in one hand, grabbing the discarded broom I’d left with the other.

She glares at each one of us, including me, through the window before she leans over the spider and sprays a stream of something at it for several long seconds. I hold my breath as I watch with wide eyes, waiting for the thing to attack her, and when it doesn’t, she slams the broom over it as we all shriek in unison, Rafa included.

She sets the items on the ground, leaving the spider to her very timely demise and grabs the plate of dip and vegetables from Chelsea’s hand before climbing back up the steps without a single word.

Rafael takes a tentative step off of the counter, his big toe touching the ground before he waits another beat just to be sure the spider reallyisdead, and then makes his descent down.

He picks up the broom and spray can, and announces, “It’s all clear. It’s definitely not coming back from that.”

After he’s cleaned up the mess, I head inside and spend the rest of the night working on the essay, this time, with Rafael’s help speeding things along, and Idogive him that blowy, even if he didn’t deserve it.

CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

FRIDAY, JUNE 6

My ass issore from sitting in the hard bleachers of the auditorium for the last three hours after the entire graduating class of spring twenty twenty-five walk across the stage, but it was worth the wait to see Elise in her gold-and-blue cap and gown, accepting the diploma she’s worked so hard for.

Though she did try to convince me that neither of us had to come since she had no plans on using her degree. Obviously, I wasn’t going to let that slide.

As the families pile out of the auditorium in search of their students, Coach stands and faces me with an inscrutable expression on his face. “You want to grab dinner with us?”

I shake my head, waving off the suggestion. It’s actually a miracle he accepted my explanation that I felt I needed to be here forallof the girls on the team. The glances he shot me when Elise was on stage, or when I obnoxiously cheered for her but was slightly quieter for Letty, Adhira, and Chelsea, make me think we might not be fooling him either.

“Oh, no, I don’t want to impose. I’m just here to, to uh, show my support for the Blaze.”

He smirks, giving me a small nod as he assesses me, a breath stuck in my lungs as I wait for his response. “Those girls must’ve made quite an impact on you, considering you hadn’t even wanted the position a few months ago.”

“Yeah, you could say that.”

“Alright, then, have a good night,” he says, heading out to the parking lot, where Elise is now hauling ass in her tiny black heels toward his coup.

Mi Vida

Thanks for coming today.

I meant it when I said I wouldn’t miss it. Proud of you, mi vida.

Mi Vida

Our flight is at six tomorrow, right?

Yep, I’ll pick you up at four.

Mi Vida

Can’t wait. Goodnight <3

Goodnight <3

CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

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