Page 60 of Guarded Love

That draws my attention back to the conversation. "Four brothers? That explains the very pink/Barbiesque suitcase. Is that a part of your rebellion?"

Madison gives me the biggest belly laugh. “It is! Growing up, everything was sports equipment and stinky clothes, so I went full glitter princess just to claim some territory. Do you have siblings? Play any sports?"

"One brother. He’s older than me and much more athletic." I don't elaborate that he's Knox Sanchez, hockey star. I'm not ready for the inevitable follow-up questions that always come with that revelation. Not that I’m ashamed of my brother in any way, shape, or form. While there’s a chance she doesn’t know who he is, if she does it’s not a rabbit hole I want to go down right now.

She takes a break from unpacking and sits cross-legged on her bed. She picks up her phone and starts scrolling. "My oldest brother was the rodeo star of our family. Bull riding, calf roping, etc."

"Wait. Rodeo? Like actual bull riding?" I pause with a t-shirt half-folded in my hands.

"Oh yeah." Madison nods. "He was state champion three years running. Had all the local girls swooning over him in his Wranglers and boots."

"That's...not what I expected you to say." I sit on my bed because my clothes can wait. "Is he still competing?"

Madison lets out a laugh. "Oh hell no. He left our little town the day after graduation. Now he races in Formula 1. Lives in Monaco half the year."

I blink at her because there’s no way I heard that right. "Hold up. Your brother went from rodeo to Formula 1? That's quite the career change."

"Machines with horsepower are machines with horsepower, I guess." She shrugs, like it's the most normal career trajectory in the world. "Mom nearly had a heart attack the first time she saw him going 200 miles per hour on TV. Dad just said he always knew my brother wouldn't stay put."

"That's honestly one of the coolest things I've ever heard," I admit. My brain immediately jumps to wanting to interview him about all of this and more, but I stomp that thought into the ground for now. "My brother just...plays hockey." Now it felt silly for me to be worried about her knowing what Knox did.

“What do you mean he just plays hockey?” Madison looks up from her phone and tilts her head as she studies me.

I shrug, trying to brush it off. "Nothing. He's great at it, but I meant hockey isn't as unexpected as going from bulls to racecars."

"Trust me, it wasn't exactly planned," Madison says with a laugh. "Tate—that's my brother—has always had this thing about speed. Used to modify his truck to go faster than anything else in the county. Nearly killed himself twice before he was seventeen."

"And your parents still let him drive?" I ask. Because she can’t be serious.

"Let him?" Madison snorts. "They couldn't stop him. That's just Tate. When he sets his mind on something, it happens." She pulls out her phone, scrolls for a second, then hands it to me. "That's him."

I take the phone and stare at the photo. The man on the screen has Madison's same warm eyes, but his hair is much darker. He's leaning against a sleek red racecar, wearing a driving suit unzipped to reveal a plain white t-shirt. He looks like he belongs on a billboard.

"That's your brother?" I hand the phone back to her. "He's...wow."

"Yeah, that's what most people say." Madison laughs as she tosses her phone on her bed. “Anyway, do you want to shower first or should I?”

"You go ahead," I say. "I’ll finish unpacking, and I need to text my mom." I’m proud of myself for reminding myself to do that. Again.

"You sure?" Madison asks, already grabbing her toiletry bag. "I have no problem waiting."

"Positive. Take your time."

As soon as the bathroom door clicks shut and the shower starts running, I exhale and roll my shoulders back. It helps to relieve the pressure that's been building in my body since we landed. Maybe since we took off. Maybe since I found out Blaise would be on this trip.

I finish unpacking and send my mom and abuela a text letting them know I was safely in Puerto Rico and hanging out at the hotel. By the time Madison emerges from the bathroom in a cloud of steam and coconut-scented body wash, I've managed to arrange my side of the room into something resembling order.

"All yours," she says as she takes her hair out of the clip she threw it up in. "The water pressure is amazing."

I grab my things for the shower and say, "Thanks. I'll be quick."

The second I close the bathroom door behind me, I lean against it and just breathe. The mirror is still fogged from Madison's shower, but I can make out my reflection. I look a bit rough, between being slightly frazzled and desperately in need of hot water to wash away the travel day. I strip off my travel clothes, toss my hair up into a messy bun, and step into the shower. Madison was right about the water pressure, and I close my eyes as the water hits my shoulders. For the first time since landing, I’m starting to really relax.

By the time I step out, the mirror is completely fogged again. I wipe a circle clear and stare at my reflection. My cheeks are flushed from the heat, but I look and feel more alive than I did twenty minutes ago.

I wrap myself in a towel and walk back into the bedroom, feeling slightly more human.

"Feel better?" Madison asks. She’s now dressed in a bright yellow sundress that looks stunning against her complexion and hair.

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