Page 182 of Scandalous

Val rolls her eyes. “I was thinking about my child. What do you think I needed the money for, huh? I have shit to buy, and my allowance from my trust fund doesn’t cover that much.”

“Bullshit,” Papi snaps. “You get more than enough. You just spend it poorly.”

“You live at home, for Christ’s sake,” my tio adds.

“Maybe if you laid off the shopping, you wouldn’t have found yourself in this situation,” my tia chimes in.

“Charge her, Santi,” Mami demands, shocking us all into silence.

“Mami,” Val gasps in shock.

“We’ve catered to her for far too long. She needs to learn actions have consequences. Santi is right. We have neglected him. I knew she was lying when we sent him to boarding school.” Mami says coolly as she cries. “I’m sorry, hijo. I knew something needed to change. I trusted you to take care of yourself. If we had sent her, she would have spiraled. She spiraled staying right here with us.”

I pull Mami into my arms, hugging her. “I’m not mad anymore. No matter the reason, I met my other family by going there. I met Aurora. I wouldn’t change a thing. There’s no reason to be sorry.”

“I’m a mother! My baby needs me. Don’t do this, Santi. Think about it. Do you want her to grow up parentless?” Val is hysterical now.

She didn’t expect them to take my side. Why would she? History proved that she would always win. Only she went too far this time.

“You should have thought about your child before you turned your back on your family.” My tio shakes his head.

“Are you sure?” I ask Mami as I pull out my phone, ignoring my sister’s pleas.

Mami and Papi share a look and nod. “Yes,” they say in unison.

So I make the call.

Even with her crying and screaming all the way to the police car, I still can’t find any joy in it. Sure, she will be punished, but does it really change anything?

Aurora is still in New York, taking her space, and we guys are still lonely and miserable without her.

All this really did was mend some broken fences with my family.

“You tell Aurora that we are sorry. I’m so ashamed of what Val has done. Do you think she will still want to see us?” Mami asks me once Val is gone.

I sigh. “I have no idea, Mami. She’s taking some time for herself. At this point, I’m hoping she will come back to me.”

“She will. To all of you. That’s what you said, right? You are all together?”

I nod. “We are in a poly relationship. Sometimes we are all together, but we also have relationships by ourselves.”

Papi moves to my side. “Are you happy, son?”

“I was. I could be if she comes back.”

He pats my shoulder. “Then keep fighting for her. I don’t care who you love or how you do it. All I care about is your happiness.”

“Thanks, Papi.”

Now if only the rest of the world could get on board.

Forty-One

It’s been three days since I left the guys in Vegas.

As soon as I got home, I collapsed into Holland’s arms, crying. She held me all night, not saying one word. She’s the true MVP. Seriously, I don’t know how I would live without her.

Day two was spent on the couch as I outlined everything that happened. I stayed off social media and had a bitch session with my bestie. She supported me all the way through it. She called people she had never even met bitches. She cursed my parents to hell. She gave me exactly what I needed by being there and allowing me to vent my feelings.

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