Page 35 of Wishing for La Luna
I point to the speaker. “La Teniente.”
“Oh,” he says and shakes his head. “I don’t know much about her, but she’s withFichalike me.”
“You should hear her whole album. She’s awesome. They call her the daughter ofEl Generaland she lives up to the name. Her music is fire and real, a call back to the beginnings of reggaeton. This is her love letter to him, a thank you for putting the genre on the map. You know?” I tap my chin. “You and her on a song would be hot.”
“I’ll listen.” It’s noncommittal, and we’re silent for a while.
Now I’m thinking about everything that’s going to go down today, and I’m anxious again.
“You okay?” he asks.
I finally look at him and shake my head. “I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be. Just remember, we can’t stand each other.”
I roll my eyes. “But we’re supposed to be falling for each other. What if the kiss falls flat?”
“Mami, we almost set The Garden on fire just looking at each other.” The smoldering look that follows makes my entire body flush.
He’s not wrong. We’ve been feeding social media with an almost kiss.
“It’s all people have been talking about. Well, because we have not been seen together since, today one of yourSirenaswondered if you dumped me for being asosa.”
His bark of laughter is so sudden it startles me. And it doesn’t stop. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh so hard.
“Stop laughing.”
He presses a hand to his belly. “I can’t. Where do people get this stuff?”
“They said I always acted like asosawhen I was hanging with Adina. So that’s my personality anyway. Meanwhile, you’re sobellaco, their word, you got bored quickly when I didn’t grope you at MSG.”
He laughs all over again then stops, and his gaze narrows on me. “I think that’s how you had to act. I don’t think Adina could’ve handled it if you were spicy on top of looking spicy.”
What the hell?
I rear back, frowning at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Luna. You know all eyes were on you, right? You just tried to make yourself invisible around her. You’re in the background in all the photos, like anyone was looking at that skinnysosa. See? The word really applies there.”
I so don’t like the way that sounds. “She was my best friend. We rode for each other.”
I also don’t know why I’m defending Adina like apendeja.
“You rode for her.”
I don’t know what hurts more: that I did ride hard for her or that the whole world knows, and now I feel stupid. “Rio, don’t start with me. Just because we are not friends anymore doesn’t mean I’m going to shit on her.”
“No one is asking you to shit on her. Just be honest with yourself.”
“Stop. We have a plan for today, and we told Maeven we don’t need her in our ear. We can’t kiss if we’re arguing.”
He scoffs. “Speak for yourself.”
“Oh, because you’re a great actor?”
He shakes his head. “No, I don’t need acting skills to execute what I’ve thought about doing for a long time.”
My brain goes blank, and my mouth goes slack. His eyes are round, and he looks away.
