CHAPTER 064: Level–headed
+25 BONUS
I’m pretty sure I broke at least three traffic rules on my way to Luke’s house. My knuckles are white against the steering wheel, and my brain is a jumble of half–formed phrases. Now that I’m pulling into his driveway, I’m not so sure why I hurried. The weight of what he told me–his son, the anniversary, the crowd in his home–is pressing down hard on my chest
I sit in the car for a moment, staring at the mansion.
What do you even say to a man who’s grieving his child? ‘Hey, sorry about your son–pass the salt? Condolences have never been my strong suit. But I’m already here, so I grab my purse and head to the door.
The second I open it, I’m hit with a cacophony of noise. Laughter, chatter, a screaming baby, and telenovela blaring from the TV.
I step inside and take a moment to absorb the chaos.
The first thing I notice is Javier, comfortably seated in his wheelchair near the center of the room. Next to him is a woman in her twenties holding a baby, who seems to be waging an epic war with her tiny lungs. Two teenage girls–twins, judging by their identical features and matching outfits–sit sprawled on the floor, dressed in crop tops and baggy jeans with patches sewn in at random.
No one notices me at first, so I stand there until the absurdity of it all makes me clear my throat. ”
Hellooo?
The room freezes. All eyes swing toward me. For a second, no one speaks, and I wonder if I’m about to “get thrown out. Then Javier’s face lights up.
“Julie!” His excitement is a contrast to the rest of the group’s curious stares. “Come in, come in! Join us!
“…” I say, forcing a smile. “I actually came here for Luke. Is he around?”
The woman with the baby smiles. “Julie, we’ve heard so much about you. Please, sit with us. Lukey doesn’t want to see anyone right now.”
“TV!” the baby shrieks, waving her tiny fists in the air.
The woman laughs, “Yes, TV,” she coos, bouncing the baby on her lap before turning back to me. “Even Baby Valeria agrees.”
I hesitate, glancing toward the staircase that leads upstairs to Luke’s room. “I don’t want to intrude-”
“Come on,” Javier says, gesturing toward a sofa. “Your beau isn’t going anywhere. Have fun. Meet his notorious sisters.”
I force my feet forward and sit in the chair he pointed at–a squishy armchair that’s just a little too low, making me feel like a kid at the grown–up table. All eyes remain on me, and the air feels thick.
The woman with the baby grins. “I’m Carolina, the fourth child. These are Sofia and Isabel, the last babies.” She gestures to the twins, who both offer half–hearted waves.
“We’re not babies,” Sofia says, tossing her long, dyed–blue hair over her shoulder. “We’re over eighteen.”
“Still not legal enough to drink whatever’s in your hand Javier says, raising a brow in disapproval.
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CHAPTER 06 Level beaded
+25 BONUS
Isabel smirks. “I’m sure you drank much earlier in your day, old man.”
Javier shrugs. “Well… touche.”
I can’t help but laugh. Carolina is staring at me now, her dark eyes sizing me up like I’m some rare bird she’s never seen before. “How did you two meet?”
“What?”
“You and Lukey,” Isabel chimes in before Carolina can elaborate. “You’re just so… different from the people he usually dates.”
“Hey, don’t be rude,” Sofia says, elbowing her twin.
“I wasn’t being rude. Just stating a fact. Julie seems level–headed. Lukey dates psychos.”
I blink, unsure if I should take that as a compliment.
“We met at Luke’s bar,” I say, deciding to keep it simple.
“Lukey owns a bar?” Sofia looks genuinely shocked.
“Yes, stupid,” Carolina says, bouncing Valeria on her lap. “You don’t even know shit about your elder brother.”
“Well, I know he’s rich, Isabel says with a grin,
“Word,” Sofia adds, high–fiving her sister. “I also know he has good taste in women.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Isabel counters. “Julie’s the exception. Which is weird.”
I start to wonder if I should act a little abnormal just to fit whatever strange criteria these people have for Luke’s girlfriends.
“There was Camilla. Remember her? I don’t think she was all bad,” Sofia muses, twirling a strand of hair.” She was a little off, yeah, but she brought chocolates.”
“A little off” made her a poor choice, stupid,” says Carolina.
“Whatever,” Sofia says. “You win, big sis. If that’s the standard, I’d say you’re a poor choice for your husband.”
“What the hell did you just say to me?”
They start bickering, their voices overlapping in a dizzying crescendo. At a point, the baby starts crying. Her tiny face scrunches up as her wails drown out the telenovela. Javier maneuvers his wheelchair over and takes Valeria from Carolina, patting her back gentl
“Children, children,” he says with an exaggerated sigh. Not in front of our guest.”
“She started it,” Isabel mutters.
“No, she started it,” Carolina snaps.
“Julie’s not a guest here.” Sofia says. “Or are you?”
All eyes turn to me again, and I shake my head quickly
CHAPTER 064 Level headed
Not a guest,” Sofia declares to Javier. “Now we’ve missed most of the show.”
I glance at the TV, which is currently showing a dramatic confrontation between two women in ballgowns. One slaps the other, and the whole room gasps like they’re watching live sports.
I look toward the staircase again. Somewhere in this chaos, Luke is dealing with demons I can’t even imagine. And for some reason, I’m here, sitting in the middle of his family circus, trying to figure out how the hell I fit into all of it. I understand why Luke would find this overwhelming. I’ve been here for mere minutes, and I’m already on the verge of losing my mind.
The noise, the bickering, the constant interruptions–it’s all so much. Too much. And yet, the worst part isn’t the noise. It’s the way they’re carrying on, laughing and arguing like Luke isn’t upstairs, drowning in grief. It’s unbearable.
Before I can stop myself, I blurt out, “Carolina, you said Luke doesn’t want to see anyone. So…. why are you all here?”
The room stills as my words hang in the air.
Carolina blinks at me. “Umm… that’s a pretty difficult question to answer,”
“More like she doesn’t know if she should tell you,” Isabel says.
“I’ll tell her,” Sofia interjects, sitting up straighter. “We’re not here to see Lukey, Julie. We’re here as muscles.”
“Muscles?” | echo, frowning.
“Yeah. Last year, he left the house. It was… a bit problematic.”
“Left the house to where?”
Sofia hesitates, glancing at Carolina for approval. Carolina gives a small nod, and Sofía exhales. “He slept at his son’s grave.”
