Ten minutes later, there’s a light tap at my door and my stepmother walks in. “Hey, how’s the first day going?” she asks.
My bottom lip wobbles. I do not want to cry. Not now, so I take a deep breath. “It could have been better.” I sigh.
Antonia shuts the door and then twists the lock. “I spoke to your father. He’s very sorry for what happened.”
“No, he’s not.” I snort.
“He’s not, but he wants to be.” She smiles and closes the distance.
I stand, meet her halfway, and engulf her in a hug. “I messed up.”
“Oh, baby, you didn’t mess anything up,” she says, running a hand through my hair.
“I did. I purposely taunted Jacob, but I didn’t know he’d come down here. I just wanted to prove a point.”
“And did you?”
“Did I what?” I ask.
“Prove your point?”
I turn and walk over to the sitting area, falling onto the white leather sofa. “I don’t think so. He was mad though.”
“So, you and Aurelio? What’s happening with that?”
“He was just playing along with my ruse. He’s a really good actor. He should move to Hollywood.” I laugh.
“Is Jacob okay?”
“I think Daddy cracked his ribs. And he’s really pissed at me. But I don’t care.” I sit up straighter. “What do you know about the Westmeads? Why would Dad say Jake was supposed to keephis shitaway from me?”
Antonia looks to the floor, giving me the first sign that she knows something. “I don’t know much, but there are rumors that all those old money families aren’t always on the up-and-up,” she says.
I give her a knowing look. “Our familyisn’t on the up-and-up, Antonia. That would not be reason enough for Dad to say that.”
“The fact Jake’s male is reason enough for your father, Jazzy.”
“I feel like there’s something else. And then Tío E and Uncle Louie turned up at my apartment. Sent me on some BS mission to find Emilio, and when I got back, they were all just gone,” I say. “I don’t get it.”
“This isn’t how I wanted your first day to go. It’s not always going to be this… turbulent,” Antonia tells me. “Please don’t leave us again. Give it a chance to all settle down.”
“I’m not leaving,” I assure her. “I just need to forget Jacob Westmead exists. It was easier when I was on the other side of the country.” It’s a lie. It wasn’t easier, but I couldn’t just go and see him. I couldn’t taunt him into coming to see me.
“How exactly did he know what you were doing with Aurelio?” Antonia asks.
Now it’s my turn to look away. I don’t want Jacob to get into trouble for hacking into our cameras. “I told Brad and I guess he passed the message along.” I shrug.
“Jazzy, don’t lie to me. How did he know what you were doing this morning?”
“Brad said Jake’s beenkeeping tabson me. Yesterday, I found a listening device at my mother’s grave so I went and confronted Jake. He put it there. And I suspect he has cameras around?” I suggest.
“He was listening to your conversations with your mother? I’ll kill him! That’s an invasion of privacy, Jasmine.” Antonia is mad now, her hands waving around frantically.
“I held a gun to his head and told him if he did it again, I’d shoot him,” I admit.
“You what?” Antonia’s eyes widen.
“I made sure the gun wasn’t loaded. I just wanted him to take me serious,” I say sheepishly.