Chapter 48: Chapter 48

I don't know who was more stunned. Me or him?

My hand flew to my mouth.

“Oh my God, Andre…I’m so sorry…” I reached for him and he jerked back away from me. “I – I didn’t mean to, I swear.”

“Sure you didn’t,” his hand dropped from his cheek. “You can hit me all you want but it doesn’t change anything. I see you for what you really are, saw you ever since that day at the beach. I wasn’t just looking at you. Every other person may look at you, but they don’t see you and your faults. I see your faults and Siobhan's. I see you and yet you push me away at every turn because you are afraid that I see you for what you really are. And you do the same to me you know? You’ve always mentioned how you know me more than everyone else here and you don’t even know how close you are to the truth.” He moved further back. “But do you know what makes us so different?” He asked but didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “I don’t lie to myself. I am as honest with myself as possible. You lie to yourself and every other person. You want to be like Siobhan, you want to live her life so badly, you envy her, you want to be attractive, you want to be rich, you want to be carefree. You want me…”

“Andre please…,” I begged.

“You won’t listen to the truth.”

“Andre!” I said as low as I could manage without making Shewa hear our conversation. “Please! I don’t know what you think you know but you can’t just come in here with assumptions and pretend you know me far better than I know myself, far better than my best friend knows me. Yes, I wish I was more like Siobhan but for your information, I have never been envious of my friend, I am quite content with what I have and yes I do know you very much. I am the honest one here, I am not the liar. Your father is Ignacio Rios, he is supposed to be this super-rich man that Mr. Jorge overlooks the rules for yet his arrogant son is relying on the outcome of a game for his future. Who are you, Andre Rios?” I asked taking a step toward him. He took one step back. “Yes, I saw you Andre, I saw the desperation in your eyes when you begged Mr. Jorge not to cancel the game, what are you hiding? What are you and Carla hiding? I know how siblings fight and you and Carla? That is no ordinary sibling rivalry.”

He was silent for a long time. His eyes were wide, the cords in his neck tensed, and his chest heaved with each breath he took. Suddenly he laughed. The sharp bark of laughter took me by surprise.

“You are something special, Bianca Davis. You will say anything to avoid talking about your truth.” He raised his hand in surrender and backed away completely, moving in the direction of the room. “That’s fine. I’ll play the game your way.”

He turned his back on me and walked away. At the same moment, Shewa came out of the bathroom dressed in her PJs. I don’t blame her for looking lost and she glanced at Andre’s departing back and turned to me for an explanation. Even I could feel the thick tension, thick enough to be cut with a knife.

She put a hand on my shoulder. “Trouble in paradise?”

I shrugged her hand off. “No.”

“Hey, I didn’t bring the elephant into the room so don’t throw me to the sharks.”

I sighed and with that release of breath went all my frustrations and anger. “I’m sorry, Shewa.”

“Understandable,” she smiled, her dimples deepening. “I have never been caught in the throes of love and hate before although,” she put a finger to her bottom lip, “Ian has been paying a lot of attention to me recently but that’s beside the point. What’s up between you and Andre.”

“Nothing, he’s just frustrating.”

“Uh uhn, I got that.” She cocked her head to the side. “Why don’t you go to the bathroom and get freshened up and when you’re done with that come let’s have a girl talk on my mattress?”

“Shewa…” I started to refuse.

She clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Nope, you will not walk away from this one. We are going to have a girl talk.” She walked toward me and took my hand. “I know you and I are not as close as you are with Siobhan, you both have basically known each other since you were kids. But I like to think that we have some sort of friendship, don’t we? I’ve watched you since we resumed and you assumed the position of Head girl, you strive for perfection but you are perfecting the wrong things. Maybe talking can help put things in perspective?”

I didn’t even try to refuse anymore because I know Shewa, she can be quite persuasive. Even though I wasn’t ready to bare myself to her, the only people I did that with were Mom and Dad, and Siobhan, for the sake of friendship I was ready to stay on the bed and talk things out so I nodded.

“Fine.”

“Good. Now go wash your face or something.”

I knocked and entered Andre’s room, he wasn’t there but as soon as I went in he came out of the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist and his body glistening with droplets of water. He looked so mouthwatering hot.

I tried not to stare. Looking at the bland wall I swallowed. “Can I have a towel please?”

“Not the one on my waist I hope?”

I smiled still not looking at him. He does this every time. We could be tearing at each other with claws and teeth and he would still find humor in it.

“Do you have a spare one?”

I heard him sigh in defeat. “There are some clean ones in the cupboard in the bathroom.”

“Thanks.” I waited for him to fully enter the room before edging past him into the bathroom with my nightshirt.

The bathroom was cool. I turned on the hot water and took off my clothes hoping that Andre would not choose that moment to walk in. But with my luck these days, with the both of us getting up in each other’s faces, I won’t be surprised if he walked in.

Luckily he didn’t – probably because I bathed like I had the hounds of hell at my heels, though. As soon as I was done I cleaned up and put on my shirt, ready for whatever interrogations Shewa had for me.

Passing the room on my way to the living room I found Andre on his bed now dressed in sports shorts and a sleeveless vest to match. His arm was slung over his eyes but I knew he wasn’t asleep.

Seeing him there pretending not to be tensed up I remembered how I slapped him and instantly felt remorseful over again. I wanted to apologize. My mouth parted for that purpose but I couldn’t say anything.

He didn’t open his eyes or look up to indicate he knew I was watching him. I didn’t want to push so I left.

Shewa was waiting on the bed for me when I arrived in the living room. She was holding a packet of cookies which I am sure she dug out of Andre’s reservoir of snacks.

“Come, luv, sit, and let’s talk.”