Alvaro's POVI had made a lot of bad decisions in my lifetime of thirty years. But I also made some good ones hoping it would save my soul. One of my good decisions happened to be Mateo. He was just a kid, I found him in a rough neighbourhood. He tried to pick my pocket and I just couldn't get over how young he was, too young to start leading a sinful life. Abuelo and abuela were happy to take him in. I read to him every night and I taught him how to read and write before he could go to school. When I bought this place it was his choice to come live with me. I was going to make sure he turned out to be a better man than I was. There was no hope left for me. When that clock ran out I knew my final destination. Abuelo said being an atheist helped but being a human, flesh, blood and unlimited intelligence to achieve the impossible had to mean there was someone upstairs pulling the strings. I walked down to the bottom cellars. Miguel had called me while I was still having dinner with
Jane's POVIt was Friday and I wasn't as excited as I used to be when it came to Friday after work. I looked forward to sleeping in and watching Netflix while eating junk food—which lead to self-loathing on Monday when my favourite pair of jeans wouldn't button— I liked taking long walks to the store on Sundays to get whatever groceries I needed for the rest of the week and then I'd organize my closet, picking out clothes based on what the weather was going to be. Now I could still do Netflix but it just didn't feel the same outside the comfort of my own home and every time I put on headphones to watch something it's like I could hear voices. Sometimes it was Alvaro screaming at someone, and recently it sounded like there was a man screaming in pain. I never explored the noises I heard. I was too afraid of what I'd walk into. I couldn't relax knowing something was going on in the house. I also didn't care about the weather anymore. I dressed how I felt. There was a hollow feeling
He was towering over me like the angel of darkness. He smiled wickedly and alluringly, so beautiful yet deadly. He knew what I was up to and he wasn't going to stand for it. "You want to run from me, darling?"I shook my head. He wouldn't let me go— I was his lottery ticket after all. "Somebody has to pay for what your brother took," he muttered. Jason was sitting in a chair and the scene changed. We ended up in his basement. The room was illuminated in yellow light. Alvaro pulled a pistol out of his coat pocket. "You will learn to take me seriously," he threatened. He pulled the trigger putting a bullet into Jason. "Alvaro!" I shot up from my bed. Catching my breath. My heart was pounding and I was sweating. "Interesting," I heard his voice and I looked up to see him leaning against the dresser. I screamed and he stepped out of the darkness. He clasped a hand over my mouth. It was still a little dark and I could see his eyes staring back at me. "Be quiet.""What are you doing in
"Does Mateo know?" I spoke breaking the long silence between us. We were still parked on the side of the road and I was staring out the window watching kids play soccer on the road. "No. I'll tell him tonight." I turned to see Alvaro had a defeated look on his face. "How is he going to take it?""I don't know," he started, and the way he fidgeted in his seat told me he was feeling uneasy. "When abuela passed, he cried himself to sleep for more than a month. I had to send him for therapy." He ran a tired hand down his face leaving it to rest on his chin. "And how do you feel?" I knew he would never show any signs of weakness in front of me but it wasn't about being powerful when the life of someone you loved was in danger. "When that clock runs out there is nothing a man can do to stop it. Abuelo is old. He's been to the best doctors but he has too many underlying conditions." "You didn't answer my question," I said and he punched the steering wheel. "How do you think I feel?" He
Alvaro was a big tease when he wanted to be. I slept in the guest room because after he made me all hot and bothered he walked away with a victorious smile. He was proud to know he had an effect on me I suppose. The eyes were a vain thing. Everything in me screamed not to fall for his tricks. The devil was once an angel and Alvaro Castillo would prove to me just how true those words could be if I didn't watch myself around him.The guest room had a single bed and was painted with a fresh shade of white. The curtains were blue and there were fake flowers in a vase on the vanity table. I dressed my bed and left the room the way I found it.I walked into my room to see it empty. The bed was made and the windows and curtains were open. I went straight to the bathroom and walked into Mateo on the toilet. "I'm popping!" He yelled and I shrieked shutting the door. "Oh come on Mat, do you have to do that in here." I banged on the door. "Where else am I supposed to do it." I heard him laug
Alvaro's POV.I was nine years old when my father passed. No, I shouldn't say he passed, it made it sound like a natural cause when he was murdered in cold blood on the street. There was an up-and-coming gang in the city called the Diabolos and for initiation—to be the gang leader's left nut I suppose—my father was the target. Put a bullet in him and you were going to be the pet. The right hand man of the new boss. My father didn't know it yet because he was too distracted by my mother. She was cheating on him with one of his men and he found out. It drove him insane. Heartbroken he turned to the bottle. I would come home from school to find him passed out in the living room. I was just a kid but I should have done something more to save my father from himself and what we didn't know was coming. He felt embarrassed. He had a lot of regrets and I remembered one crucial piece of advice he gave me. "No te cases Una mujer te romperá de maneras que no sabías que eran posibles."He sai
Jane's POV First Mateo left and Alvaro left, leaving me with his mother and grandfather at the table. His mother seemed horrible and Alvaro looked like he couldn't stand her— maybe that's why I hadn't met her till now. I hated the way Alvaro's mother spoke about Mateo and the way she spoke to him as if she was better than him. I could see Mateo felt uncomfortable and irritated in her presence. "Excuse me," she said and stood. Her heels clicked against the porcelain tiles with each step she took to the door. Soon after I heard yelling and abuelo shut his eyes tightly, taking a sip of his wine. "Can you please check on Mateo, mi hija?" He asked, "I'd do it myself but his room is upstairs." "Of course," I bowed my head, standing. "But I don't want to leave you alone here," I said and he smiled. "Mi hija, my nurse will be right in. Plus I need to check on Alvaro." I could see the sadness in his eyes. "I shouldn't have asked his mother to come." "You were just trying to help, abuelo
The doctor had set the date of the procedure a week after my first visit. My appointment day had arrived and Alvaro said he would pick me up from work because my boss refused to give me the day off. Julia said she'd cover for me when she got out of school since she was picking up extra shifts. Her dad lost his job and I didn't mind working fewer hours so she can earn a little extra. I was anxious. I read on the internet how the process went and it seemed simple enough, nothing to be too afraid of. It was just carrying a baby for nine months that concerned me and then the rest of that baby's life. Motherhood was a big responsibility. It wasn't like having a goldfish. I killed all my goldfish due to my neglecting them. There were some days I forgot to feed them and then there was never time to clean the tank. I couldn't do that with a baby, I wouldn't but there was this part of me that felt like I wasn't good enough to be a parent. Some people were meant to be parents while others w