8
Chloe
For the second time in two days, I find myself trapped. Marko holds me hostage beneath a pillow fort he built with a random blanket as the roof. I tried to escape when Maya and Noah announced they were leaving, but Marko forced me to stay by promising cookies. While I could’ve said no to the sweets, his crooked smile convinced me to hang out for a full hour after his parents left for their couple’s trip.
“Marko. It’s time to let Chloe go home.” Santiago speaks from somewhere outside of our imaginary castle. The way his accent comes out heavier when he calls Marko’s name has me smiling. Who knew a Spanish accent could sound this sexy?
Marko covers my mouth with his fingers, staring at me with blue eyes similar to his father’s. “Shh. The tickle dragon hears us. I save you.”
I suppress my laugh. A tickle dragon is a new one, even for me.
Marko waves his spoon in the air, nearly whacking my face. “You don’t steal the pretty princess. You can’t eat her!”
I always wanted a man to defend my honor. But I didn’t expect it to be Marko, a four-year-old with a wooden spoon for a sword. The thought makes me giggle.
Marko’s hand muffles my mouth. “Be quiet!”
Santiago roars. Marko’s face lights up with excitement as the blanket is snatched from above our heads. ‘“Run, Chloe! Tickle dragon!”
Marko abandons me as he runs away from the fort. So much for being my savior. Santiago darts after him, making a whole ordeal of trying to wrangle him. I find myself entranced by his lightheartedness with his nephew. Laughter bounces off the walls of the house as he chases Marko through the halls as if his metal leg isn’t a problem.
Santiago doesn’t bother looking back to check if I follow them. It’s to be expected, seeing as he avoided me after his nephew revealed his “superpower.”
At first, I was shocked by Santiago’s leg. But after the initial surprise disappeared, I looked at him in a new light. The perfect idea of him was shattered in the best way. It made him more down-to-earth. Because while he looks handsome, he’s still a human with flaws. It has me interested in learning more about his story, even if he is ashamed of his leg.
The latter weighs heavy on me. His shame is obvious in the way he carried himself after the reveal, standing straighter and pretending as if I never saw his leg to begin with.
I follow them toward the front entryway where everything began last night. Santiago stands over Marko who lies on the floor, giggling from the tickles. It’s the most precious sight. My heart melts a bit more for the disheveled man.
This is how we get in trouble, Chloe. Resist the man with a damaged past and a heart to match.
Santiago catches me staring. His smile drops into something flat and empty. A sense of loss takes over me, wishing he smiled at me like before.
He pulls Marko up off the floor and leads him toward the front door. “Marko, it’s time to say bye to Chloe.” He pulls my phone out of the pocket of his sweats and shoves it in my hand. “Here you go.”
My skin warms from the contact. I’m tempted to drag his hand back to mine and test the connection, but he’s back to his unapproachable self. Whoever made breakfast and joked with everyone about us dating is long gone. It doesn’t take a genius to understand I’m the issue and the reason behind his change. Now that his family has left, the facade isn’t needed anymore.
The sense of rejection grows into something big and ugly in my chest, feeding off my insecurity of being unwanted. A ruthless demon, popping up at the worst time.
He opens the door. “Thanks for helping me.”
“So that’s it? No more need for a fake girlfriend?” I cringe at the tinge of sadness in my voice.
“Well, my sister isn’t coming back for—”
“Chloe. Please stay!” Marko clings to my legs with both his arms and legs.
“I’ve got to go home, little guy.” I pat his head.
“Will you come back tomorrow?” His lip wobbles as he stares up at me. “Tio Santi is taking me on his boat.”
This man has a boat, too? The closest thing to a boat I’ve been on is the ferry I took to visit the Statue of Liberty. To be real, I would love to go out on a boat and see Lake Como from a different view.
I crane my neck back, searching for approval. Santiago’s height makes anything eye-level challenging. My smile drops as he shakes his head, answering my question.
I don’t know why I expected more from him, but disappointment sits heavy in my chest. “I’m sorry, bud. I have a lot to do tomorrow.”