Page 54 of Fool Me Twice
I recoiled at that. “I’m not attached to Rodrigo.”
“I was talking about Sebastián.”
“Oh.” I hid my face, embarrassed, and Maddie laughed. “He’s a good kid,” I said. “So sweet and tender-hearted.”
“Everyone needs to know where they’re from,” Maddie mused. “It’s just important to us as humans.”
“Yeah.” I chewed on my lip and stared at the dark window. I’d left the dinner table an hour earlier and, despite what I’d told Rodrigo, still didn’t feel anywhere near ready for bed. “How are things there?”
“Going well. Except I really miss you.”
“Move to Rio,” I said.
Maddie laughed. “Is there a job there for me?”
“I’m sure something can be found.” I grinned. “Anyway, I’ll be back in Baltimore soon.”
Even though I wanted to see Maddie, my stomach sank at the thought of leaving Brazil. Every time I came to Rio, it felt like returning home. My inner child didn’t understand why the responsible adult in me insisted on being anywhere else.
“Maybe you can…” Maddie’s words slurred, and her screen froze again.
“Hold on. You’re frozen. Can you hear me?” I leaned closer to the laptop. “Maddie?”
Nothing. I’d lost her.
Sighing, I closed my computer. We’d gotten a good fifteen minutes of chatting in, which I supposed was good considering the distance between us.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I went to the window and looked out at the city lights. In the far distance, Christ the Redeemer, lit up, looked down at it all.
Dropping my head against the glass, I studied the statue. People traveled from all over the world to see it, and it was no wonder that Rodrigo had one of the best views.
He’d done well for himself, and while I was mostly proud and happy for him, I was starting to see the less shiny parts of his life. While he was a successful businessman, something was amiss when it came to Sebastián.
Why wouldn’t he tell me about the boy’s mother? Why wouldn’t he tell Sebastián, the person who deserved to know more than anyone else?
Lifting my forehead off the cool pane, I slipped into my dressing robe and left the bedroom. The house sat quiet and dark, only the ticking of a clock somewhere punctuating the silence.
I didn’t know where I was going. Instead, I found myself walking the halls, looking out the windows. It wasn’t until I stumbled right in front of Rodrigo’s room that I considered how rude it was to be wandering through his house.
His door was open, a side lamp on. Across the room, the door to his balcony was also propped open. Rodrigo bent over a telescope, adjusting something. I tried to slip away unnoticed, but he must have sensed me, because he looked up and straight at me.
“Georgia.” Smooth like butter, his voice glided across the room and wrapped around me.
“Sorry.” I held a hand up and backed away. “I didn’t mean to spy. I was just—”
“It’s fine.” He pointed at the telescope. “Would you like to look?”
“No, that’s okay.” I took another step backwards and my hips hit the landing’s railing. “You look like you’re having a good time by yourself.”
I cringed, wondering if I should explain that I hadn’t been spying on him all evening.
Rodrigo just waved me over. “Come look.”
Slowly, I walked into his bedroom. I’d never actually set foot in it before, and as I walked across the floor I found myself trying very hard to not check the surroundings out. What kind of books did Rodrigo read? How many pillows did he sleep with?
My sudden interest in his habits might have been alarming, but after the conversation with Maddie I knew that I was in dangerous territory. Despite my desire to keep Rodrigo at arm’s length, I was falling for him.
Right before the balcony, I hesitated. One more step and there would be no going back.