Maldeamores (Lovesick) (Heightsbound #0.5) Read Online Free

hard to breathe.
    When they come out, I look up and then quickly resume looking at the pot. I recognize her from school; she’s one of the popular girls. Maybe even the prettiest one, with a nice body and pretty hair and good style with her clothes. She’s wearing a halter top that Mami wouldn’t be caught dead letting me leave the house in. It’s a top meant for Friday night parties, not Saturday mornings.
    She smiles at me and waves but her smile looks fake. She kisses Luc on the lips and I can’t tear my eyes away. Their mouths are moving and wide open; Luc’s hand moves to her butt. I look back at the coffee and swallow past a giant lump in my throat.
    I’ll have to get used to it, because this is how it will be. All of the girls like Luc and none of the boys even notice me.
    She has gum in her mouth and she snaps it when they pull apart. “See ya,” she says, and I’m not sure if it’s directed at me or Luciano. He slams the door behind her and comes into the kitchen wearing jeans, no shirt on, both of his hands shoved in his back pockets.
    “Done yet?” he asks, peeping over my shoulder.
    “Yeah,” I say. “Do you want milk and sugar?”
    “I’ll get the screwdriver,” he says, and kneels down and starts to rummage under the sink.
    “Is that your girlfriend?” I ask, trying to sound casual while adding milk to his coffee.
    “Fuck, I had too much to drink,” he says, grasping his head in his hands. “Screwdrivers, too.” He stays crouched down, cradling his face. I want to run my hand through his hair like Mami does for me whenever I have a headache.
    “Thanks,” he says, taking the coffee from me and falling into a chair at the kitchen table. He takes a long sip and closes his eyes.
    I’m shaking all over. I set my mug down for fear of spilling it.
    “No, she’s not my girlfriend. Just a chick from the party,” he says, resting his forehead in the palm of his hand.
    He slides the screwdriver over to me and his fingers brush mine. The tiny touch sets off a swarming buzz of feelings. I choke down the sob in my chest. I want to gag or maybe scream, anything to vomit out this awful feeling inside of me. It’s jealousy. It’s ugly and it’s twisting up everything inside me.
    “Wait a minute, Belén, what’s wrong? Are you going to cry?”
    “I’m going to tell Titi you had a girl over and that you kissed her goodbye.” I was doing my very best to hold them in but now the tears are freely falling.
    “What the fuck, Bey? I thought we were on the same team. Why the fuck do you want to tell on me?”
    “That girl is a slut and I don’t even want to know what she was doing in your bedroom!” I stand and grab the screwdriver. I’m so angry it feels like a weapon in my shaking hand.
    “Wait, Belén, are you jealous?” As he says it he stands.
    I raise the screwdriver and brandish it like I need to defend myself from him.
    “Put that down, loca ,” he says, his hands up in the air, waiting on the offense.
    I hadn’t thought of hurting him, but suddenly I want him to feel the pain that I’m feeling. I charge at him with the screwdriver and he catches both of my hands by the wrist. He’s so much stronger than me that I almost feel like I should give up and start laughing. But I’m way too saturated with emotion, so I push him back as hard as I can. He pins both my wrists to the refrigerator door right beside my face. The silver of the screwdriver is visible in my peripheral vision. I can see the confusion in Luciano’s brow as his eyes search my face trying to assess how serious I am. I push my arm forward, the one that’s holding the screwdriver, with all of my might. He shakes my wrist forcefully, only once, and the tool clanks to the linoleum tiles. I sniff because I don’t want the snot to run out of my nose. I can’t wipe my face because he’s got both of my arms. The tears won’t stop coming and Luciano is staring at me looking like he’s lost all the fog of his hangover.