An Exceptional Twist (51 page)

Leah started busting up, loving the fact
that nobody else knew what her mother just said.

Stefen caught the tail end of what Maria
said when he stepped out of the downstairs bathroom. “What was
that? I understood something about throwing a sandal at someone’s
head, but that was it.”

Leah looked at her mom, and they both
started laughing hysterically.

“Two words.” Leah leaned toward Stefen and
lifted her eyebrow. “Your. Mom.”

He put his hands in front of him and waved
them back and forth. “Oh. No need to say more. I apologize in
advance for her behavior and for anything that comes out of her
mouth. She gave birth to me, but that's about as far as we go.”

Leah and her mom gave him a sad look.

“I'm sorry, Stefen.” Leah placed her hand on
his shoulder, then remembered their interaction before they left
her apartment.

Giving her a knowing look, he was well aware
of what was roaming around in her head. He let out a loud breath.
“That's okay, I'm shocked she’s even here. She rarely spends the
holidays with us. She’ll probably be drunk before dessert is
served.”

Bri came storming into the room in a hissy.
“Who invited Mom? I wouldn’t have come if I had known.”

Maria grabbed Stefen and
Bri and hugged them both simultaneously. “Don't worry,
hijos
. There’s enough
mama love in me to share.”

Stefen and Bri seemed to welcome the
motherly affection as they both wrapped their arms around each
other and Leah’s mom. From what Stefen told her, and the impression
his mother just left, Leah imagined that woman never showed any
love to her children.

Leah loved her mom’s heart so much. Times
like this proved just how blessed she’d been to have her.

Looking at them made her
swallow, a sadness coming over her. No wonder Stefen was afraid of
love. He didn’t understand it. Maybe she could help him.
Can I be the one to change his mind?

Stefen’s eyes scanned Leah’s face as he and
Bri headed toward the dining room.

Her mom pulled her to the
side. “
Hija, que paso?
What was that little,” she fluttered her eyelashes quickly
while rolling her eyes upward, “between you and Stefen? Are you
guys dating and you didn’t tell me?”

Shaking he head, Leah
frowned. “No,
Mami
. We’re not.”

“But you want to,
sí
?” Her wise mother
never missed a thing. “You’re afraid?”

Looking down and closing her eyes, Leah
nodded.

Her mom smoothed Leah’s
hair and spoke tenderly, “
Mija
, fear kept me from the man I
loved for way too long.” Lifting her head, Leah looked at her mom
with wide eyes. “Yes, sweetie. I was afraid of what people would
say, of what you guys would think, of degrading your father’s
memory. You name it, I feared it.” Her hands cupped Leah’s face.
“Do you love him?”

Her breathing became
uneven as she fought her tears. “Yes,
Mami
, but I don’t know if I can risk
everything we already have.”

The sincerity in her mom’s
eyes warmed Leah’s heart. “The bigger the risk, the better the
reward. If you love him, you need to tell him. Everyone in this
house can clearly see that he loves you, too.” Leah hoped that was
true, but for her mom to point it out was unexpected. “Don’t look
at me like that, young lady. You know I’m right. Okay, let’s get in
there and show that prissy
puta
how Latinas handle being insulted.”

The next morning, Leah woke up in her room
at Stefen’s, next to her snoring sister. She made her way down the
stairs and headed to the kitchen to make coffee and a light
breakfast for everyone. Leah, Stefen, and both of their sisters
only had an hour before they had to be on the road. Stefen's shower
started upstairs, and she figured she’d get the other two girls up
when he got out.

They hadn’t had any alone time to talk yet,
but she was kind of grateful. It took all her willpower not to
crawl into bed with him last night. Especially when Dani started
snoring.

Leah had just pushed the start button on the
coffeemaker when she felt more than heard Stefen behind her.

Jumping, she pressed her hand over her heart
that was beating a million miles a minute. “You scared the crap out
of me. I thought you were in the shower.”

Stefen rubbed his sleepy eyes, then ran his
fingers through his bed hair a couple of times to smooth it down.
Stretching, he reached up, revealing his flat abdomen. “No, that’s
Bri. She thinks it's funny to run and jump on my bed to wake me up
whenever she visits. She’s just lucky I don’t sleep naked.” He
brought his arms down and winked.

She shook her head. “What is it with you and
talking about being naked?” A soon as the words were out, she
turned beet red, wishing she could take that statement back.
Especially when the image of him, sans clothing, popped into her
head. “I mean, you know, um….”

“Why are you guys talking about being
naked?”

They both turned to see Dani standing in the
doorway, wrapped in her thick robe and wearing fuzzy slippers.

Flustered, Leah blurted out, “Stefen doesn’t
sleep in the buff. I mean, when we sleep together he wears pajamas,
or he always does...” She shifted on her feet, digging a bigger
hole with each word.

Dani’s eyes practically popped out of her
head. “You guys sleep together! As in, more than the one time you
told me about?”

Vigorously shaking her
head, Leah yelped, “Not like
that
. We’ve slept together, slept
together a couple times, that’s all.”

Stefen snickered, grabbing a couple of
coffee cups out of the cupboard. “You’re not helping.”

Leah scowled at him.

“What exactly do you mean by slept together,
slept together?” Dani narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her younger
sister.

Leah smacked her forehead.
“I mean, we have actually been
asleep
together. Like watching TV
and falling asleep on the couch sort of thing, not the…sex thing.”
Those last two words came out uneasily, and she cringed.

Dani gave them a pointed look. “Again, huh?
Well that's kinda weird, don't you think. How do you fall asleep
with someone so gorgeous that you’ve had sex with and it not be
awkward?”

Turning a deeper shade of
red, Leah barked, “Dani, stop. Stefen and I had sex one time.
That’s all.”
Kill me now!
The chuckle beside her fueled her fire, and she
smacked Stefen on the stomach with the back of her hand.
“Stop laughing. It’s not funny.”

Stefen raised his arms as if he was stepping
out of it. “Uh, I’ve got nothing to add.” He leaned against the
counter and sipped his coffee.

Dani’s eyes widened as she shook her head.
“Well, I don't get it. You’re hot for each other. Everyone knows.”
She flicked her wrist, motioning between them. “How could you not
want to make babies together?”

“Oh my gosh, Dani! I’m
going to freaking throw my
chancleta
at you. You’re so
embarrassing.”

Dani smiled primly. “You know I just say it
like it is.” She started to turn and walk out of the room, when Bri
appeared.

“What's up?” Brianna walked in with a towel
on her head. She picked up a cup and held it out to Stefen who was
pouring coffee for everyone.

Dani announced, “Stefen and Leah sleep
together, and I think they would make beautiful babies.”

Bri’s face lit with mock
fury.
“You liar!”
She jabbed her finger at Stefen. “You told me you guys
weren’t seeing each other. I
knew
it.” Spinning around, Bri leaned against the
counter. “It’s so obvious you guys are in love. You look like two
freaking puppy dogs whenever you’re together.”

“
¡Hijo de puta!
You guys suck!” Leah
threw her hands in the air, then slapped her thighs as she left the
kitchen, escaping into her room.

Leah heard a knock on the door before she
went into the bathroom to take a shower. “Come in,” she huffed.

“I bring a peace offering.” Dani cracked the
door open enough to poke the coffee mug through.

Leah walked over and snatched it before
walking past her to the bathroom.

“Don't be mad,” Dani said softly. “None of
us understand. That's all.”

Leah turned on the shower, then stalked over
to her sister. “You completely humiliated me down there, Dani. I
know you speak your mind, but that was embarrassing.”

Sticking her bottom lip
out, Dani apologized, “
Los siento,
hermanita
.”

“Can we just drop this?
I've had enough for one morning. That's why I hang out with
a
boy
and not
girls. Less drama.”

Dani raised her eyebrows. “Stefen? Less
drama than a girl? You’re kidding, right?”

Leah gave her sister one last dirty look,
then closed the bathroom door.

As they pulled out of his driveway, Stefen
still couldn't believe he was letting Bri drive his new car. She
drove like a maniac. He always thought she’d make a great race car
driver.

He decided to get Dani back for harassing
Leah earlier by letting her sit in the front seat without warning
her about Bri’s driving. They’d started teasing each other months
ago, after Leah brought him around their house, so he was sure Dani
would catch on soon enough.

Plus, he wanted to sit in the back with
Leah.

When they all got in, Dani buckled up and
said, “I’m trusting you, Bri. You know I don’t like it when other
people drive.”

Snickering, Bri looked at Stefen in the
rearview mirror, “Can you believe she didn’t let me drive at all
when we went to the Bay Area.”

Leah nodded, “Yeah, it’s her thing. She must
really like you because she won’t let me drive her anywhere if she
can help it.”

Uh oh.

As they got onto the freeway, Dani grabbed
the ‘oh shit’ bar.

Bri rolled her eyes. “Dani, you can let go.
I'm a safe driver.”

Stefen stifled a laugh.

Dani glared back at him. “You let me sit up
here on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Now would I do something like that?” He
gave her an innocent look, winking at Leah who seemed a bit off
ever since this morning.

“No freaking way,” Bri grumbled. Someone was
tailgating them. “Of all the shitty luck. There is no way in hell
you’re passing me, asshole.”

“What are you doing?” Stefen was starting to
get irritated by her erratic driving as she swerved from side to
side and sped up, then slowed down.

Bri groaned, “This guy
behind me is trying to pass, and there is no way I'm letting
him
pass.”

“It’s a one lane highway here,” Stefen
sighed. “Wait until it opens up and just let him by. Don’t break
our caravan. I don’t want to hear Mom riding your ass about it
later.” He huffed. “Wait, why did you say it like that? Do you know
him?”

Stefen turned around but couldn't get a good
look at the driver. Bri didn't answer. Instead, she picked up speed
for the next fifteen miles until they heard the engine revving
behind them.

The black Porsche passed and the driver gave
her a dirty look. Stefen watched Bri lift her hand to the
window.

“Did you just flip him off?” Dani laughed
nervously, still keeping her death grip on the safety handle.

“Yes, I did,” she said, unashamed. “He’s an
asshole.”