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Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“This isn’t like our alliance, you know? We can’t mediate this. We can’t tell them to forget the feud and accept that their kids are...you know...”

“Together?” he finishes for me. And I must still look a little panicked because he frowns. “Lari, do you like me?”

He stands in front of me, the ocean breeze blowing his bangs over his eyes.

“I do,” I admit, and I see the relief in his eyes. “That’s why I’m worried for us. I don’t know what will happen.”

“I like you, too,” he stands closer, bridging the gap between us. “And you said you like me, so the present is all that matters to me right now.”

I brush his hair off his face. And I realize how I’ve been dying to do that all this time.

I lean in to kiss him again. Pedro gently holds my face in his hands as he kisses me back, his thumb brushing against my cheek to soothe my anxiety. I feel light-headed, like how I used to get after spinning around and around in place as a kid.

When we need to catch our breath, he hugs me close, burying his nose in my shoulder. My fingers wrap around the back of his shirt.

“I don’t want to lose you,” I say, fighting back tears.

He hugs me tighter. “We’ll sort everything out with our families. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

I want to believe we can, but nothing is easy when it comes to the feud. It’s overwhelming, like the waves lapping against our calves.

Don’t turn your back to the ocean, Grandma used to say. You don’t know when a wave will come and sweep you off your feet.

39

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

It’s hard to say goodbye, but after one last kiss when we reach the neighborhood, Pedro rides off.

I wait a second longer under the drugstore’s awning before I start walking home, every inch of me electrified. I still can feel his lips on mine. Giddy, I spin in place, listening to the music coming from the St. John’s party in front of the feirinha.

I’ve nearly reached home when I notice Pedro’s bicycle right on Salt’s doorstep. Something’s wrong. I run the rest of the way, and my heart skips a beat when I spot him inside. His mother is here, too.

Now I know something must really be wrong.

I push the door open so frantically, the bells jingle with a panicked shrill.

Pedro looks back at me and his lips part, like he can’t ask me the question he wants to in front of our mothers, whose faces are red and eyes are bloodshot like they’ve been crying angry tears.