BooksBarbecue
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

I give his hand a little squeeze. “It’s okay.”

“Not, it’s not okay. I felt belittled at home, but I had no right to lash out at you. To see you as my enemy. I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I was just so confused.”

“I’m sorry, too.” I take a deep breath. “I wish we could put the past behind us.”

Instead of responding, Pedro lurches to his feet and leaves the room, hobbling away on his injured ankle. I crane my neck, confused, to see where he went. One second later, he’s back.

“Hi, I’m Pedro,” he says, a hand stretched out to shake mine.

He’s giving us a chance to start over. To begin anew.

I stand up to take his hand.

“I’m Lari,” I say.

He smiles, his expression softening and his eyes lighting up. It takes my breath away. “Nice to meet you,” he says.

“Nice—” I begin to say, but my mother’s raised voice cuts me off.

“Larissa Catarina Ramires!”

46

MONDAY, JUNE 20

I don’t know how long Mom was standing there, but if she saw Pedro and me holding hands, she pretends she didn’t. I don’t know if that’s better or worse.

She takes one look at my bandaged knee and runs up to me.

“It’s—it’s okay,” I stammer. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“You’re drenched!” she says, rubbing my arms.

“I’m okay.”

She acknowledges Pedro, glancing at his ankle. I feel the questions she’s keeping to herself for now. How did you and Pedro end up together in a flooded avenue? Why were you together to begin with? Mom may be willing to accept a future where I’m not following her academic plans, but a relationship with Pedro? No way.

“I was so worried,” she says, her voice strangled with panic. “When they called me saying you were here... I thought... I thought of your dad and... I thought I’d lost you, too!” She pulls me into another hug, like she’s afraid I’ll disappear.

“I’m sorry. I’m safe. It’s just a tiny cut on my knee.”

Mom glances back at Pedro, who’s standing awkwardly by my side. “You’re hurt,” she says in guarded concern for him.

Pedro’s eyes flicker nervously from me to her. He smiles sheepishly, “I’m alright.”

I stand in between them, holding my breath.

Mom looks like she’s about to say something else to Pedro, but Dona Eulalia’s arrival, bursting into the reception room like a hurricane, steals the opportunity. The moment her eyes land on Pedro, she lets out a pained cry, shoving her way to him.

When she pulls him to her, Pedro bumps his injured ankle on a chair and winces. She doesn’t notice. Her hug is just as desperate as Mom’s.