We both glance uphill toward the bakeries. “What did I do wrong now?” I say, crossing my arms.

“You don’t need to be so defensive.” He looks like he just tasted something sour. “You’re probably wondering why I offered to give you a ride home.”

“Not out of the goodness of your heart, I guess?” I poke at him and Pedro shoots me an annoyed glance like he’s regretting having stopped to talk with me.

“I just wanted to say that I had some time to really think about our alliance—”

“You already accepted it, didn’t you?”

He raises his hands for me to calm down. “Relax. I haven’t changed my mind. I just wanted to make sure that after working together at Vozes today, you haven’t changed your mind. I know it was your idea, but are you still serious about this truce between us?”

“Of course!” I stare at him. “Why are you bringing this up now?”

“Well, I’m just worried that if our past issues still bother you a lot, then how can we help our mothers get along? I guess what I’m saying is... Well... I’m sorry.”

I blink. His apology catches me entirely off guard.

“I’m sorry about that flower soup thing when we were kids,” he continues, and I search and search for any hidden meaning, any malice in his words, but Pedro seems...disarmed. “You may not believe me, but I hate how we ganged up on you back then. It wasn’t fair.”

“You set all our classmates against me!” My voice shakes with pent-up resentment. “It’s not fair that I had to deal with all of you on my own!”

“I’m sorry.”

“You brought our families’ feud to school and ten years later people still don’t like me. They still call me Salty!”

Pedro Molina doesn’t fight back. He doesn’t try to deflect or deny my accusations. He just stands there looking at me, his clothes drenched with rain, droplets falling from the tips of his bangs, listening to every word I throw at him.

“I’m sorry,” he says again. “You don’t need to forgive me. I don’t deserve it. And if you realized that it’s too difficult for us to work together, I’ll understand. As president of the cooking club, I’ll tell Pimentel that you were involved enough. Or maybe I’ll tell her we’re pausing activities or something. Whatever keeps everyone’s grade safe, you know? And as for the truce, if you changed your mind about it, I’ll still try my best to steer my mother in the right direction if any problem arises between her and Dona Alice. I give you my word.” He looks embarrassed for a second, scratching the back of his head. “I mean...if the word of a Molina means anything to a Ramires.”

I’m speechless.