I glanced up at the bathroom door just as Diego stepped out, a towel around his waist, steam clinging to his skin. His eyes met mine on the bed, frozen with his phone in my hand, and his expression shifted instantly. It wasn\u2019t confusion\u2014it was fear. Pure, guilty, immediate fear.<\/p>\n
\u201cMariana, give me that,\u201d he said, stepping forward.<\/p>\n
I recoiled. \u201cDon\u2019t come closer.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was no pretending left. I read Paola\u2019s last message aloud, word by word, letting each syllable land. He closed his eyes briefly, like trying to invent a cleaner version of the truth\u2014but the truth was already there.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not what it looks like,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
I let out a harsh, broken laugh. \u201cThat line should be outlawed. Of course it\u2019s exactly what it looks like\u2014my husband, sleeping with my cousin, and planning tomorrow\u2019s dinner with me like I\u2019m an idiot.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"