Through You (The Hidalgo Brothers Book 2)

CLAUDIA

Grandfather has regained consciousness.

I was in school when I received the call, and the bus took a long time to get to the hospital, so I’m the last one to arrive. I was so relieved when I heard Mr. Anthony had woken up, but I need to see him with my own eyes to feel completely reassured. I’m a little surprised to find Raquel sitting outside the room. Ares must be getting serious with her if he brought her along.

While I’m happy for Ares, I can’t hide the concern in my voice. “How’s he doing?”

“Apparently, he’s doing fine.”

I let out a long sigh. “That’s great. I came as soon as I heard.”

She gives me a curious look. “Have you met their grandfather?”

“Yes. I’ve spent most of my life living in the Hidalgo house.

My mother took care of him a bit before they put him in a nursing home. Anthony is very special to me.”

“I would imagine. What’s it been like to live with the Hidalgos most of your life?”

Her question makes me chuckle a little. If you only knew, Raquel. “It’s been interesting.”

“I can’t begin to imagine. I bet one of them was your first crush.”

I feel my cheeks getting warm so I lower my head.

“Come on, which one? It’s okay . . . as long as it wasn’t Ares.”

I’m opening my mouth ready to answer when I hear the sound of heels heading in our direction. I turn around to find Mrs. Hidalgo.

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Sophia makes her way toward us on red stilettos, wearing a white skirt that sits above the knee and a low-cut blouse. Her makeup is excessive, and her hair is up in a very tight, high ponytail. Her eyes land on Raquel.

“And who are you?” She does what she knows best, scrutinizing the poor girl with eyes filled with contempt. Raquel doesn’t answer. “I asked you a question.”

Raquel clears her throat.

“My name is Ra-Raquel.” She politely extends her hand to greet Mrs. Hildalgo.

Sofia looks at her hand and then at her.

“All right, Ra-Raquel.” She mocks Raquel’s initial stutter.

“What are you doing here?”

I step next to Raquel. “She came with Ares.”

Sofia arches an eyebrow. “Are you joking? Why would Ares bring her along?”

I roll my eyes. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

Sofia purses her lips. “Don’t take that tone with me, Claudia.

The last thing you want is to provoke me. Where is my husband?”

I point to the room’s door, hoping to get her away from us.

Mrs. Hidalgo enters the room, taking her bad energy along with her, and leaving us on our own. Raquel looks pale.

“What a nasty lady.”

I give her a smile. “You have no idea.”

“You don’t seem intimidated by her.”

“I grew up in that house. I think I’ve mastered the ability to engage with difficult people.”

“I can only imagine. I just thought that since she’s your boss, you’d have to . . .”

“Let her treat me poorly?” I finish her sentence. “I’m not a kid who gets scared easily anymore.” I sit and pat the chair next to me. “But enough about me, tell me about yourself instead.”

“There’s not a lot to say. Only that I’ve fallen under the spell of the Hidalgos.”

“I can see that. I can also tell that you finally managed to get the idiot to confess his feelings for you.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you’re here,” I tell her in all honesty. “Their grandfather is one of the most important people in their lives. The fact that Ares brought you along speaks volumes.”

“I’ve heard a lot about this man, and would love to meet him.”

“I hope you do very soon. He’s a wonderful person.”

We talk for a while, just enough for me to understand why Ares has fallen in love with this girl. She’s charming, an open book. Her expressions give away how she feels and her gestures reveal what she thinks. We get along beautifully.

The younger Hidalgo men finally emerge from the room.

The mood turns awkward as soon as Artemis’s eyes meet mine. He presses his lips tightly together then makes a turn and heads down the hall. I look at Apolo, who greets Raquel with a smile but does his damnedest to avoid my gaze.

“We’re going to get a coffee. Grandpa asked about you, Claudia. You should go in as soon as my parents come out.” Apolo shares this update without looking at me. He follows Artemis down the hall.

The cold shoulder, again, eh? Well, Hidalgo boys, I can play the same game.

Ares doesn’t look at me either; he’s focused on Raquel and grabs her hand instead. “Come along, witch.”

I’m not exactly sure why I feel the need to apologize. Though it wasn’t my intention, I somehow feel responsible for causing an unpleasant scene and not handling it in the best possible way.

“I’m sorry.”

Ares looks up.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Ares never lies and I know he’s being sincere. “You should never blame yourself for his impulsiveness, Claudia.”

It’s obvious he’s referring to Artemis, who’s always been the most impulsive and volatile of the three brothers. I watch them leave, then Mr. and Mrs. Hidalgo come out of the room. Sofia’s uptight expression lacks a hint of genuine emotion. I would say this lady’s audacity still shocks me, but all these years have conditioned me to expect the unexpected when it comes to Sofia Hidalgo. Juan points me to the door.

“He’s been asking about you since he woke up.”

There’s a trace of jealousy in his tone. I can’t believe it. He doesn’t get to be jealous of his father’s affection. He lost that right the day he let Grandfather be committed to a nursing home. Juan gives me a friendly smile and leaves with his wife.

I find Grandfather lying on his bed. My heart squeezes tight in my chest. I run to his side and give him a hug.

“Stubborn old man!” Tears stream down my face, and he gently pats my back.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

I pull back from him with lips trembling, trying to contain the urge to cry. He grabs my face with his hands and plants a kiss on my forehead.

“You stubborn old man. I love you very much.”

He puts his hands on mine. I’m caught by surprise the moment I withdraw from our hug and we look into each other’s eyes—he’s not someone who cries easily, but his eyes are watery.

“And I too love you very much, daughter.”

Daughter.

He takes note of the shock written all over my face.

“You are way more important to me than all these vultures, my so-called children. If it wasn’t for you and Apolo, I couldn’t have coped with the loneliness in that place.” His hands caress my face. “Thank you, daughter.”

“Old man . . .” My voice breaks.

“How about calling me grandpa? I think dad would be weird.

Or is that too much? I understand if this makes you uncomfortable. I know you’re grown woman now and . . .”

I place my hand over my heart. “It would be an immense honor to call you grandpa.”

He smiles and all his wrinkles become noticeable. We talk until it’s almost time for me to catch the last bus.

It was decided that Grandpa would finish his recuperation at the Hidalgo house, and I couldn’t be happier. I can look after him and stop worrying about him being alone at the nursing home.

I hug him tightly before I leave. Outside, Sofia Hidalgo is in the hall by herself. She looks at me from head to toe.

“You’ve grown, a lot, Claudia.” I pick up the hint of malice in her tone. “You should use your attributes to accomplish your goals and get ahead. Or do you want to spend the rest of your life as a housekeeper?”

My mouth forms a fake smile. “I will never lower myself to your level. No, thank you.”

She laughs. “Oh really? And here I was thinking you were already screwing the patriarch of the Hidalgos, sinking your hooks into the fattest fish in the pond.”

I keep my fists clenched on my hips.

“Projecting your ways and methods on me? People aren’t all like you.”

“Like me? Or maybe, more like your mother?” She moves closer. “Or are you forgetting how she would trade her body for cheap drugs? I always wondered if she ever prostituted you, simply because, you know . . .”

The sound of the hard slap I give her echoes in the empty hallway.

I speak through clenched teeth. “You can say whatever you like about me but don’t you ever mention my mother.”

“Who do you think you are, laying your hands on me?” She snarls at me and raises her arm ready to strike, but I catch her wrist midair and push away her hand.

“I’m leaving now.”

She gives me one last look with hate-filled eyes before I walk away. I barely make it to catch the last bus. Once on board, I stare out the window as I travel along the route taking me back to the house. I’m happy that my position in the family is secure enough I no longer feel intimidated by Mrs. Hidalgo. I’m not five years old anymore; I’m a grown woman.

Right after the supplementary reading class I’m taking at school, I went back to the Hidalgo house. I entered to find the fireplace lit, which was uncommon in the middle of summer. I was about to head to my room when I noticed Mrs. Hidalgo sitting across from the fireplace.

“Oh. Good evening. I hadn’t seen you there, ma’am.” I tried to limit my interactions with her.

“Claudia, I was waiting for you,” she replied with a forced smile. “Have a seat.” She offered me the chair that she was facing.

I obeyed and sat down across from her. I was about to ask her if she needed something from me when I noticed the small book on her lap. My diary.

“You know, I didn’t expect to find this in your room. I walked in out of mere curiosity and lo and behold, this was in full view right on top of your nightstand.” She shook her head. “You are quite stupid for a fifteen-year-old girl.”

I struggled to swallow.

“You shouldn’t take other people’s private property,” I squeaked out.

“This is my house and I can take whatever I damn please.”

I opened my mouth to reply but she carried on. “Which is something you seem to forget, Claudia. This is my house. And we took you and your mother in despite—” She scowled in disgust. “Despite everything your mother has done out there on the streets.”

“And my mother and I are very grateful, ma’am.”

“Oh really? How grateful are you, Claudia?”

Her question sent shivers down my spine.

“A lot.”

“Very good. That means you’ll do as I say without resistance or objection,” she said as she opened my diary and began to read.

“‘Today, Artemis held my hand again. And my chest felt like it was going to explode. I felt nervous and my palms were sweaty, so I quickly let go, afraid that he would notice.’ Aww, how sweet.”

I put down my head, ashamed. She didn’t stop there, but turned the page.

“‘Artemis invited me to see the fireworks this weekend. He said he has something important to tell me. I hope he is going to ask me to be his girlfriend. Although he’s older than me, and my mom will get mad, I don’t care, my feelings for him make it all worth it. I know we are still too young but what we feel for each other is true love, like you see in the movies.’”

“Ma’am, please.”

“Yes, I think that’s enough. We welcomed you into this house, and you have the nerve to set your sights on our son?” The coldness in her voice frightened me. “Listen to me, Claudia. You’re going to stay away from Artemis. He’s leaving for university at the end of the summer. Then, he will be pursuing a future path that has been decided by his father and me. And you won’t stand in the way. Agreed?”

“Ma’am, my feelings for him are genuine, I—”

“Silence.” She put up her hand. “If what you feel for him is genuine, then you want what’s best for him, right?” I nodded. “So, we agree. Because you, Claudia, are not what’s best for him. You do know this, right? How could the daughter of a former drug addict and prostitute be worthy of a boy like Artemis?”

“I believe that’s up to him to decide, not you.”

Her expression hardened.

“Girl, you need to watch your tone. I’d hoped you would choose the easy way.” She released a dramatic sigh. “Well, then it’s the hard way. I’ve already discussed this with my husband, and unfortunately, if you decide not to go along with our decision, you and your mother will need to move out of this house—tonight.”

The blood in my veins froze with fear. No. Not life on the streets again. And the countless men coming after my mother.

She’d stayed clean for years. I couldn’t let her go back to that life.

And we had nothing to fall back on out there.

Mrs. Hidalgo crossed her legs. “Oh. Have I put you in a difficult position? You just have to make a choice between your mother and this childish crush.”

Of course I would choose my mother, over and over again.

And she knew this.

“All right, ma’am. I’ll do as you say—I’ll push him away.” I got up when I felt tears welling up, clouding my vision. “I should go to bed now.”

That night I wept in silence until I ran out of tears and my chest hurt from sobbing.

I spent the best night of my life with Artemis that Fourth of July, the night of the fireworks. He bought me cotton candy, ice cream, and even a stuffed pig, which he paid for when we both failed to win at one of those fairground games.

When it was time for the fireworks, we sat on the grass to watch the spectacle in silence. I snuck a quick glance at Artemis; his gorgeous face was illuminated by the colorful flashes, but that wasn’t why I loved him so much. It was who he was deep down when we were together. He was so kind and understanding. He was with me for every one of my nightmares, and during my most vulnerable moments. He fought the bullies at school who picked on me for being poor, or because of my mother. He always stood by me, offering warmth with his gaze and calming peace with his beautiful smile. I wanted to stay like that with him for longer because after that night, all of that would be over. I was watching the show in the sky again, getting lost in the bright colors when I felt him place his hand on mine. My heart began to pound fast.

But I didn’t pull my hand away.

Don’t say anything, Artemis. Please, let’s stay like this a little longer.

I turned to look at him. Before I had time to process his intentions, he moved in swiftly, grabbing my face and giving me a kiss. His soft lips pressed against mine, and I melted on the spot.

My first kiss . . .

I was glad it was with him.

You need to make a choice: your mother or this childish crush.

I fought my aching heart, and I pushed him away.

Artemis pulled away from me. I tried to seem indifferent, but I was afraid that if I tried to speak, I’d cry instead. The wounded look on his face hurt me. I watched him get up and turn his back on me.

“Artemis . . .” I called, my voice breaking. But he was gone already.

I’m sorry, Artemis. I am so very sorry.

My mom is already in bed when I arrive home after visiting Grandfather. I sit next to her and watch her sleep. She’s made many mistakes in her life, but she’s my mother. I will always choose her over anyone. On the night table, there’s the stuffed pig that Artemis bought me that Fourth of July. Of course I still have it. I pick it up and hug it tightly, feeling both nostalgic and anguished.

“I did want to be your girlfriend, Artemis,” I tell the stuffed toy. “I wanted to be with you.”