Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

Antonio and Jeremy walked into Pancho's cantina through its swinging wooden half door. The air was stale and the atmosphere smoky from a number of tobaccos smoked by a group of men playing chess.

Pancho's cantina is one of the oldest in Vera Cruz with an antique bar the décor was simple but there were two or three waitresses in formal uniforms to suit the modern times, with skirts that were too short and barely there. The Mariachi was playing a rather sad number. There were stools well placed around each table and can easily be moved to accommodate more customers. Bull fighting paintings, posters and photographs were sprinkled on the walls. A giant poster of a nearly naked woman was displayed at the entrance, loud guffaws thundered across the room.

Antonio pulled out one of the stools and sat on it, then he took off his straw hat so did Jeremy.

"Are you ready to admit it now?" Jeremy asked.

Antonio pretended not to hear his question and beckoned one of the waitresses.

"You're trying to avoid my question aren't you?" Jeremy pushed.

"Don't push it Jeremy." Antonio said irritably. He'd never be caught dead admitting that he might've started to have feelings for Indira, that's the last thing he wants to happen. Antonio had met Indira when they were kids and they more didn't get along with each other because he was always taunting her and making fun of her. Leandro Torres, Indira's father has been like a father to him and he'd never betray him like that. Ever since his mother had dumped him at the hacienda with a promise that she'd come back for him but she never came back, and even after his grandma Rosario died, his mother didn't show up but she sent him letters every month for two years and then the letters stopped coming.

Grandma Rosario would always read the letters to him and she'd assure him that his mother loves and cares for him, that she'd be back soon. But then soon became eighteen years. He gulped down his shot of tequila as soon the waitress brought it hating the fact that he was thinking about the woman who abandoned him as a child. Grandma Rosario lied, he thought, his mother never loved him.

Antonio swallowed another shot and almost choked his gaze faraway.

"Antonio?" Jeremy's voice cut through the fog. "Are you okay?"

Antonio shook his head. "I just thought about my mom."

"Any news yet?"

"no." he said. "I wonder how she's doing, does she think of me the way that I think of her?"

"I'm sure she does." Jeremy assured him clapping him on the back. Antonio knew that Jeremy only said that to make him feel better, he simply snorted at the attempt.

Indira tossed and turned restlessly, she couldn't sleep even though her head hurts less now she stared at a particular point on the ceiling hoping it would make her dizzy enough to fall asleep, but it was not working. At last she sat huff, resting her back on the bedpost luckily Jessica wasn't asleep yet. She was sitting on the study desk doing her homework.

"Do you like Antonio?" the question popped out before she had the chance to backtrack. Jessica raised her head from her book and leveled Indira a bored stare.

"Do you like him?" Jessica asked, Indira didn't answer. Jessica continued, standing up and walking away from the table to stand at the foot of Indira's bed with her arms folded. "If I like him will you back off?" she challenged.

"Jessica…"

"Why do I get the feeling that you want me to think that you have my best interest at heart?" Jessica said.

"You don't get it…"

"Oh but I do get it." Jessica countered interrupting her. "You want to be seen as the gracious one yet again, the faultless Indira." Jessica's tone was dripping with contempt. "I was the one who had my boyfriend stolen by you, yet I was the one who got scolded like I was the guilty one."

Indira could feel the anger in Jessica's voice as she poured out her heart.

"You're still angry at me because of that, after all these time?"

"Yes! And I hate the fact that mom and dad are more into you than me, do you know how that makes me feel Indira?"

Indira looked away, tears stinging her eyes as she struggles to blink them away. She couldn't believe Jessica harbors so much resentment toward her over a misunderstanding. The boy in question was one of the famous guys in school who have it all―he was a star football player and belonged to one of the most affluent families in Las Vegas― every girl in school wanted a piece of him including Jessica, not Indira though she hated his guts the moment she laid eyes on him because she didn't like guys who think too highly of themselves. When he confessed to having feelings for her, Indira couldn't bring herself to tell Jessica about it because she knew how her sister felt about him to avoid crushing her feelings. They were so close to each other back then and she didn't want to ruin their relationship over it now looking back Indira realised that it was a mistake not telling Jessica the truth.

It was on a fateful day that Jessica had walked in upon them in one of the most awkward moments. He wasn't even Jessica's boyfriend, nor did he have feeling for her but she was utterly infatuated by him or so Indira thought, if after all these time she's still affected by him then it only means that Jessica was deeply in love with the guy.

Jessica had felt so betrayed by her own sister and bestfriend that even when Indira had explained that the kiss was forced on her, Jessica found it hard to believe and impossible to forgive.

"I'm sorry." Indira muttered. "I'm sorry I didn't know you felt that way."

"Oh please Indira like I am going to forgive you now." And with that last remark Jessica climbed into bed and buried herself under the blanket.

Unable to hold back the tears, Indira let it roll down her cheeks freely.