THE HEART BETWEEN SHADOWS

Chapter four

The Boy I Was Supposed to Hate**

~Laluna’s POV

The curtain slipped from my fingers.

"What did you just say?"

My grandmother didn't answer.

She was still staring out the window.

At him.

At the young man standing beneath the rain, his hand resting on the bent iron gate.

He looked just as confused as I felt.

"Abuela."

Nothing.

I turned to face her fully.

"Who is he?"

Her lips parted, but no words came.

Instead, she walked past me, closed the curtain with shaking hands, and locked the window.

Click.

Click.

As though a flimsy latch could keep danger out.

"You're frightening me."

She finally looked at me.

"You need to promise me something."

I sighed.

"Again?"

"This isn't a joke, Laluna."

"I know."

"No matter what happens..."

She stepped closer.

"...you must stay away from Thiago Serrano."

I blinked.

"You know his name."

Silence.

"You said you didn't know him."

"I don't."

"But you know who he is."

"I know his family."

That caught my attention.

"My family has never mentioned the Serranos."

"That's because we don't."

"Why?"

Another silence.

I folded my arms.

"You do realize you're terrible at keeping secrets."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"You sound exactly like your mother."

"There you go again."

My voice softened.

"Every time I ask about Mom, you change the subject."

Her smile disappeared.

"I know."

"Why?"

She looked toward the old leather journal sitting on the kitchen table.

"For years, I've tried to protect you."

"From what?"

"The truth."

I laughed quietly.

"At this point, I think the truth would be less terrifying than whatever you're imagining."

A knock interrupted us.

Not at the front door.

The apartment door.

Three quick taps.

"Abuela?"

"It's probably Doña Isabel."

Our elderly neighbor had a habit of borrowing sugar she never returned.

I walked toward the entrance before my grandmother could stop me.

When I opened the door...

It wasn't Doña Isabel.

It was Thiago.

Holding an umbrella.

He looked mildly embarrassed.

"Hi."

I stared.

"...How did you get up here?"

"The front gate was open."

"No, I mean..."

I pointed toward the stairs.

"You followed me?"

"What?"

"No."

He looked genuinely offended.

"I came back because..."

He held up a leather wallet.

"You dropped this outside."

I looked down.

It was mine.

I hadn't even realized it was missing.

"Oh."

I took it from him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Neither of us moved.

The hallway filled with an awkward silence.

Finally, he rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is going to sound strange."

"I have a feeling that's becoming a trend."

He smiled.

"I can't stop thinking about what happened earlier."

"The pharmacy?"

"Our hands."

Heat crept into my cheeks, again.

"It was static."

"Was it?"

His eyes searched mine.

"It didn't feel like static."

My heart skipped.

I hated that it did.

"I think you're overthinking it."

"I usually don't."

"Congratulations."

"I mean it."

"So do I."

He laughed.

"You always argue this much?"

"Only with people who show up at my apartment twice in one day."

"Fair."

For the first time, I noticed the tiny dimple in his left cheek when he smiled.

It suited him.

Annoyingly.

"So..."

He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Are we still enemies?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Were we ever?"

"You looked like you wanted to throw me down the stairs."

"I was considering it."

"Good to know."

His grin widened.

"I'll avoid standing too close to the edge."

I couldn't help it.

I smiled.

Just a little.

He noticed.

"There it is."

"What?"

"The smile."

"I wasn't smiling."

"You definitely were."

"I absolutely wasn't."

"Liar."

I rolled my eyes.

"You should go."

"I should."

He didn't move.

Neither did I.

For a moment...

The hallway felt strangely smaller.

Quieter.

Like the rest of Madrid had disappeared.

Then my grandmother cleared her throat behind me.

The spell broke instantly.

Thiago straightened.

"Good evening, Mrs. Navarro."

Carmen gave a polite nod.

"Mr. Serrano."

He looked between us.

"I'll see you around."

"I wouldn't count on it," my grandmother replied.

His smile faltered for the first time.

He nodded once.

"Goodnight."

As he walked away, I closed the door.

The apartment was silent.

Then—

"You smiled at him."

I turned toward my grandmother.

"What is your problem with him?"

"You smiled."

"So?"

"You weren't supposed to."

I laughed.

"Abuela, smiling isn't a crime."

"For most people..."

She picked up the old journal and held it tightly against her chest.

"...no."

She walked toward her bedroom.

Before disappearing inside, she stopped without turning around.

"There was once a witch who smiled at a Serrano."

My pulse quickened.

"What happened to her?"

The silence stretched so long I thought she wouldn't answer.

Then, almost in a whisper, she said,

"She fell in love."

My chest tightened.

"And that..."

She slowly closed the bedroom door.

"...started a war."