Lover | S.R.

Spencer

Everything is going well— amazingly well. Up until I feel Ophelia grab my hand as we're playing lotería.

"Oh, fuck," She says, her voice just above a whisper.

"Li?" I ask, looking from my card to her. She's staring at something.

Hold on.

Everyone is staring at something. Conversations have faded.

I follow her gaze and see a woman standing just inside the gate. She's middle-aged, dark brown hair and light skin. She carries a black purse over her shoulder and is wearing a t-shirt and jeans.

"We have to go," She says quietly, turning toward me. "We have to leave."

I don't understand.

"What's wrong? Lia, what is it?" I ask her, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Spencer, please. I just... I want to go." Ophelia tells me, her voice shaky. Her eyes stay down, not looking up at me. "Please."

I don't question it further, just tell her that we can leave if she wants to.

Across the table, Gabe looks over at us. "Lia, is that—"

She looks up at him and nods slowly. "Yeah."

"If you guys are leaving, can I come with you?" Kass asks cautiously, obviously experiencing some of the same anxiety that Ophelia is.

Gabe looks to their dad as he stands up from his chair without a word. "What are you doing?"

"Going to tell her to leave," Lorenzo says simply. "She isn't welcome here with my family."

Ellie hops out of her chair. "Wait, dad, can I—" She starts, only to be cut off.

"No, Ellie, go with your sisters," Lorenzo says sternly.

"But—" She starts to protest.

"Elena," He scolds. "Do not argue with me on this. Ophelia, please take your sisters and go."

Lia is quick to get out of her seat, putting her purse over her shoulder and gesturing for Kass and Ellie to follow her.

"Would you mind if I came along?" Gabe asks, standing up. "I rode with Dad."

Ophelia nods. "Of course. Come on."

I'm still quite confused, but I get up and follow Lia and her siblings out of the yard through a different gate, further back on the property and away from where the woman was.

Lia carefully pulls out of the field that houses several cars. Gabe, Kass, and Ellie sit in the backseat— the car is silent.

It stays silent for the entire drive to our hotel. When Lia parks, she digs the key card out of her purse and hands it to Gabe, telling the three of them that we'll be inside in a few minutes.

I watch as they head in and turn to look at Ophelia.

"What's going on?" I ask her softly, noticing the tears building up in her eyes. "Who was that woman?"

Her hands still grip the steering wheel and she stares down at it, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

The tears begin to spill from her eyes, rolling down her cheeks.

"My mom," Lia croaks out, not looking up at me.

Her mom? But...

"I... I thought that she was dead. You told me she was dead, Lia—"

"I know, I—"

"Why didn't you tell me? You... you've been lying to me about this since I met you."