"Perfect timing," that's what Xavi called it.

I came around to the idea of a family at the perfect time, because his entire family is going to be in LA this week. His parents are high school teachers and get the week off, so they're already settled in at Chris's and Rigo's house for their stay. The last four older siblings of his that I haven't met are also in town already, putting together something of an impromptu family reunion without even knowing that they're in for a big surprise. I expected to feel more afraid, but for some reason, it still hasn't hit me yet.

Why do I feel so strange lately?

"Lolita," Xavi whispers into my ear as his hand slips between my thighs.

My heart starts pounding with an adrenaline rush as I look up at Rigo in the front seat, eyes focused on driving us back to his house from the airport in the black Escalade. It's his Escalade. I bite down on my bottom lip hard to fight back a smile, feeling like Xavi and I got away with something big by conceiving our baby in here.

Rigo would really hate me if he knew about that part, and for some reason, I fucking love that right now.

"Wait," I whisper back, squeezing Xavi's hand.

His lips brush against my ear softly. "I can't."

A playlist of Spanish-language songs continues sounding through the speakers at a low volume, but it's high enough that Rigo can't hear our whispers as he taps along on the steering wheel. The only thing that would be better than this is having Jazmin by my side instead. I want to close my eyes and pretend that she is, but I need to keep watch of Rigo. This time will have to be just for Xavi.

My hand slides up his thigh slowly, giving him pause as he watches me open his button and zipper. The sound of my heartbeat in my ears gets louder as I nervously peak up at Rigo again, still completely zoned in on the drive. I don't even know what I'm doing right now, but I don't want to stop. It feels like a challenge I need to overcome. Without hesitating another second, my fingers slide into Xavi's waistband and he grips my thigh tighter.

"Tienen hambre?" Rigo asks, startling us both.

His eyes are still straight out the windshield and he looks kind of bored, if anything. He didn't catch us. My hand slides out of Xavi's waistband and he quickly adjusts his shirt to cover the open zipper.

Meeting my eyes with a smirk, he asks, "are you hungry?"

I subtly shake my head once, eyes locked on his with a suggestive smirk. "I'm okay until we get home."

His grin widens and he gives my thigh another squeeze as he faces forward. "Todo bien, hermano."

I can sense the excitement in his touch already, and it makes me smile with a feeling of success. Caressing the back of his hand with my thumb, I think about all we've done in the last few days and the perfect, happy life our child will lead as a result. It's a battle between the two things in my mind whenever I think about my predicament, leaving me numb and emotionally disconnected by the end every time.

What I'm doing to Xavi is terrible. I can't deny it, and I won't. I don't love him the way he loves me, and I never will. I'm not capable. I hate to think that I may be preventing him from finding a woman who will reciprocate his feelings, but I have to ensure what's best for my child.

My baby will never know a sliver of the upbringing that I did, and that's just for the best. Xavi's family has exactly what this baby needs: love. I feel terrible about it, but I don't have any regrets. I know I'm doing the right thing.

It's not like he isn't enjoying himself in the meantime. There was Thursday, after my father's wake. The two times that following morning before we got my ring. Of course it didn't stop there, because he wanted more when we got back to the hotel after, and again in the morning. We spent Saturday with my family in a sort of celebration of life for my father, and then headed back to the hotel for round six. It was a late night, so we rushed off for our flight when we woke up and joined the mile high club for round seven. If not for Rigo being in the car with us right now, I'm sure we'd already be well into round eight.

Is there some kind of mathematical equation for the correlation between orgasms and undying loyalty? Asking for a friend.

Xavi leans in close again and whispers, "ready to meet your future in-laws?"

I blink a few times to bring myself back to the real world, just in time for us to pull through the gate of the mansion. My heart starts pounding again, so I take a deep breath while mentally pep-talking myself about it.

You can't get out of this, so just do it. Suck it up and face it.

Somehow, it works.

"I'm ready," I respond, meeting his gaze with a confident smile.

His face lights up with a smile of his own at my answer, and he takes my hand in his as Rigo parks. He doesn't let go as he slides over and steps out, gently tugging me along with him. He even pulls out our luggage with one hand, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder and pulling my suitcase along so I don't have to lift a finger. I grip his hand a little tighter as we follow Rigo in.

"Papá!"

Noé jumps out of a man's arms and runs straight for Rigo, who scoops him up and tosses him in the air while his giggles reverberate through the room. I can already see the kind of father Xavi will be in him, and it brings out a smile as I watch them. That smile quickly falls when the man who'd been holding Noé steps forward and grabs my attention, dropping my heart into the pit of my stomach.

I know this man. He looks the just about the same as when I saw him a month ago in Joaquín's dressing room, the same gray goatee and slightly longer gray hair on top. At this length, the Reyes' family's signature curls are visible. He's even got the same honey brown eyes as Jazmin.

"Ey, Pa!" Xavi says happily, dropping my hand and wrapping his arm tight around the man's waist.

"Cómo estás, mijo?" the man says, confirming to me that he is indeed the Reyes family patriarch.

"Hey, sweetie!" a woman with mid-length red hair gushes excitedly as she approaches. "How was your flight?" Her bright blue eyes glisten animatedly as she watches him.

As Xavi pulls away from his dad, he turns to the woman and hugs her tight, too. I notice then that others are slowly making their way over to us from the living room. I recognize Joaquín's hard gaze from when I crashed into him in the film studio, and my blood pressure picks up right away. He holds my eyes for a moment as my hands knot themselves up nervously. When he finally looks at Xavi, I exhale in relief and glance over at the others joining us.

"And this is Lola?" the woman inquires as they pull away from each other, looking to me with a warm smile just like Ximena's.

Xavi's arm slides around my waist and he gently pulls me against him, resting his hand on my hip. It's comforting, so I lean into him for support as my eyes scan his family crowded around us. I recognize some of them: Joaquín, Ximena, Rigo, Chris, their kids, and Jazmin...

Oh Jazmin...

She doesn't look happy at the sight of us like this. She's not going to be any happier after what Xavi's about to say, either.

"Yes, this is Lola. She's my fiancee," he announces, looking at me with a proud smile.

"Fiancee?" the woman—whom I can only assume is his mother—repeats with a bit of shock, her eyes darting between us rapidly.

He nods, his smile widening as he looks back at her. "We got engaged on Thursday, and we got this ring," he pauses just to take my left hand in his and hold it up for display, "on Friday."

Jazmin's gaze holds mine as Xavi speaks, burning through me with fury I've never seen in her before now. I can't look away, and I feel the blood drain from my face as I grip Xavi's fingers on my hip desperately. Up to now, I've been so confident that I didn't think even Jazmin could break through the facade, yet it's crumbling so easily under the weight of her anger. No one else seems to notice our exchange in all the excitement they're busy sharing with Xavi.

When she finally releases my gaze, my eyes drop to the floor again as my thoughts run wild. My heart starts pounding again as a buzzing sensation begins to spread from my fingertips all over. All I hear is ringing and the muffled sounds of everyone around me.

I'm not sure I'm in my own body anymore. I feel so alien in every way.

I muddle through the next hour hazily, lost in some deep, dark place in the far corners of my brain. Xavi introduces me to his family quickly before we move to the kitchen while his mom, Melissa, begins preparing food with the help of his oldest sister Alejandra and his twin sister Ximena. He and his family speak to me occasionally, and I look up with my best fake smile and whatever response they're looking for until the conversation continues on without me.

"What does your mom think of all this, Lola?" Melissa asks me at one point, her back turned to me while she stirs whatever is in the stockpot on the stove.

I answer her quickly, intent on not feeling the eyes of everyone watching me as I respond. "She's excited about it," I answer her easily with a small smile as she looks over her shoulder.

"Even though you two just met?" she presses, clearly still holding some reservations herself.

I smile through pursed lips, now thoroughly feeling everyone's eyes on me in the crowded kitchen. I don't know what to say in response, but I'm wracking my brain for something as the Reyes family patriarch, José, watches me hard.

He lifts his glass of tequila to his lips as Rigo begins to speak in Spanish, and he nearly chokes on it as he slams it down with wide eyes that seem to match those of everyone in the room—Xavi included.

Rigo blinks in confusion as he adjusts an oblivious Río to his other hip. "You didn't tell them?" he asks us innocently.

Xavi's face takes on that signature intensity that his older brothers and dad all seem to walk around with as he glares at Rigo. "No."

Rigo grimaces and looks back at Río, giving him a grin. "My bad."

Melissa is fully turned around now, ignoring the stove in disbelief with her daughter and step-daughter beside her, mirroring her shock. I didn't understand what was said at first, but it's clear as day now.

"You're... pregnant?" she asks me in bewilderment, stepping slowly toward me.

I have to fight back the urge to run away in terror at first, but then something in her face changes. A smile begins to tug at the corner of her mouth and she purses her lips in an effort to withhold it. Ximena's hands rushing up to cover her smile distract me momentarily, and I can see with a quick glance around the room that the sentiment is shared. They're not upset, they're... happy.

"You're really having a baby?" Melissa repeats as she reaches the island, looking between Xavi and me the way my mother had—only it feels genuine coming from her.

Xavi's hand slips under mine and holds it tight as he confidently responds, "we are, and our baby will be here in October."

Chaos erupts in the house once again. With such a big family, any expression of emotion is amplified tenfold with raucous cheering and shouting. Melissa throws her arms around Xavi as joyful tears stream down her cheeks, and he quickly releases his grasp on my hand to hug her back with full force. His sisters are crying in a mixture of disbelief and elation at the thought of their baby brother becoming a dad, and his brother Tiago—the only Reyes sibling with glasses and stretched earlobes—leads the charge with all the hollering. José's gruff demeanor seems to have evaporated as he gazes at his son now, and even Rigo cracks a smile despite his obvious distaste for me.

It's strange to witness this while feeling so disconnected. It doesn't feel like my moment, even though I'm the one carrying the baby everyone is so excited for. Even as I watch Jazmin slip away unnoticed by anyone else, her face set into a scowl so deep it just may be permanent, I can't feel anything. I'm just numb.

It does eventually hit me though, the panic about my opportunity with Jazmin withering away by the second. After everyone has eaten and settled into other conversations, I feed Xavi the excuse that I need to use the bathroom and take off in search of her.

I've only been in Xavi's bedroom, the playroom, and Chris's studio so far, so I decide to start near Xavi's room. I pick the closest door to his room and lean in close to listen. I can hear shuffling around inside, and with everyone else downstairs mingling, it must be her. I knock twice lightly and wait, hearing the shuffling stop.

"Jazmin?" I call softly through the door.

Another moment passes, and still no movement.

"Jazmin, it's Lola," I try again. "Can we talk? Please?"

I lean in to listen closely again—still not hearing anything—when the door suddenly clicks open to Jazmin glaring down at me. Her eyes are red and puffy as if she's been crying, but her expression is decidedly unimpressed as I straighten my posture and step back.

"I really don't think we have anything to talk about," she says finally, her voice low and gravelly.

My chest tightens immediately. "Jazmin, I didn't mean for any of this happen, I swear."

Her lips twitch downward as her stare intensifies and she inhales deep. "Lola, you told me you weren't into my brother—while secretly pregnant with his baby, apparently— less than a week ago, and now you're engaged to him," she recounts, her voice getting louder and angrier as she goes. She pauses to watch me for a few seconds before shaking her head and laughing. "Go ahead, try and convince me you didn't mean for this to happen. I'm all ears."

She crosses her arms tight over her chest and leans on the door frame, smirking bitterly as her eyes watch me through narrowed slits. My pulse is the loudest thing I hear again as I struggle to find a way to turn this around.

"The same day you and I met, I met Xavi," I begin shakily in a low voice.

Her head starts slowly shaking. "So you've been playing us both from the start," she concludes.

"I'm not playing anyone, Jazmin," I insist desperately. "This baby was an accident. We obviously didn't plan on it, or we would have kept in touch that whole time."

She purses her lips and nods thoughtfully. "Right, and then you tripped while Xavi just so happened to be holding a twelve-thousand-dollar ring and it ended up on your left ring finger," she adds sarcastically, putting on a big, fake smile. "I can't wait for you guys to accidentally buy a house together!"

I swallow back the sobs that want to slip out in an effort to stay convincing. "I know it looks bad—"

"It doesn't just look bad, Lola, it is bad!" she booms, cutting me off. Her eyebrows crease inward as she breathes fast. "Xavi really loves you. This isn't just a game for him. And I..." she trails off, watching me with her eyes glistening sadly before she continues, "I guess I thought you were someone else."

"Listen, if I could go back in time—"

"You can't!"

"Ya! Basta!" Rigo roars, coming toward us with his scowl matching Jazmin's.

I jump at the sound of his voice and turn to face him, feeling myself beginning to tremble as he reaches us. Jazmin's eyes are downcast the entire time.

"I don't want to listen to you two fighting over stupid shit, so figure it out somewhere else or shut up," he barks. His glare turns on Jazmin and he says something in Spanish.

Jazmin's eyes lift to me as she responds, "I'm going to stay in Tijuana for now."

"Por qué?" Rigo demands.

She finally looks at him and responds properly in Spanish. His scowl softens as she speaks, but she doesn't give him a chance to reply. She slips back into her room quickly and locks the door behind her, leaving Rigo looking at the door with worry.

When our eyes meet again, his scowl returns—much deeper than before. I don't know what Jazmin told him, but it feels irrelevant right now. Her anger stems from his big, fat blabbermouth, and after my time in Minnesota, I've had about enough of people like that.

"Xavi told you not to tell anyone," I state daringly, with faux confidence provided by my anger at the situation.

Rigo's eyes tighten. "Then don't try to fuck in my car while I'm in it," he spits, contradicting my earlier belief that we'd gotten away with it.

He doesn't wait for a response before turning on his heel and heading back downstairs to be with the rest of his family, leaving me stunned outside of Jazmin's door.

I can hear the shuffling of her continuing to pack while I stand there. Tears begin to stream down my face, my heart breaking a little more with each item she drops in her suitcase.