Falling With Grace

I tilted sideways, my body collapsing onto the bed, damp hair wetting the pillowcase. The high-pitched laughter of a woman drew me up as though someone put me in reverse, and I turned toward the window.

Whowas that?

The harsh, internal lights cast a blinding glare against the window, but outside, the spotlights trained on the driveway bathed it in a hue that rivaled the brightness of day itself.

Four people, three men, and a woman, walked up the drive, the woman stumbling about in a drunken stupor.

She flaunted a short black dress adorned with shimmering tendrils, accentuating her plump breasts pushed high and snug together. A cascade of long, sleek hair graced her back, and her slender legs crossed over one another, adding an alluring elegance to her stride. She gripped the man beside her as she walked.

His suit bunched under her fist as she laughed out his name. “Elias, take me to bed. I need you.” She pouted, her lower lip pushing out.

“I’m not fucking you when drunk.”

“Please…” She twisted her body, blocking his path towards the front door. “I didn’t have that much.”

“No.” He towered over her, even in heels, and pushed her hair away from her face. He fisted her hair and tugged her head to the side. “How can you suck my cock when you can’t even stand straight?”

She laughed again, leaning into his body.

This was forbidden.

A moment between Elias and his…girlfriend? Wife?

What would he do if he saw me?

I’d pressed my ear to the door while Andrés met with Miguel once. He’d caught me and threatened to cut my ear off if he or anyone else caught me eavesdropping.

After his beating, it was the last time I ever listened in on a conversation…until now.

“Why stand when I can be on my knees?” She flashed a seductive smile, her teeth biting into her lower lip. Her gaze shot upward and met mine.

My heart leaped, and my stomach plummeted as I rolled back against the wall, pressing myself flat against it.

Shit.

I darted for the bed, threw back the covers, and crawled inside—shoes and all. My stomach turned over in nausea-inducing waves as I sucked in air.

She would tell him I was watching them and…

What if he thought I was a spy, now?

I tugged the comforter to my chin, the lights not allowing a single shadow to dance against the walls.

A car door slammed, echoing through the night alongside my breathy exhales. Voices seeped through the floors, slipping through the walls, and encircled me.

In thecompound, keeping secrets from Andrés or Miguel could lead to beatings or worse, depending on the severity of the secret.

I squeezed my eyelids closed, working Andrés’ face from my mind.

The male voices surged, like someone tweaking the dial on a radio, while my rapid breaths made my head swim.

I strained, tracing the path of their voices through the sprawling mansion, my shoulders tensed like coiled springs and my legs quivering.

The voices stopped, leaving no lingering trace of Nadia’s laughter.

Footsteps stopped at my door.

My heart drummed in my chest, and my stomach turned like a freak storm on the high seas.