Rose offered to keep an eye on them when they got there so that Alex and Valerie could relax. Everyone sat in the patio, enjoying the nice afternoon. They were all still too full from the brunch to start the barbeque yet. But Grace put together a quick avocado salsa and set it out with chips for everyone to munch on. She was busy making a pitcher of margaritas, using the outdoor kitchen when she noticed Sal had disappeared. She couldn’t find the lime squeezer but she knew he had one.

Walking in the sliding back door, she thought she heard the front door close. She waited to see if maybe that was Sal walking back inside from wherever he’d gone but no one walked in. As she dug through the drawers in the kitchen, she heard the front door open and then voices. She looked up to see Romero and Isabel. “Oh, hey you guys.”

Romero held a twelve-pack of beer and gave her a strange look. “Where should I put these?”

Grace pointed to the backyard, feeling a little weird that he’d asked her. “Either the fridge or Sal has an ice chest out there.” She glanced out the window to the backyard. Everyone was out there but him. “I’m not sure where he is.” Remembering she heard the front door earlier, she asked, “Did you guys see him out front?”

They exchanged a glance, before shaking their heads, no. Isabel cleared her throat and then suddenly smiled. “Valerie’s here?” She hurried to the back door. Romero glanced back at Grace, with that strange expression again before following Isabel out back. Odd.

Grace finally found the lime squeezer and headed back toward the patio, when she saw Sofia walk in and Eric rushed behind her toward the front door. He was about to say something but stopped when he saw Grace. Next, Alex walked in and followed them. “Stay here,” he said to Grace as he walked by her.

Romero walked in and Alex turned to him, lifting an eyebrow. Romero didn’t follow him instead he stood there watching her.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“C’mon out here, Grace,” Angel said from the patio.

She walked out. A very bad vibe suddenly chilled her. “Where did everyone go? Where’s Sal?”

“I think he’s on the phone,” Angel said. Sarah and Valerie wouldn’t even look at her. “How ‘bout them margaritas?”

With a sudden urge to go find Sal, she turned to see Romero standing at the door, almost as if to block her. She took a step then heard Sarah, “Stay here, Grace.”

“Why? You guys are scaring me. What happened?”

No one said anything then finally Romero spoke. “Sal’s got an uninvited guest. Don’t worry about it. They’re taking care of it.”

She froze staring at Romero. “Uninvited guest? Who?”

Romero shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. She’ll be gone soon.”

Grace gripped the lime squeezer, feeling her insides heat. “She?” She took another step toward the door. But Romero didn’t move. “Let me through.”

“Stay here, Grace,” he insisted.

“Let me through!”

“Let her go.” She heard Angel say.

Romero frowned but moved. “Go with her, Angel,” Sarah urged.

Grace rushed to the front door, feeling her insides ignite. Was it Melissa or someone else? She put her hand on the knob to the front door and took a deep breath before opening it. The first thing she saw was Eric trying to calm a very angry Sofia, off to the side of Sal’s front lawn. Alex who stood a few feet away from them turned and his eyes met Grace’s. “Where’s Sal?”

“Go back inside, sweetheart. He’ll be right in.”

“No, where is he?” She walked up the front walkway until she got to the end and was able to see around the garage.

He heart jumped to her throat when she saw Sal talking to Melissa who held his arm. Another girl was with her, trying to pull her away. Melissa stopped talking when she saw Grace. Sal turned to see who Melissa was glaring at. He gave Alex the most exasperated look then turned back to Grace. “I’ll be right in, babe.”

For a moment, Grace was speechless. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Melissa’s hand on Sal’s arm. “Why is she here?” she finally asked.

“Why are you here?” Melissa took a step toward her and Sal stopped her.

“She’s his girlfriend, you stupid bitch!” Sofia yelled.

Hit with a bolt of rage fueled by the anger that radiated off Sofia who now stood next to her but was still being held back by Eric, Grace charged at Melissa in a violent craze. Alex grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her. “C’mon, Gracie. You don’t wanna do this,” Alex reasoned. “She’s drunk and stupid and totally not worth it.”

Between Sal and the other girl with Melissa, they managed to get her across the street to their car. They struggled with her as she yelled and screamed things Grace couldn’t even make out, but she did hear the last thing she said before they finally got her in the car. “Did he tell you about Vegas?”

She may as well have punched Grace in the stomach, because that’s exactly how it felt. The texts that night came back to her in an instant and she could barely breathe. As soon as the car drove away, Sal rushed back across the street. “Let me go, Alex.” He did and she rushed to Sal. “What about Vegas?”

Sal shook his head as he approached her in the driveway and tried to take her hand but she pulled it away. “Was she there?”

“Let’s go inside.”