The Devil's Love For The Heiress novel Chapter 4

*** FLASHBACK: Nine Years And Eleven Days Ago.***

“Kate, coach is taking me to a junior tennis tournament tomorrow. It’s sponsored by the school. Do you want to come with me?” Carlos walked into Kate’s room while she was trying on a new dress. He whistled at the sight of her, and he flushed, knowing what the dress was for. “Is that for the year-end dance?”

Kate and Carlos were still eighteen at the end of their high school days. They had always gone out together for the year-end school dance as friends throughout high school. Carlos was Kate’s male best friend, and she also had a girl best friend named Lyla.

Carlos was sixteen years old when he became part of the Wright family. This happened after his father and mother died. Because of his father’s debts, Manuel Ronaldo’s house was sold to the highest bidder. Social service was supposed to take Carlos’ custody, but Kate’s parents opened their home for him.

The Wright family was not a stranger to Carlos. After all, they were neighbors. Carlos’ old home was three blocks away from the Wrights. Kate and her siblings had been friends with Carlos since they were kids.

Hearing Carlos ask about the dance, Kate bit her lip, and her eyes tightened. She awkwardly replied, “Carlos, about the dance -”

Before Kate could resume, Carlos’ eyes landed on the new bracelet around her wrist. He asked, “You bought another jade?”

Kate gulped. She looked down at her beaded bracelet and reluctantly replied to Carlos, “This – this was a gift from Tyler.”

Noticing how Carlos fell silent, Kate reminded him, “You know I like jades. I can never say no to Tyler!”

“By the way, he asked me to the year-end dance and.” She pursed her lips before admitting, “I said yes.” With a shrug, she added, “For a change? We will still go home together.”

She tried her best to be careful with her words. When they were seventeen, Carlos had admitted to Kate how he liked her. However, to Kate, she saw him as her best friend and nothing more.

Kate saw how Carlos gulped. His chest heaved, and he folded his arms across his chest. Carlos looked down, appearing to be hurt by her decision. Stuttering, he said, “You’ve always liked Tyler… You like him because he ranked number two in junior tennis tournaments.”

“Hey, you introduced me to him at your practices,” Kate said, trying to put the blame on him. “And you would have won tournaments if you had gone to them.”

“I don’t have the money, Kate. It’s not like they pay for the plane tickets or the hotel stay for the tournaments,” Carlos reminded her. “The school only sponsored nearby matches.”

“Dad can help you -”

“Uncle Ethan has done enough for me. He let me stay here, and he paid for my tuition. I don’t want to bother him with my tennis,” Carlos cut her off.

“I can talk to dad, and I’m sure -”

“No, don’t, Kate. Don’t,” Carlos replied weakly. “I’ll… I’ll find my own way.”

An awkward silence stretched between them, but soon or later, Carlos asked, “Kate, will you ever… see me more than just a friend?”

Kate’s skin crawled. She earnestly cared for Carlos, but she did not know the answer to that. Kate loved being around Carlos. She loved him as a friend. He made her smile and was her constant companion from school to home. Kate felt attached to Carlos, but she did not feel that spark, that tingle in her stomach when their hands touched.

She found herself attracted to Tyler, Carlos’ tennis rival at school. Tyler had the looks. He had a well-defined body. He was tall and with dirty-blond hair. Plus, he was really charming and confident.

To Kate, Carlos was just Carlos. He was not a charmer. Carlos did not talk to others the way he did with Kate. He did not dress to impress, and he followed a strict routine. He went to school, to tennis practice, and then he went home. Carlos rarely socialized, and this was because he would instead serve his uncle Ethan and aunt Samantha with whatever they needed at home.

To Kate, Carlos was one of her best friends, and she did not see anything more to it.

It was because Kate did not reply that Carlos answered for her. He said, “Your silence says it all – ”

“Carlos-”

“It’s okay, Kate. I understand.” He turned away without saying more.