** Chapter 21 Day 51 Michael ***

“What were you doing with Santos?” Michael asked. He had cornered his cousin, Maira, after she had left Santos’ workshop. She’d gone into her hut and he’d followed knowing she would be alone, he’d seen her family elsewhere.

Her family was one of the few that had moved out of the main house and started staying in the newly constructed huts, they weren’t as comfy as the bed or carpet of the main house, but few actually got the privilege to use them. Add in the fact that the air conditioning doesn’t work, having too many people inside made it stuffy and unbearable.

“What?” she asked, startled. She had not been expecting anyone to follow her into the hut, much less ask her that question.

“I saw you,” he continued. “You and that girl he stays with came out of the male showers and went into the female showers.”

“So?” she said, dismissively.

“You had the bar up,” he said, when the bar is up it means that someone is taking a personal shower and doesn’t want anyone going in. Usually the couples in the family would use this for fun times. “And you came out half naked.”

“That’s none of your business,” she said.

“I could make it everyone’s business,” he threatened.

“What’s your problem?” Maira frowned, angry. “I know you have always been jealous of Santos, but being petty is disgusting.”

“You did something with him didn’t you?” he asked. He stepped forward, for a moment Maira was intimidated, but then she remembered that same resolve she had felt when she entered the shower just hours ago.

“What are you going to do even if I did?” Maira responded. She raised herself showing him that she was not afraid nor intimidated by him or his accusations. “You want to start shit, just let me know, but I want you to know that even if you do, the family can’t turn their backs on Santos and he won’t turn his back on me.”

“Do you really think that he won’t?” Michael said. “He’s been sleeping with the other girl this whole time. Do you think that he won’t just put you aside for being too much trouble? All this time who has it been that gets the family on his case? How is this any different from before? Don’t you think that he’d be less keen to keep you around once the family starts looking down on him?”

The machine gun fire questions dug into her confidence, it was true, most of the time it was her that was getting Santos into trouble. She knew that, but she always felt free around him because he would never reject her or be mad that her wild side would get him into all kinds of trouble. She’d be the one breaking the plates, but it would always be Santos who would pay for them.

“You don’t know anything,” she said, her mind went back to the things that happened in the shower, of what had happened there. “You don’t know him and you don’t know what happened. You can make all your threats, but I’m not scared of you. You wanted to come here and do what? You want to blackmail me? You are disgusting.”

He suddenly lunged forward grabbing her by the throat and pinned her against the wall, she instinctively reacted and attempted to get at his face, but his hands were faster. He grabbed her wrist, his reaction caused him to tighten his hold on her throat. Her hand went to his wrist in panic as her airway was restricted.

“Let...me...go…,” Maira barely managed to say through gritted teeth. His hand tightened further.

“Santos…” her voice was nothing more than a harsh whisper.

“You think he is untouchable,” he said, his hand grew even tighter. Maira was starting to see spots as he made it impossible to breathe, her vision was starting to tunnel. Her panic was overwhelming her, she kicked with her legs and tried attacking his face, but his hand grabbed her other wrist and pinned both of her arms over her head. “We’ll see.”

*** Michael ***

Stupid! Stupid!

He barated himself, why did I let my anger get the best of me?

When he saw her come out of the shower, wet and half naked, with the other girl his mind sort of went into shock mode. Getting it on with another girl? That’s strange.

His mind didn’t want to complete the entire resolution of the image, but it couldn’t help himself and he understood that they were coming out of the male side of the showers and they were removing the privacy bar. That was definitely strange. He would have never seen this if he hadn’t returned to get another wood handle to replace a broken one and at that time he wished that he hadn’t seen it.

Seeing that made his stomach turn, his body threatened to betray him with induced vomit.

Maira is his second cousin and he had always had a thing for her, but because they were family and there were laws he had never said anything. She was also always with Santos, even as much as he wanted her to hang out with him, she sparsely did. He was always the better looking, the more fit, and taller. Deep down he knew that she had a thing for him, it was impossible not to tell, it was probably the biggest reason why the family was always hard on Santos.

Some of the family could also tell and they wanted to pressure him to push her away, but no matter what would happen he’d shrug it off and she’d continue to stick to him like glue.

When everything changed around them, Michael thought things might become different, especially when everyone thought that Santos was dead. He had made an effort to be there for her, to talk to her, to help her get over him, but she had never given up on the hope that he might return.

She was barely starting to let him go after weeks of him being gone, but then he came back and she was all puppy dog eyes again. He didn’t even like her like she liked him, to see her just stick to him again burned a searing wound into his heart.

He never wanted to feel that ever again, but then after he saw the girls come out of the male shower, a short minute later, Santos came out. He looked dazed, as if something overwhelming had just happened to him, his legs looked unsteady, and he kept glancing towards the female showers as if he didn’t know what to think.

Michael’s blood ran cold, he was witnessing a reality that he did not ever want to take form, but his eyes could not deny him the truth. He may not have seen them in the act, but he knew, something big had happened.

It was kind of funny, one of the most overwhelming thoughts that crossed his mind was the fact that she had been willing to share him, he thought she would have been more possessive. Was she fine if someone else had him as long as she got a piece of him too?

He had gone back to give the handle to the lumberjack group, but excused himself soon after and hunted for Maira. He didn’t even know why he did it, when he saw her go into her hut, he went knowing she was alone.

He was so blinded by the pain that he didn’t even consider why he was going in, maybe he wanted her to say something that made all of this not real. Maybe he wanted to talk to her and realize that there was a reason for it, but when he did he couldn’t keep his anger out of his words, his accusation.

Every word she spoke to him only confirmed his fears more and more.

Even as he tried to turn her away from him, even as he desperately wanted to make her attachment wane, she stood her ground. When she told him that he didn’t know what had happened, her eyes turned away from him and a small grin appeared on her face briefly before the defiance in them returned.

That look and that small rise in her lips, the faint blush, that drove a spear through him. For a moment he was so overwhelmed that all he could feel and see was fury and rage.

He didn’t mean to, when his hand shot out he didn’t feel in control of himself, it was as if his own body had a mind of its own. He saw the fear in her eyes and for whatever reason it made the pain hurt a little less, so he squeezed harder. Her body flailed against his as the lack of oxygen brought panic into her eyes.

He didn’t want to hurt her, but doing it right now made him feel good.

The blood in his body started rushing, he felt so overpowering. She had so much confidence in him, but where was he right now? Probably continuing whatever they had done in the shower back in his little workshop.

Maybe he should get a taste too. Maybe he should take what he wanted, she had already probably given it to Santos. If she ever told anyone that he took a turn on her, then she would have to admit to Santos that she had been tainted by someone else.

Desire and lust were fighting to take over, but as she called for him in that weak voice he realized that there was no space for anyone else in her heart, but for Santos. Something in him died as the realization struck him, the fire in him that burned for her at the moment chilled.

He didn’t know why he said what he said afterwards, maybe he wanted to remove Santos as a factor in her heart by removing him completely. His mind didn’t know what to think at the moment. The fury was gone, the lust, the anger, the desire, the desperation, everything.

He released her throat after that and walked away.

It was only after he calmed down and returned to normal later that night, that he became angry with himself for the shit storm he had just kicked up. It was doubtful that she would tell on him, but now things would be different.