All Chapters of CROOKED: In love with my cousin's boyfriend: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

We left with our bags a little heavier than when we started, now that we were on our way back to our life in Braga. We made the same stops at the same hotels and inns, except for short walks in the towns we hadn’t been able to visit on the way there. Four days of travel to Porto, just driving and stopping, eating and drinking, smiling and resting—no long walks.We arrived at Serra da Estrela Norte on the third day of our return, which was the seventh day of the entire trip, specifically August 10th. We stayed in the same place, and the weather forced us to bundle up in cold-weather clothes again.At lunch, Maël and Joao briefly mentioned their projects again, as if they were preparing some big surprise for what they were determined to achieve. Dinner was incredibly pleasant, filling me with good expectations for the future while Maël and I openly showed each other our mutual, cherished feelings in front of the others—freely and with great joy.That morning, I felt Maël’s fingers runni

"My brother was with Nikko when Joao’s parents contacted him." "But I thought they were in Lisbon—both Marcel and Nikko." Maël shook his head. "They’ve been in Viana for days." My heartbeat sped up as I tried to figure out what to do, how to escape. I felt the ceiling closing in on me, the walls trapping me. "But—" "Delu." Maël placed his hands on my shoulders. "Remember our conversation at the hotel. What we decided…" "But not like this! Not under these circumstances, no!" He exhaled heavily while my mind raced. Then I remembered someone else and my eyes widened. "Fuck! Where’s my brother?" "He hid down a hallway," Maël explained through gritted teeth, forcing himself to calm down. We were speaking in hushed tones—Joao was injured right there. I wanted to talk somewhere else, but we couldn’t. "Delu, there’s no way they won’t find out you’re here. Joao’s parents stayed in the waiting room with the doctor, but Marcel came straight to the room, and Nikko followed. Delu, they

On Tuesday, August 13th, Joao was discharged from the hospital. Along with his parents, he and Maël moved to the brunet's house in Braga—details I learned through Maël's text messages, as he kept me informed. I heard nothing from Nikko, and up to that point, he knew nothing about me. We didn’t see each other, didn’t cross paths, and I had no idea how both Alfredo and Maël managed to keep the doctor or any nurse from mentioning anything about us, even in passing. My actions had compromised both Danilo and poor Rosa, and I was grateful they didn’t seem to mind—or at least, that’s what they always claimed. Though at times I felt good about myself after standing up to Marcelino, weakness still gripped me, trapping me in desperation. More than once, I found myself urging Maël to talk so we could decide what to do—and most importantly, so he could clarify everything his brother had told me. But it wasn’t until Friday the 16th that I finally saw him. That afternoon, when I heard the

After Joao's accident, the projects he and Maël had were put on hold until the brunet recovered, so the only long trip would be mine. And we still had to announce our relationship to everyone else. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about that last part. And I’d lie even more if I said Maël wasn’t either. The Circus tour started in November and ended in December 2019. We drifted through the last days of September as if walking on water, October filled us with tasks, and before we knew it, the next month had arrived. Then, with only a few days left before my trip, and since Marcelino already knew about us, I suggested to my partner that we meet with my parents, his parents, and Nikko to tell them everything. That way, if what I was sure would happen actually happened, we could use any upcoming trips to calm the storm. Since the idea was entirely mine, Maël gave his opinion—and surprised me by not fully agreeing. I admit I was more confused than I let on, especially since he

"I'm flattered," he broke the silence after observing me for a while. "Delu, what you did out there was incredible. You're more talented than I thought." I turned to look at him. Maël stood on a step below mine—something he should have avoided. "Cut the intimidation," I leaned in and kissed him. "You're the reason for my talent, for that conclusion and farewell. I think this performance was one of the coolest things that’s happened to me in a long time, but you come first. You know that, right?" He swallowed hard and slowly pulled me onto his lap. I sat on his legs, hugging him and covering him in kisses. He caressed my thighs over the tights I was still wearing. "You're so beautiful..." He kissed my eyelids. "You know what? I think Danilo cried when he saw you on stage." I laughed at his words. "He always hated that I quit acting." "Then this isn’t a farewell. You have so much talent—you shouldn’t hide it behind a computer." I sighed deeply, feeling like a lovestruck