Chapter 6
Chapter six
After Jane and Petra had left for the station, Rafael is left alone in Petra’s suite.
What happened? He thinks, not understanding anything. He goes out into the hall, and hears voices from around the corner. When he rounds it, he sees a sea of police officers and a medical examiner. Then he sees the body.
“Oh my god, what happened?” Rafael questions as he rushes over to them.
“I’m sorry, sir, but this is a crime scene and you can’t be here,” one of the officers say.
“This is my hotel, I want to know what’s going on!” he pushes.
The officer walks over to him. “You will most likely be brought in for questioning; my colleagues will fill you in then.”
Rafael huffs and makes his way back to Petra’s suite.
Why is there a dead guy outside Petra’s office? Why does he look familiar?
Then Rafael realizes where he’s seen him before. It’s Ivan, the guy who blackmailed Petra a while back.
Rafael sees a letter on the coffee table with the words ‘read this is private’ written on the envelope. Thinking it might be connected to the murder, he opens it and starts reading.
“Oh…” Rafael quietly says as he realizes what it’s about.
“Oh” he says a little louder when he reads Petra’s name.
“WHAT?” he yells as he reads Jane’s name. He then realizes it is one of Jane’s ‘sexy letters’, as she calls them.
Why would Jane write Petra a sexy letter? Rafael thinks confused. They’re not… are they?
When Jane and Petra comes back, Rafael is sitting on the couch with the letter in his hand. He can’t figure out what he’s feeling, so he just stares out into the air.
“Rafael? What are you doing here?” Petra asks.
Rafael turns around and holds the letter in front of him. “What is this?”
“Oh no…” Petra mutters under her breath, but Jane is still confused.
“What? What is it?” she asks, looking from Rafael to Petra and back again.
“Oh come on Jane, you wrote it,” he says staring at her. Jane then realizes what it is he’s talking about. Her sexy letter.
“Ooooh no no no no no,” Jane rushes to take the letter away from him. “You were not supposed to see that!”
“Yeah, I figured that much. So, what’s going on? Are you two…?”
Jane looks to Petra, searching her eyes for an answer on what to do. Petra is still staring wide eyed at Rafael. No one says anything for a little while.
“Well?” Rafael asks, looking between the two women.
Jane walks over to Petra and takes her hand. Petra looks down at Jane with a glimpse of fright in her eyes, but Jane’s reassuring look gives her confidence.
“We can do this,” Jane whispers and gives Petra’s hand a squeeze. Petra smiles, takes a deep breath, and then looks to Rafael.
“Yes. We are.” She says coolly.
Rafael sighs and sits down on the couch. He rubs his face in his hands, before looking back at them.
“How long?” he asks quietly.
“About two months,” Jane says softly.
Rafael stands up and starts pacing. “Wow. I… I can’t believe this.”
Petra’s defenses immediately go up and she grabs onto Jane’s hand tighter.
“Why? Is there a problem, Rafael? Because I really don’t see how this is any of your business, so spare me your judgement and get out of my room please.” She says with pursed, and an ice cold glare directed at him.
Jane looks worriedly between the two. After the day she’s had, an argument is the last thing she wants to deal with.
“I’m not judging, Petra, relax. It’s just a lot to take in. My ex-girlfriend, who is also the mother of my child, is dating my ex-wife. Let me react.”
Petra softens a bit, but doesn’t say anything. Jane feels really awkward, so she tries to break the ice. “Family dinners are gonna be something else, huh?” she says, and Petra chuckles. Rafael even has the slightest hint of a smile on his face.
“Yeah,” he says softly.
“So uhm, I’m gonna leave,” he says awkwardly. “I guess, congratulations?”
Jane smiles, and Petra looks oddly confused, but also kind of happy.
“Thank you,” they both say, and Rafael walks out the door.
“Wow…” Petra says, still in a bit of shock from both the murder and Rafael finding out about her and Jane.
“That went… Surprisingly well,” Jane says, her smile a little crooked.
“So, how does it feel to be out? To one person at least,” she asks Petra and pulls her down on the couch with her so they can snuggle up together.
Petra sighs. “It feels kind of… nice? I don’t know, I honestly didn’t think he would react like that. But yeah, it’s nice.”
Jane kisses Petra on top of her head. “Good. I’m glad you feel that way. Maybe now it won’t be too long ‘till we’re fully out?” she questions hesitantly.
Petra chuckles a little and runs her thumb over Jane’s hand.
“We’ll see. There’s a lot going on right now with the murder and the police and everything, so I don’t know.” She kisses Jane’s hand.
Jane hums contently at the gesture.
“But you do know I have to tell Michael, now that Rafael knows, right?”
Petra turns around. “What? Why?”
Jane gives Petra an odd look.
“Petra, he’s still pining for me. Now that Rafael knows, I think it’s time to let him know too. So he can move on.”
Petra sighs and leans back into Jane.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Xx
The next day Jane decides to walk down to the station after work to find Michael. She doesn’t have to though, because halfway through her shift, he walks into the Marbella.
When he sees her, Michael starts making his way over.
“Hey Jane,” he says.
“Hi.”
Michael sighs. “Look, I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I might have been a little too hard on you during the interrogation. It’s just… I still love you Jane. And after you told me about your feelings for Petra, it hurts me a bit when you talk about her. I know you’re just friends, like you told me yesterday, but-“
“Actually,” Jane interrupts him. “We’re not friends.”
Michael gets a hopeful look in his eyes. “No? You’re over her?”
Now it’s Jane’s turn to sigh.
“We’re not friends… Because we’re together. Petra’s my girlfriend,” Jane says quietly so no one in the lobby will hear.
“What?” Michael asks hurt.
“I’m sorry Michael, but you have to move on. We’re not meant to be, you have to see that,” Jane pleads with him. “But you were my best friend. You think, maybe we can go back to that? Someday?”
“I don’t know Jane. Maybe.” He says, and walks away.
Jane sees Petra walking over to her from the other side of the lobby.
“You told him?” Petra asks.
“Yeah,” Jane says quietly.
Petra hesitates a little, but then asks, “How’d he take it?”
“Not that great,” Jane sighs. When she sees the glimpse of anger in Petra’s eyes, she hurriedly adds, “but mostly because he still has feelings for me. He wasn’t angry or mean, just… Hurt, I guess.”
Petra relaxes a little. “Okay. At least now, he knows. I mean, that’s what you wanted, right?”
Jane nods. “Yes, it is what I wanted. And it eases my mind, now that I don’t have to lie to him anymore.”
Petra smiles sweetly at her. “Good. I don’t want you walking around feeling bad because I want to keep this a secret. Maybe… you can tell Alba and Rogelio? And Lina? Just so you don’t have to lie to the people who are important to you.”
Jane looks surprised up at Petra. “Really? That’s okay with you?”
Petra nods. “Yes. As long as they agree to keep it a secret.”
Jane smiles widely. “Thank you! I’ll make sure they won’t tell.”
Jane gives Petra’s hand a quick squeeze before skipping away. Petra chuckles quietly. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad if everyone knew, she thinks.
Xx
That night Jane invites Rogelio and Lina over for dinner at the Villanueva house. They are all sitting around the table talking, laughing, and having a good time. Jane almost doesn’t want to tell them now, because she is suddenly very nervous about their reactions.
“So, Jane… Why have you gathered us all? What’s the occasion?” Lina asks with a smirk.
“What?” Jane laughs nervously. “No occasion, just a nice family dinner. It’s been a while.”
Lina doesn’t buy it, though. “Oh my god, are you pregnant again?!” she exclaims.
“No!” Jane protests. “I’m not pregnant!”
Lina just shrugs. “Well, it’s happened before,” she smirks.
Jane takes a deep breath.
“Okay, there is actually something I want to tell you guys.”
“¿Sí?” Alba says.
Jane fidgets nervously with her napkin, not looking anyone in the eyes.
“Well… I uh… I’m in a relationship,” she says quickly, and everyone at the table, except for Xiomara, gasps.
“Really?” Lina says excitedly.
“¡Felicidades!”(Congratulations) Alba says and hugs Jane. “¿Quién es el afortunado?” (Who is the lucky man?)
They all wait with excited looks in their eyes for Jane to tell them. Rogelio secretly hopes it’s Michael because he’s his best bro. Alba hopes it’s Rafael because he is the father of Mateo. Lina doesn’t care who it is, as long as he is good looking. Xiomara already knows.
“Petra,” Jane says and waits anxiously for their reaction.
“¿Que?” and “What?” flies out of everyone’s mouths, except for Xiomara, who sends Jane a supporting smile.
“It’s Petra. She’s my girlfriend,” Jane says seriously, still freaking out on the inside though. Okay someone say something, she thinks.
“Oh. Okay. I mean, she is hot,” Lina says with a shrug and a smile.
“Lina!” Jane exclaims, but Lina just laughs.
“Does she make you happy?”
Jane looks softly at Lina. “Yeah, she does.”
Then Rogelio speaks up.
“This is fantastic! Not only do I now have TWO daughters, but they’re lesbians! Diversity is huge in showbiz, my fans are gonna love it!”
Jane shakes her head with a chuckle at her father’s weirdly sweet exclamation.
She looks to Alba who still hasn’t said anything. Her expression is unreadable, until she looks at Xiomara.
”¿Por qué no se sorprenda?”(why aren’t you surprised?) Alba asks her daughter.
“What? I am!” Xiomara says, but Alba just lifts an eyebrow.
“Yo no te creo,”(I don’t believe you) she says.
“I-“ Xiomara says, but Alba hardens her glare. Oh god, is all Jane can think.
“Alright, I knew,” Xiomara gives in.
Alba moves her stern gaze to Jane.
“¿Le dijo a su madre y no a mí?”(You told your mother and not me?) she says.
“I’m sorry abuela, I just…” Jane falters. She doesn’t know what to say.
Alba’s face softens up. “¿Por qué no quiere compatir su felicidad conmigo?”(Why would you not share your happiness with me?)
Jane looks surprised.
“¿La amas?”(Do you love her?)
“Yeah… I think I do,” Jane says with a small smile. “I haven’t told her yet, though..”
Alba lays a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “Entonces eso es todo lo que importa,” (Then that is all that matters) she says softly.
Jane tears up and wraps her grandmother in a hug.
“Thank you Abuela.”
“Oye, no llorar,” (Hey, no crying) Alba chuckles and tucks a stray hair behind Jane’s ear. “Felicidades, mi amor.” (Congratulations, my love).
“Yes, congratulations Jane!” Rogelio says and raises his glass. Jane chuckles. The rest of the night is wonderful, and amidst this whole murder thing, Jane is truly happy.
Xx
Petra is eating lunch in the lounge, trying to get her mind off the murder investigation. The police has backed off a little, since they found fingerprints on the knife that wasn’t hers. It is still stressful, and the thought of Milos out there getting ready to strike again is not helping.
Suddenly someone sits down opposite her. It’s Rogelio.
“Oh, Rogelio. Hello.” Petra smiles. He doesn’t smile back, instead he gives her a serious look.
“What are your intentions with my daughter?”
Petra chokes a little on the water she just drank.
“Pardon?”
Rogelio leans over the table.
“Jane. She told me last night that you two are a couple. So, what are your intentions with my daughter?” he repeats.
Petra is a little shocked. She had not expected this.
“Uh, I… I just want to make her happy. That is all.”
Rogelio softens a bit. “Do you love her?”
Petra is nervous, since she’s never had this kind of conversation before, but she pulls herself together.
“Yes. I do.” She says with a smile. Rogelio smiles back this time.
“Have you told her this?”
“… No, not yet.”
Rogelio lays his hand on top of Petra’s.
“I think you should. She loves you, I can see it in her eyes.”
Petra looks at Rogelio, a hopeful glint in her eyes. “Really?”
“Yes,” Rogelio says as he stands up. Petra does the same.
“It was nice having this conversation with you,” he says, but then his face turns serious. “But remember, if you ever, ever hurt her… You will face the consequences,” he says dramatically. Petra gulps.
“Yes of course… sir. And I won’t hurt her, I promise.”
Rogelio loses his ‘protective dad’ mask, and gives Petra a hug.
“Oh,” she says, a little taken aback, but returns the hug.
“Congratulations, I am very happy for you,” he says with a big smile. “And welcome to the family.”
Petra smiles big. “Thank you, it means a lot.”
Rogelio then leaves, and Petra sits back down. A lump is forming slowly in her throat.
Welcome to the family.
Petra has never really had much of a family, and being welcomed into one as loving as Jane’s… That is a big deal to her. She finishes her lunch and walks to her office with a slight bounce in her step.
Xx
A week has passed, and Petra has now become a regular guest at the Villanueva house. She had been extremely nervous to see Alba again, but the older woman had surprised her by smiling and politely welcoming her. Petra has also gotten to know Mateo. She was terrified the first time she spent time with him and Jane, scared that she would do something wrong. Petra has never been around babies before, so she was certain she would suck at it. But, it turns out that she is surprisingly good with kids. Or maybe it’s just Mateo because he’s Jane’s, and Petra loves Jane. A fact she still hasn’t gotten around to tell her.
The police investigation is still ongoing. They have Milos as their main suspect, but no one can find him. Something that doesn’t help Petra sleep at night. She is scared out of her mind, and the only times she feels safe is when she’s with Jane. Which she’s been almost 24/7.
Right now though, Petra is on her way to her suite alone after a long day of work. Jane has a night shift today, so they won’t see each other till tomorrow.
When Petra enters her room, the first thing she sees are the flowers.
On her kitchen table lays a bouquet of yellow tulips. She stops dead in her track and her blood runs cold. She is scared that she will turn around and find another body. Or worse, find Milos.
Petra doesn’t have to turn around though, because suddenly there is a weird smelling cloth over her mouth and Milos’ voice in her ear.
“Hello Petra,” he says smugly, and Petra tries to scream. The sound is muffled by the cloth, and Petra panics as she squirms, kicks and waves her arms wildly. It doesn’t help because Milos just grabs her tighter, and then she feels herself drifting off slowly.