I don't want this to escalate. I don't want this to get worse than it's already gotten. I don't know if it's just about me, or if there's more to this, but I find myself stepping in just as Sebastian looks like he's about to come at Cesar.
"Wait," I say quickly, trying to pull my hand away from Cesar. But he doesn't let go. He yanks me back again.
Sebastian takes a step forward.
"Sebastian, it's nothing. Really. You don't have to worry about this," I say, trying to de-escalate. "I'm at home. Everything is fine."
"I don't think it's fine," Sebastian says. "I want him to get his hands off you. It looks like he's holding you too tight, it looks like he's hurting you."
He's not wrong. The way Cesar's gripping my arm now is painful. It's digging in, hard and tense. But I still try to downplay it.
"This is just Cesar," I say, my voice trying to sound light. "He's my stepbrother. You know what brothers are like..."
But then, all of a sudden, Cesar just shoves me off him.
