“If they’d had it their way, I’d be in a gated community living in a ridiculously expensive apartment or condo even.”
He chuckled nodding his head as they continued to walk. “I get it though. I have nieces and I can totally see my brother—”
“Vannah Banana . . .”
They slowed as Michael, Vannah’s upstairs neighbor walked up the stairs of the walkway toward them into the dorms. His smile waned, as his eyes noticeably glanced down at her and Byron’s hand holding. It was subtle, but another thing Vannah didn’t miss was the slight squeeze of her hand from Byron.
“Hey, Michael.”
“I was gonna come by later tonight, but I guess you won’t be home.” He glanced at Byron but quickly looked back at Vannah. “Night out on the town?”
“Grunion run. Haven’t been in years.”
“That’s better than me. I’ve never been at all. You’ll have to tell me all about it. Enjoy.”
Since he didn’t stop, they kept moving as well. For a moment there was an awkward silence until Vannah remembered what Byron had been saying before they ran into Michael.
“You were saying about your nieces and your brother?”
He glanced back in Michael’s direction then turned back to Vannah looking very serious suddenly.
Eleven
Playing it Safe
Byron
Don’t do it. Just let it go. It’s none of your business. So, you’ve exchanged a few earth-shattering kisses. She doesn’t owe you shit. You’re not going there tonight. It’d been the internal discourse Byron had been preaching to himself ever since he gave into kissing Vannah and had felt the instant overwhelming entitlement. It’s why he’d called her back and made plans to see her so soon. Despite his head reminding him that she’d been more than upfront and honest with him about not doing the boyfriend thing, there was no way he was buying it now. Maybe she hadn’t before today. But her feelings still couldn’t be the same. Not after what he felt and knew she must be feeling each time he’d kissed her.
There was no understanding it and Byron certainly wouldn’t be able to explain it if anyone were to ask him to. But there was something about their connection. In hindsight there’d been something about it from the moment their eyes first met. Hell, there’d been something about what he felt from the moment he first heard her laughter—even before he’d laid eyes on her. Yes, the innocence behind those big brown eyes and that sweet laugh reminded him of Lizzette. But he’d since decided there was more too it. Especially after he’d gotten a taste of that mouth, he’d known even beforehand that he’d never get enough of.
Still, he’d made a pledge when he decided to ask her out tonight that no matter what, he wouldn’t push for anything or say anything stupid like he had that first night.
“All three of my brother’s kids . . .” He squeezed her hand shaking off his thoughts, determined not to be an idiot and blow this. “Mean the world to me but my nieces own my heart. They’re our little princesses and there’s nothing my brother or I wouldn’t do for them.” She smiled, her eyes going all bright—and beautiful. “So, I totally get where your parents are coming from. If either of our girls decide to go away for college someday, we’ll for sure be all over trying to make sure they’re as safe as possible.”
“Yeah, it was tough for them,” she said as they reached his car, and he opened the door for her.
He walked around the car once he’d closed the door for her, glad he’d been able to steer the conversation onto something completely unrelated to her friend Michael, who’d openly admitted to having planned on coming over and hanging out with her tonight.
When Byron got into the driver side she went on about her family. She told him about how out of her three other siblings she was the first to leave the nest. Byron was just making a mental note about her family’s dynamics as they drove onto the street—a sister and two brothers. Since she was the first to leave the nest, he immediately assumed that meant she was the oldest. He was about to ask her about it, just to confirm when her phone rang.
“Sorry, I gotta take this.” Byron nodded bracing himself as he continued to drive. “Gordo, what’s up?”
Gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, Byron pretended not to eavesdrop. Which was stupid because unless she started whispering really low, there was no way he wouldn’t hear every word she was saying.
“This week? What day?”
Byron could hear the guy’s voice on the other end just couldn’t make out what he was saying. Already the mental lecture was starting up again. He refused to blow this, no matter how tempted he knew he’d be to hear about the plans she was clearly making with this dude whose call she had to take while she was out with Byron.
“Okay, well let me know. I’m sure I can tweak my schedule. I do have school, but I’ll figure it out. Anything for you.”
She had two brothers. Byron rationalized in his head. She’d just told him so. This could be as innocent as that. No need to get all worked up about hearing her talk so syrupy sweet to another dude while on a fucking date with Byron—and he wouldn’t. Even if she didn’t bother to explain.
“Okay, I’ll talk to you then. Miss you. Love you, too.” Byron had just turned to her nonverbally—because it’d be the only way he’d do it—demanding an explanation. “My brother.”
Everything she said after those first two words were a bit of a blur. Byron was too busy chastising himself about how easily he could lose his cool over this girl he still knew so little about. Her brother was going to be in town in the next week, but Byron couldn’t even say for what or how long. It’s how mentally distracted he’d been by the alarm of how inept he was at keeping his shit together when it came to this.
“Speaking of brothers,” she paused from her comments about hers. “How’s it feel to have such a famous one?”
“Pretty cool.” He turned to her feeling the tension that’d built way too fast drain slowly. “I actually didn’t even know I had a brother until I was sixteen.” He almost didn’t add the next part, but it couldn’t be helped. “Did you know that?”
As expected, seeing her face flush was enough to have him smiling and helped defuse his earlier concerns. Curse his inherited short fuse. He could do this, damn it.
“No, I didn’t,” she said biting her lower lip.
Keeping to himself about his other brother, so they could keep the conversation on the positive, he stuck with telling her about Beast instead.
“It’s a long story—”
“We have time.” She sat up straighter turning her body to him. “And this sounds interesting. If . . .” She paused suddenly. “If it’s not too personal that is.”
Well, maybe he would have to tell her more than he’d initially intended. But she looked so sweet and bright eyed, how could he refuse?
“No, not too personal. Just long and convoluted. I’ll give you the short version. Basically, our mom married into trouble. She said she had no idea he was even involved in the Mexican cartel until after they married, and my brother was born. She knew his family members were involved in some shady shit when she first fell in love with him, because he’d let her in on that much. But she had no idea it was as bad as the cartel. By the time she knew the whole truth, leaving him or divorce was out of the question. Only way she’d be allowed to leave was without my brother and that wasn’t happening. She eventually did finally manage to leave with my brother and disappeared for many years until her husband hunted her down and punished her.”
Byron frowned looking out the window as he remembered the vague stories his mother told him to protect him from the harshness, but he knew the reality. It wasn’t hard to decipher what little his mother had been willing to share about what she’d gone through but needed him to know for his own protection.
Deciding he didn’t want to kill the mood, Byron gave Vannah a watered-down version of the rest. She listened intently even if the watered-down version was pretty fucking gruesome. But he left out th
at as the years passed, Byron was convinced the only thing he’d gotten from his piece-of-shit excuse of a dad was his short fuse.
“Ultimately we were reunited with my brother. It’s when Beast confirmed that not only was our father gone for good, Beast had killed him himself. We were finally free to live out and about in the open, without the fear of being hunted down.”
Deciding this was as much as she needed to know about this, for now anyway, he changed the subject. He offered to go through a drive thru and grab something to eat but she reminded him she’d brought snacks. “I made quesadillas and salsa. More than I initially anticipated so I think we should be fine. But we can get drinks because I didn’t bring anything.”
They grabbed a couple of sodas through a drive thru and headed to the beach. Pulling into the parking lot of the beach. Once he pulled out the blanket from his trunk, Byron instantly took her hand the moment he was close enough. Like it was something they’d been doing forever, he smiled leaning in and pecked her again.
Grunion weren’t running yet but they started through the sand toward the shore. Vannah winced as they got closer to the shore. “I’m good with watching them from here.” Byron turned to her in time to see her wince. “I’ve never liked getting close enough to where they might actually touch me.”
Chuckling, he dropped the blanket right where they were. “Just like my niece Elsa. She makes those faces too. Lucy on the other hand,” he said as they spread the blanket out. “And she’s the younger one, is the braver one. She actually wants to catch them.”
“Oh, no. They’re so slithery. I’m good at this distance.”
“Then here, it is.”
They sat down on the blanket and leaned in to kiss her just couldn’t be helped. It was long and deep and before he knew it, they were lying down on the blanket as the marathon kissing continued. Feeling his heart speed up, Byron’s head raced with panicked thoughts. He hardly knew her and somehow, he already knew, he might be in trouble. He’d had his share of girls he just made out with and even slept with but nothing more. This just didn’t feel like that. There was something too sweet about her. Something that felt too innocent. There was no way she could be one of those girls that would be okay with that kind of relationship.
Afraid of giving into the temptation of bringing up the subject of her friends again, he steered clear of it. Once they came up for air he went with another topic. He talked about their evening and how he’d brought out his nieces a few times for this. “Those two have me wrapped around their little fingers.”
She smiled sitting up and crossed her legs as she licked her lips. “My uncles and aunt have always spoiled me and my siblings as well. My mom says we were probably more spoiled than my cousins since my dad was the first of his siblings to start a family.”
Hoping she’d eventually lie down again, Byron stayed in that position, but sat up just slightly leaning against his elbow. “That’s probably the same thing with me,” he said playing with her fingers. “Though, technically Nine was the first to bring a kid around us with his stepdaughter. A little different but I spoil her too.”
“Nine?”
“One of the other owners of the shop,” he explained. “One of the other guys I refer to as my brothers. His kids call me uncle too.”
“Yeah, you mentioned that today but is his name really Nine?”
“Nah,” Byron smiled. “He’s just gone by it for years. Something about his pitching days, always went nine innings and shit, but I don’t really remember. I just met him as Nine, so he’s always been Nine to me.” He chuckled as he thought about it. “I can’t even remember his real name. Speaking of names though. What’s up with your friends name?”
“Xochitl?” she smiled then laughed sweetly when he nodded wide eyed. “When I saw the name of who I’d be rooming with I panicked.” She explained about immediately doing her research on the unusual name and even practicing how to pronounce it before she met her. “It’s Aztec and she’s Hispanic like me. You are too, obviously? Mexican cartel and all?”
“Yeah,” he nodded kissing her hand and pulling her down next to him again because he was already having withdrawals. Hearing her sweet laugh didn’t help. “Almost born in Mexico,” he said before kissing her so deep his heart was thudding again.
He was tempted to ask her what it was about her that had him feeling this way. Like she’d know. But again, the fear of freaking her out like he thought he might’ve those first few times she’d caught him gawking at her won out. Pulling away he searched her eyes and shook his head without thought.
“What?” She tilted her head.
Panicked and feeling like an idiot, he cleared his throat and glanced away. “Just trying to remember who you remind me of.” Glancing back at her he was glad for the distraction of her pulling stuff out of the bag she packed snacks in. Before she could make too much of his comment he added, “You made this?” Byron pointed at the fancy salsa that looked restaurant bought.
She nodded pulling a chip out of the bag. “Yeah, I just threw together what I could find. I didn’t have cilantro and only half a jalapeno, so I threw in some cayenne pepper, but I overdid it. Thankfully, I found a mango, diced it in there and it sort of mellowed it down.”
“You know your enchiladas are pretty much gone.” He leaned in and kissed her because he had to, then pulled away and gazed at her. “And the only other person I shared with was Nine, but he inhaled about six of them. Is that what you’re studying?”
Frowning, she shrugged as she dipped a chip in the salsa. “No. I actually haven’t made up my mind what I want to major in. For now, I’m just getting my general Ed out of the way. On paper, I’m majoring in business.”
Byron reached for one of the quesadilla slices and dipped it into the salsa. Just like her enchiladas had, the flavors exploded in his mouth. Didn’t even matter that the salsa did have a hell of a kick to it. It was still damn good.
“Well, I think . . .” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Judging just from the two things I’ve tasted you made so far, you should definitely look into majoring in the culinary world.”
Tilting her head again, she smiled. “My parents said the same thing. They . . .” She paused peering out toward the tide. “Is that them?”
Turning toward the water, Byron saw the moonlit shiny slithering of the grunion. “Yep, that’s them.”
For the rest of the evening, he decided to keep the conversation on safe stuff. He told her about the first time he’d been out to see the grunion run and then moved on to one of his favorite subjects, his nieces. He told her about their day at the Zoo and how it’d been Lucy’s first time seeing a lot of the more exotic animals.
“I’ve seen photos of my first time at the zoo.” She smiled big, shaking her head. “But I don’t remember it I was so young. The first trip there that I do remember was on a school trip in the second grade. I remember the kids snickering because we were assigned partners if we didn’t pick our own. Juan was the only boy who picked a girl—me. And we had to stick together and hold hands the whole day. It’s weird looking back now because I’ve always been so shy. You’d think I would’ve avoided holding hands with a boy because in the second grade that was just asking for merciless teasing and we did it so casually. Even became best friends after that.”
Glancing out at the grunion trying to sound as casual as the story she’d just shared Byron had to ask. “So, your best friend is a dude?”
“Was, through grade school, before his family moved back to Mexico.” She shrugged picking up one of the last pieces of the quesadilla and dipping into the salsa. “Didn’t see or hear from him again until high school and even then, it was only via social media. His parents opened up some kind of cell phone store business out there and are doing really well.” She smiled at him wiping her mouth after eating the quesadilla. “Xochitl is my best friend now.”
Done with getting tense every time they veered off any safe subjects, Byron decided he was also done with talk
ing. He leaned in and kissed her softly. Within minutes they were laying down on the blanket doing what he now knew he’d never get enough of and he’d much rather be doing then wondering about where this might or might not be going.
Twelve
Seeing Red
Byron
For an entire week it’d been one thing after another that kept Byron from seeing Vannah again. Though they’d talked on the phone, texted and video chatted enough in the days that followed their night out at the beach. Byron had never been a phone guy, yet they’d had marathon talks well into the night all week. Then when they finally ended their sometimes hours long chats, he’d lie there for a long time pondering not just everything they discussed, but how quickly she’d seeped into his every thought. It was now almost the weekend since he’d last seen her that Monday—touched her and he was growing unbelievably anxious about when he would again.
Vannah had been busy with school, and Byron’s business appointments were heavier than the norm that week. The vacillating visit from her brother that had since turned into possibly more family members stopping by with him, didn’t help either. She’d continually been on standby only to have them cancel more than once already last minute.
To top it off, he and Vannah had finally managed to pencil in a lunch date that Friday and Byron had been more than looking forward to it when he got the call.
“I need a huge favor,” Beast said as soon as Byron answered his call.
“Sure, what’s going on?”
“Few weeks ago, when Ali sent Nat home because she was coughing and whatnot, turned out to be a lot more than just a cold. They don’t know for sure yet, but they found something in her lungs.”
It took a moment for Byron to remember who Beast was talking about—his niece’s regular sitter. He listened as Beast filled him in on how they were scrambling to find a replacement because Nat would be out of commission for a while if not longer. His pregnant wife Ali was on strict doctor’s orders to stay off her feet as much as she possibly could. She’d already gone into early labor once and she was still months from her due date.
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