CHAPTER TWENTY
Alma doesn’t speak or move, just studying every feature on my face. The sponge falls into the sink with a loud squish, and then she steps forward. My mind immediately thinks of the worst case scenario, but before I get to panic I feel her thin arms wrap around me.
She’s hugging me?
“Please don’t break his heart, Nico.” She whispers, prying herself off of me. “I’m serious. Please. He can’t take it. Not after ma…”
Her eyes carry so much pain in them, and I realize just how serious she is about it. My face is stuck in a stupid smile, and I hug her again for good measure. The sigh that she lets out is heavy, like all the stress disappears alongside it.
There’s so many things I could say. So many things I probably should say, but I’m so incapable of wording myself properly that I just stare at her while my mouth hangs open like a dumbass.
“I don’t want to hurt him,” is the first thing that comes to mind. The words come out quietly, but not hesitantly. “I won’t.”
Alma takes another breath, swallowing down her sadness and wiping the tears that had begun to form. “I believe you. I… I hope it ain’t a mistake. But I do believe ya. The way he smiles at you… like you're the whole dang world.”
“I don’t get it, really. He wasn’t like this growing up. He was fine with bein’ alone. He was used to it.” She laughs weakly, clearing her throat. “Maybe I could’ve done more, but… I mean—”
“Alma...” I step back, keeping a friendly hand on her shoulder. As much as I want to comfort her, it’s not easy. Nothing about the Tavera family is normal. I don’t know anything about how they were raised, in fact I really don’t know much at all.
She shrugs my hand away, but keeps the little smile she has on. “It’s fine. Oughta’ know better,” she mumbles before turning away to grab the counter. “I shouldn’t have said nothin’. Not about Toro. Maybe… Maybe he really can change.”
“It ain’t easy to explain, but he’s soft with you. Maybe that really is just enough.” Alma digs around in the pocket of her jeans, before pulling something out that glimmers in the light when she turns back around. “This was your friend’s, right?”
I stare at her palm, Grant’s ring sitting right in the middle. The lack of blood and dirt means she probably cleaned it, although I can’t really fathom why. “Are you… giving it to me?”
Alma chuckles like I just asked some stupid question. “Well he was yer’ friend. If you don’t want it Damien’ll probably just pawn it anyway.”
“I’ll take it,” I say while plucking it out of her hand. It feels weird to have it, especially since Grant and I weren’t best friends or anything like that. My fingers are almost trembling when I stuff it into my pocket.
She goes to say something else, but her eyes flick right past me. I glance back expecting the worst, only to find Toro peeking around the corner with a shy-but-guilty expression plastered on his face.
“Tor?” The nickname slides off my tongue naturally, like it’s something I’ve called him for ages. “What’s up?”
Toro’s entire face lights up brighter than I’ve ever seen it before, quick steps bringing him in my personal bubble. His hands slide under my armpits, lifting me up so high off the ground I feel like one of those really long looking cats.
He brings me nice and close, our cheeks pressing together in a warm gesture. Weakness wins out as I just forget myself momentarily, choosing to hug him properly with a sheepish giggle. One arm slides under my butt, holding me up against him while the other rests at the small of my back.
Without so much as a goodbye he’s suddenly whisking me away off to the bedroom, clearly in a good mood over something. “Someone’s happy, huh?” I tease, already having an inkling on what’s got him so pleased.
Toro nods, plopping down to sit cross-legged on the floor in front of the CD player he has tucked away into the corner. He’s quick to embrace me fully, pulling me flush against his chest while absentmindedly stroking my sides.
“Luh…” It’s not easy for him to say, but I already get an idea of what’s coming next. “L-Love…” When he finishes the word he brings his hands to my chest again, just resting them there. “Love…”
“So you were eavesdropping, huh?” I tease, admiring how charming he is without even trying. I regret it when he whines and clings a little tighter, shaking his head. “Kidding, kidding.”
I did say it, and I did mean it. But it almost feels embarrassing to have to say it to his face. “This… It’s new to me,” I admit, shifting so I’m facing him properly. “But… I mean… we’re boyfriends now, and…”
I don’t want to say it. It sounds so wrong coming from my mouth. This was never supposed to happen, yet here I am.
“I love you, Toro.”
If there was a world record for fastest time to slam your lips against someone else’s, Toro would’ve won for sure.
His hands are back on my cheeks like the first time we kissed, all of his inexperience on full display as he tries to devour my mouth.
But it doesn’t matter. I don’t care. In fact, I like it. Because it’s so charmingly him.
With a gasp I pull back, lips all swollen and wet from how aggressive he was with it. He shoots me puppy eyes right on cue, his lower lip trembles like me needing a moment to breathe is the most inhumane and unjust thing on the entire planet.
“Do you… love me, too?” I know it’s sort of needy to ask that, especially when he just said it. But the entire situation is new to me, on top of being totally away from the norm. Most people don’t have big mute boyfriends who love cuddling. Most people don’t have boyfriends who kill and eat people.
But I do.
Toro nods many times at my question, that serious look present on his face again.
He leans closer, just to make sure that I can really see him.
One of the hands holding on to my cheek moves down to my shoulder, his forehead finding its way to mine.
He shuts his eyes, just keeping me there.
He doesn’t need to speak, not when his actions show me so much about the person he really is.
I have no idea how much time passes. I would’ve been fine to stay like that forever, probably.
But he leans back, just smiling at me before grabbing my sides to flip me over so we’re facing the radio again.
He pushes the worn plastic button on top of the machine, whatever’s inside whirring to life as it starts to let out a low hum.
The music I expect to start playing is a country hit or something loud and violent, but I should know better when it comes to Toro. A soft and sweet love ballad plays instead, and once the CD gets over a few initial stutters it’s nice to get swept up into the stupid little song.
Soft piano, slow guitar, and a singer droning on and on about true love and finding your special someone—it’s cheesy in a way that just makes sense. It’s cute, too, seeing Toro smile wide while we listen. He kisses at the back of my head eagerly, his hands roaming all over my body.
Toro grows more antsy with each second that passes, knees bouncing excitedly. Finally he loses his cool and just scoops me up before kissing the back of my neck. Before I can react he tosses me onto the bed and basically swan dives into my chest to cuddle.
“Is this your favorite song?” I ask quietly, smiling down at him. He nods, closing his eyes while his head hangs low against my chest. I know what he wants, which is why I begin to stroke his hair like he’s the most delicate thing in the world, and honestly? He might just be.