16. Alejandro
Alejandro
For the past two months, Beatriz and I have been going back and forth from her place to mine.
It’s like we’ve settled into a rhythm I didn’t even know I needed.
I can’t stand being apart for long, and every time she leaves for work, there’s this tight knot in my chest. I’m not used to the silence that follows, and it hits harder each day.
When she walks out that door, all I want to do is scream. I don’t care how much I tell myself I’ll be fine—I never am. It’s like she takes a part of me with her, and the days when she’s gone drag on forever.
This morning is no different. She’s off to work and I’m free until tomorrow’s practice. We’ll be traveling for the season soon, and I honestly don’t know how I’ll survive that long without her. I sigh at the thought, catching her attention without meaning to.
“You alright?” she asks, eyes wide and dewing, a deep concern for me already etched in her features with a single sigh from me.
"I’m fine, just sad you have to go.”
She nods like she understands, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I know what you mean.”
I press my lips to her forehead, the softest kiss that I know will linger throughout the day. “Go have a good day, hermosa," I whisper, my voice low, just for her.
She smiles, her eyes warm and tired from the early morning rush, but the glow in them still makes my chest tighten. "You too," she says, brushing her fingers lightly against mine as she grabs her purse.
As I watch her go, the sound of the door clicking shut behind her echoes through the apartment. A pang of longing pulls at my chest, but I remind myself that this is temporary—just a few hours. Soon enough, I’ll have her back.
I run a hand through my hair and turn back to the kitchen. The coffee smells rich and comforting, just what I need to start the day. I don’t know how many more mornings like this I can have before I finally do it.
Before I ask her.
I’ve known for a while that I want to ask her to marry me.
There’s no question in my mind. If I wouldn’t have had to leave her back then, she would already be my wife.
I love her more than I’ve ever loved anyone, and she feels like home to me.
But this isn’t some rushed decision, some fleeting whim.
I’m going to do it right. I’m going to ask her, but only when I’m sure her father won’t get in the way again.
The thought of him makes my stomach twist. He’s not an easy man to win over.
He’s protective of her, as any father should be, but with me, it’s different.
He couldn’t fathom me with his daughter then, but maybe now things will be different.
I’m not just the gardener’s son anymore.
Whatever the case, I’m ready to face anything it takes to prove that I can give Beatriz everything she deserves.
I can’t just ask her without knowing that she’ll have the full support of her family. Her father’s approval is the last hurdle. If I can’t get him to accept me—truly accept me—then what kind of future would Beatriz and I have?
I take a slow sip of the coffee, the warmth filling my chest, and I think about the past two months.
A lot has changed, but more than anything, I’ve realized that I don’t want to live without her.
She’s mine in every way that matters. She just doesn’t know it yet.
I know the last time I spoke with her father didn’t exactly go well, but this time.
.. this time will be different. I’ll make it different.
I stand up, grab my keys, and make sure everything’s locked up before heading out. My Lamborghini hums to life, and I feel the familiar buzz of anticipation ripple through me. Her father’s house is just a short drive away, and I know exactly what I’m doing.
I know the code to the gate—I'm sure it hasn’t changed. The thought of seeing him again doesn’t sit right with me, but I’ll push through it. Beatriz deserves a life where she doesn’t have to choose between me and her family. She deserves to know that we have their blessing.
I pull into the driveway of her father’s house and park. I sit for a moment, collecting myself. I’m not nervous. I’m not worried, either. But I know this is important.
I step out of the car, take a deep breath, and head toward the front door. My footsteps are steady, but the outcome of this conversation weighs heavily over me, like a guillotine ready to come down on my head.
I knock once. Twice. The door swings open slowly, revealing Mr. Ayala, standing in front of me, stiff, but still polite. A polite coldness that I know all too well.
"Mr. Ayala," I say, my voice firm but controlled. “We need to talk."
His gaze flickers over me, sizing me up, but he says nothing for a moment. He doesn't step aside to let me in either, forcing me to have this conversation outside.
When he does finally speak, his voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it I can’t ignore. "What is there to talk about, Alejandro? It’s clear neither you nor Beatriz are willing to listen."
I swallow the rising frustration, but I keep my voice steady. This is for her. “I’ve come to ask for your blessing. I want to marry Beatriz.”
His eyes narrow. He crosses his arms over his chest, a gesture I know all too well. It’s the same one he’s used to shut me out for years. He lets the silence stretch on, before finally speaking again, his voice colder than before.
“You want my blessing?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “After everything that’s happened? After all this time, you think you deserve it now?”
“I know things between us haven’t been easy, but I’m asking because I love her,” I say, my voice firm.
“I’m not trying to make her choose between you and me.
I’m asking because I want to give her the future she deserves.
” I do my best to keep my emotions in check.
“I’ve spent the past few months with her, and it’s reminded me of how we once felt…
how we still feel. I can’t imagine my life without her.
I want to spend the rest of my life with Beatriz. And I’m asking you to be part of that.”
Mr. Ayala doesn’t move, just watches me like I’m some roach scurrying around in front of him.
There’s no softness in his eyes—just that same suspicion I’ve seen from the start.
“You think you’re worthy of her?” He asks, his voice low.
“You think you’re good enough to be the man who’s supposed to protect my daughter?
You’re still the gardener’s son, Alejandro. ”
I feel the sting of his words, but I bite back the response burning in my throat. This is for Beatriz. It has to be.
“I’m not asking for your approval based on what I was,” I say, my voice controlled but laced with frustration. “I’m asking because I love her, and I’m asking for her future. Because I want to prove that I can give her everything.”
He looks at me for a long time, as though he’s searching for any crack in my resolve. But then he sighs, his face hardening, and finally speaks again, his words cutting like ice.
“You’re wasting your time.” His gaze flickers briefly to the side, then back to me. “You’ll never be good enough for her.”
I fight to keep my expression neutral, but the weight of his words hits harder than I expected. “I love her,” I repeat, trying to make him understand. “That’s all that matters.”
He steps back, his tone colder than ever. “You might think that, but she doesn’t need your love. She needs someone who’s not going to betray her. Someone who won’t hurt her again.”
I feel my blood run cold at the accusation, but before I can respond, he continues, his voice thick with disdain.
“You think you can erase what happened? You think you can just waltz back into her life after what you did? She deserves better than you, Alejandro. She deserves someone who actually cares about her, not someone who’d betray her the way you did.”
I open my mouth to defend myself, to explain the past, but he’s already shaking his head, his expression dismissive. “Don’t even try to lie to me. You’re the same boy I saw with her sister. You didn’t just break Beatriz’s heart—you betrayed her.”
I freeze, my stomach dropping.
Betrayed her? What the hell is he talking about?
I don’t have time to ask before he speaks again, his voice rising with anger.
“You look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t cheat on her with Andrea when you were teenagers.” His words hit me like a blow to the chest. “I saw you with her, Alejandro. Hugging her late at night after you snuck in. I saw everything. Don’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
I blink, trying to process what he’s saying, the confusion settling in.
Andrea?
“What?” I manage, my voice barely above a whisper. “I never cheated on Beatriz.”
Mr. Ayala’s eyes burn with anger as he sneers. “You can’t even deny it, can you? I saw you with her, and now you want to stand here and lie to me? You think I don’t know? You think you’re going to get my blessing after what you did?”
I shake my head, desperate to clear the confusion. “You’re wrong,” I insist, my chest tight with frustration. “That’s not what happened. You don’t understand. I never—”
“Enough!” Mr. Ayala snaps, cutting me off. “I saw it with my own eyes. You were hugging her late at night. You think I wouldn’t notice? You think I’d let someone like you have my daughter? Either of my daughters?”
I feel the weight of his accusations pressing down on me. My heart pounds in my chest as I wrack my brain, trying to remember the moment he’s talking about. And then it hits me.
I remember that night with Andrea. I’d asked her to talk to Beatriz about her college choice.
Bee wouldn’t listen to me, and I wanted her to know how much I cared about her future.
I didn’t want her going to some no-name college for me when she could go anywhere else.
So I went to Andrea's room late at night to get her to talk some sense into her sister.
But I never... I never meant for it to look the way it did.