Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
Alonzo
I ended up staying the night in Tala’s guestroom, where I managed to squeeze a couple of readings in while waiting for Maya to get to Juana.
As soon as I received her text saying she’d made it home safely, I conked out.
I clocked in a total of three hours of sleep, then took a cold shower, borrowed clothes from Jason, and grabbed a bite and coffee for the road.
Tala had just dropped me off at school when I got a text from the last person I expected.
Dani
Hi Lonzo. Are you free this afternoon?
Alonzo
Hi Dani, I have class till 1 then work at 2. Everything ok?
Dani
Yes. Can I see you after class? I can bring you to the coffee shop.
Alonzo
Alright. See you then.
I almost said no, but I would only wonder what prompted her to reach out to me after almost two months of silence. Besides, she had been a part of my life for so long that I felt I owed it to her to hear her out. I agreed to the car ride, if only to honor the friendship we used to have.
As I walked to my classroom, I shot Maya a quick good morning text. I’d call her later and tell her about Dani. For now, I switched my brain to focus mode in preparation for class.
When I left the building, Dani’s car was waiting in the parking lot. I headed for the back door like I used to, only for the passenger window to slide open. My jaw dropped as Dani waved at me from the driver’s seat.
“You drove?” I asked, not believing my eyes.
She gave a short laugh. “It was about time.”
I opened the passenger door and got in. “I thought you hated driving.”
“I was scared of it,” she corrected as she put the car in motion. “Honestly, I still am. But I never really tried doing it, you know? At least not outside of driving lessons and practicing around the village.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “What did your parents say?”
“They reminded me that we had drivers for a reason, and it was safer and all that.” She lifted a shoulder. “We argued about it, but I realized I needed to stop letting my fear hold me back.”
I smiled at her. “I’m proud of you.”
“Me too.” Her eyes darted to mine. “Are you alright? I saw you trending on social media. You have your own hashtag now.”
Groaning, I shook my head. “That’s insane. Isn’t there anything new to talk about?”
“I can’t blame them for being interested.”
I took her words with a grain of salt, knowing that she didn’t reach out to talk about my internet fame. “Why did you text me, Dani? I thought you blocked my number.”
“I did,” she admitted quietly. “That doesn’t mean I forgot it.”
My shoulders tightened.
“I wanted to tell you I’m sorry, Lonzo. I’m sorry for cheating on you and for how things ended. For freezing you out when you were trying to be kind even though I started this mess.”
“You—”
She gave me a sharp look. “I did. It took me a while to really own up to it. Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but you tried so hard. I’m sorry I took that for granted.”
Her words and the sincere emotion behind them caught me off-balance. I didn’t think she’d ever talk to me again, let alone apologize like this. “It’s alright, Dani. It was rough at first, but I’m okay now.”
“Good. I’m glad,” she murmured. “I ran into Shar a few days ago. She said you’re seeing someone?”
I hesitated, torn between being truthful and being considerate.
As if she understood, she said, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’d be happy for you if you found someone.”
“I did. But it’s complicated.”
She gave a soft laugh. “Lonzo, you graduated top of our class and qualified for a full scholarship to law school.”
“Relationships are different.”
“I know, but you can handle complicated. And you’ve always been good at going after the things you want.”
I glanced at her and found her smiling at me sadly.
“That was one of the reasons why I fell for you.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
Before I could think of a response, she spoke up again. “I’m trying to do that too—go for what I want.”
“Does that involve Aaron?” I didn’t feel any bitterness or anger at the thought of him. There was only concern for this girl who’d been a good friend of mine.
“I told you it wasn’t like that.”
“I hope you find what you’re looking for then.”
She nodded, a faint frown on her face. “Thanks, Lonzo. I hope so too.”
When she dropped me off in front of Kada Kape, our goodbye had none of the heaviness of the one before. Nothing but a quiet certainty that this was how it was meant to be.
My phone pinged with a message from Maya—a photo of the beach that had me wishing, once again, that I’d gone after her.
It shouldn’t have made much of a difference, her being away.
The days we’d spent together were drops in a bucket compared to the time we’d spent apart.
But maybe some drops, small though they were, created such a ripple in your being that they changed you on a molecular level.
Was that based on scientific fact? No, but science had never been my forte. I was all about belief and conviction, and both things pointed to Maya.
You’ve always been good at going after the thing you want , Dani had told me.
It was time to do that again.
Cam
After a full day of working on a new project, I checked on Inang and then went over to Nikki’s. Eric had gotten back earlier in the afternoon, so we were celebrating his safe arrival and my surviving boot camp.
Jo greeted me with her usual hugs, Nikki with her teasing smile, Eric with his casual questions, and Milo with a snout-butt against my leg. Some of the diners called out hellos to me, but the place was quiet for the most part.
Our table was loaded with my favorite pork barbecue, daing na bangus, garlic rice, bibingka, and fruit shakes. The latter two were heavy on the cheese and buko strips, just as I’d asked for—“cause you made it back without bloodshed,” Nikki told me out of Jo’s hearing range.
Before I could dig into the food, Jo bombarded me with questions about “Tito Ally,” which mostly revolved around why I didn’t bring him home with me. I answered her as best as I could until Nikki finally came to my rescue, saying that Jo should let me eat before the food got cold.
We chatted about the week’s events, with me glossing over mentions of Alonzo to avoid getting Jo excited. But just as we moved on to dessert, my phone rang from next to my plate.
Beside me, Jo leaned forward. She gasped loudly. “It’s Tito Ally!” She reached out for the phone but I beat her to it. “I want to say hi,” she whined.
Nikki came over to our side of the table as I said, “Alright.”
I accepted the call, and another hand darted in and hit the camera button. I glared at Nikki.
Of course, Alonzo accepted the video call request. “Wow, a vid—” He blinked at seeing me with Nikki and Jo. Then he grinned. “Hi, ladies.”
“Tito Ally!” Jo scrambled onto my lap, taking up almost the entire camera space. “Why didn’t you come back with Tita Cammy?”
“I wanted to, but I had class today.”
“But we’re here.”
He laughed. The sound tickled my ears, sending a shiver down my spine. “I know. Don’t worry, I’m planning to visit soon.”
Jo wriggled on me. “Tomorrow?”
“Not that soon,” he answered, his eyes twinkling, and I caught myself grinning like a fool.
“I’ll talk to Tita Cammy about when I can come over, okay?” Alonzo said.
“Okay,” she answered. “Next week?”
“Jo, let’s wait for him to tell us.” Nikki added, “Good to see you, Lonzo. Thanks for taking care of our girl.”
He winked at her. “It was my pleasure.”
Despite his casual delivery, my brain bombarded me with a montage of the different ways he’d taken care of me…and the pleasure we’d both gotten out of it. I felt warm and I couldn’t blame it on Jo sitting on me or Nikki hovering behind me, though they sure added to it.
“Hey, Lonzo.” Eric came around to my side, with Milo trailing after him.
Now everyone in the café seemed to be looking at us.
“Hi, man,” Alonzo said. “How was the work trip?”
“Rainy but productive. I heard you showed Cam a good time.”
My head turned so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. I glared at Eric hard enough to burn my corneas, but he merely raised his shoulders.
“I’d like to think so,” Alonzo answered with what I could only call a shit-eating grin.
I spoke up. “My friends are putting words in my mouth.”
“We’re only helping you say the things you can’t,” Nikki teased.
“Why can’t she say them?” Jo asked.
“Because there are some things grownups have a hard time admitting,” Nikki replied.
“That’s right,” Eric added.
I glowered at them. “ You two should know.”
His lips clamped shut, and I could have sworn Nikki would have murdered me on the spot if Jo weren’t present.
“Jo, can you help me bring the plates to the kitchen?” Nikki said.
“But we’re still talking to Tito Ally,” Jo protested. Then she shook my knee. “Did you give him the tattoo already? Don’t forget, you promised!”
“Not yet,” Alonzo and I said at the same time. Our eyes met on the screen, and he mouthed yet at me.
“You can do it when he comes here,” Jo declared.
He chuckled. “Brilliant idea, Jo. I like the sound of that.”
Squealing, Jo clapped her hands, and I shook my head even though I’d already planned on inking him if he asked again. Whether or not he wanted Jo’s flower design to be permanent would be up to him.
“Okay, anak. Time to clean up.” Nikki put her hands on Jo’s shoulders. “You can talk to him again later.”
“I need to take Milo for a walk too,” Eric said.
A few seconds later, I was alone on the phone with Alonzo.
“That was efficient. I’m impressed,” he drawled, grinning. “Looks like I’m finally getting my tatt.”
“I’ll put that colorful flower tatt on your bicep.”
His smile grew. “Whatever you want, babe.”
The endearment sent a jolt of pleasure through me. It was the first time he’d called me that outside of the bedroom, and though I never thought I’d be into pet names, I liked the sound of it when it came from him.
“I’m glad you took my call in front of them,” he continued.
“Only because Jo saw your name. Then Nikki switched it to video mode.”
“You could have cut it anytime.”
“Nikki would have called you herself.”
“So you’re not going to say you miss me too?” he asked.
“You haven’t said it either.” My words reeked of neediness, but I wasn’t going to take them back. I stared at him straight on, letting him know I stood by what I said.
“I almost headed to the bus station after work. That’s how much I miss you.”
Why didn’t you, then?
As if I’d transmitted the question to his brain, he added, “I’m having brunch with the fam tomorrow. My dad might disown me if I missed it.”
“Have you talked to him since yesterday?”
“Nope. I slept over at Tala’s place last night, and he and Mama are out watching a movie. Hopefully that will put him in a good enough mood for tomorrow. Plus Tala and Jason have wedding updates, so that should distract him.”
“Ahh. Have they decided which island to rent out?” I joked, but he didn’t even blink.
“Something like that.” My shock must have showed because he continued. “It’s the only way they can get any privacy, especially since some of Jason’s old teammates are coming. But I don’t think they’re renting out an entire island.”
I shook my head. “Your reality is so surreal to me.”
“It’s not mine exactly. When Tala and Jason move to wherever they choose to live, things will go back to normal.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Not for them to leave. But for all of us to have regular, private lives, yeah. Tala would say the same.”
I couldn’t imagine Alonzo having a regular life. He was destined for great things.
“Any chance you want to go with me, by the way?” he suddenly asked.
“Go where?”
“To the wedding.” He said that like it wasn’t the most impossible idea. Like there was any chance on earth that I could enter his family’s sphere and not be immediately tossed out.
I snorted, because that was the only answer I could give.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I. I don’t belong in your world, Alonzo.”
“Funny you should say that when you’re so deep in it I can’t even remember what my life was like without you.”
I shook my head again.
“By the way, I meant what I told Jo,” Alonzo said. “I’m going there soon.”
I should have told him not to—that we should cut our losses before the threads between us pulled tighter.
But I wanted him.
I wanted him here, where the tides had flung us together. There was no point denying it when he had already left his mark on me. It went against rhyme and reason, yet I was as sure of its presence as though it was visibly inked into my skin.
Still, deep-seated wounds held me back.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Enough people have let me down,” I warned him.
“Good thing I’m not planning to,” he said. “If you don’t want to hear the promises, I won’t say them. I’ll show you I mean them instead.”
And even though my past had taught me otherwise, I found myself wanting to take that leap of faith for this guy from Manila.