Chapter 35
chapter thirty-five
juan pablo
“I’m coming!” Who the hell popped in at noon on New Year’s Eve anyway?
I’d fallen asleep after finally getting Priscilla’s text that she’d made it home.
I was still hurt and for the first time ever, wondering if I just wasn’t what she wanted.
If when she saw me, she just didn’t see her future.
Because I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know how else to prove to her that I was in this for the long haul.
I got to the intercom by the front door and hit the speaker with my head still buzzing with a hundred different conflicting thoughts. It only occurred to me when I heard the doorman’s voice that no one ever showed up to my place without texting first.
“Hey, Mr. Campos. I have Bri and Reyes here. They said they’re here to see you.”
I was stunned and wondered if I’d heard him right, but before I could ask anything, he spoke again. “Bri says he’s Priscilla’s co-worker.”
I nodded as if he could see me and finally got my shit together and answered. “Yes, of course.”
As soon as I put the receiver back, I looked around the apartment and realized I’d never put away my bag.
It was in the middle of the living room where I’d left it last night.
There was a half-eaten bowl of popcorn and a fair amount of fun-size bags of Sour Patch Kids all over the couch that I’d taken from my stash of leftover Halloween candy.
My house, which was usually pristine or, as Camilo liked to say, an homage to “Reformed Fuckboi Chic,” was a hot mess and I didn’t even care.
I avoided the mirror in the hallway as I walked back to my room to put on a shirt and wondered if Priscilla had sent her friends to get all her shit back from my apartment.
I went to answer and as soon as I opened the door, I figured this wasn’t going to be a social call.
I guessed who Bri was from the many times Pris had talked about him.
He was lean, medium height, and had very bright blue eyes and fiery red hair.
His boyfriend, Reyes, was tall, hairy, and had kind brown eyes.
I stepped to the side so they could come in.
Just because I felt like shit and probably looked worse, I didn’t need to act like I had no home training. “Please, come in.”
I waved them over to the couch and we all tried to act like this wasn’t awkward as fuck until I finally broke. “Did she send you to get her stuff?”
I surprised myself when my voice didn’t crack. But I wasn’t okay, not by a lot. I ran a hand over my face, feeling exhausted just from the effort it took to say that. Bri was looking at me like I was the sorriest asshole on earth. “We were deputized by Camilo to check on you.”
Of course.
I didn’t have it in me to even be pissed at him for interfering; he’d tried to call me last night and I’d just texted back that I’d call him today. So him deploying people to my house wasn’t even a surprise. “I’m fine.”
Reyes, who so far hadn’t said a word, scoffed at my obvious lie.
“Okay, I’m not fine. But I’m also not sure what I can do.
I don’t want to be pushy or make Priscilla feel like I’m not giving her space.
I didn’t handle things in the best way last night and I think instead of her feeling like I was being supportive, she probably ended up feeling like I was pressuring her or pushing my own agenda. ”
Bri was looking at me as if he was trying to read what I wasn’t saying. But after a moment, he smiled, and leaned forward. “You should come to our house tonight. We’re having a New Year’s party and Pris is going to be there.”
I shook my head forcefully and stood, not sure where I was going to go. I couldn’t leave them sitting in my living room and go hide in my room like I wanted, but I had to move. “No, I’m not going to go there and make her feel uncomfortable. That’s not cool.”
Bri smiled even wider at my answer, like I’d gotten a test question right and now I was really fucking confused.
“That’s fair, and I told her I would re-invite you.
You know Priscilla, she needs time to come around, but I know she loves you.
Since you guys reconnected, she’s been slowly coming out of the funk she’s been in. ”
Reyes squeezed Bri’s shoulders as he talked, as though he needed to feel that physical connection, and once again I ached in the presence of that kind of partnership. Love that was so strong you had your own language.
I stopped pacing and looked at Bri, hoping that he was right, and she’d be open to talking to me.
“Are you sure? Maybe I should call her first.” I’d shut off my phone last night after she’d sent a very short text telling me she’d made it home, but maybe now in the light of day, she’d see things differently.
Bri stood up and Reyes followed, still quietly letting his man handle the business they’d come here for.
“Call her. I think she’d like that. She’s doing a lot of thinking today.
She has a lot of decisions to make.” He smiled at what I was sure was a startled look on my face.
“You guys can work this out. I know it.”
I wasn’t nearly as confident as he was about that but went in to give them both dap anyway. “Thanks for coming to check in on me, and I’m sorry that little shit, Camilo, got you out of bed for this.”
Reyes laughed at that and finally said something. “He’s friends with Bri. They know each other from work stuff, and he’s always been great to him. If somebody’s good to my man, they can call me anytime for anything.”
Bri blushed, his cheeks flaming red, as Reyes leaned in to give him a kiss. When he looked up again, Reyes clapped my shoulder, as he took Bri’s hand with the other. “Come through tonight.”
“I’ll think about it, thank you.” I walked them both to the door and then went back to my bedroom to get my phone.
I paused to slide a hand over Priscilla’s satin pillowcase and looked around, noticing her things everywhere.
Her tub of Palmer’s on the night table, the copy of Pleasure Activism she’d been reading for the third time, bookmarked with an old Metro Card.
A pair of Nikes she’d left here so we could go for runs together when she stayed over.
If I went to the bathroom I’d find even more of her there.
That old shower gel I’d stopped using because it reminded me too much of her was back in the shower.
Her toothbrush and her bonnet were in there, too.
We’d finally gotten a chance to be together in this place.
In the apartment that I’d always wanted to see her in.
I wanted to have that forever, for this to be her home.
For me to be her home. If she needed time, I would give her time, but I would also make it very clear, that if she was willing to fight for us, I would be there with her. Shoulder to shoulder.
The messages and missed calls flowed into my phone, but Pris’s number wasn’t in any of them.
Camilo had sent a few asking how I was and then saying he’d asked Bri to check on me.
My mother asking about plans for tonight.
Nesto worried about me, after most likely getting the tea from Milo.
Patrice saying Easton had talked to Priscilla and that she was okay, but they wanted to know how I was doing.
All our people, holding it down for us while we figured things out.
I took a deep breath and tapped out a message to her, hoping that she would respond.
Good morning. I hope your night wasn’t as shitty as mine. Camilo already had Bri stop by here to do a welfare check, I’m almost 100% sure you’re next.
The three dots made an appearance a couple of times then disappeared, but after a few moments, a message came.
Milo does the most. JFC. Good morning… Night was pretty shitty.
I made myself send the next text because I wasn’t going to ambush her in front of strangers.
I got re-invited to Bri’s party…
A minute went by, then another, and I was starting to wonder if she was going to leave me on read, which in my book would be a big fucking NO to the question of me attending the party.
Maybe I’ll see you there.
That was definitely not a no.