Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Esteban
The drive back to my place is quiet at first, but not the heavy kind. It’s peaceful, like we’re both finally breathing again.
Eva’s hand rests in mine, her thumb tracing lazy circles against my skin. I glance over at her, soaking in the way the sunlight touches her face, how her eyes drift out the window like she’s watching a movie only she can see.
“We should give Noah until tomorrow,” I say, breaking the silence. “Let him cool off a little before I talk to him again.”
Eva turns to me, one eyebrow raised. “You mean you don’t want to get punched again?”
“Exactly,” I smirk. “I think once is enough for one day.”
She laughs—soft and sweet—and leans back in her seat. “He’ll come around. He’s just… intense.”
“He’s your brother,” I say with a shrug. “I get it. I’d probably react the same way if I were in his shoes. Minus the right hook.”
By the time we pull into my driveway, the sun is low behind the mountains, casting long shadows over the yard. I help Eva out of the truck, then unlock the front door and let her in first.
“Spaghetti and tostones?” I ask as I head to the kitchen, already grabbing ingredients from the fridge and pantry.
“That’s such a weird combo,” she says, following me and hopping onto the counter like she owns the place. “But I love it.”
I pause, hand on a frying pan, and shoot her a mock-offended look. “Are you crazy, woman? Pasta and tostones go hand in hand. This is elite culinary fusion. Wait until you try it, your taste buds are about to write me a thank-you letter.”
She laughs, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“And yet, here you are. Eating my ridiculous food in my ridiculous kitchen, falling for my ridiculous face.”
“Ridiculously bruised face,” she corrects with a smirk.
“Still ridiculously handsome,” I shoot back, winking.
I’m halfway through frying the tostones when my phone buzzes. It’s a FaceTime call from Mami.
I sigh dramatically. “Prepare yourself.”
“For what?”
“For full interrogation.”
I swipe to answer, and there is my mom, with her reading glasses perched on her nose and her hair in a messy bun.
“?Esteban! ?Qué te pasó en la cara?” she demands instantly, eyes narrowing at my bruised lip. “Who hit you?”
Eva stifles a laugh behind her hand, and I glance at her, shaking my head before answering.
“I’m fine, Mami. Just… a misunderstanding with Noah. We had an argument, that’s all.”
She gasps. “?Con Noah!? What kind of argument ends with you looking like that? Ay Dios mío.”
“Everything’s okay now,” I reassure her. “We’ll talk again tomorrow. But hey, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
I turn the phone slightly, catching Eva in the frame.
Mami’s eyes widen. “?Y esa belleza?”
“This,” I say, sliding an arm around Eva’s waist and pulling her close, “is my girl. Her name’s Eva.”
Mami pauses, blinks twice, then gasps again, this time for a very different reason.
“?Eva como la hermana de—!” She claps a hand over her mouth. “Ay. That’s why Noah hit you!”
Eva laughs out loud, covering her face, while I just nod solemnly. “Yep. That would be the reason.”
Mami shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “You always did like to make your life more difficult. But ella es preciosa. You better treat her right.”
“I’m trying, Ma,” I say, looking over at Eva. “Every single day.”
We talk a little longer, Mami makes Eva promise to come visit soon, and warns me not to mess this up or she’ll come over and smack me herself. When we hang up, I’m still smiling.
As I drain the pasta and plate up our chaotic dinner combo, Eva slips her arms around my waist from behind.
“That was cute,” she murmurs. “Your mom’s intense, but I like her.”
“She’s gonna love you. Maybe even more than she loves me.”
“Impossible,” she says with a grin, then steals a tostone off the plate and pops it into her mouth. “Mmm. Okay, maybe not impossible.”
We sit down at the kitchen island, laughing and eating like the world isn’t falling apart around us. For now, in this tiny bubble of pasta, fried plantains, and bruised lips, everything feels okay.
After we finish eating, we move to the couch, Eva stretching with a satisfied sigh and leans back.
“Movie time?” she asks, eyes already scanning through the streaming options.
“Obviously,” I say, already walking toward the fridge. “But first, dessert.”
“Ice cream?” she calls.
I grin. “Chocolate or strawberry, babe?”
“Chocolate.”
“Of course.” I shake my head and grab both pints anyway, no way am I letting her steal mine halfway through. As I’m about to close the freezer door, a loud knock pounds through the house.
I freeze. Because I know who it is just by that knock alone.
Eva’s eyes meet mine from across the room, wide and knowing. I sigh and slide the ice cream back into the freezer like it’s some sacred ritual I just got robbed of.
“You ready, mi amor?” I ask quietly.
She nods. “Yeah. Let’s do this.”
We walk to the door together. I take a breath, then open it.
And there is Noah, pissed off and stone-faced, with Josy standing behind him holding Everly in her arms. The tension hits me like a wall. Noah’s eyes lock onto mine, hard and furious.
I step aside. “Come in.”
He doesn’t move at first. Just scans the room like he’s trying to figure out where to punch first. Then he walks in with Josy right behind him. She gives me a small, apologetic smile as she adjusts Everly on her hip.
Noah turns sharply once he’s inside, glaring first at me, then Eva.
“Didn’t I tell you not to come near my sister again?” he growls, then points at Eva. “And you—I told you not to see him again.”
Josy reaches up and gently presses a hand against his chest. “Baby, I need you to calm down. Can you just talk like a civilized person?”
His jaw ticks and I see his chest rise and fall fast. Then he looks down at Everly in Josy’s arms. Something shifts.
“Okay, sweetheart,” he mutters. “I’ll do it. Just for the two of you.”
He walks over to the couch and sits, pulling Everly into his lap. Josy follows and sits beside him, placing a calming hand on his knee. Smart. If Everly’s in his arms, he’s not swinging fists.
Eva and I sit down on the other sofa across from them. I glance at her, she’s calm, but her fingers tighten around mine. I know she’s scared this could blow everything up.
Noah leans forward slightly, resting one hand on Everly’s tiny leg, the other on his knee. His voice is quieter now, but it’s still sharp around the edges.
“Didn’t I make myself clear earlier today? I don’t want you two together.”
Eva sighs next to me, and before I can say a word, she sits up and faces her brother head-on. “Noah, I love you,” she says firmly, “but you are way out of line. You can’t tell me what to do with my life. I’m a grown woman, and I’ll do whatever the hell I want.”
Noah opens his mouth, but she lifts a hand, stopping him.
“No. There’s nothing you can say to justify this caveman behavior.
You’re acting like Esteban is the worst man on the planet.
Like I need protecting from him or something.
Are you for real?” Her voice cracks slightly, not from weakness, but from hurt.
“How can you be this upset that we’re together?
You should be happy for me. I finally found someone who loves me.
Someone who truly appreciates me. Me, Noah. Can you believe that?”
Noah’s voice softens. “Of course I can. You’re amazing. You’re gorgeous.”
“I know I’m amazing,” she snaps, lifting her chin. “But not everyone sees that. Esteban did from the beginning. And he was too good, actually. He tried so hard to stay away from me. But I wanted him. I wanted him so bad I started falling for him, and I couldn’t stop.”
She looks at me and smiles, and it does something to my chest I can’t name.
“He’s funny, smart, gorgeous, and he treats me better than anyone ever has. I threw myself at him, repeatedly. I did everything in my power to tempt him.”
Noah turns to me, eyes narrowed, like he’s daring me to confirm that.
“Yup,” I say, raising a hand in surrender. “She’s not lying.”
Eva laughs lightly. “And the crazy part? He never once tried anything. He pushed me away every single time. Until he couldn’t anymore. And I’m so glad he didn’t keep fighting it, because we’re happy, Noah. Really happy.”
She reaches over and squeezes my hand again.
“Esteban was ready to talk to you the next day after we made it official,” she continues. “But I told him not to. I didn’t want you to know yet. I wanted more time with him before you went all crazy-big-brother on us. So if you’re mad, then maybe this whole mess is my fault.”
I shake my head, turning to Noah.
“It’s not all her fault. I should’ve told you, Noah. And I’m sorry for that. Truly. I didn’t want to hide anything from you. But I won’t apologize for falling for her. I won’t.”
Noah’s jaw ticks, but he stays quiet, watching me.
“I know you’ve got your reasons. And they’re valid, man.
I recognize who I used to be. I played around.
I flirted with anything that moved. But I’ve been trying to grow past that, and I’ve been telling you and Austin that I’ve been wanting something real for a while now, you just didn’t believe me. ”
I lean forward, locking eyes with him.
“But it was all true. I’ve been looking for something real. For someone real. And the moment I looked at Eva… I knew. She was it. I tried like hell to ignore it. For you, man. But I couldn’t.”
My voice breaks a little, and I don’t care.
“I fell in love with her. Deep. And I’m so damn lucky she sees something in me. So I need you to understand that this isn’t a fling. I’m in this. I want a future with her. I see us growing old together. I see kids. A messy, beautiful life.”
I glance down, then back up.
“I just need you to see that too. I’ll protect her with everything I’ve got. And if I ever screw that up—if I ever hurt her—you can punch me again. Hell, I’ll let you break my nose next time.”
The room falls into silence. Josy reaches over and wipes at her eyes. She’s crying softly now, trying to hide it behind her hands.
But Noah just stares at us, still and unreadable.
And all I can do is wait.
Noah sits there in silence, staring at some invisible point on the floor. Seconds pass, but it feels like hours.
Finally, he shakes his head and sighs. “Okay,” he says, voice low. “I understand everything now.”
I exhale quietly, my whole body loosening.
“You’re right, Esteban,” he continues, glancing at me. “You’ve been saying for a while that you wanted something real. A wife. A family. I just thought you were messing around, trying to get a rise out of us. I didn’t think you meant it.”
“I did,” I say quietly.
Noah nods. “I can see that now. And I only ask one thing from you; take care of her. Treat her right. I know she can be a pain in the ass sometimes—”
“Hey!” Eva says, half-laughing, half-crying.
Noah smirks. “But if you really love her, just make her happy. That’s all I want for her.”
Eva lets out a soft sob and stands up. She walks over and gently sits next to him and Everly, pulling them both into a hug. I watch as my girl buries her face into her brother’s shoulder, and I see the shift happen, like the storm between us finally breaks.
“Thank you,” she whispers. “I love you too.”
Noah wraps an arm around her, careful not to jostle the baby, and presses a kiss to the top of her head.
The tension in the room melts away like ice under the sun.
Josy smiles, wiping under her eyes. “Uff, thank goodness,” she says. “I never thought I’d see you in love, Esteban, but I’m so glad I was wrong. You two you make a beautiful couple.”
“Thank you, Josy,” I say, grinning. “And for the record, I’ve always been a hopeless romantic. I just disguised it with abs and sarcasm.”
They all laugh, Noah even lets out a reluctant chuckle.
Then he leans back and changes the subject. “So… what’s going to happen with McNeal now?”
Eva and I exchange a glance.
“We went to see him earlier today,” I say. “Told him everything. The lie, the truth, how we ended up here.”
“He listened,” Eva adds. “And he said he appreciated us coming clean, but he’s still thinking about the business side of things. We just have to wait now and see what he decides.”
“I’m feeling optimistic,” I say, shooting her a small smile.
“You always do,” she replies.
“Someone has to balance your dramatic energy, mi amor.”
Noah stands up, Everly happily playing with Noah’s shirt. “Alright, we’re gonna head out. I think we’ve traumatized the baby enough for one night.”
Eva and I take turns giving Everly lots of love and smothering her with kisses before they leave. Josy hugs us both tightly, whispering in my ear, “You better not screw this up, Romeo.”
“I won’t,” I promise.
When the door finally shuts behind them, Eva and I are alone again. The house is quiet. Peaceful.
Looking over at her, I see she’s already looking at me.
And just like that, the silence feels full, with understanding, relief, and love.
“We did it,” she whispers.
I walk over, pull her into my arms, and rest my forehead against hers.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “We really did.”