Chapter Eleven
Alma gulped. A scowl passed over her beautiful face and she clenched her fists.
“A date, Jaime? You’ve got to be kidding me.
You’re a real piece of work, do you know that?
Coming back into my life, flirting with me, teasing me by taking your shirt off, begging me to teach you about tequila, all the while you’re courting another woman.
How long exactly have you been in town? Two days?
Fuck you. What the hell is wrong with you? ”
He grinned. He enjoyed her hint of jealousy. “Glad to see you haven’t lost your fire, though I saw the spark last night at Mezcalifornia.”
“Whatever, Jaime. Deal’s off. I don’t want to teach you about tequila and have you fix my socials.
And clearly, you will never be a gentleman and it’s doubtful you will ever speak Spanish.
If it was important to you, you would already speak it.
I can’t wait for this nightmare to end. Just show up at the festival and leave. ”
“Alma, relax. I’m doing a charity event for Leti. You know Leti? Santi’s sister.”
Alma’s face softened. “You are? That’s so sweet.
” But her smile was quickly replaced with a flash of anger.
“Why did you let me work myself all up about this? You said date. You could’ve just said ‘I have a fundraiser to attend,’ and I would’ve thought you were a lovely human instead of a manipulative narcissistic jackass. ”
“Because.” He leaned in closer. Their lips were almost close enough to touch. Her sweet scent filled the space, the space that kept these two bodies that desperately wanted to connect apart. “I wanted to see if I had any chance with you at all.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, you don’t. I’m not interested in you in the slightest. I just reacted that way because I thought it was pretty shitty that you would come up here and reenter my world and immediately flaunt your dating life in front of my face.
Not because I want you currently but because you are my ex. ”
He smirked. “Right. That’s exactly why you got upset.”
“You’re so cocky, do you know that? I don’t think it’s possible to turn you into a gentleman.”
“Anything’s possible.”
She threw up her hands. “So, Friday’s out. How about brunch—on Sunday? We could go to Napa.”
“I’ll go wherever you want. But let me plan everything, okay?”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t. I need to be in control. Let me think about it.” She looked at her watch. “I need to bounce. I have to stop by my parents’ house for a bit and then head to work.”
He smirked, opened his mouth, and then quickly shut it without muttering a word.
“What is it, Jaime?”
“It’s just—Carlos invited me to your parents’ house. I’m headed there now.” He started cracking up. “I swear he told me you wouldn’t be there!”
Her mouth gaped open.
His gaze focused on her beautiful lips, how much he wanted to kiss them once again.
“I…I can’t even. You’re everywhere.”
He pushed his lustful thoughts aside. “Hey, I’m sorry about invading your life. Tell you what—I won’t go to your parents’ house. It’s too much. I get that. To be clear, I was going to leave you alone, but Carlos invited me to the festival, to the park to play soccer, and to your parents’ house.”
Her eyes raked over his body. “I appreciate that. I really do. But you should come.”
Confusion rushed over him. As much as he wanted to spend time with Alma, he had to get out of there—Santi was waiting for him patiently in the car, and this wasn’t how he wanted to reconnect with his ex, though he was happy to take any time he could get with her.
Plus, he was intrigued that she wanted to change him.
Didn’t women know that a man can only change if he wants to?
Did he?
“Why? Do you want me there?”
She shook her head. “No. Not really. But my parents would love to see you. And I have to leave for work in a bit, anyway.”
She had the option here to bounce, to not spend a second more of her time with him, but instead she gave him permission to go to her parents’ house.
“Don’t they hate me? I wouldn’t blame them if they did.”
“Well, they hated seeing me so fucked-up, but no, Jaime, they don’t hate you. They always liked you.” She gulped. “I mean, my dad thought you were going to ask him for my hand in marriage and propose to me, not dump me.”
Jaime’s face contorted. He had never been close to wanting to wed.
“We were like twenty-two. I wasn’t ready to get married.
” And for that matter, he still wasn’t. Would he ever be?
He didn’t want to settle down like his brothers had.
Ramón was so wrapped up in wedding planning and the catechism wedding classes, he didn’t have a second to himself.
And Enrique wasn’t engaged yet, but Jaime had his suspicion he would be soon.
“Yeah, but they got married young. And they’re happy, but it was another time. Anyway, I’m going to take off. I’ll see you there.”
He lightly grabbed her wrist, electricity pulsing through his body. “Can I ride with you?”
He waited for her response.
She exhaled. “Fine.” She hoisted Tequila up and put her in the front seat. “Just have Santi follow us.”
Score.
“And put your shirt back on, for Christ’s sake.”
He smirked. He opened the door to Santi’s car.
“You finally done? Did she agree to go out with you?”
“Yes. Brunch next Sunday, but she won’t let me plan anything. I’m working on changing her mind about that. But she’s letting me ride with her to her parents’ house. Follow us?”
Santi nodded. “Sure. See you there.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.” Santi was the best friend—they had bonded at college over their love of craft beers and hiking, and Jaime had been there for Santi when his father died.
Back in San Diego, Jaime had relied on his brothers for companionship, but now that they were so busy with their loves, Jaime often spent nights alone in his house, watching the ocean hit the rocks.
“Yeah, you do.”
Jaime pulled on his shirt, shut the car door, and went to the passenger seat of Alma’s Audi Q8 e-tron. It was a raspberry color.
“Nice car.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know what you’re going to say. But I love the color. It’s called Berry Pearl. Get in.”
Sí, Senorita.
Jaime placed her dog on the floor, slid into the seat next to her, but it felt odd. When they had been together, he had almost always driven, unless he had been drunk, and she’d been the designated driver. He resisted the urge to slide his hand over and squeeze her thigh.
Her pug put her paws on Jaime’s seat.
“You’re in her seat. She wants to look out the window.”
“Got it.” Jaime pulled her up to his lap, opened the window, and she stuck her enormous head out. The air blew in her face, causing sharp, light hairs to fly everywhere.
Alma blasted some Bad Bunny, and they drove through her old neighborhood.
It seemed more run-down than he remembered.
There were more homeless people milling around and some of the buildings didn’t look structurally sound.
The only parts of this city that were newly painted were the bright graffiti on the freeway underpass.
A bunch of teens loitered near a store, roughing up some other punks.
“Has crime really increased here recently?”
“Honestly, yeah, it’s pretty bad. There are new gangs here from different countries fighting for turf domination. They killed some kid from the high school the other week,” she said casually.
Fuck. Were her parents even safe here anymore? Was Carlos? What about Alma when she visited?
Did Jaime even have a right to ask her those questions? No, he didn’t. Especially because he couldn’t figure out a way to phrase them without coming off like a completely pretentious prick.
“That’s horrible. I don’t know what to say.”
Alma glared at him. “What, Jaime?”
“What do you mean what?”
“I mean say what you are thinking.”
Jaime shook his head. “You still know me so well.”
“I don’t know about that, but I know that tone in your voice.”
“Fine. It’s just, I know this is your community and Carlos and your parents still live here. But you moved away.” He exhaled. “Maybe they could move away, too.”
Alma pulled her hair on her scalp. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m serious. Your bar is doing well. Maybe you could help them move to Tiburon? Or a different part of Marin.”
“Do you honestly think I haven’t tried?” Alma shook her head.
“Have you met my parents? Or Carlos, for that matter? They would never let me support them. Ever. And Carlos could actually afford to get his own place, but he chooses to stay and help my parents and work in his community. I’m the bitch who moved out and abandoned her family for her oceanfront condo.
But Carlos would never, ever do that. He’s selfless. ”
Her voice choked up. Fuck.
He reached over and squeezed her hand. Luckily, she didn’t push him away. “I’m sorry, Alma. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”
“No, I know you didn’t. It’s just so hard. And I feel so fucking guilty. But I want to have my own life. And live where I work. I guess I’m just selfish.”
“You aren’t. I promise.”
She turned on her parents’ street and pulled into the driveway. Santi was right behind them.
She wiped her tears away with a tissue. “If Mamá sees my mascara running, she will think I’m crying over you.”
Jaime laughed. There was the funny Alma he knew. The Alma he had loved.
“Well, thanks for not trying to make me look bad. And letting me come with you.”
He opened the door and rushed around to open hers, but it was too late. She was already out of the car.
Jaime’s stomach clenched. He hadn’t intended on seeing her parents this trip—or ever again. He didn’t want to be questioned for his actions, but he knew he deserved a reckoning.
Alma had said that her parents wished him no ill will, but was that really true? He’d broken their only daughter’s heart.