“How was your nap?”
His smile grows impossibly wider. “Fan-fucking-tastic. Isn’t that right, little man,” he whispers, and kisses the top of Luis's head. I swear my ovaries are on overload right now.
“How long has he been out?”
He cranes his neck toward the wall clock, his Adam's apple bobbing before saying, “Maybe twenty minutes.”
“His evening nap is usually an hour or two. Do you want me to go put him down in his crib so you can move?”
He shakes his head and beams at me. “Nah. We’re good.”
The sight of his smile tugs at my heartstrings. Emilio is more than I expected. “You’re pretty good at this dad stuff, huh?”
“Learning from the master,” he tells me and pats the space beside him.
I take the seat, leaning in to brush a lock of hair from Luis’s forehead.
“We made a great kid,” he whispers, and if it weren’t for the fact I’m sitting down right now, I would melt into a puddle of goo right here on the floor. “You did good, momma.”
A lump forms in my throat. “Thanks.”
Almost reverently, he rubs Luis back with one arm, his other thrown across the back of the sofa, and his fingers absently stroking my bare shoulder. I’m not sure if he even realizes he’s touching me, but I don’t bother to point it out.
“Can I come back tomorrow?” Emilio asks, his voice hesitant. “I know we said Wednesday and I know I wasn’t supposed to be here today but … I’ve missed so much already, and I swear the kid changes every day. I don’t want to miss out on even a second of his life that I don’t have to.”
“I—“ A trickle of worry worms its way into me before I push it aside. This is great. Emilio wanting more time with Luis is a good thing. I need to get over the irrational fear that him spending more time with Luis somehow means I’ll have less. This isn’t a competition, and right now, more time is not only good for Emilio, but it’s good for Luis and that’s what is more important. “That would be great.”
“Really?” His arm drops down from the back of the sofa and he squeezes me to him in a side embrace.
“Yeah. Really.”
He kisses my temple, taking me by surprise. “Thank you.”
I laugh off his words and his touch with a roll of my eyes. “Don’t thank me yet. One of these days Luis is going to clock you in the face with a car and we’ll see then how you really feel.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I ignore the fact that his arm is still around me, that I’m still pressed against his side, and decide to just be. I rest my head on his shoulder and place the other on our son, content to share this moment with the man I created this tiny human being with.
fifteen
“How goes fatherhood?” Dominique asks when I take my seat beside him in fourth.
“Amazing,” I tell him and pull out my phone to show him the pictures I snapped of Luis earlier in the week. It’s Thursday and I’ve been at Bibiana’s every day as soon as football practice let out. Antonio is keeping to his word. He’s been watching Sofia, getting her to and from school and making sure she isn’t alone while I focus on Luis.
Raul hasn’t been back since last week, and I’m hoping our luck holds out a little bit longer.
“There’s a lot of Bibiana in this reel,” he tells me, quirking a brow.
“She’s his mom and she’s there. Don’t read too much into it.” I haven’t told any of them that I asked her to marry me. And I sure as shit am not going to mention that she turned me down.
“Don’t read too much into what?” Allie asks as she takes her seat, Roman following suit beside her.
“The fact that most of the pictures Emilio has of Luis on his phone are also shots of Bibiana.”
“Oooo, let me see,” Allie says and without bothering to wait for me to hand it to her, she snatches my phone and begins scrolling. “Oh, my god, he is so freaking cute.” She shows Roman a few of the pictures and he gives me his nod of approval. Asshole. Though despite myself I have to try and not puff up at his response. Roman is the head of our little trio, err, foursome. Is that what we are now that Allie is around?
Hold up. Do Kasey and Aaron count? And if they count, what about Bibiana? She’s the mother of my child so she better fucking be included, right?
I rub the back of my neck. I’m not even going to try and figure all of that out right now, but whatever we are size-wise, Roman is our fearless, asshole-ish leader, so yeah, him being happy for me gives me those warm and fuzzy feelings I won't admit to out loud. I’m a dad. A teenage dad, which I’m sure comes with the same stigma as being a teen mom, but none of my friends have batted an eye at that. No one is giving me shit. I’m grateful. Roman and Dominique, they’re my family. Just as much as Roberto, Antonio, and Sofia are. I want them to be a part of Luis’s life, and that they’re so clearly interested in my boy is a relief.
“My mom wants you to bring him by. She said she’s only going to wait so long to meet her first grandchild before she comes and hunts you down,” Roman adds gruffly.
I grin at that. “Aww, you bitter I gave Mama Valdez a baby first?”
He snorts. “No. I’m hoping since you gave her a baby she’ll back off with her questions about when Allie and I are getting married and when will we pop out some grand-babies for her.”
“Good luck with that.”
Allie laughs. “We have time. Right now it’s just, when are you going to get married and stop living in sin?”
Roman snorts. “Don't delude yourself. That woman wants babies. I vote we pimp out Emilio’s.”
I roll my eyes but I’m cut off from responding when our teacher starts his lesson. I don't pay attention for most of it. All of this feels like refresher coming off winter break and my grades are better than most, so I let my mind wander to my future now that Luis is in it.
I have a full ride to Suncrest U after graduation just like Roman and Dom do, but unlike them, football isn't all I’ve been considering.
For Roman, it’s always been football. His pops wants him going to the academy. Having a police chief for a dad puts on some added pressure, but Roman has never once even considered it. He wants to go pro.
Dominique wants to go pro too, and with an arm like his, the fucker is good enough if you ask me, but he also comes from money. He could go to any college in the country and his parents would pave the way for him. Hell, they'd probably prefer he go somewhere else. Suncrest U is a state college, but it's a division one school with the top-ranking football team in the nation which is why we’re all going there.
But Dom's parents are loaded and they've got plans for him to take over the family empire at some point. Only time will tell if he makes it playing ball before they drag his ass off the field.
I play cornerback for the Sun Valley Devils. And I’m good. Really good. But, I got offers for educational scholarships too. It helps when you get a 1340 on the SATs and carry a 3.9 GPA, not that I advertise that shit. I could rock the 4.0 if I wanted to, but I cut one too many classes and let's be honest, no one likes an overachiever.
Football has always been the plan for me. Getting a degree in engineering is just a backup plan. But with Luis, where does being a dad fit into things? Next year, I’ll have classes, training, my free time will be thin. If I took an educational scholarship instead, gave up on playing ball, I’d have more time in the day.
A rock forms in the pit of my stomach. No. I’ll figure something out. I don’t need to do the college scene. That was never the plan anyway. Fuck the parties and the booze. I’m going to college with one goal in mind, so I’ll have plenty of time if I keep my eye on the prize. Luis, football, school. That’s it. I can plan my schedule so it’s tight. Back-to-back classes with a break between them and practice so I can see my boy.
I don’t need to get a killer GPA in college. I just need to pass well enough to keep my scholarship. No one cares about your grades as long as you walk away with your degree. And f
uck, if I get drafted, then my grades really won’t mean shit.
I can make this work.
I have to.
The bell rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. I look up to see Allie’s gaze locked on mine. “Everything okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, Vanilla. Everything is good.”
Roman scowls but I roll my eyes. He isn’t the only one allowed to call her that. He pulls out his phone and reads an incoming text. “Practice is cancelled,” he tells us.
“Friday funday, fuckers.”
“For you, maybe,” Allie complains. “I have a shift at the diner.”
“You two coming over?” Roman asks Dominique and I as we all make our way out of the classroom. “I’m dropping Allie off at work and then I’ll be at my place. We can go over plays. Watch a few recordings.”
I shake my head. “Can’t. I’m heading to Bibiana’s.”
“Has she mentioned when she’ll be back?” Allie asks, and I hear the worry in her voice.
I suck on my teeth. “No, actually. It hasn’t come up. But she said she has it handled with her teachers.” I shrug.
Allie doesn’t look happy about my response. “I’m worried about her. She can’t afford to miss this much school. She was already struggling to meet graduation requirements.”
My brows pull together. “What are you talking about?” She hasn’t mentioned any of this to me.
Allie sighs. “It’s not really my pla—”
“Come on, Vanilla. Help a man out. Please.”
Her eyes soften. “Fine.” She runs a hand through her hair as we all navigate our way through the parking lot to our cars and I force myself to slow down my steps so she doesn’t have to increase her pace to keep up. She’s almost as small as Bibiana but not quit. “Her mom isn’t coming home until her loser boyfriend is either released or in jail, so she has no childcare.”
I stop. “What?”
“That should be any day now. Roman’s dad has enough to bring charges and his injuries are mostly healed since Aaron and Roman beat the crap out of him.” Roman smirks at that and not gonna lie, Aaron’s part in all this definitely makes it harder to keep hating on him.
Speak of the devil. “Hey,” Aaron calls out and we all turn to find him a few car lengths away with Kasey beside him. “I’m heading to the diner, want a lift?” His words are meant for Allie but it’s Roman who answers him.
“No. I can take her.”
Aaron comes closer as Kasey rolls her eyes and climbs inside his Subaru WXR. “Don’t be a dick, Roman. I’m working with her. I can take her to work and you can pick her up before shift ends.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Allie says, not letting Roman argue as she gives him a kiss on the cheek and turns to leave.
“Hold up. What all am I missing about Bibiana?”
She pauses beside Aaron. “Her mom isn’t watching Luis for her until things with her boyfriend are sorted.” Her lip curls in disgust. “I don’t know what is wrong with her. She’s acting like her boyfriend isn’t a rapist asshole when he is. When he could do to Bibi what he did to me.” She shudders. “It’s not my problem but I feel bad for Bibi and what she’s going through. It’s hard knowing that your mom is standing by someone like that.”
My jaw tightens. Shit. I didn’t know.
“Roman’s dad said they’ll bring charges against him today. Once they do, he can request bail so they’re going to time it with the weekend and hold him as long as possible. Bibiana should be back next week if everything works out. With that creep in jail her mom should be around but,” she shakes her head, “I don’t know. She can’t afford to miss much more school. Even if she manages to keep up on assignments, there are attendance requirements she won’t meet. We talked yesterday. I don’t know the specifics but I know she’s barely treading water.”
“Fuck.” I run my hands through my hair. “She didn’t tell me that. She said she had it figured out.”
The look on Aaron’s face says it all. I’m an idiot.
“I didn’t think—”
“About what it was like to be a single mom, raising a kid on your own when you still have school and shit to worry about?” Aaron finishes for me. Allie smacks him in the chest, but he’s not wrong.
“No. I didn’t.” Dammit. “I gotta go. I’ll catch you guys later.” I need to talk to Bibiana. Figure this out because she needs to graduate. Luis is my kid, too. She doesn’t have to do this on her own anymore. What happened to being a team? Co-parenting? That means I do my part, but I can’t if she doesn’t keep me in the fucking loop.
sixteen
She opens the door like she has every other day this week, only this time, Luis is nowhere in sight. “Hey,” she says, stepping aside to let me in. “You’re here early.”
“Yeah. Practice was cancelled today,” I tell her.
She nods and I debate how to go about this. Bibiana is proud. She won’t want me inserting myself into her life. Not on her account. I've noticed this week she's fine when I offer to do something for Luis, but anytime I try to help her, she brushes me aside.
"That's probably nice," she says. "Gives you a chance to rest up before next week’s game.” I’m surprised she knows our schedule. She hasn’t been to any of our games, not that I’ve made a point of inviting her or anything. I’m not sure she’d want to go even if I did. We’re not together, and watching me play feels like a girlfriend thing to do.
"Yeah. I'm always down for a break." Coach has been running us hard. We made it through playoffs and earned our regional championship titles. You would think that’d grant us a reprieve, but, if anything, it's only made things more grueling. Coach isn’t going to let up until we take state next week, and then we can all breathe a little easier.
Sun Valley High has won state the last three years in a row. If we win this year, it will be our fourth. I think Coach is worried it'll also be his last with all three of us Devils graduating this year. He's been pushing the underclassmen on the team to step up, asking us to spend more one-on-one time with them than typical so that he has something decent to work with next year. We don’t. Well, Roman and I don’t, at least. Mingling with the new recruits isn’t exactly something we do, but Dom is the school’s quarterback so he’s been handling business, giving the rest of the team pointers and getting their asses in line.
“Where’s my little man?"
She brushes a few stray pieces of hair out of her face. "He actually just went down for a nap. I'm sorry."
I shrug. "No worries. Mind if I hang out until he wakes up?"
"Umm... sure. I guess. I mean, yeah. That's fine." She's nervous but she has no reason to be. Bibiana leads me through the house and into the kitchen, pausing behind one of the barstools at the kitchen island where it looks like she's been doing her schoolwork.
“Keeping up?” I ask, nodding to her open textbooks.
She sighs. “Yeah. I’ve got it handled.”
I step closer to her and tilt her chin toward me. “It’s okay to ask for help sometimes,” I tell her.
She tugs her chin away. “It’s not your job to help me. I’ve got it covered. Besides, Mom should be back next week.”
I clench my jaw. “You said that before and it’s been a week already. Can you afford to keep missing school?”
Her expression tightens. “I’m not your problem, Emilio.”
I swear this girl is going to be the death of me.
seventeen
“I’m not your problem,” I tell him.
“What if I want you to be?” he asks. Brown eyes search my own, trying to understand what’s going through my head. But if I’m honest, I have no idea. This week has been … different. Not bad different, though I’m not sure if it’s good different either. It’s just, different. I feel like I’m playing some elaborate game where we each have a role and a character we’re expected to be and I’m terrified to get my part wrong.
I’m already coming to rely on him and it’s only been a week. He plays with
Luis in the evenings while I get caught up. He helps with bedtime and he makes being a single mom so much easier than it ever was before.
I’m getting attached when I shouldn’t be. I don’t want to mess everything up. Emilio’s only concern should be Luis. I’m not his responsibility. We need rules. Boundaries.
But … his words from earlier this week come to me.
Date me.
Would that be such a bad thing?
Emilio’s eyes darken when I still don’t answer, and his thumb drags along my jawline. “Mariposa?”
He hasn’t called me that since…
“Why did you call me that?” I ask and yeah, I’m avoiding his question. I’m woman enough to admit it. Doesn’t mean I’m going to feel bad about it.
The corners of his mouth quirk up. “Because the night we met, you decided to spread your wings and fly. You transformed from the shy prep-school girl into a sexy-as-sin vixen. Mi mariposa.” My butterfly.
My breath hitches. “A moth,” I correct for no real reason. I know mariposa translates to butterfly in Spanish, but I need to dispel this moment.
Emilio dips his head toward me, his warm breath skating across my cheek.
“Fine. You can be the most beautiful moth if you’d prefer.”
I swallow hard. How does he manage to make that sexy?
“Do you remember that night? How good we were together?”
I gasp when he leans even closer, his stubble scraping along my skin. Heat rushes between my legs and my thighs clench as memories assail me. That night was so much more than I’d expected.
A strong arm wraps around my waist and pulls me flush against his chest, and his free hand cups my jaw, right before his lips press against mine. My heart pounds in my chest as his mouth teases my own. Sucking in a breath, I pull back before the kiss can go much further.
Savage Devil: A Secret Baby, High School Bully Romance (Devils of Sun Valley High Book 2) Page 12
