Romeo and the Angel: Impossible Crush Chronicles

by Leeann M. Shane

  Romeo sent his elbow into the guy’s ribs. “This is Rya, you embarrassing prick. Rya, this is David.”

  David gave him an evil look, clutching his side. His eye was the color of a plum and looked so tender I wondered why he wasn’t icing it. He nodded at me. “Hola, Rya.”

  I shuffled, pretty positive I was the color of a ripe, heirloom tomato. “Hola.”

  There was a rush of laughter. Romeo grinned at me, loving my uncomfortableness.

  The boy on his left wasn’t smiling, but his eyes were. “My abuela gives English lessons at the youth club. If you want, I can see if she’ll teach you some Española on the side.”

  “Really?” I asked, surprised. “That’s so nice of you.”

  The boy grinned, showing me all of his teeth. “I’m a nice guy.”

  Again, with the snickers. “I’m sure that you’re a prince.”

  He gave in to the mirth in his eyes, laughing right along with his friends. He said something in Spanish and everyone, even Rosa, guffawed. Romeo and David held their sides as they did so.

  No way was I standing there so everyone could make fun of me. I tossed my lunch in the trash and turned to leave. But Romeo had a hold of my hand before I could take a step.

  He tugged me back and onto his lap, where he wrapped both arms around me, holding me still. He put his lips near my ear. “Do you have any idea how adorably sexy you are right now?” He kissed behind my ear.

  I refused to fall for his tactics. “Let me go.” I felt like a freaking zoo animal. Almost everyone was watching us. I wanted to make a face and give them all the finger.

  He held me tighter, his warm breath kissing the back of my neck. “Answer me. Do you do this on purpose?”

  “Do what?”

  His teeth nibbled on my earlobe, sending zaps of unexpected bolts through me. “Tempt me.”

  Crap, I liked that. Ugh. I reminded myself I was a strong girl and his compliments got nothing out of me. Or his nibbles. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Hmm,” he rumbled, like he didn’t believe me whatsoever. “Well, then you probably don’t realize how funny you are either.”

  When I peeked at his friends, they were both grinning like boobs at me.

  I groaned, shaking my head.

  The boy who’d offered his grandmother’s services offered me a thin item wrapped in white paper. “Peace offering. You can hit it first.”

  I took the object, studying it. Green chunks poked out of the end. “What is it?”

  Romeo snatched it from me and handed it back, saying something to him in shrill Spanish.

  “Chill, chill. How was I supposed to know she doesn’t smoke pot?” He took the item back, tucking it between his lips and bringing a lighter up.

  I watched in amazement as he smoked what I realized was a joint. At school. Like it was nothing.

  “Won’t you get in trouble?” I hissed, looking around for security campus.

  But other than the first day of school, I had to admit I hadn’t seen a single one since. In fact, we were all on our own. There wasn’t a single teacher out there other than the cafeteria workers, but I hadn’t seen them step away from the heating stations. When I met his eyes, they were knowing.

  “We run this school,” he stated. “Why do you think there isn’t a single person from the west side here?”

  I also hadn’t seen anything to unravel that statement either. “What would happen if someone did come to school here from another gang?”

  He took a toke, blowing the pungent smoke into the air. “We’d beat them out of here.”

  I nodded slowly, as if I were absorbing his words. I wasn’t. I couldn’t. They weren’t healthy. To hate someone because of where they came from. But I didn’t dare say that to him. He didn’t talk about his life like it was a joke, or even wrong. It was his life. There was a sense of respect in me for that. “Thank goodness my dad got a job on the east side then, huh?”

  He smirked, taking another inhale. He blew it over my head. “Sure, gringa.”

  I wiggled uncomfortably on Romeo’s lap. He was talking to David, and since he was doing so in Spanish, I couldn’t exactly join in. Small clusters of conversations went on around me, some I heard, others I couldn’t interpret. It was one of those moments I’d had many times since coming to Kings River. I was surrounded by people, but they did nothing to curb my loneliness. I was struck by how much I missed my sister. Ever since the night we got chased into Romeo’s neighborhood, we hadn’t spent much time apart.

  When the bell rang, I was thankful. I peeled myself off Romeo’s lap, shooting him a glare when he got up as well. “Where are you going?”

  “Walking you to class.”

  I pushed gently at his chest. “I can walk myself.”

  “She’s an independent woman,” his friend said, eyes now red and low-lidded.

  “Shut up, Enrique,” Romeo growled, looking at me closely. “You okay?”

  “Fine.” I dipped between Enrique’s and his body, losing myself in the crowd.

  After school, I was slow to make it off campus. I dreaded the walk home by myself and cursed Kenzie’s sudden onset flu bug. I wondered if my parents really thought she was sick, or if they were giving her space. Or if Kenzie was right and they weren’t focused on us anymore the way they used to. It was a sad part of growing up, but that didn’t mean they didn’t love us anymore. It just meant we could start loving ourselves a little more.

  Maybe that’s what was so hard. Being solely responsible for my own self-love. To pump myself up when I was down. To convince myself I could do something I didn’t think I could do. To know I wasn’t an outcast because of anything I did, but because it was hard making way in a city that had already been claimed. I had to start worrying more about myself than I ever had before.

  When I made it past the Welcome to Kings High School sign out front, I paused, digging through my backpack to see how much money I had. I found two crumpled dollar bills and a few loose quarters. I set off for the vendor that I knew hung out a few blocks over in front of a mechanics shop. I remembered him because I thought the symbolism was beautiful. To sell roses in front of a greasy car shop. The red petals pulsed with the metal siding as a backdrop. It was pretty and dirty, kind of like the city.

  I bought a single red rose from him and then went home. Mom was napping on the couch, so I slipped past her and went into my room. Kenzie was sitting up, wireless headphones on, writing in her journal.

  I produced the rose, holding it out to her.

  She slowly pulled her headphones aside, giving me and the rose a look. “What’s this?”

  “It’s a cure for the flu.”

  She smiled a little, and took the rose, giving it a smell.

  It was the first time I’d seen her smile in days.

  And sometimes, you had to worry about another person’s self-love. Maybe loving them would prove they were worth all the love in the world.

  That we all were.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ROMEO

  Letting someone in wasn’t something I did.

  I hadn’t done it before the way I’d done so with Rya.

  Figuratively holding open my doors and ushering her inside, despite how hard I’d fought to keep those doors sealed shut. I was afraid and excited, and it sucked, to fear what made me feel good.

  But in my world, fearing what you knew was a part of things. I tried to find her in the crowd after school. It shouldn’t have been so hard. She was the only person on campus today with a blonde ponytail. When I didn’t find her, I took off for the twin’s elementary school, running the few blocks over. I slid to a halt in front of their classroom, finding them sitting together.

  They were swinging their little legs, eyes searching for me. When they spotted me, their eyes lit up. The sight of them did awful things to my heart. It made my eyes burn. It made me wish I could be like Romeo in the book. Stronger. Braver. I wanted to snatch them up and ask Rya to come with me
. To a better world. A fictional world.

  Too bad it couldn’t be real.

  Their teacher gave me an approving nod, probably because I was on time today. “Hey, you two.” I stooped down in front of them. “How was school?”

  Gabby flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “A boy threw French fries at me.”

  I hugged her back as hard as I safely could without crushing her. “What’d you throw at him?”

  “My binder.”

  I laughed, reaching out for Antony. He slipped into the hug, burrowing his face in my neck. “You have a good day?”

  He shook his head, with no explanation.

  “What happened?”

  He shrugged.

  “That boy keeps teasing him for always reading,” Gabby explained. “That’s why I threw my binder at him.”

  I pulled back a little, so I could see them both. “Is that boy still here?”

  Gabby pointed. “Yeah, he’s over there.”

  There was a boy, taller than the twins, standing next to a bigger guy. In dismay, I realized why the man looked familiar. He was the same one I’d fought in the park. The same one who’d tried to attack Rya and her sister. The elementary school was in the middle of town; there was only one. It wasn’t in either territory. It was in both.

  My hackles rose. I sat the twins back down. “I’m going to go talk to him. You two sit tight.”

  They nodded nervously, and I could feel their innocent eyes on me as I approached them. As I got closer, his bruises and cuts became apparent. I grinned. He looked worse than me.

  “Hey,” I shouted, catching both their attention.

  He saw me, his stance changing. He tucked the boy behind him. He lifted his chin. “We aren’t fighting at my kid’s school.”

  “I don’t want to fight you again. Beating you once was enough. What I want is for your snot-nosed kid to stop messing with my brother and sister.”

  His nostrils flared. “Don’t talk about my kid like that.”

  “Or what?” I goaded. “You going to try and attack another woman?”

  He got in my face. “You watch what you say in front of my kid.” Hot anger sizzled from his eyes.

  It flared in mine too. I was taller than him. My reach was longer. My fists bigger. And I had more at stake. I had my entire life. “If he messes with my brother and sister again, you and I are going to have another problem. Handle it.”

  “Is that a threat?” he asked, a cold edge entering his eyes.

  “It’s whatever you want it to be.” I turned and headed back to the twins, feeling his rage burn a hole in my back. “What’s that kid’s last name?” I asked them.

  “Lopez.”

  I cemented that to memory. Then I gave them both a smile. “I don’t have to work tonight. How about we go get some dinner and then ice-cream?”

  They jumped up and down the entire walk over to the pizza place. I held both of their hands, their backpacks splashing around the contents as they put together the grossest sounding pizza’s ever. Chocolate, onions, with barbecue sauce and peaches made me gag.

  Thankfully we managed to settle on pepperoni. We spread out in the back, chugging down soda and pizza as they told me about their day. I wanted them to know I was there. A part of their everyday. While I still could be.

  After pizza, we went over to the ice-cream shop before going home. I had them spread their homework out at the kitchen bar and helped them catch up while I did my own. Gabby was sounding out words and Antony was putting his homework away when there was a knock on the door.

  I peered through the front window, the sun setting over the neighborhood basketball court in the distance.

  Raf was on the other side.

  I opened the door, not saying anything.

  He rolled his eyes. “Can I come in?”

  “What for?”

  “To make out. What do you think I want to do?” He shoved past me, mumbling a Spanish curse word under his breath. He plopped down in the living room, putting his feet up on the couch. Like he used to do growing up. He’d come in and make himself at home. But that was before.

  Before the tattoo on his arm made it so we’d never be at home in the same place again.

  I closed the door. “Go hang out in your room,” I told the kids.

  Gabby sighed in relief, happily closing her work and clambering down and running to her room. Antony followed, pausing to give me a look.

  “What?” I asked.

  He motioned for me to come closer.

  I stooped down to his level.

  He touched my face. “Who beat you up?”

  They’d bombarded me with questions in the morning and didn’t believe the excuse that I’d given about falling at work. I sighed. “You don’t need to know the specifics. I’m okay. I promise.”

  He put his head on my shoulder. He hadn’t done it since he was a baby, but maybe he didn’t feel so good today. I hugged him to me, the guilt spilling over inside. He shouldn’t have to see me like this. I knew what it did to him. My father had done the same to me.

  “Don’t get hurt again, please.”

  I could hear a soggy sound in his plea. Crap. Was he crying? I pulled him back and sure enough there was water in his eyes. The messed-up thing about his tears was that they reminded me of Rya’s. My hurt, hurt him.

  I searched my brain, trying to come up with anything to make him feel better; nothing came out but, “I won’t, I promise.”

  He nodded, taking off for his room.

  I stayed there, wondering how they’d live without me.

  How I’d ever live without them.

  I cleared the cobwebs in my throat and turned to find Raf in my kitchen, hand in the cereal box. “What?” he asked, mouth full. “Mi mamá hasn’t been around lately. And Sergio’s girlfriend only cooks huevos con salsa every day, man.”

  I shook my head at him and pushed the leftover pizza his way. He scooped it up, returning to the couch. “There’s a basketball game on. Want to watch it?”

  “What are you doing here, Raf?” I wasn’t in the mood to play around.

  He sniffed, chewing slowly, appraising me. “I miss you,” he said, switching over to Spanish.

  He did that when he was uncomfortable. “You have all those new friends, though. A new girlfriend. The love of the general. What do you need me for?”

  “Because you’re real. Even if they get to you, they won’t get in here.” He patted his chest. “It’s hollow in here. For all of them.” He swallowed hard and it made me think he was afraid.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, Rome. Everything. I don’t know.” And then, “You talk to Kenzie at all, maybe?”

  “Ah, is that why you’re here?” I sank down beside him, grabbing the remote. “Because I brought Rya around the crew today and you were too pussy to do the same with Kenzie and now she’s gone forever?”

  He sent his fist into my arm. “Why do you have to be an asshole? Why’d you bring her? Why can’t you let her go where she’s safe? She isn’t safe around us.”

  “I know!” I exploded. “Let me worry about her safety. You worry about Rosa’s.”

  He snorted. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous. You don’t love her.”

  “You’re right, I don’t. Not anymore. And I’m not jealous. But how would you like it if I hooked up with Kenzie?”

  His eyes blinked, and when they opened, they spun rage. “I’d kill you.”

  I laughed. “Calm down. I’m not going to. For twins, they’re nothing alike. They’re like Gabby and Antony. Same birthdays, entirely different souls. I prefer Rya’s soul.”

  “Then why are you risking it?”

  For being such an asshat, Raf’s question did what he intended. It bothered me. He stayed over late and didn’t leave until Mama got home from work. I checked in on the twins and tore Ants book from his hands, tucking them both in. Then I took a shower and went in to check on Mama. She’d passed out in her uniform. I caref
ully took off her shoes and covered her with her blanket.

  In bed, I pulled out my phone, hating to admit to myself the blank screen bothered me. My fingers skimmed over the keyboard, penning a message I shouldn’t send.

  But did anyway.

  Me: I miss you. All the time. Even when I just saw you. Even when I’m not supposed to. Even when we weren’t talking, and you’d skip a day from school or I did, I missed seeing you. It wouldn’t suck to get a message from you. Or a call. Was your first kiss not as amazing as we both knew it was?

  As soon as I hit send, I sat up, in acute panic. I stared at the screen, closing my eyes in deep embarrassment when I felt it hum from an incoming message.

  Peeling my eyes open, I read it, my heart in my throat.

  Rya: I’m at the hospital. Mom was having pains and I drove her. They admitted her. She’s delivering the babies early.

  Guilt slid into my throat, making it hard to breathe for a different reason.

  Me: Is she going to be okay?

  Rya: Do you have any idea how scared I was? How afraid I was? How badly I wanted someone’s help? How awful I felt missing you when my mother’s fighting to save my sibling’s lives?

  I knew I was a sick bastard when I smiled.

  Me: Don’t feel awful. And don’t be afraid. The babies will be fine and so will your mother. Can I help? Can I come see you?

  Rya: Please.

  Mama wouldn’t need her car until six in the morning. It was a little after eleven.

  Me: I’ll text you when I get there.

  Rya: Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it.

  I tossed on my jeans and threw a hoodie on over my head, snatching Mama’s keys from her purse. I slipped out of the house and out of my neighborhood, driving across town to the hospital. I texted Rya when I got there and waited for her downstairs. She came out wearing what she went to school in, eyes red and face tensed in worry.

  As soon as I opened my door and got out, she fell into my arms. I wrapped mine around her, resting my chin on the top of her head. “Did I ever tell you that Mama went to term with the twins? She carried them for a full forty weeks.”