Then out of nowhere, there was a loud honking of someone’s horn and a flash of glaring lights.
I moaned, returning back to the drive-in and staring at Seth’s truck in front of us. There was a girl inside with him. It looked like Cindy Thompson, a bubbly freshman who played flute in the band. She sat hunched in the corner of the cab as far away from Seth as she could get. Her hair was all over the place and it looked like she’d been crying.
“Cody?” Cassie’s brows furrowed with worry.
I pulled her closer to my chest. There was no way in hell I was letting go of her. Seth or no Seth.
Seth leaned out of the window, his eyes narrowed as he glared at me. “Show’s over, Wilde, unless you and Cassie want to—”
“Problem here?” Travis slapped the side of the pickup as he walked toward us.
Seth’s jaw tensed. “No problem. Just saying hi to a friend.” He revved up his engine and drove off.
Travis shook his head. “That Seth is trouble just like his dad. Take care you two.”
I gazed down at Cassie, smiling. “No need to worry, Sir. I ain’t lettin’ anything happen to my girl.”
FIVE: Cassie
“Push harder, Cody.” I lifted my legs then quickly pulled them back and leaned forward, trying to build momentum on the swing.
When Miguelito and Selena’s plastic swing set broke, they’d cried for days, begging their dad to buy another one. Mandi’s parents were watching every penny and didn’t have anything to spare. I wished there was something more I could do for them. Over the past few months, I’d gotten so close to Mandi’s family, I thought of them as my own. I had even started calling Mandi’s parents “Mama Flor” and “Papa Manuel.” The small amount I made at the Piggly Wiggly and had forced into Papa Manuel’s hand was not nearly enough.
When I had explained to Cody what happened, he immediately set to work. Before I knew it, he and Nic were on the tree tying a couple of ropes to the branch and attaching them to the new wooden swing Cody had carved. I was so proud of what he did. It made me love him even more.
“I don’t want to you to fall off,” Cody said.
I laughed. “I won’t fall off.”
It was late on a Sunday afternoon. Mandi had left earlier with Nic to have brunch with his family. The expression on her face when she left the house this morning was classic. I wish I’d had a camera. She looked terrified. Really, I shouldn’t be giddy seeing her like that. It was just so unlike her to be afraid of what others thought of her. It’d never bothered her before.
Over the past few months, I’d found out that Nic came from a wealthy family. I mean, we all knew his family had to have had money since his father was the president of a university. I didn’t know what university presidents made, but I’d guess it’s quite a bit.
What we didn’t know was that his family was rich—like oil tycoon rich. We would’ve never known how rich his family was if Bianca hadn’t let it slip that she wished she could go back to their townhouse in Manhattan or their villa in Milan.
“Okay, if you say so.” Cody pressed his strong hands against my back and pushed.
I squealed as I flew into the air, holding the ropes tightly. The warm air hit against my face and my hair flew back. And for the briefest moment as the swing peaked at its highest, I felt like I was flying. I’d never been as happy as I was at that moment.
Since the night at the drive-in, Cody and I were inseparable. In the weeks since we began dating, there wasn’t a day that didn’t go by when I didn’t see him, touch him or kiss him. My favorite time of the day was after school. I’d walk to the parking lot to get a ride with Cody. He’d be there leaning against the truck looking so sexy in his cowboy hat and t-shirt. He’d have his thumb hooked into the pocket of his jeans and boots scraping against the gravel as he waited patiently.
When he’d hear the crunching of the gravel as I approached him, he’d stop whatever he was doing and lift his head. Blue eyes sparkled underneath the shadows of his hat and a slow smile would cross his face, as if he hadn’t seen me dozens of times earlier in the day. Then that dimple, that adorable, sexy, dimple, would appear. It pulled me to him like a magnet. I’d toss my books into the back of his truck and throw my arms around his neck, pulling him to me, not caring who was watching. And neither would he. We’d locked lips for who knows how long.
It usually took someone honking at us to move out of the way or once in a while Mandi would be with me, when she wasn’t with Nic, and she’d threatened to turn the hose on us. Where she’d find one near the parking lot, I wouldn’t know. But knowing her, she’d be able to do it.
Just when I thought being with Cody couldn’t be more perfect, he did something that made me bawl right there in the school’s parking lot. One day, I had looked down to see what he was doing each time he’d play around with the gravel with his boot. I’d thought it was just his mindless way of passing the time while he waited. When I looked down at the dirt and gravel, I saw a heart with my name in it.
The swing made its descent and my hair flew forward, covering my face. It wasn’t summer yet, but it sure felt like it and my hair was suffering with the humidity.
The swing stopped and Cody placed himself in front of me. Chuckling, he parted the bird’s nest from off my face. “Is my girl anywhere in there? There she is.” His hands gently caressed my heated cheeks and he kissed me. I sighed happily.
“You’re definitely a Texas girl with all that hair. Don’t know how you’re gonna get it all under the graduation cap.”
My heart sank as I thought of graduation. At one time I had been excited about it. I had looked forward to going back to Houston with Mom, especially since Mandi would be leaving soon. I thought maybe I’d take a couple of classes at the community college while I worked and saved up to go full time. Now, it hurt to even think about leaving.
“Hey, what’s with the frown?” His finger lined my cheek.
“I’m frowning?”
“Yep.”
“Mandi’s leaving for college—probably Southwest Texas State in San Marcos. She’s still waiting to hear about the scholarship. Wherever she goes, her family is moving with her.”
“They are? They’re not staying?”
“Yeah. It’s awesome, really. They want to be there for her. Mandi pretends her family is a hassle but she’s really close to them. For a while there, I thought she wasn’t even going to bother with college. She was freaking out so much about the applications. Then she told me her parents would go wherever she chose to go.”
And when they leave, I’ll have to leave too.
A ball of panic leapt into my throat. I kept the thought to myself. This was not a discussion I wanted to have with him. Not yet. I’d been avoiding it the entire time we’d been together. I wanted our time to be happy.
“Your turn,” I said, bouncing off the swing, forcing my voice to sound carefree.
“Guys don’t swing.”
“Yes, they do. Stop being silly.”
I got behind him, placing my hands on his broad shoulders. They were so big and muscular. I couldn’t stop touching him. Pulling him to me, I pressed myself against his back, sliding my hands down across his chest.
He tilted is head up, his eyes twinkling. “Is this an excuse for you to feel me up, darlin’?”
“Why yes. Yes it is.”
I ducked my head, pressing my lips against his. I moaned as I felt his nose slide against my throat. He groaned in response and his hands slid around the back of my neck. Who knew kissing him upside down would be this erotic?
A car door slammed. I looked up to see a tearful Mandi charging toward the house. Black streaked under her eyes and down her cheeks. She’d been crying and hard.
“She don’t look too good,” Cody said.
“Oh no. Something must’ve happened.” I went around the swing, jogging over to her. “Mandi!”
She stopped. Dark, tormented eyes gazed at me.
“What?” Her voice croaked.
<
br /> “Oh my god. What happened?”
“Nic and I broke up.”
“He broke up with you? No way!” Nic was totally in love with her. He had even applied to the same colleges that she had just so he could be with her.
She brushed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. Clearing her throat, she said, “No. I broke up with him.”
SIX: Cassie
Three pairs of eyes widened in shock when Mandi stormed into the house. Miguelito and Selena were playing on the living room floor while Juan watched an A-Team re-run on TV. For once, Juan didn’t begin teasing Mandi about dating a rich, white boy like he usually did whenever she came back from one of her dates with Nic. He took one look at her face and quickly went into the kitchen calling for his parents.
“I’ll check on Nic,” Cody whispered into my ear. “I’ll call you later, okay?”
I nodded as he kissed my cheek and left. I was still in shock. Why would Mandi do something like this? She was so happy with Nic.
“Que paso?” Mama Flor hurried from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. She took one look at Mandi and her face changed from concern to fright. I didn’t blame her. I’d never seen Mandi looking so upset. Angry? Yes. But not this gut wrenching, heaving sobs that were coming out of her.
“Dígame, Manuela,” her voice pleaded when Mandi tried to walk past her. “Mijita, por qué lloras?”
Mandi’s face was a mixture of emotions when her mom asked why she was crying. For once, she wasn’t annoyed that her mom had called her Manuela. Instead, she threw herself into her mother’s arms and bawled.
I stood back and watched as Mama Flor cradled her, rubbing her back as she cried. Papa Manuel came into the living room, his eyes widened in surprise.
“Juan, take your brother and sister to play outside,” he said in broken English. “Cassie, what happened?”
My eyes darted to Mandi who was now sitting on the couch. Mama Flor wiped Mandi’s cheeks with the dishcloth. Her parents had loved Nic the first time they’d met him. In their eyes, he was the perfect gentleman and they welcomed him into their home. Over the past few months, he had become a regular fixture at Sunday dinners.
Except for today.
My eyes locked with Mandi’s. “It’s okay, Cassie. I’ll tell them.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I...uh...I broke up with Nic.”
“Por qué?” Mama Flor asked, surprised.
I was wondering why too.
Papa Manuel handed Mandi a tissue and she blew her nose before she began. “Because I got accepted to Southwest Texas State and they’re giving me a full scholarship.”
“Ay, mija, que bueno,” Mama Flor said.
“That is wonderful news. When did you find out?” Papa Manuel asked.
“I got the letter in the mail yesterday. I was afraid to open it so I waited until today to open it with Nic. He got into Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, and Texas University.” She threw me a glance.
“That’s awesome.” I had no doubt that Nic would get accepted to wherever he applied.
“He’s a smart boy,” Mama Flor said. “His parents must be as proud of him as we are of you.”
“Yeah,” Mandi said sadly. “He got into Southwest Texas State too.”
“Que bueno! Pero...I’m confused.” Papa Manuel sank down next to her. “Why did you break up with Nic?”
Mandi’s faced scrunched up in pain, tears spilling down her face again. Her words came out in gasps. “Because...because...he said he wants to go with me.”
I did a double take and was more confused than ever. “Uh, Mandi, isn’t that a good thing? He wants to be with you.”
“No, it’s not. He can’t give up the Ivy League for a small state school just to be with me.”
“And why not?” I placed my hands on my hips. “You’re totally worth it.”
Papa Manuel took a breath, catching my attention. He looked deep in thought as if thinking of the correct words to ask his question. “What did his parents say?”
Mandi gazed into her father’s brown eyes and then quickly looked down, fiddling with her tissue. “They agreed with me.”
“Manuela Florentina Ruiz Gonzales,” his voice was stern. “You know better than to keep secrets from família. What are you not telling us?”
Uh, oh. When her parents started using her full name I knew there was trouble. “Uh, maybe I should go outside with Juan and the kids.”
“No, Cassie. You’re family too,” Mama Flor said. “Please stay.”
“Sí, you’re família.” Papa Manuel gave me a warm smile then turned his attention back to Mandi. “What else did Nic’s parents say?”
“It wasn’t anything they said. It was more like how they said it.”
“Tell us, Manuela.” Mama Flor urged.
Mandi stared down at the aged tile floor. Her shoe played around with the hole in the laminate. “They said Southwest was a good school for someone like me.”
Aww, hell no! I can’t believe they actually said that to her face. “Tell me you told them off because that is so wrong.”
“I agreed,” she said softly.
“How could you agree with something like that?”
Furious dark eyes shot up. “Come on, Cassie. Let’s get real here. I knew this would happen eventually. Why do you think I fought against going out with Nic? I knew his family would never accept someone like me, and I was right. You should’ve seen their faces when I walked through their front door.”
How could they not love her? The most awesome, courageous, gusty girl I’d ever known was sitting on the faded couch in front of me. She’d taken great care dressing that morning just so she could make a good impression. She’d even borrowed some of my clothes—which shocked me. She never wore pink or ruffles.
I scratched my head. What was I missing? Obviously, Nic’s parents were idiots. Mandi looked beautiful, sitting there with her dark hair carefully smoothed down and brushed off her face. The ruffled pink blouse she borrowed from me highlighted her light caramel skin. Her face was flawless with only a hint of pink on her cheeks and a subtle gloss on her full lips. Missing were the large gold hoop earrings she loved to wear. She was quintessential all-American girl.
That’s when it hit me. The girl on the couch was not Mandi. She had erased almost everything that made her who she was just to be accepted by Nic’s family.
Damn them! Even when she tried to make herself into someone she thought they’d like, they rejected her. Rage welled up inside of me. I bit my lip, trying hard not to snatch the car keys away from her and drive up to the Marcelli’s sprawling ranch just to give them a piece of my mind.
“They don’t want you with Nic because we’re poor?” Papa Manuel asked.
Mandi’s glanced from Mama Flor to Papa Manuel. Her eyes drifted down to Papa Manuel’s brown hands, weathered from the hard work in the Koppe cotton fields. A tear rolled down her cheek.
Papa Manuel’s breath hitched, realization filling hurt eyes. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Porque somos Mexicanos.”
No way! No freaking way! They didn’t accept her because she and her family are Mexican American?
My eyes were glued to Mandi, waiting for her response. The ticking of clock sounded loudly for what seemed like a long time. Slowly, Mandi nodded.
My heart shattered.
“Mandi, Nic loves you. He’s not his family,” I said.
“That’s what he said,” she croaked.
“See. There’s no reason to break up with him just because his parents are ignorant fools who—”
“Don’t, Cassie. I know what I’m doing.” She shot up and paced the floor. “Shit! I knew this would happen.”
“Manuela, no seas grocera!” Mandi was so upset she even didn’t hear her mother’s reprimand.
“I knew I should’ve stayed away from him. I knew it wouldn’t work between us. And now...now it’s too late. Ugh, I’m so stupid!”
“Why is it too late?” I grabbed her shoulders,
demanding her attention. “Why is it too late, Mandi?”
Her eyes gazed at me with an anguish I’d never seen in them before. Her lips quivered as she struggled to answer my question. I knew what was coming. It was written all over her face. I finally understood why she’d fought against being with Nic for so long.
“I...I love him,” she whispered.
“Ay, Mejita.” Mama Flor pressed a hand to her heart; the heartbreak that she felt for her daughter was clear on her face.
The sound of Selena’s and Miguelito’s high pitched squeals of laughter broke the silence. As if coming out of a dream, Mandi brushed the tears off her face and took a shaky breath.
“It doesn’t matter. My family comes first. I have to focus on going to college and graduating so that I can provide for them.” She gazed down at her parents lovingly. “You’ve sacrificed so much for us and our education. I won’t let something like this get in the way of me providing for you.”
“Mandi, please—” She raised her hand, silencing me.
“As for Nic, he’ll”—she swallowed thickly—“he’ll find someone else at Princeton or Columbia or wherever he goes. And I...I’ll...” Her face crumbled as she ran out of the room.
I was about to chase after her when her father took hold of my hand. “Give her some time, Cassie.”
“But it’s not right. She’s giving up on Nic. He wants to be with her. Mandi’s a fighter. Why won’t she fight for him?”
“Because they come from two different worlds, and she’s scared.”
“We’ve got to do something.”
“It breaks my heart to see my little girl like this. We don’t want her to sacrifice her happiness. I love my little girl, but she’s stubborn.”
Don’t I know it. I sighed.
“She won’t listen to anyone right now,” Papa Manuel said. “All we can do is pray. Pray that she finds strength to take the path that she needs to take. I don’t know if that includes Nic or not. But I pray that God will show her the way to her happiness.”
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