It felt as unreal as the first time she’d seen him again. Alejandro stood before her in all his glory again, looking as stunned and breathless as she felt standing there facing him. Of course, she’d run right into the very dread she’d been running away from. Mercifully, he was alone, and instead of a child in his arms, he held what looked like a huge bag of napkins in one hand and a bag of plastic food baskets in the other.
“Isa?” he said, looking deep into her eyes, doing what she knew without doubt now only he could ever make her feel.
“Alej,” she said barely able to get the one syllable out.
How was it that a simple smile could melt her so? But melt her it did as he held her gaze for a moment, before turning his attention to her mother. “Señora, Franco, como esta?”
Her mother greeted him, telling him how nice it was to see him and commenting on how different he looked now. Despite not being able to take her eyes off him and stop herself from consuming every detail of the evolution that was her beautiful Alejandro now—the full-grown strapping man, not the boy she’d left behind, Isabella had the presence of mind to tug at her mother’s arm. She was talking too much, and Isabella feared she might ask him about his family. Isabella was in no way ready to stomach hearing about it, especially if he, God forbid, gushed about it. Thankfully, her mother seemed to catch on and stopped short of asking him about his wife and child.
Just as Alejandro brought his attention back to Isabella, who still felt frozen to that spot, the mariachi band begun the dramatic tapping of their heels against the stage floor. Isabella finally turned away from Alejandro to glance at the stage. In the next few seconds, they began to play El Son de La Negra.
Turning back to Alejandro, she saw that his eyes were closed, and his pained expression said it all. He was feeling the same intense agony she was feeling. Isabella was certain he had to be having the same visuals of them dancing to the very song at her quinceañera. The day of her fairytale fiesta she’d been so sure was just the precursor to the real fairytale to come. The one she’d been dreaming about since she’d first met him. The day his lips kissed hers for the very first time.
Opening his eyes, his Adam’s apple shifted as he obviously swallowed back the very emotion she was now feeling. Clearly, he still had feelings for her, and it gave her hope that maybe someday, somehow, things could be different. Divorce wasn’t unheard of, and if he was feeling for her what she still felt so profoundly for him, then surely, they could work something out.
Remembering the impression he must still be under about her and Cido had her finally speaking up again. “Cido and I-”
“I ran into him the other day.”
She nodded, determined to let him know she wasn’t even working for him anymore and had since moved out of his place. “Things are different now and—”
“I know.” He glanced down at her blouse then up at her again, looking suddenly, panicked? “I know everything. He told me all about it. I’m happy for you, Isa. I really am, and I wish you only the best.” Clearing his throat, he turned to her mother. “Ha sido un placer volver a verla.” Turning back to Isabella, it’s like he couldn’t even make eye contact with her now. “It’s been a pleasure seeing both of you, again. But I gotta go. I need to get these back to the restaurant.”
Isabella barely had a chance to say good-bye. She didn’t even get to comment or congratulate him on the restaurant before he rushed away. Before they even reached her car, Isabella could already feel it. After the few shaky steps she’d managed to make moving forward and away from the depression of knowing there was no hope for her and Alejandro anymore, today had thrown her one giant leap backwards.
She felt stupid now for thinking even for a second that someone as loyal as she’d always known Alejandro to be, would ever consider leaving his wife and child for another woman. No wonder he’d been so quick to cut her off when she’d begun to try and tell him about how things had changed between her and Cido. No doubt he’d read her the way he always had. He picked up on her taking that pained moment they’d shared for more than what it was: a sad memory of what they once had but could never have again. Unlike what she was sure he still believed, he would never betray his wife the way he thought she and Cido had done to him.
Capítulo 20
Not for a Second
Alejandro
It’d been a week since the confrontation with Cido, and the festival the following day when he’d been forced to talk to a glowing Isa. Alej still couldn’t shake the feelings of regret. He could’ve gone his whole life not knowing she and Cido were having a child and would end up married eventually. It’s why he’d stopped trying to catch a glimpse of her weeks prior to even knowing she was pregnant. The risk alone of possibly seeing Cido kiss her or even touch her for that matter, was not one Alej had been willing to take. Alej had always known just seeing her with anyone else would make him sick. Except in his head he’d always meant it figuratively. After what finding out she’d been living with Cido had done to him, he should’ve known how badly he’d react to hearing any further details about it. Being sick literally over hearing about his Isa now being pregnant with anyone else’s kid was the least violent reaction he could have.
Even now that she was so not his anymore.
Despite that, he still didn’t trust that he wouldn’t react to seeing another man even flirt with her. He’d known it’d be his natural reaction from the moment he first laid eyes on her. Regardless of the other bullshit Cido tried feeding him about them having anything close to what she and Alej had, he wouldn’t give into the temptation of finding out what else the asshole lied about. Cido could say they had the same connection Alej and Isa had until he was blue in the face, but Alej knew better. He’d seen it in her face, heard it in her voice, that day at the truck festival, before Carmela showed up. He’d witnessed it again last week. There’d been no hiding the pain in her eyes when their song came on at the festival. Even if she had moved on—as she now knew he had—there was no way she could hide that she too still felt regret over not having waited longer for him.
It wasn’t until days after the truck festival when he’d finally wrapped his head around the fact that she was now living with Cido that he even realized she’d hardly said a word once he confirmed he was married. In fact, in hindsight like at the mariachi festival, she’d seemed staggered. He still knew her too well. She’d been as shaken by his being married that day as he had been about her living with Cido, just as they’d both been when they played their song a week ago.
Because Alej had been obsessing about this for months now, Cido wouldn’t have to worry about his warnings to stay away going unheeded. There was no way Alej would be risking seeing her and trying to get to the bottom of why she’d end up with Cido—his ex-best friend. None of that mattered now, even if he could get her to admit she was as in love with him as he so hopelessly still was with her, despite the circumstances. There was nothing they could do about it now. He’d tortured himself enough about this already.
No way would Alej even allow her to say the words last week. It would’ve been beyond torture to stand there and hear her tell him she was having Cido’s child. He’d nearly heaved up his guts again. It’s why he hadn’t been able to get away from her fast enough.
Nearly dropping the glass he’d been drying as he wrapped things up at the restaurant, he caught it as his dad yelled loudly from the dining room. “Alej! Ben aqui! Pronto!”
Alej put the glass down, threw the towel over his shoulder, and rushed out to where his dad was watching the small television they had up on the corner. His dad was reaching to turn the volume knob up and it was suddenly loud.
Las noticias were reporting about a sting they’d done earlier in the day. “Te dije!” his father said, turning back to him, but Alej’s eyes were glued to the broadcast. “I knew they were doing something chueco.”
“Shh!” Alej said, trying to hear all the details.
They were showing footage of the Ochoa’
s trucks being seized. Border patrol had busted one of the trucks trying to smuggle drugs back into the country a few days ago. They’d put out a warrant for all the other trucks the Ochoas owned and raided them. Alej watched fixated on the footage of them arresting employees in the trucks, but he didn’t see Isa in any of them. He could only hope maybe she wasn’t working that day. Even though the very thought turned his stomach, Alej actually hoped maybe if she was dealing with morning sickness, she hadn’t been working recently.
The relief he’d begun to feel was short-lived because in the next video they showed the Ochoa’s home being raided. In it, the arrestees had already been taken into custody, so he couldn’t see who’d been arrested. There was no mention of who’d been arrested there either. Only that several in the home had been.
The thought of a pregnant Isa sitting in a jail cell had his heart pounding now. He was assaulted with visuals from so long ago: the day the current nearly took her in the river when he’d hardly been able to stand seeing her beautiful eyes looking so frightened. He frowned, pissed at himself because he was instantly hit with the reminder of what followed that same day.
Shaking the thoughts away, he rushed to the small back office as soon as they cut to commercial. He pulled the yellow pages off the desk and headed back to the dining room in case there was more coverage of the sting. Pulling the phone out from under the counter, he opened the phone book and got right to it.
“Que haces?” his dad asked, pointing at the yellow pages he was sifting through.
“I’m gonna call the jails.”
“Para que?”
“Isa works for them now, remember?”
Since the day of the food truck festival, all Alej had told his dad was that it was Isa whom he’d pulled from the Ochoa’s burning truck. That he’d briefly spoken to her and Cido and she’d been working for them for over a year. His dad hadn’t commented much at first because Carmela had been there, but later when they were alone, he’d asked Alej how he’d felt seeing her again.
Being that he was married with a kid on the way at the time, Alej had played it way down. He told his dad it’d been nice to see her again and that she looked good. But he was certain his father hadn’t bought his indifferent attitude about it. His father knew firsthand how devastating it’d been for Alej to lose touch with her. He’d made the trip with him to El Paso to find her and was there when he hit a wall. As much as Alej had tried to hold it together, he’d shed tears on the disappointing drive home when he thought his dad was asleep. He’d been so sure and anxious about finally reconnecting with her. It’d been a surprise when his dad had tapped his leg as Alej had swatted exasperated tears away and assured him, they’d find her eventually.
Months after Carmela’s death, his dad had approached him cautiously to ask if he ever planned to try and reconnect with Isa again. He’d been slightly more honest about it, saying he thought maybe she and Cido were a thing now. No longer obligated to stay away from her now, Alej was certain he couldn’t. So, he hadn’t wanted his dad to know she was living with the guy. He knew his dad would have issue with that. He’d always said anyone messing with another man’s mujer should be prepared to fight to the death for her, and no woman was worth that. Although Alej could argue that Isa was absolutely worth it. But he hadn’t wanted to open that can of worms just yet. He glanced up at his dad since he hadn’t commented about Isa, but Alej could feel him staring at him in question.
“If she’s in jail, I wanna see if there’s anything I can do to get her out.”
“I thought you said she and Cido are a thing now?”
Frowning, Alej glanced back down at the phone book. “Yeah, well, he’s one of the main ones involved in that mess. He’ll probably be one of the last ones to make bail. What’s he gonna do for her in there? ¡Maldito sea!” he muttered when he saw how many detention centers and jails were listed in the San Diego area. “Did they mention at all where all the detainees were taken? There’s a chingo of jails in the area.”
“I didn’t hear it, but they’ll likely repeat the same mierda over and over every half hour.” His dad stood up from where he’d sat down to watch the news. “Maybe we should go home and watch it from there. You can make your calls from home.”
Alej didn’t have any luck at home. Most of the detention centers didn’t take calls after hours. The next day he went out to get the paper first thing to see if there was anything new about the case or if they mentioned where they’d been taken. Alej wasn’t even sure what he was more worried about: Isa sitting in jail scared or the Ochoa’s crooked asses skipping bail once released. They’d more than likely go into hiding in Mexico, taking Isa with them, and she’d become a fugitive on the run—with a baby on the way.
Regardless of the circumstances, Alej still cared for Isa’s well-being. And despite not admitting it out loud to anyone but her if he ever got the chance to, seeing her again was a reminder of just how desperately he was still in love with her, damn it. There was no way he could in clear conscience not at least try to help her.
He spent the whole damn week calling detention centers since each time he was on hold forever, and then halfway through the week, he realized he should’ve been asking them to check for both Isabella Franco and Ochoa. As much as he hated to think it, they might already have gotten married.
It wasn’t until the following week that the names and ages of those arrested in the sting were printed in the paper. As big a relief as it’d been that she wasn’t on the list, it was also a bit of a disappointment. Alej could admit now that he’d jumped all over the excuse to reach out to her. But the whole incident and his instant reaction to it had served as an unintentional eye-opener. His mind had been all over the place since he first heard the news of the sting. At one point, he’d even considered the possibility of helping her deal with any legalities if in fact she was charged with anything. The idea of Cido skipping town to hide out in Mexico forever while she stayed back in Alej’s care even if she was pregnant with the guy’s kid was surprisingly not one his heart had protested.
Not for a second.
Before the tragedy of Carmela and his unborn child, even after finding Isa again, Alej hadn’t even considered the possibility of divorce to be with Isa—the love of his life—it just wouldn’t be right. He’d been willing to sacrifice his complete happiness to do right by his wife and child. But having Isa back in his life, even if she came with baggage, didn’t feel like a sacrifice at all. The past week had made him see the light. It’d be so much easier to live with that, than without her forever. It had Alej wondering something now. How long would it be before he ignored his better judgment and Cido’s warning and tried reaching out to her?
Capítulo 21
Pick Your Poison
Isabella
As Isabella came through the front door after work, her mother called to her to come watch the noticias with her. She’d been too busy reading some of the mail she’d just picked up from their mailbox outside to pay attention to what her mother was going on about. Her mother was known for making too big a deal about whatever the news was reporting.
“Isa! Ven, hija, ven!”
Rolling her eyes at her mother’s dramatics, Isabella dropped the mail on the kitchen counter. She took her coat off as she started toward their small front room where her mom sat in front of the TV.
“Mira!”
Her mother pointed at their small black-and-white television as the reporter spoke about the sting on the Ochoa’s catering truck business. Isabella froze, listening to everything that was being reported. A few seconds later the phone rang. Her mother answered it, still staring at the television.
“Bueno? Si, si! We’re watching the news about it now.” Turning to look at her mother, Isabella listened, wondering who it might be. Her mother glanced up at her. “It’s Magdalena.”
Feeling her eyes widen because she hadn’t even thought of that, she immediately asked what she was now wondering. “Did she get arrested too?”
Her mother shook her head. “Si aqui esta.”
Lifting the receiver out to Isabella, her mother let her know Magdalena wanted to talk to her. Isabella hurried to the other side of the sofa so she wouldn’t have to stretch the phone cord so much. “Dios, mio, Magdalena,” she said as soon as she had the phone to her ear. “What’s going on?”
“Exactly what we suspected. They were up to no good.”
Glued to her every word, Isabella listened to her amiga as she told her about them getting pinched at the border, trying to smuggle drugs and even illegal immigrants into the US. She didn’t have all the details yet, since it’d only happened a few days ago, and none of the workers even knew about it until they raided the trucks today.
“Thank God it was my day off. But I guess I don’t even have to make that decision about quitting anymore. I’m out of a job for sure now. They seized all the trucks.”
Isabella shook her head, listening to her friend with one ear and listening to the news that was still broadcasting about it with the other. It made her angry that the Ochoas would put their employees at such risk. She wondered if all the Ochoas were involved or just Cido and Octavio. Then she remembered how one of Cido’s uncles had already been murdered in Mexico—years ago. Could they have been involved in illegal activities even back then?
“I think they were involved in even more than just smuggling drugs and illegals, Isa.” As she often did when she was sharing something stealthy with Isabella, Magdalena lowered her voice. “I’ve been eavesdropping like I said I would, to see if Cido mentioned anything about his run-in with Alejandro. Just so you know, I still haven’t thought of any way to bring it up. Anyway.”
Her friend went on quickly but not before the gut punch reminder of what seeing her beautiful Alejandro again had done to her. For the first time since the weeks after the truck festival, she hadn’t been able to contain her sorrow, even in front of her mother. She’d cried the whole way home as her mother and Magdalena attempted to console her. Then like the first time, she hadn’t been able to get out of bed for days. Not wanting to think about that anymore, she focused on what Magdalena was saying as she went on with her story in a hushed voice. She said Cido had been drinking on the job again a few days ago and she’d heard him ranting about something outside the truck with Octavio.
Moreno's: Moreno Brother's prequel (Moreno Brothers) Page 18
