Date = 27 March
Place = San Francisco (Palace of Fine Arts)
POV – Enrique
We sip our drinks in silence for a while, each one lost in his own thoughts, our eyes focused on the green door.
“We’re both screwed so bad,” Damion sighs, “and if yesterday’s adventures are anything to go by, those two are the same pint-size blobs of disaster. So good luck with that!”
“What happened yesterday?” My eyes catch them coming back out, but before he can answer me it suddenly feels as if my blood is clotting in my veins. Brian Cruise and PJ are talking to the girls as if they’re old friends. WTF! I gnash my teeth. I hate Brian and he hates me. Both Mel and Aria quickly look in our direction and then at each other, as if planning something again.
“What the flip are they doing now?” Damion stands up straight, his suspended body language mirroring mine as we watch the girls being led to the dance floor. My sister’s influence about swearing rubbed off on him already. I’m trying because of Leyla, but it’s not something that happens overnight. I don’t like the look in Brian’s eyes it seems as if he’s going to eat Aria alive. Fu … flip him.
“You coming?” I ask Damion, suddenly seeing green for the first time in my life, and I’m ready to drop the asshole to the ground.
“Right behind you, bro!” But more accurately he’s in front. He reaches Mel first and pulls her from PJ’s grip, giving him a glare that would freeze hell over. The guy holds up his hands in defeat and walks hastily off the dance floor. I know PJ he’s a stuntman and not a bad guy for all intends and purposes. But my problem is not with him.
“Hey, Brian.” I pull his arm from my girl, and they stop dancing. I take Aria’s hand in mine.
“Ah, Enrique my boy,” he says smugly, looking at our intertwined hands, “Didn’t know Aria was your girl, and here I thought she was stalking me.”
Aria seems to freeze on the spot, but her eyes are smoldering little fires. I’ve come to know that look pretty well this past week she’s pissed. And I’m a bit confused. What is he talking about? When did they meet?
“I’m sorry, it seems you haven’t told him yet, babe.” I can see the smugness in his eyes and I know he’s challenging me. See, Brian also wants the lead role in the movie and he needs me to mess up. He’s also hated me for years now, not sure why … maybe jealousy.
“It’s because there’s nothing worth telling. You’re just not that important.” Aria turns her back to him and pulls me into her arms. Brian struts away, looking annoyed. What happened between them? She didn’t tell me anything about their day, but she’s going to now.
“I don’t like sharing my girl … not even for a dance,” I grind through my teeth.
“I’ll explain everything when we are alone, don’t make a scene now,” she whispers. I take a deep breath and start dancing, holding her tight.
‘My mother said I’m too romantic.
She said, “You’re dancing in the movies”
I almost started to believe her
Then I saw you and I knew
Maybe it’s ’cause I got a little bit older
Maybe it’s all that I’ve been through
I’d like to think it’s how you lean on my shoulder
And how I see myself with you’
I’m not a big fan of Sam Smith, but suddenly it feels as if this song is written especially for me. I put my nose in her hair, and take a deep breath of her wild floral scent. It immediately calms me down. I know I’m playing with fire, but it’s as if I want to get burned.
‘I don’t say a word
But still, you take my breath and steal the things I know
There you go, saving me from out of the cold’
Yep, this song explains exactly how I feel, since Aria moved in. I’ve barely been able to keep my shields up. It’s as if she’s slowly tearing them down one by one without even trying.
‘When we fight, we fight like lions
But then we love and feel the truth
We lose our minds in a city of roses
We won’t abide by any rules’
I don’t know what I’m going to do, nor how exactly I’m going to do it, but I’ll make this girl mine somehow. But first and foremost, I need to fix myself.
‘Fire on fire would normally kill us
But this much desire, together, we’re winners
They say that we’re out of control and some say we’re sinners
But don’t let them ruin our beautiful rhythms
‘Cause when you unfold me and tell me you love me
And look in my eyes
You are perfection, my only direction
It’s fire on fire’
Can’t this fucking song just end? Is fate trying to tell me something that I must let her go? That my life is as fake as this relationship? Fuck, I know all that, but for some unknown reason, I just can’t let her go. It’s stupid I have only known her for a week, but just thinking about it rips my heart more than anything I’ve experienced before. Then my phone rings and I gladly go looking for a not-so-crowded spot.