The two laid there for several hours, unmoving from their positions on the floor. Lucky for them, the floor was at least carpeted.
She moved to get away from him but his arm pulled her flush against him.
"Thank you for coming over."
Angel didn't say anything. He just held onto her, his face buried in her hair. His nose grazed against her skin.
She shivered under the touch, though she was sure it was purely accidental.
He pulled away from her as his hand trailed up her back. He traced his knuckles across her jawline as he looked into her deep brown eyes. He held her there for a moment, somehow hypnotized.
She looked back at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She only hoped he couldn't tell.
He pressed his forehead against hers, wanting to get closer to her than he's ever been.
She closed her eyes tightly in anticipation.
"What are you —"
He cut her off with a chaste kiss against the corner of her mouth. He didn't push it and he pulled away from her.
Luci still sat on the floor. Dumbfounded. She touched her lips before she looked back at him as he sat across from her.
The silence felt tense between them and she was the first one to speak.
"So we'll head to Stockton tomorrow?"
Angel moved to his feet and he offered a hand to help her up. He nodded his head.
"I'll come by to get you sometime in the morning."
Luci followed behind him towards the front door.
"Don't bother coming here, I'll probably go by the shop, see pop."
Angel just smiled at the thought, though he did his best to hide it as he walked across the grass to his motorcycle. He mounted the seat and pulled his gloves on before he waved to her, revving the engine as he disappeared into the night.
The following morning, Luci dug through the cardboard boxes to find something to wear. That was a debacle in itself, struggling to find something in the chaos of her apartment. She pulled out a pair of torn jeans and a white t-shirt before she moved to the bathroom to get ready.
Her hair fell in jet black waves, reaching just beyond her waist. Her make-up was simple, a little eyeliner and a nude lip always went a long way. She didn't have to impress anybody. The Reyes boys knew her with and without makeup, not to mention it didn't bother her either way. She moved through the apartment, grabbing her keys and her purse before she walked through the front door.
A few moments passed as she parked in front of the carniceria, cutting the engine. She grabbed a bag from the passenger seat, two breakfast burritos along with two coffees before she walked into the butcher shop. She held up the bag of breakfast with a kind smile, looking back at Felipe.
"I brought breakfast."
He wiped his hands on his apron as he walked around the serving table. It had been several years since he'd seen her since she had moved. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and he kissed her cheek, not releasing her for several moments.
"Mija. Go sit down outside, I'll be there in a second."
Luci dropped the bag of food on the table before she sat down. She looked around the street, just to see how much Santo Padre had really changed. It made her sad to see that some of the shops had closed since she had been gone.
Felipe sat down across from her as he grabbed his breakfast.
"A lot changes in eight years."
She nodded her head while she took a sip of her coffee. She couldn't even believe it'd been that long since she had been gone. Couldn't believe that EZ had been in Stockton all that time either. She took a bite of the burrito, savoring in the flavors that she had missed.
"Can't get food quite like this in Los Angeles."
Felipe shook his head. As close as they were to the Mexico border, it was as authentic as it could get. The two talked back and forth about her new job, her new apartment, and about life in general.
It was like no time had passed between either of them and although most everything had changed, she was grateful that she could still have Saturday mornings with Felipe. Truly, she was closer to him than her own parents.
A motorcycle pulled up, interrupting their conversation. Angel climbed out and moved towards her, wrapping a loose arm around her neck before he kissed the side of her head.
"Mornin' chica."
Felipe watched his son as he interacted with Luci. He sensed some type of tension between the two but he doesn't say anything, he just took another sip of his coffee as he shifted his eyes.
Angel pulled up an empty chair beside Luci before he stole a sip of her coffee.
"We're riding up to Stockton, pop. EZ's getting out today."
Felipe fell back in his chair as he looked back at Angel. A part of him was surprised, especially knowing how long he was in for. He knew what his son did. Something had to have happened for him to be able to walk, especially so soon. He painted on a happy face before he rose to his feet. He kissed the top of Luci's head and patted Angel's back.
He called over his shoulder, "be safe you two."
With that, the bell above the door rang and the door closed.
Luci took a slow sip of her coffee and she kept her eyes forward. The taste of his lips still lingered on hers, though she was doing her best to ignore it.
"Sorry about last night," Angel sighed over his unlit cigarette.
Luci shrugged her shoulders. It was nothing he should apologize for. If anything she was the one who should apologize. She was the one who was still hung up on some crush from high school, not even entertaining the idea of anyone else. She wanted to wait it out. Test the waters with EZ once he was ready but even then, would he ever be ready?
She waved her hand with a soft smile, "no, don't apologize."
Angel glanced over at her. He knew it was shot in the dark but he took his chance. He knew how hung up she was on EZ all throughout high school. He even remembered how EZ used to talk about her before he started dating Emily. Though EZ himself might never admit to it now, he had a crush on Luci back then but Emily came into the picture and pulled him away.
Honestly Luci didn't know what to say. It was a quick kiss. Not enough to gauge anything from. She passed it up to the beer and conversation. She didn't think much else of it. Except maybe a part of her wanted more and that scared her more than anything. She looked over at him, only to see a boyish grin plastered on his lips.
"Ready to go?" She grabbed her bag, tossing it over her shoulder.
Angel nodded his head as he followed behind her to her car.
It was a small hybrid, bright blue. No leg room for Angel in the passenger seat. He was almost sitting with his knees in his chest.
"How the fuck am I gonna do this for eight hours? Christ."
Luci chuckled as she looked out of the corner of her eye to see a scrunched up man, clad in boots and leather.
"What a sight."
It was early, at least for Angel. He leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes.
Luci kept her eyes on the road as she pulled onto the highway. Though Stockton was much further from Santo Padre, she remembered the backroads to the highway. She kept the radio quiet as to not disturb him. Instead it just left her with her thoughts. She thought about EZ and the last time she saw him. She thought about Angel and how close they had become. But her mind drifted back, a lot like it always did. It always drifted back to Ezekiel.
She hummed along to the radio, watching as the time on the GPS dwindled down.
Angel snored in the passenger seat, his head bobbing with each bump and ridge in the road.
She let him sleep. She preferred the silence, at least for now. She wasn't even sure how EZ would react to seeing her there. It filled her stomach with a sinking feeling and it almost made her nauseous. She didn't know why she was so worried. She had known EZ for years, but the relationship was strained. Even with her few visits to Stockton, he had kept her at arms length.
Angel straightened up in the passenger seat as he slowly opened his eyes.
"We there yet?"
Luci exited off of the highway. The look of exhaustion was painted all over her face as she pulled into a gas station.
"Still got two hours to go, you can drive the rest of the way," she tossed the keys to him before she pulled herself out of the driver's seat.
He caught the keys before he stretched his way out of the car. He watched her as she walked into the gas station and he moved to the gas pump. A part of him was worried about his younger brother. He knew re-adjusting to life after prison was pretty hard. He had already been through it and he planned on being there for EZ, no matter how hardheaded his younger brother might be. Once the gas pump finished, Angel fell into the driver's seat, readjusting to fit his tall frame before he ignited the engine.
Luci paid the cashier before she grabbed the bag from the counter, loaded down with snacks and drinks. She walked over to the car and struggled to pull the door open as she fell into the passenger seat with her gas station haul.
Angel looked at the bag and rolled his eyes before he peeled out of the parking lot, speeding towards the highway.
Luci pulled out two drinks and set them down in the cupholder. Her memory wasn't the greatest but she did her best to remember what he liked. Most of it was just candy, but she grabbed some beef jerky and trail mix.
"I don't remember what you like but I tried to grab a little of everything."
Angel mumbled in return, "thanks mija."
She opened the bag of candy before she held it out in front of his face.
He looked down at the neon-colored gummy worm before he opened his mouth, snatching it from her grip.
She jerked her hand away as though he might take her whole arm off. There was a smile on her lips as she watched him.
He was focused on the highway, just ready to be still for more than a few minutes.
She reached over every other bite to offer another piece of candy to him.
He took it each time without hesitation. He watched out of the corner of his eye, only to see a soft smile on her lips.
Luci's legs were tucked underneath her. She was getting antsy the closer they got, even though she wouldn't see EZ until the following afternoon. She fiddled with the radio and her phone, struggling to stay still.
Angel didn't comment but he noticed, especially when the music changed several times. He knew she was nervous. Finally, the minutes on the GPS had dwindled down to just two. They were almost to the motel, less than half a mile. His legs ached from being cramped up all day.
Luci watched as they pulled into the parking lot and she was the first to climb out. She walked across the parking lot towards the office while Angel stayed back.
Angel leaned against the hood of her car, placing a cigarette between his lips. He inhaled a slow breath before he pulled out his lighter. He stared off in the distance as the cigarette hung from his mouth. It was hard for him to believe that EZ was getting out in less than twenty-four hours.
Luci walked across the parking lot with a room key in hand and she rattled it in front of Angel's face.
"Let's go get some rest."
Angel flicked his cigarette down into the gravel before he grabbed their bags from the backseat. He followed close behind her.
She unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping aside. It was a small room with one double bed, but it was enough to get them by for one night.
He sat the bags down on the floor before he collapsed on the bed.
She glanced over at him and rolled her eyes before she grabbed her clothes, moving to the bathroom. She left the door cracked behind her as she started the shower. Luci was just glad to be still for a moment. She took off her t-shirt and let her hair down as she stepped into the shower.
Angel saw her reflection through the crack in the door and he watched her, only for a moment before he turned his head. He hoped that she didn't catch him looking, or else, he'd never hear the end of it. He rolled over to his back and he stared up at the ceiling as he listened to the shower running.
Luci changed into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before she walked out of the bathroom. She plopped down on the bed beside Angel before she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.
Angel lied awake for several hours, tossing and turning. He watched her as she slept peacefully before he turned away from her. He knew he needed to get some sleep but for some reason, he couldn't keep his eyes closed to save his life. He did his best to not disturb her and at some point, his eyes finally fell shut.
Title Credit: Fine Line - Harry Styles