It was already seven in the evening by the time Miguel found himself back at home after he had left his girlfriend so she could start her first day as a senior and he had also dropped Nestor off back at his house after he and his best friend had returned their school books. That wasn't all that Miguel did, though, as he had went to the grocery store across town, where he bought all the ingredients to make Luciana's favorite meal - enmoladas. Miguel also went to the jewelry store and picked up a beautiful diamond necklace that he and Luciana had seen during their walk through the city a few weeks ago to make the night absolutely perfect.
Miguel had also spent a good two hours and a half at his father's lake house - where he and Luciana would end their night - and he started to make their meal since it would take a few hours to prepare. The excited teenager prepared his grandmother's famous mole and let it cook before he decorated the lake house with array of flowers and unlit candles.
Miguel couldn't even begin to help the large smile that shined across his face as he made his way through the front door of his family's home. The Galindo teenager was extremely excited for tonight when he would finally tell Luciana that he loves her along with asking her to move in with him once he finalized his own place next week.
Miguel knew everything that involved their relationship wasn't as stable as he would have liked with his best friend and Luciana's brother not knowing about them yet, but Miguel couldn't be anymore happier than he was right now. Besides, it wasn't like he and Luciana were going to hide their relationship forever from Nestor ... just until Luciana finished high school.
Miguel glanced down to the gold watch attached to his left wrist as he walked through the foyer of his family home before he realized that he had only three hours left until he would be meeting the love of his life at the park where they would always meet up to avoid running into the oldest Oceteva teenager. Miguel couldn't help the flutter in his heart at just the thought of seeing Luciana's bright face again after not seeing her all day like he was used to.
The thought of finally seeing his girlfriend again made Miguel want to just forget about the rules and the consequences of Nestor finding out about them as he was just so ready to shout to the world how much he loves Luciana. However, Miguel knew that was a bad idea - at least for now - so he instead decided he would focus on looking his best for their special night. "I should wear that light blue button down Luci bought me last month," Miguel mumbled to himself as he headed towards his bedroom.
However, though, Miguel's train of thought of wearing the shirt that Luciana loved on him along with his favorite pair of ripped blue jeans was instantly stopped when the recently graduated teenager spotted his father, Jose, leaning against his desk. Miguel couldn't help but to frown in confusion since his father was usually out running the family business until dinner time, so it was weird seeing his father home right now.
Miguel didn't really have any idea why his father would be here right now and it made him quite anxious, so the Galindo teenager took a deep breath before he entered his bedroom and alerted his presence to his father along with mumbling out a quiet hello in greeting. Miguel didn't have the best relationship with his father - unlike with his mother - but Miguel figured it had to be important if his father was coming to him right now.
Jose Galindo slowly moved his dark eyes up to his son and away from the book that he had been gazing at for the last hour. "We need to have a talk," the older man muttered with his usual emotionless voice before he slammed the book shut and tossed it back onto the desk behind him. The leader of the Galindo cartel straightened his body as he stopped leaning against the desk before he passed his son and headed to the door as he commanded, "come. Let's take a ride."
Miguel couldn't help the deep frown that was expressed across his face at the fact that his father wanted to talk. He knew it was definitely serious if his father was home this early but Miguel was also worried about his planned night with Luciana. "Is this really necessary?" Miguel asked his father - who was now paused at the door with his back still facing him. Miguel briefly bit down on his bottom lip before he mumbled, "I have somewhere to be soon."
The Galindo man didn't turn around to face his son at the sound of Miguel's voice. Instead, Jose continued to face straight ahead in front of the threshold of his son's bedroom before he answered in his same old monotone voice, "this will be quick." The leader of the Galindo cartel didn't allow Miguel to argue with him before he swiftly exited out of the bedroom without another word and headed to the front door of their home.
Miguel rolled his brown eyes at his father's usual cold behavior before he glanced down at his watch with a nervous tick of his neck. "I'll be cutting it close," the Galindo teenager mumbled to himself as he still hadn't showered nor changed clothes yet. Miguel knew that his father wouldn't allow him to back out - especially when he couldn't tell him about his plans with Luciana - so he just prayed as he exited out of his bedroom that their talk wouldn't take too long.
The journey down to the end of their long driveway was quiet and tense - like it usually was between the father and son duo - before they finally and thankfully arrived at Jose's black BMW. The leader of the Galindo cartel's bodyguard was already opening the backdoor by the time they reached the vehicle before the two Galindo men swiftly entered the BMW. The drive through the city was, once again, silent with only the sound of the smooth and quiet engine of the sleek vehicle.
However, though, the silence slowly came to an end once the black BMW pulled onto the highway as the Galindo man turned his head slightly to the side so he could look at his only heir. "It's time, Miguel," the older man began before he explained without beating around the bush with, of course, zero emotion in his voice, "it's time for you to join the family business now that you are finished with your high school education."
Miguel immediately frowned for the hundredth time in the last thirty minutes while he stared across at his father as he felt like he was being rushed into the family business more than usual. The Galindo teenager, in fact, had been stalling and avoiding this talk about the business ever since last summer when he started his relationship with Luciana.
Miguel had originally planned in following in his father's footsteps into the cartel like they had planned once he was finished high school. However, now, Miguel wasn't so sure anymore. He had been having second thoughts about joining the family business with all the time that he has spent with Luciana and falling in love with her.
The Galindo teenager knew what it would mean to be involved with the family cartel business and he originally didn't mind all the danger that came with it. But now that Miguel was in a relationship with a girl who means the world to him, it frightened the Galindo teenager about Luciana's safety if he was to be involved with the family business.
"There is a war quickly approaching for the reigns of Mexico," the leader of the Galindo cartel continued as he completely ignored the emotions flashing across Miguel's face before he stated in a commanding voice that left no room for any arguments, "I need my son to be ready."
The black BMW slowly pulled to a complete stop once the Galindo man uttered his last word before he swiftly opened his door and exited out of the vehicle without giving his son a second glance. Jose knew Miguel would follow him soon after, so he stood beside the sleek car until his son joined his side with an extremely confused expression plastered across his face.
Jose knew why his son was so confused since they were currently standing in front of his private plane but everything would make sense soon enough. So instead of explaining what was happening right away, the leader of the Galindo cartel led his son down the strip of the runway for a minute or two before he muttered, "I know you got accepted into Princeton and I know you haven't responded to them either." Jose shook his head with an angry tick to his jaw before he continued, "I don't know why you would waste your education and your future for some girl."
Miguel felt his whole body immediately freeze as soon as he heard the words that escaped his father's mouth. The Galindo teenager was nervous and shocked that his father knew not only about him not responding to the ivy league school but most importantly about the relationship that he had tried to hide. "How do you know about her?" Miguel anxiously questioned in a quiet voice as if he was afraid of the answer.
"Oh, please," the leader of the Galindo cartel scoffed with an eye roll before he muttered as if it was obvious, "I have security always watching over my family." Jose might have been an emotionless man throughout his life but he always made sure that his family was taken care of. The angry man moved his dark eyes from his private plane and over to his son after a tense moment before he voiced his disgust for what he had recently found out, "you act like a child with that Oceteva girl."
Miguel could feel this wave of anger entering his body at the way that his father was speaking of his relationship with Luciana. He never was one to get out of pocket with his father but Miguel couldn't hold it in any longer as he felt like he had to defend himself and the love of his life. "It's not any of your damn business but if it was, it's because I love her!" Miguel growled out before he snapped, "I don't give a shit about the family business anymore!"
The leader of the Galindo cartel swiftly turned on his heel to be face to face with his son before he angrily pointed his finger at Miguel and snarled out, "see, I knew this was the reason." Jose then carelessly shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn't just about to explode a second ago before he shot his son a wide smirk and exclaimed, "well, good thing I let Princeton know you were excited for class next week."
The Galindo teenager's brown irises immediately widened like an owl's from the information his father had laid on him. "W-What?" Miguel stuttered in shock before his anger reentered his body as he continued with a fierce growl in his voice, "what the fuck! Why would you do that?" The emotional driven teenager hurriedly shook his head before he exclaimed, "it is my decision if I want to go, not yours!"
Jose absolutely did not like the way his son was speaking with him right about now. He would not stand to listen to his son disrespect him like that, so the leader of the Galindo cartel grabbed his son's jaw before he growled out, "watch your tone, boy." Jose glared into his son's emotional eyes for a moment before he roughly released Miguel's face and pointed towards the private plane. "You are going to get on there right now and you are going to go get your business degree," Jose ordered before he stated in a much calmer voice, "Mario Espinosa will be waiting for you in New Jersey. He will be teaching you the family business when you aren't busy with your school work."
Miguel instantly shook his head in disagreement before he exclaimed as he took a step back away from his father, "I'm not going anywhere!" The Galindo teenager couldn't even begin to believe that his father was trying to force him into something that he didn't want to do. Luciana was his future from now on, so there was no way in hell that Miguel was just going to leave the love of his life behind just because his father wanted him to join the family business.
The leader of the Galindo cartel released a loud growl at his stubborn son before he swiftly rose his right hand and slapped Miguel's cheek. "Get on that damn plane right now or I will force you on it, boy," Jose angrily shouted as he pointed his finger at the private plane.
Miguel stumbled backwards from the hard slap to his face before he instantly began to rub his cheek when he felt the burning sting from his punishment. The Galindo teenager then briefly closed his brown eyes as he knew that there was, sadly, no getting out of this. Miguel didn't get along with his father for a reason. Jose Galindo was always very hard on him and this wasn't the first time that Jose laid a hand on him, either.
Miguel knew that no matter how hard he fought back, he was never going to win against his father. The Galindo teenager wanted to fight back so much for not only himself but for his future with Luciana. However, Miguel knew there was just no way to do that when his father was dead set on him going to Princeton University.
The recently graduated teenager had been feeling array of emotions ever since he saw his father in his bedroom but he knew what he was feeling right now - heartbreak. Miguel hated the fact that he was leaving behind the love of his life but he just prayed that she would come to understand once he arrived in the states and could call her from his cell phone.
So, with knowing that he had no other choice but to listen to his father's command, Miguel slowly opened back his eyes before he sluggishly headed to the dreaded plane to follow into the family business. However, though, before the Galindo teenager could walk up the stairs to the private plane, he was suddenly stopped when he heard his father yell out, "wait!"
Miguel slowly turned around in confusion before he noticed his father walking towards him. The Galindo teenager knew his father wouldn't change his mind, so he could only stand there and wait for what his father wanted next. Maybe he wants my soul, too, after ripping out my heart, Miguel bitterly thought.
Jose ignored his son's confusion once he was standing in front of him before he simply placed his hand into Miguel's jacket pocket. The leader of the Galindo cartel dug around for a moment before he swiftly pulled out his son's cell phone - a Nokia 880 GSM. Jose then carelessly tossed the device onto the concrete ground of the runway before he stomped his steel toe boot against the screen until he could hear it crack. "No distractions," Jose exclaimed before he stated with a shake his head, "that girl will only cause you to lose focus. I need your attention on the big picture of the family business."
Miguel didn't think he could feel any lower than he already was but after watching his father break the only way he had in connecting with the love of his life, Miguel felt absolutely destroyed. Miguel felt like he had zero energy left in his body now that he had zero way in ever contacting Luciana, so he didn't even spare his father another look before he made the short journey into the private plane and threw himself into the first seat that he could find.
Miguel carelessly slammed his temple against the window of the plane before he immediately closed his brown eyes that were filled with tears. The Galindo teenager felt so heartbroken. It was already bad enough that his father wanted him to go to college for four years but Miguel now had no way to tell Luciana what was going on without his cell phone along with the fact that he honestly couldn't even remember Luciana's number.
Miguel felt absolutely helpless with the thought that he would never get the chance to speak to Luciana again. It broke his heart that he had been only hours away from finally telling the Oceteva girl that he's in love with her and wanted a future with her before it was all ripped away. Miguel regretted every second that he wanted to tell Luciana that he loved her over the last few weeks and it absolutely tore his insides apart at the thought of Luciana thinking that he just left her like this.
Please forgive me. I'm so sorry, Luciana. I love you, was the only thing that could softly break through Miguel's lips like a mantra when he felt the engine of his family's private plane start up. "Please forgive me. I'm so sorry, Luciana. I love you," Miguel mumbled as he placed his head between his knees and held tightly onto the simple necklace around his neck that had a pendant with his and Luciana's initials on it. "Please forgive me. I'm so sorry, Luciana. I love you," Miguel repeated as he hoped and prayed as the plane took off that this was all just a horrible nightmare and he would soon wake up in Luciana's arms.