All right. So I wrote smut for this one...quite a bit more than I expected to, actually. But this is a HUGE change from my normal story writing, so I apologize if you're not into reading smut. You can skip over it, and if y'all really don't like it, I can take it out! ;)
But yes, SMUT BELOW. You have been warned.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OCs and storylines…
She Will Be Loved
Chapter 21: Different
By Love Ink
Esai pulled up to his apartment building, parking his motorcycle as quickly as he could. He helped Angela get off the bike, looking her over hungrily. She looked sexy as hell in her tight dress and heeled boots. Grabbing her hips, he pulled her into him, capturing her lips in a hot kiss. He groaned at the taste of her as he slid his tongue between her lips. Pushing her towards the entry way doors, he managed to swipe his key card in without breaking the kiss. He refused to let her go, afraid she'd come to her senses and leave him. Her hands had slipped under his shirt, fingers trailing over his torso, spurring him to go on. He pushed her towards the elevator, thankful it was late and no one else was around. Once they were inside, he pressed her against the elevator wall, moving his lips down her neck as he did so. A soft gasp left her lips as he nipped at the black velvet choker around her neck. Her fingernails raked through his hair, sending shivers down his spine.
The doors opened, and she gently pushed him back, though her hands kept a tight grip on the front of his cut. He pulled her into him again, crouching a bit and lifting her so her legs could wrap around his hips. Her lips assaulted his neck as he carried her towards his apartment, teeth scraping over the tattoo there making him groan. He put her down in front of his door, fumbling with the keys as she leaned against him. Her lips were red and swollen, lipstick smeared, hair a mess, but she still looked sexy as hell. Her tongue swept across her lips, her hand smoothing over his chest towards his belt. "C'mon, E," she murmured, encouraging him to go just a little faster.
It felt like forever before he finally got his door open. He pulled her inside, closing the door and pushing her against it. Her hands went to his belt, working to undo it as his mouth crashed down on hers, his hands smoothing down her sides to her hips. She was curvier than she'd been when they were together; less of a girl, more of a woman. "So sexy," he murmured against her lips. He hoisted her up a bit, chuckling at the small yelp of surprise that escaped her hold as he did so. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her legs squeezing around him, urging him to keep going.
He moved his lips away from her neck, kissing his way down her chest and burying his face into her cleavage. He made sure she was balanced against him and the door before reaching up and undoing the back of the halter portion of her dress. He pulled it down, taking the strapless bra she was wearing with it. He cupped one of her bare breasts with his hand, massaging it and taking pride in the soft moan she let out in response. "Hurry up," she panted, her arms draped over his shoulders.
He didn't need to be told twice. He finished undoing his belt, pulling his boxers down with his pants, freeing himself. His hands smoothed over her thighs, moving up her dress so it gathered around her waist. He moved a hand between her thighs, feeling himself get even harder when his knuckle rubbed against her soaked panties. "So fuckin' wet for me, huh, chiqui," he murmured, teasing her through the fabric. "You miss me, Angelita?"
She whimpered a bit, her hips bucking against him. "Fuck, E," she managed to get out, her head tilting back. "Please. Don't stop."
It wasn't an answer to his question, but he knew she did. They wouldn't be there together if she didn't. Quickly, he pushed aside her panties and thrust himself into her. She gasped in response, her thighs tightening around his hips. He took a moment to enjoy the feel of being inside her again. The way they fit together was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He'd been searching for that feeling ever since she left and hadn't been able to find it in any girl he'd been with since. He moved away a little, roughly thrusting into her again, enjoying the feeling of her walls squeezing around him. She moaned at the movement, making him grin. "You like that, chiqui?" he asked, grunting as he thrust into her again, a little harder this time. In their youth, he'd held back. Had tried to be gentle with her since she was so inexperienced. She was older now, and he didn't hold back.
He gripped her ass tightly using his hold to push her up and down making his belt buckle smack against her thigh with a jingling sound. Her walls squeezed tighter around him as a soft curse left her lips. "Right there," she gasped out, her fingers raking through his hair. "Don't stop."
A familiar feeling came over him, pressure building inside of him. He moved even harder, burying his face between her cleavage and biting hard at her breast. A feeling of triumph came over him when she cried out his name, her back arching off the wall as she came. He let himself go over the edge with her, stilling as he came inside of her. "Fuck chiqui," he groaned, breathing hard as they both started to come down from their high. He realized they hadn't used protection, but he didn't really care; he'd always wanted to knock her up anyway.
Her cheeks were flushed, a dark hickey starting to appear on her chest where he'd bitten her. "Shit," she breathed, her dark eyes slightly glazed over. "That was...different."
Esai didn't put her down right away. He held her close for a minute taking his own deep breaths, his face pressed into her neck, before letting her legs drop down. He cupped her face in his hands, one thumb swiping over her cheek. "Yeah. Think we got better with age."
He kissed her softly, gentler this time. She gave him the smallest smile. "Guess so," she replied, her hands playing with the front of his cut.
He grabbed her hands, squeezing them tightly before letting go and picking up his pants. "C'mon, Angelita. Lemme show you my bedroom."
Angela's heart was still racing as she watched him walk down the hallway. She righted her panties and bra before pulling up the top of her dress and pulling down the skirt of it. She couldn't believe she'd just had sex with Esai…again, and it had felt damn good. Still, her head was screaming for her to get the hell out of there while she still could, while her heart still ached for the kind of attention and comfort Esai provided her. She couldn't deny the way being with him had made her feel. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins making her feel alive. Something she hadn't felt since losing Raj. The loneliness she'd been feeling was gone, and all she wanted to do was follow Esai back to his bedroom and fall asleep in his arms. Arms she knew like the back of her hand. Arms she knew would keep her safe and warm.
"Angelita?" he called to her from the mouth of the hallway, a curious look in his blue eyes. He'd taken off his shoes, his cut, and his t-shirt, leaving behind a wife beater and jeans. She felt like a school girl again, her heart sputtering in her chest like it had back when they'd first met. God, he was handsome; his cool blue eyes bright against his tan skin. More tattoos were visible on the well-defined muscles of his arms. One written in Gothic letters across his chest. She wondered what it said. A sad look crossed his face after a moment. "You can go if you want. Lino lives a floor down. Apartment 204. Ro's just down the hall, 512. Ain't forcin' you into anythin', chiqui. Just missed you is all."
He looked so much older than the boy she'd known before. More mature, somehow. Maybe he had changed. Maybe he wasn't the womanizing man she'd been with so long ago. He started to turn, and she caught sight of a big tattoo on his right shoulder. Angel wings. She froze, feeling her heartbeat speed up. "Wait," she said, biting her lip.
He stopped in the hallway, eyebrows raised as she moved towards him, staring at his arm curiously. Two folded wings were on his upper arm by his shoulder, a small open space in the middle of them as if it was unfinished. Once upon a time, he'd drawn the same design with an 'A' in the middle, insisting he'd one day tattoo it on his skin for her. Had he actually gone through with it while they'd been apart? "I wasn't lyin' when I said I missed you. Didn't finish it 'cause it didn't feel right to do it without you sayin' I could," Esai explained softly. He lifted a hand to caress her cheek softly. "I love you, Angelita. I did shitty things before, I know, but the way I feel's never changed."
She kissed him then; she couldn't help it. The kindness he was showing her made her feel warm and loved, wanted. She desperately needed that. It was a long, slow kiss, more romantic than the lust-filled frenzied kisses they'd shared before. In the quiet, stillness of his apartment, she could smell his cologne, the same one she'd bought him every year for his birthday when they were young. Good memories filled her head. She'd loved him once before. He'd taken care of her, invited her into his family. They'd been good together before he'd started prospecting. Maybe they could go back to that.
She pulled away, taking in a deep breath. Her head was spinning, and she honestly wasn't sure if it was due to the kiss or the alcohol she'd consumed. He pecked her lips again, his hand finding hers. "Let me show you how much I love you," he asked, kissing the top of her hand.
She felt herself nodding, her feet moving to follow after him. His bedroom had changed a lot since she'd last been there. He actually had a normal bed, not just a mattress on box-springs. His furniture all matched and looked practically new. Gone were the folding chairs and tables he'd been using before. It was further proof that Esai had grown up quite a bit in their time apart. She felt him move to stand behind her, his warm hand sliding over her upper shoulders to move her hair off her back. He kissed the back of her halter top before undoing it. His fingers tripped down her spine to the back of her dress, slowly sliding the zipper down. She did nothing to stop him. Just closed her eyes and let him pull down her dress.
Angela turned around to face him as she stepped out of her dress. Slowly, she helped him pull off his wife beater and tugged down his jeans, leaving him in just his boxers. She took in the sight of him, taking in all of the new ink on his body. 'Mayans' was inked across his chest in pretty script. His body was toned, skin the color of caramel just a little lighter than Juice's. She furrowed her brows in confusion; where the fuck had that comparison come from?
"What?" Esai asked, interpreting her facial expression as a reaction to him.
She blushed a bit and shrugged. "You just look different, that's all," she lied easily.
"Better?"
Angela smiled, shrugging again as she started taking off her shoes. "Not worse, not better. Different. Older."
"Could say the same about you, chiqui," he said, reaching out a hand to touch the koi fish she had tattooed over her hip. "Thought you weren't interested in ink."
"Wasn't interested in getting branded," she reminded him with a smirk. They'd had a big fight over it once. He'd wanted her to get a tattoo of his name, and she had adamantly refused. The only person she trusted to tattoo her was her cousin, and he was in prison at the time. That, and she wasn't a fan of having someone's name permanently inked into her skin. She may have been young at the time, but she hadn't been that stupid. She gestured to the koi fish tattoo, remembering the meaning behind it. It was a reminder of all she'd gone through and how she'd persevered through it. A lot of it, in part, was because of all the shit he put her through, but she didn't want to dwell on that. Not now. "This is different."
He chuckled and shrugged a shoulder. "Whatever you say. It's a good piece. Your cuz did a good job."
She nodded, unsure of what else to do. He approached her slowly, moving his arms around her and kissing her lips softly. She let herself be carried away by the kiss, let her heart lead for the first time in a long time. He started walking forward, inching her towards the bed. Once the back of her knees hit the frame, she sat down, pushing herself back towards the head of the bed. He climbed over her, dipping his head to kiss her again before his lips moved over her neck down to the swell of her breasts. She sat up a bit, allowing him to undo her bra. He did so, tossing it to the side as he move his mouth to her breast, his lips closing around her nipple and sucking slightly. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling as her back arched off the bed to give him better access. He pulled away, and she sighed, already missing the contact. "E..."
"Don't worry, just gettin' started, chiqui." He knelt between her legs, going for her panties, slowly sliding them down her legs. He tossed them over his shoulder without thinking twice, which made her frown; those damn panties were expensive, the least he could do was appreciate them.
He went to back to her, but she put her foot up to stop him. "Condom."
Esai scowled at her. "C'mon, Angelita. You didn't care about that before. Feels better without it," he said, reaching a hand out to pinch one of her nipples between his fingers. "C'mon. You don't want me to stop."
She knew he was trying to distract her, but she wasn't going to let him. As good as it felt, she wasn't going to budge. "E...condom," she stated, stronger this time. She bit back a moan as he started to massage her breast. "Now."
Sighing, he gave in, leaning back to get a condom from his bedside cabinet. He pulled down his boxers, freeing his erection. With a smirk, she took the package from him and ripped it open with her teeth. His blue eyes darkened as he moved towards her again, lying down beside her. She watched his face as she slid the condom down his length, stroking her hand up and down when she was done. His eyes fluttered shut then flew back open when she kept going with a firmer grip. His hips moved with her strokes, a low groan coming from the back of his throat. "Fuck, Angelita. Keep doin' that and this ain't gonna last long," he told her, groaning when she let him go.
He moved over her again, one hand slipping between her legs, his fingers teasing her entrance slowly, his eyes on her face. She sighed softly, closing her eyes as his moved his fingers up and down before gently circling the sensitive bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. She inhaled sharply, arching her back off the bed. He caught her lips in a hot kiss as he slid a finger inside of her, working it in and out as his tongue entered her mouth. He was moving slower this time, taking his time. One of her hands gripped the back of his head while the other gripped the sheets underneath them. She felt that familiar pressure in her stomach as she neared her release.
"Not yet," he said, moving his hand away.
"Esai, please," she begged, her breathing hard as she let her hips fall to the bed.
With a cocky smirk, he slowly pushed himself inside of her. Stilling for a moment once he was buried to the hilt. "Like that?" he murmured, dipping his head to kiss her softly. He started moving his hips, his hand dragging over her thigh as she moved her legs around his hips, drawing him in deeper.
She nodded, moving her arms around him and taking pleasure in every moment. He was moving painstakingly slow this time and driving her absolutely crazy. Her fingers dug into his bare back, as she moved her hips to match his cadence. God, he felt good. She'd missed this. The familiarity and intimacy of being with someone like this, of being wanted like this. Especially by Esai. He'd been her first, and honestly, the best so far. He knew her inside and out, knew what she liked, what she didn't. Except she was more experienced now. Had learned a thing or two from Raj. Raj. He'd been so caring with her, so sweet and warm. Always going slow and steady. He called it 'making love', and he treated the act as such. Worshipped her body in ways she'd never experienced before.
Esai gave her a long kiss, bringing her thoughts back to the present. That lonely feeling that came with thinking about Raj was starting to blossom in her chest. She was sobering up, becoming too aware. Guilt was starting to creep in. She shouldn't be doing this. Not when Raj was dead. This slow, intimate sex was getting to be too much for her. The feelings it brought with it were too overwhelming. She pushed Esai away. He grunted for a moment, a questioning look on his face as he sat back. Sitting up, she slowly turned around so she was on all fours, her back to him.
"Chiqui..." he said, his voice hesitant as he moved in behind her.
She knew why he was reluctant. In her youth, she'd refused to let him take her from behind, telling him it was for animals, not people. He'd tried several times to get her to try out the position, but she wouldn't let him. She was older now, and she desperately needed something less intimate than being face to face. Reaching behind her, she circled her hand around his hard member, moving back and guiding him inside of her.
"Fuck," he groaned, his hands finding her hips. He thrust into her harder this time, making her cry out his name. Whatever romance he'd been trying to put into it flew out the window as he pounded into her roughly. "Fuck, yeah, Angelita. Feels so good."
She gasped softly, feeling tears run down her cheeks. Tilting her head forward, she let her hair fall forward to shield her face from Esai's view. They weren't for him; he wasn't doing anything wrong. She'd made the mistake of thinking about Raj, and now, she couldn't shake the overwhelming feelings of guilt and sadness.
Esai's hips started to slow, Spanish curse words escaping his hold as his grip on her hips tightened, his short nails digging into her skin. He thrusts then became more frantic as he started to reach his release, each one paired with more Spanish words. She moaned with him, putting on a show as she feigned her own release, the sound of her fake moans must've set him off because he stilled all together, shouting out her name. He collapsed down on top of her, his lips moving over the skin of her shoulder for a moment before he pulled away, slipping out of her, and falling onto his back beside her. "Goddamn, chiqui, that was...new."
Angela quickly wiped away her tears before he could see and moved onto her back. "Yeah," she said on a breath as she sat up on her elbows. She moved away from him, swinging her legs out of the bed, keeping her back to him. "Learned a few things. Not that little naïve girl anymore."
"Definitely not," he said, still breathing hard. "Where you goin'?"
"Bathroom," she answered, grabbing his shirt and her panties off the floor and putting them on. She closed the bathroom door, using the toilet quickly before heading to the sink and splashing some cool water in her face. Taking long, deep breaths, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She hardly recognized herself. Her makeup had run, eyeliner gathering underneath her eyes. Her hair was a mess, lipstick smeared. A soft sob escaped her lips before she could stop it. What was she doing? The image of Raj getting hit by the car flashed through her head. Raj was dead, and she was moving on. It didn't feel right. Didn't feel fair. Leaning against the bathroom wall, she slowly slid down it until she was on the floor. She pulled her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on top of them as she cried.
She heard the door open before she felt Esai kneel next to her. "Oh Angelita," he murmured, his hand brushing her hair from her face. "I was that bad, huh?"
Despite how upset she was, she laughed. "No," she replied, shaking her head and wiping at her eyes. "No, I just...shouldn't be...enjoying this. Raj is dead, and I'm..."
"Alive," Esai reminded her, taking her face in his hand. "Don't forget that. You're alive and here. You deserve to be happy, mi vida. I can make you happy. Let me make you happy." (Don't forget that...my life)
Angela felt more tears escape her hold, falling down her cheeks. She couldn't get the image out of her head, couldn't stop seeing Raj getting hit by that car over and over again. She felt sick to her stomach. How could she have just done that with Esai? How could she be living her life when Raj was dead? How could she move on? Shaking her head, she sighed softly. "I'm sorry. I'm a mess."
"No, don't be, chiqui. It's okay," he murmured, sitting back into a crouch. She wasn't quite sure how he managed to do it, but he somehow lifted her off the ground and into his arms, carrying her to the bed and laying her down on it. He stretched out beside her and pulled her in close. She clung to him, sobbing into his chest. She thought she was done crying, that she'd moved on, but clearly, she hadn't yet. Esai held her tightly, his hand smoothing down her back as he kissed her forehead. "I got you, Angelita. I'll help you through this. I'm here for you."
When Juice finally got home from the party, his house was dark, which meant Angela wasn't home yet. It was almost three in the morning, though. Where was she? What the hell was she doing? The thought she might be with some other guy went through his head, making his stomach churn. No, there's was no way. She wasn't ready for that. Not after losing Raj. She was still healing. She wouldn't just jump into bed with someone new.
He sat down on the living room couch with a heavy sigh, taking out his phone as he did so. He found her number and quickly typed out a text. He felt guilty as hell for letting her go the way he had. For not going after her. She'd done everything for him. Given him her money, her car, and he'd been too busy to spend any real time with her since she'd been home besides that one movie night. They saw each other in passing. Mostly for a quick greeting and maybe a quick conversation about their days, but that was the extent of it. They hadn't talked about Raj. He hadn't asked. Hadn't wanted to rip the scab off that slowly healing wound. He was a horrible friend, and he definitely didn't deserve to be more than that.
Leaning his head back against the couch, he decided to wait up for her. She'd call eventually for a ride home since she had no other way of getting home, and he seriously doubted Lino would drive all the way back to Charming in the early morning hours. He turned on the TV and let out a long breath, praying she'd get back to him soon.
Esai woke up before Angela, pleased to see she was still there, cuddled against him. She'd scared the shit out of him the night before. They'd had mind-blowing sex, and then she'd had a mental breakdown of epic proportions. He hadn't known what to do, so he held her tightly, letting her cry until she fell asleep. It definitely was not what he'd planned when he'd taken her back to his place. He'd thought they'd make love all night long and carry on into the morning. That was the reunion he wanted, not this mess. But he'd held her, held her and did his best to make her feel better. If anything, he was just glad he'd gotten to have sex with her before she'd broken down.
Reluctantly, he got out of bed with the idea to make her some coffee and put some PopTarts in the toaster since he didn't know how to cook anything else for her. He started the coffee pot, going over to the living room and picking her purse up from the floor. Her cell phone dropped out of it, hitting the carpet with a quiet thump. Bending down, he picked it up and flipped it open. He saw a couple new texts from Lino, one from Rosa, and one from Juice. He knew who Juice was. Raffa had told him all about Angela's "best friend" from New York. Something his best friend only knew from eavesdropping on his sister, Rosa, when she was on the phone. The way Raffa told it, Juice had feelings for Angela. Honestly, Esai couldn't blame the guy. Angela was hot as hell. He opened the message, reading it through narrowed eyes.
The first one was simple enough. Just a normal text that read, "Just checkin in. U ok? Need me to pick u up?"
The next one was sent a few minutes later and said, "Sorry about the party. Tried to find u to explain."
The last one was what pissed Esai off. "Come home, Angel. Miss u. I messed up and I'm sorry. Please call me."
Esai didn't like the look of that one bit. What the hell did he miss her for? They were just friends; he had no right to miss her. Quickly, he deleted all of the texts and placed the small phone back in her purse, setting it on the couch. He wandered back to the bedroom in time to hear her throwing up in the bathroom. He grimaced; she'd drank way too much the night before, though she hadn't seemed all that drunk when they'd finally made it to his apartment. He headed back towards the kitchen, getting a glass of water for her and hoping she was done puking by the time he got back.
He walked back in just as she was brushing her teeth. "My toothbrush?"
Angela smirked, shaking her head as she spit out the toothpaste. "One of the extras," she answered, nodding to the open packaging on the counter. "Costco pack?"
He nodded, hoping she didn't realize he bought so many just in case one of the random girls he slept with needed one. He'd caught too many girls almost using his toothbrush not to have extras. He took a minute to look Angela over. She looked sexy in his tank, her hair pulled into a messy bun a top her head. A few dark hickeys were visible on her chest, the darkest one on her neck. He was damn proud of those marks; they marked her as his. Maybe Juice would back off when he saw them, realize she was out of his league and not his for the taking. Esai's gaze met hers, and he felt his heart sink at the sad, exhausted look in her dark brown eyes. "You feelin' okay?"
"Fine," she replied quickly, a forced smile on her face. She looked down at her feet, tucking a hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry about...all that last night. I was...drunk and emotional."
He shrugged his shoulders. " 's okay, chiqui. Just glad it wasn't about me."
She shook her head slowly. "No. I just didn't think...that would've triggered a full on meltdown."
"You lost someone you cared about," he stated, shrugging again. "This the first time you've had sex since him?"
Angela stared at her feet again and nodded. "Yeah."
"He the first one after me?"
Her dark eyes glared at him, a scowl on her face. "Why does that matter?"
Esai fought the urge to grimace. The question obviously upset her, but he desperately wanted to know if she had sex with that Juice guy. No way could they have been "just friends" all those years. There had to be something else there. "Just curious. I mean, that might be why it was so hard for you," he tried to explain lamely.
He could see she wasn't buying it, though. "Whatever, E," she muttered, looking a little disappointed. She grabbed her dress and bra off the ground.
He had a feeling her aim was to put it back on and leave, go to Rosa or Lino's place, and find something to change into. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet, though. "Don't put that back on. Here," he said, going over to his drawer and grabbing a pair of his old basketball shorts and a clean Mayan shirt.
"Thanks," she muttered, pulling on the shorts before turning around to put on her bra and the shirt.
He didn't know why she bothered with turning around; it wasn't like he'd never seen her naked. Still, he took a moment to appreciate her back, remembering what they'd done the night before. The way the muscles in her back moved as he moved inside her. Slowly, he stepped behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and moving her hair off her neck to kiss it softly. "You don't gotta go, Angelita. I made breakfast," he offered, hopefully. "Stay for a while."
Angela tensed a little as he continued kissing her neck. "E...I shouldn't," she stated, walking away from him and heading out of the bedroom. "Where's my phone?"
"Why not?" he asked, following after her. "C'mon, I made some coffee. Café Bustelo. Como te gustas." (Like you like it)
She grabbed her purse and checked her phone, looking a little disappointed when she looked through her messages. That didn't seem like a good sign. Esai was glad he'd gotten to the phone first, that he was able to delete the text messages from the other man before she saw them, especially since it seemed to influence his decision to stay. She put the phone away, pausing for a moment to contemplate his question before shrugging "Sure. Coffee would be great."
"I'll get it for you. Got S'mores Poptarts too," he said, going over to the kitchen. "You still like it with milk and too much sugar?"
"Mm-hmm," she said, leaning against the kitchen counter, watching him curiously. "S'mores Poptarts. I haven't had one of these in like...four years."
That was how long it'd been since they'd last been together. Esai wondered if she stopped eating them because of him. Maybe they made her miss him. He liked the thought of that. He grabbed one from the toaster, burning the tips of his fingers as he did so. He threw it on a plate, hissing in pain. Shaking out his hand, he turned and set it in front of her. "They were always your favorite," he said, watching as she split it in half like she always did. "Drove my Ma nuts knowin' you were eatin' that shit. She always wanted me to bring you breakfast."
Angela smiled warmly at the memory. "Her breakfast burritos were hella good. Always loved when you brought those."
"Yeah," he agreed on a chuckle. He set the coffee mug down in front of her, marveling at himself. He was never this attentive with women. Usually, he let them wake up first and hoped they made him breakfast...or left before he woke up. But Angela was different. He wanted to impress her, hoping it'd give him another chance. "You got plans for today?"
"Oh um...not really. Grocery shopping and shit. Probably get lunch with Lino and Ro," she answered on a shrug. "Why?"
"Want to go to dinner with me tonight?"
She tilted her head to the side, a small smile on her face. "Esai Alvarez, are you asking me out on a date?"
"Kinda," he said, bobbing his head as he grabbed his own Pop-tart. "Thought we could start over, y'know? We're older now. I changed a lot since you left. Look, I even made you breakfast. I never did that before."
Angela looked reluctant as she took a long sip of her coffee. "E..."
"Just one date, chiqui. Let me prove myself to you. We'll go slow. Start over again as grown-ups," he tried, desperate to get her back. Everything had gone to shit without her. True, he'd gotten to sleep around, have fun with other girls, but they were all meaningless. They didn't take care of him the way Angela used to, didn't care about him like she had. He wanted someone he could come home to at night like his Dad did with his Mom. "See. My name is Esai. What's yours?"
She snorted at him, rolling her eyes and slapping away his extended hand. "I'm not doing that. You were literally inside of me last night. I think I know you pretty well," she told him, shaking her head. She paused for a moment, her dark eyes looking him over as she chewed on her Poptart. "There was a reason we didn't work out, E. You did a lot of shady shit. 'm not going to just forget about it 'cause we're four years older."
Esai's stomach sunk. There was his smart girl, too smart for her own good. "Okay, but I'm better now. You'll see. Lemme prove it. Just a date. Tha's it."
"No sex then."
He didn't like that stipulation. Not one bit, especially after the way the night before had gone, but if it meant she was going to give him a chance, he'd roll with it. "Okay."
"With anyone."
He scowled at her; he knew he'd cheated on her before, but he was all in this time. " 'course not."
Her dark eyes looked him over slowly as if she was trying to see into his soul. Finally, she let out a long breath and nodded. "One date."
Angela walked barefoot to Rosa's apartment, her high-heeled boots in her hand, knowing going to Lino's would be a bad choice. He was more likely to lecture her than Rosa would. She could just hear him going on and on about how stupid it was for her to get back together with Esai, especially so soon after losing Raj. She wasn't so sure it was a good idea herself, but for some reason, she found herself giving in. She'd liked the way Esai had made her feel. Appreciated the way he'd held her as she cried the night before, took care of her. He'd made her feel loved, wanted, something she hadn't felt in a long time. Just being near him had made her feel less lonely. Maybe she needed him to be able to move on.
She glanced at her phone, going through her text message inbox again. When Esai had originally posed taking her out on a date, her thoughts had immediately gone to Juice. The mohawked man had been in her thoughts since the moment she'd woken up. She'd decided then that if he'd texted her to check in, she'd forget about what happened at the party and give him another chance. It would show he cared about her enough to stop what he was doing at the clubhouse to make sure she'd gotten home okay. At least, that's what she told herself. When she finally got to check her phone, all she had were a few texts from Lino and Rosa and a voicemail from Kozik. Nothing from Juice.
That hurt. He hadn't even cared enough to check in on her. What kind of a friend was that? That wasn't the Juice she knew. Clearly, SAMCRO had changed him into someone completely different. Maybe the Juice she had fallen for was in the past. Why should she hold out hope for him if he wasn't the same person she knew and cared about in New York?
Rosa opened the door with a scowl, grabbing her wrist and pulling her inside. "The fuck was that? You just leave with E and then don't answer any of my texts! I thought you were dead!" she exclaimed, waving her hands about as she did so. Angela rolled her eyes at her friend, she loved Rosa like a sister, but, damn, she could be over dramatic. Rosa smacked her arm. "I mean, damn girl! You were dancin' all hot with E and then you just walked out!"
"Yeah," she replied, cringing a bit. She made a mental note to apologize to Lino. "Sorry about that."
"Que sorry! Lino was flipping out! He wanted to follow y'all pero Nessa stopped him! It was ridiculous," she said, rushing around her kitchen. "What were you thinkin' leavin' like that? Gettin' on Esai's bike drunk as shit? You coulda died!"
That idea hadn't even crossed her mind. She raked her hand through her hair and shrugged. "I don't…I wasn't that drunk. I mean, I knew what I was doing. I didn't black out. Been riding Harley's since I was a kid, think I know how to hold on. Plus, it wasn't that far."
Rosa rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "That's fuckin' bullshit, and one hell of a risk," she chastised before sighing. "Did you at least get it in?"
Angela grimaced. Rosa was blunt as hell. Always had been. It was one of the reasons they were such good friends; Rosa wasn't afraid to call her on her bull shit. "Uh-huh."
"Shit," she said on a frown. "Did he wrap it? Need Plan B? I stole some from the pharmacy."
"You becoming a pharmacist is a bad idea," Angela stated with a smirk. She still couldn't believe Rosa, of all people, had decided to go into the pharmaceutical field. She'd always thought Rosa would end up doing something more physical. Like UFC fighting. She was certainly tough and strong enough for that. "But yeah, I should probably take that."
Rosa smirked, disappearing into the back of her apartment before placing the box and a glass of water in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she started rattling off the side effects drolly as if she'd said it a million times before. Angela only half listened to her, taking the pill with the large glass of water. Rosa finished talking and let out a long sigh. "So what's this mean for you and E?"
"I dunno. He asked me out to dinner tonight."
She stared at her, dumbfounded. "And you said yes?"
"Yeah."
Rosa's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why? Don't you remember all the shit he put you through? The cheating and shit?"
Angela stared down at the cup of water in her hands. "Yeah. We were young. He said he's different now, and we're older, so...I figured I'd give him another chance."
"Different," Rosa scoffed doubtfully. "What happened to that Son dude?"
She frowned, shrugging a shoulder. "I told you, he was making out with a Croweater last time I saw him. And he didn't even text me last night. What kinda friend does that?"
"Whine, whine, whine. So he's an idiot," Rosa said, waving away her concerns. "Doesn't mean you gotta go jumpin' into bed with Esai. Give the idiot a chance."
Angela knew Rosa was right, but she didn't want to admit it. After what had happened with Esai, she had feeling doing anything with Juice would trigger a meltdown of epic proportions especially since Raj's death came right after a fight that happened about him. She was still holding onto the guilt she felt for Raj's death, and it was tied way too closely to her feelings for Juice. " 'm not jumpin' into bed with E. 's just a date."
Rosa didn't look so sure. "You already did jump into bed with him! You gotta be careful, Ang. Don't forgive and forget so easy. Esai might've grown up a bit, but he still sleeps with anythin' with a pulse. I've seen him."
She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Not forgiven and definitely not forgotten but being with him might help me get over Raj."
"Chica, the getting over someone by gettin' under someone isn't applicable here. Your man's died. You need to heal, not fuck someone who's gonna end up fuckin' with your head. This isn't gonna end well."
Angela hung her head, rubbing at her temples. A part of her knew Rosa was right, but another part refused to believe it. She liked the idea of being with Esai. He was familiar, easy, and she didn't really want to be alone again. "You don't know that."
Rosa held up one finger, disappearing into her room again and reappearing with a deck of tarot cards. "Let's see."
"Uh-uh. No way. I'm not doing your brujeria tarot card shit," she said, her hands in the air. "Get those cards away from me." (Witchcraft)
"C'mon! I've gotten really good! I predicted Raffa's last relationship was doomed!"
"His relationships are always doomed!" she shot back with a roll of her eyes. "Are you gonna drive me home or do I need a cab?"
Rosa rolled her eyes, slamming her cards on the table. "You want a change of clothes though? Showin' up at your SAMCRO boyfriend's house with your Mayan boyfriend's Mayan shirt on ain't the smartest thing."
"Neither of them are my boyfriends," she shot back, heading towards Rosa's bedroom. She started looking through her friend's drawers, hoping to find something somewhat normal.
"Whatever. Don't take my good shit," she stated, nodding in approval when Angela held up a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt with their high school mascot on it. She went to the bathroom, coming out to hand Angela a tube of concealer. "You're gonna wanna cover up all those hickeys on your neck, hooker."
Angela laughed, taking the concealer and grimacing at the dark mark on her neck. "Asshole," she muttered to herself, tapping the makeup into her skin.
"Did you at least have some fun with him?" Rosa asked, arms crossed over her chest. Angela shrugged a shoulder, fighting against a grin; she had to admit, the night hadn't been bad. She'd had much worse. Rosa snickered, beaming with pride. " 'course ya did, ya dirty hooker."
Ooh Esai's back in the game and ready to stir the pot! ;)
Still unsure about the smut, but hopefully it came out well!
Let me know what you guys think! I love reading your guys' comments!