Forever Mine (The Moreno Brothers)

FOREVER MINE - Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Christmas had come and gone with no feelings of joy for Angel. The restaurant wasn't nearly as busy the week after Christmas as it had been the week before. His parents were gone for the week, visiting family in Mexico. Every year they left the week after Christmas and came back after the New Year. Angel and Alex had covered the morning shift at the restaurant, and since Sal was there for the week, he and Sofia covered the afternoon shift.

Angel was in no mood to celebrate New Year's Eve, especially knowing Sarah's birthday was at midnight and it wouldn't be him kissing her happy birthday. He slid his fingers over the chain Sarah gave him for his birthday, before dropping it back in the sock drawer and slamming it shut.

Alex poked his nose in his room. "What's with you?"

Angel glanced at him but didn't answer. He sat down to on his bed and began putting the socks on.

"I got people coming over, so get down here and help me clean this place up."

Angel's shoulders slumped. "Who's coming over?"

"None of your high school, rioting, crumb friends, well," he laughed, "except for Eric and Romero. But everyone else is grown up, so try to pretend."

Angel frowned. "What time?"

Alex had already walked away, but he yelled. "In about an hour."

Angel glanced at the clock. It was already close to nine. He had just worked out and showered. He was looking forward to a quiet night of shooting some pool and calling it an early one—not a damn party.

By the time he got downstairs, the kitchen counters had been transformed into a minibar. The music was blasting, and Romero was already there with a beer in his hand.

Sal and Sofia walked in just as Angel grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"What's going on?" Sal asked.

Alex walked back in from the backyard with an ice chest. "Party time, brutha."

Sal peered and Sofia grinned. Sal looked back at Angel. Angel raised his hands in the air. "Don't look at me. This is all him."

"Yeah," Alex said. "Don't worry. It's not any of his juvenile friends—except for Eric and Romero."

Romero pretended to be appalled. "I'm standing right here!"

Alex ignored him as he grabbed a bag of ice from the freezer. "It's just a few of my more refined friends."

Sal shook his head. "Good luck. This place better all be in one piece tomorrow 'cause I ain't taking the heat for any of this."

Sofia ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Alex stopped to watch her. "Where is she going?"

"Yeah, she's gonna be here around all your refined college friends." Sal smirked, examining the bottles of booze on the counter.

Clearly Alex wasn't thrilled about that. "Well, no one invited her."

Angel chuckled. "What are you gonna do? Lock her in her room?"

Alex raised his eyebrow. "Now there's a thought."

"Oh, yeah," Romero smirked. "College boys are what you guys need to be worried about."

All three brothers stared at him. "What does that mean?" Alex asked.

Romero shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know. I just felt left out."