Lo Recuerdo Todo (Oscar Diaz/ OMB)

9.

I heard the doorbell echo through the house and I immediately shot from my seat on the patio and walked towards the door.
I tiptoed the closer I got to the door hoping no one was going to know anyone was home unless I wanted them to.
I snuck to the window and opened the blinds a crack immediately regretting it.
"I can see you, Naomi." He arched a brow and I cursed.
I unlocked the door slowly, savoring the last peaceful moment of my morning. .
I opened the door a crack, leaning my body in the way of the entrance.
"Yes?" I asked, trying to seem as uninterested as possible.
"Are you going to invite me in?" He pointed towards the house and I rolled my eyes, opening the door wide as he opened the screen door for himself walking in.
"I think we have a lot to talk about." He started and I shrugged staying silent. "And I want to start with Cesar."
"What of him?"
"I've done a lot of thinking about what you said-"
"Smart."
"And I'm letting him take care of school before his responsibilities begin." He ignored my comment continuing. "He's a smart kid, and deserves to accomplish this at the least." He finished and I bit down on the inside of my lip, trying to fight my smile, feeling accomplished- apparently getting through to him.
"Okay, good talk." I walked towards the door beginning to unlock it, pressuring him to leave.
As soon as I finished the second lock, I felt his arm snake around my waist.
"No, hermosa, now it's time to talk about us..." he whispered into my ear sending a shiver down my spine.
I turned around, hearing him re- lock the doors behind my back.
"What about us?" I asked, our faces a moment from one another's.
"I'm gonna tell you what's really been on my mind." His hand moved up my back slightly and my voice caught in my throat.
"Do it." I begged in a whisper, coming off more helpless than I had hoped.
He created space between us now, becoming serious as he held his hand out for me.
We walked around the couch and we sat down across from each other.
"The last time I saw you I told you I was going to get my GED." He recapped and I nodded, pulling my knee to my chest. "I was looking into schooling, really considering the things we talked about, culinary school, and you eventually moving back out here... the dream was nice... but my tío was diagnosed with lung cancer and initiated me." He made small of the moment that changed our lives, and I let him tell it how he needs to say it. No matter how much I wanted him to elaborate. "He told me to be a good man to them, take care of my own, and make sure the least of my men go down. It sounded easy, and I took it as a side job I guess... I started night classes, and was trying to stay on the straight and narrow, for you." He ran his hand down my leg squeezing my ankle before letting go again.
"Cesar was about to start 8th grade, and I was so excited but I knew there was something I had to do..." he became soft for a moment, giving himself a second to collect his thoughts. He looked up at me and I gave a reassuring smile, and he closed his eyes, getting back on his story. "One of my guys, their hermanita was raped... so we got together and found the guy but someone saw us-" he got choked up slightly.
"Oscar." I said his name to remind him I'm right here with him, for him.
"I blacked out, completely... they tried to pull me away but as the cops came closer they all ran." He continued. "Next thing I know I'm getting put into the back of a cop car, covered in blood..."
"Oscar, I'm sorry." I apologized, watching him finally look me in the eyes.
"You were right," he started and I shook my head, shaking a tear loose, quickly wiping it away, "I threw our dreams away, but I did what I had to do." He explained and I nodded.
"Oscar, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have made you feel like you had to tell me-"
"I wanted to tell you." He clarified, placing a hand on my damp cheek.
"Thank you for the honesty, and as much as I don't agree with all of your life choices, I know your intentions are good, although sometimes skewed." I make peace with some of my previous comments and he nods. We allow a small silence to settle between us before I speak again.
"In the end, we should've known..." I continued, putting my hand over his, "we're too different."
"Don't say that." He stopped me.
"Oscar, come on..." I pulled his hand down, holding it in my hand. "It was puppy love." I shrugged.
"It wasn't."
"Do we really know each other? At all?" I explained and he rolled his eyes. "I've know you a week at a time for 4 years before all of this changed, Oscar I loved you, because I didn't have anyone else to love. And it was fun, and our dreams felt almost real but come on..." I pleaded, pulling myself back together from his story. "I need something stable, something safe-"
"I can do that, I'll turn the blue sky the color of your lips if you'd ask me to..." He blurted and I shook my head, the feelings of nostalgia eating away at any valid point I wanted to make.
"I'm not asking you to." I laid it out and he arched a brow at me. "I think it'd be best if we drop it. Us, I mean."
"Is that what you want?" He quizzed and I nodded, lying.
"It's for the best." I shrug and he does the same.
"Marcus?" He continued. "That's what this is about?"
"What?" I folded my arms over my chest becoming defensive.
"Marcus, this is why you're saying this now."
"No-"
"Listen, mami, I'm not giving up for that-"
"For that?" I rolled my neck, sitting up straight.
"Is this about money, cause little mama I got it."
"This isn't about anything, I'm not yours to claim so don't get a big head and act like you own me-"
"But, princesa, I do." He smirked, his brow arched high.
By reflex I slapped him across the face, shocking the both of us.
His face turned red, and I could almost see his body temperature rise dangerously fast as he lunged for me, pressing our faces together in heated passion.
I indulged in him for a moment, something about him always had be intoxicated.
He scooped his arm around me, pulling me on his lap. I straddled him, my hands running over his freshly shaved head, the short hairs tickling the palm of my hand.
His hands moved along me hungrily, and a warm fire erupted in my stomach.
He fisted my hair, causing me to moan slightly at his aggressive move, he pulled us apart for a moment.
"Don't you ever, lay a hand on me like that again, hermosa." He warned and it immediately took me out of the mood. I crawled off of his lap, putting real space between us.
"It's time for you to go." I walked to the door, opening it for him and he stood up, agreeing to leave.
The air around us heavy, almost toxic.
"We're not over." He tried to get the last word.
"We're over cause we never even started." I smacked lips as he walked out.
He sure knows how to kill a mood with me...
I sighed heavily, always conflicted when he leaves...
Before I moved away from the door I heard police sirens and an announcement played from down the street.
"This is L.A.P.D this block is on lock down, for your safety please remain inside till the lock down is dismissed."
I quickly threw the door open seeing Oscar run back and sneaking inside.
"What's going on?" I asked, as he peaked out the window seeing the cop driving by slowly down the street.
"Looks like you're stuck with me for a little bit, babygirl..."