Page 102 of Always You
I admit, she’s scary as shit. Where in the hell could she be? I know she’s not at work; it’s after five.
“Tell her thank you.” I stagger back to my truck. Jealousy hits me like a ton of bricks. What if she moved on to seeing someone or… shithead Brian. He must have taken advantage; the fucker was waiting for me to fuck up to take his chance. I grip the steering wheel while driving back home.
thirty-two
DOMINIC
Ibrush through the crowd getting into the auditorium of St. Mary’s, I find a place to sit. I glance to see if I spot Mila—not that she would acknowledge me; she might get outraged seeing me here. We haven’t spoken since the day she agreed to let me see Dante.
As if my body senses her presence, the hairs on my neck prickle as Mila gets closer. She maneuvers through the crowd; the sound of her soft voice sends pleasant shivers through my whole body and causes my cock to twitch against my zipper. Mila whispers into Sophie’s ear as they sit a couple of rows across from me. She hasn’t seen me, yet I get a perfect view.
Her tight checkered skirt hugs all her natural curves, she has a tight black shirt on, emphasizing her perfectly rounded breasts. Her long black hair falls perfectly without her trying. I gaped at her beauty. God, she’s beautiful. It’s been close to a month since I’ve seen her. She’s lost some weight. She looks tired. The beauty in her radiates through her whole body. You wouldn’t notice unless you knew every curve, mark, scar, and mole. I know her body like the back of my hand.
The music begins to play. Mrs. Martinez, the music teacher, stands in front of the stage.
“Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming out to support our students. They have worked so hard.”
Everyone claps. The kids sing “Silent Night.” Once the three wise men come out, I pull out my phone to record Dante. I watch Mila do the same. Dante steps out with a golden robe and a pretend camel as a prop. He is carrying the oil. One of the gifts the three wise men carry. He hands it to the little girl playing Mary. They sing a couple of songs and dismiss the kids. I watch as Dante steps down and runs to Mila. He hugs her. She smiles at him proudly. He turns and notices me standing there, watching.
“Daddy!” he shouts and runs toward me.
Mila shoots me a surprised look, a haughty stare that may cut through glass. In this moment, I realize she will never forgive me, more than anything she will never see me the same. A feeling of overall heaviness akin to a molt of lava seeps through my body, extinguishing any possible hope I’ve had. I direct my eyes to Dante, hugging him tightly.
“I’m so proud of you. You looked awesome out there, fist bump, dude.”
He giggles and fist-bumps me. “Daddy, are you coming to the house?”
I muster a smile. “No, buddy, not tonight. I'm going to your Uncle Santiago’s house, and I’ll show him the video I took. He will be so proud of you.”
He puffs out his chest, beaming with pride. He sure is a Delgado. Arrogance at its finest.
“Did you see, Daddy? I carried the oil to Mary and Joseph.”
“Yup, sure did. Your mom and Sophie are waiting for you.” I run my hands along the stubble on my chin. “Take care of your momma… okay… can you do that for me?” I ask, barely able to keep my emotions at bay.
“Yes, Daddy,” he says, nodding his head.
“Good little man, I love you, okay, to the moon and back.”
“I love you, Daddy, this much,” he says, spreading his hands as far as they can go.
I give his hair a light ruffle, he runs back to Mila, who is talking to a parent. Roaming her body one last time before she catches me, I make my way out the door with a lump in my throat. My heart is heavy.
I grip the steering wheel in my truck, thinking she'll never forgive me. Sighing, I reminisce about the way her body felt on mine, the way it responded to mine, and her soft lips brushing against mine. The way she smiled and laughed sent me to an unknown world where it was just us. She’s the star shining in my darkness. I’ve always been the moon. She once shined her way into my soul. Only now she shines in the opposite direction while I sink back into the darkness.
thirty-three
MILA
I’ve spent the last couple of days Christmas shopping, forcing myself to get out of the house. Four days until Christmas. I breathe. Dante is my strength to keep going. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. It’s so hard to maneuver through it. Sophie and I decided to head on out of the house and get into the holiday spirit. I really wanted to show them Holiday Market at Petco Park. I know Dante will love it. It’s beautifully decorated for the holidays—magical lighting displays, Santa, holiday characters, and so many food vendors. The last time I had been there was with Dominic before Dad passed away.
Damn you, Dominic; I don’t want to think about you now.
Day by day, I’m healing. I’ll never be completely one hundred percent healed. I’ll always have a piece of him. Sophie and Dante went to do a little Christmas shopping. They should be here in about thirty minutes. Then will head to Holiday Market. A knock at the door startles me. It must be Sophie.
I’m surprised to see the bitch standing on my doorstep. She stands tall, her dark glare searing me with hate. Racheal pushes her way through the door.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I yell. Shoving her. My heart thumps against my ribcage as I watch her reach into her purse.
