Page 82 of Wishing for La Luna
“Be careful with her, Tito. She’s not a groupie.”
He grows serious. “I know. Me and Sel know what’s up. Do you?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“You brought Luna to this house. The two of you are…chillin’, but if she’s in there…”—he points to the inside of the house—“it’s more than that.”
I stare him down, not in the mood to be analyzed. “What are you, my therapist?”
“No me comas tampoco,” he says, raising his hands.
I shake my head. It’s not his fault I’m feeling some kind of way, and though I am thinking I’m getting too deep, I want to get back in the room and be alone with Luna.
I sigh. “Nah, bro. I’m still tired.”
“She’s good for you. You’re smiling again—and not because you’re fucking drunk or high. I haven’t seen you like that…”
He trails off because he was there. He knows.
“Since beforeMamigot sick.”
He blinks a couple of times and then nods. We haven’t talked about her since the day I buried her. Tito was the one who dragged me from the graveside and brought me here. He and Tia sat on the chairs and watched over me for days.
“She’s special because you brought her here. Did you tell her what that means?”
I shake my head. “I don’t even know what it means yet.”
And my face heats up because I’m lying to the best friend I have in the world. But I can’t tell him that I love her. I’m not ready to tell him that she fits in there like she belongs. Because right now we’re hot for each other, but how long is that going to last? How long until I say or do the wrong thing, and she walks away? How long until my pain is too much for her to bear?Like Perla.
Tito makes me look away with the all-too-knowing smile playing on his face. You can’t lie to the people who know you best.
I’m about to tell him to fuck off when footsteps approach, and we both watch Sel make her way with two cell phones in her hand and a bag on her shoulder. She’s in her bathing suit top, and Tito’s eyes bounce along with her curves. He smirks in the same way I do when Luna is near.
“You were saying?”
He doesn’t even bother to take his gaze off her. “Not the same.”
I chuckle. “You should see your face.”
“Shut up.”
Sel reaches us, rolls her eyes at him, and looks at me. “¿Y Luna?”
I put my hand to my cheek in the universal sign for sleep.
Sel smiles like Tito did a few minutes ago. “You put her to bed, huh?”
I gape at her.
“She’s like a guy, I swear,” Tito tells me.
“But with all the right parts, right?” She puts her hand on her waist. “Anyway, your mom is mad because you’re taking too long. She asked me to bring Luna’s bag and your phones. And we need to hurry back so we can eat.”
She hands me all of it.
“You’re getting in good with thesuegra,” I tease.
“I love her. She’s a savage, like my mom. But he doesn’t want anything permanent with me,” she says, looking at Tito. “I’m not Luna. I’ll chop your balls off and feed them to you and your homeboys for sport. Anyway, Maeven wants Luna to call her when she has a chance. Doesn’t need to be right away.”
