What happens now?
“Where were you last night?” I ask Carmelo as he lays across my bed.
“I had a prior engagement.” He grins and his busted lip begins to bleed again.
“I can tell by your face.”
“You should see the other guy.” He chuckles.
“I actually should, are you sure you’re winning?”
“I need to take a few hits to get my blood pumping and then it’s all red.” He snaps his fingers. “How was the party?”
“Riley and I broke up.” I roll my eyes.
“Don’t look too banged up about it. Were you even really dating?”
“I think so.” I shrug.
“You’re still fucking your math teacher.” He raises a bandaged brow. “Shouldn’t you be exclusive?”
“We didn’t set terms.”
“I think when you find the right one, you’ll know it. Riley was just something to pass your time.” He pats my leg and stands up. “Your mother has been nagging me to let her teach me how to fight.”
“Probably because she thinks you’re losing.” I wave to his busted face.
My mother is a trained MMA fighter, my Uncle Trent in New York is her trainer, and she still leaves some weekends to fight there. I have never seen her fight and I don’t think I would want to, I don’t know how I would take it watching someone try to hurt her.
“Your mother is a vicious fighter,” he grins. “I saw videos.”
“She’s vicious.” I nod.
“Anything else happen last night?”
I fall back to the bed with a groan, “I hotboxed Riley’s bathroom…”
“Nice…”
“With Neil.”
“What?!” Carmelo’s exclaims.
“And then made out with Amelia.”
“Holy fuck!” He laughs and sits back on the bed. “How do you manage all this drama?”
“The Jones family will not leave me alone. They keep finding me.”
“Some would call that fate.” He stands again. “I need to get home and clean my face.”
“Your parents are gonna trip.” I chuckle.
“Or just call me a Torres.” He shrugs. “Like father like son, I guess.”
Not only was he named for his father, looks like his father, and acts like his father, but he’s reminded every day that he will never know the man. It breaks my fucking heart and I would assume makes him the way he is.
“I’ll see you in a few days.” He says as he heads to the door.