𝘋𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 - 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙈𝘾

Veintisèis/Twenty Six

After her evening out with Chucky, Izzy went home alone and ignored EZ's calls and texts. She didn't want to deal with his drama right now.

~ MAYANS ~ ~ MAYANS ~

"No more fucking lies, viejo." / "I was in love with your mother."

"My mother... dancing? I could barely get her to dance with me at my wedding." / "Well, she couldn't get enough. She'd make us go atleast once a week. Pain in the ass for the security detail, but she insisted."

"Was she any good?"

"No." / "No?"

"She was awful. She had- she had no rhythm. No sense of it at all. But nobody loved dancing as much as she did."

"I had no idea. There was so much I didn't know. So much I'll never know."

"To exist in your father's world... to survive it... she had to hide parts of herself. Parts she eventually lost touch with. Things that didn't fit in the role of Jose Galindo's wife. There's no reason to try and make sense of all of this now. What's done is done. Dwell on the dead for too long, they'll take you with them. It's the last thing that your mother would have wanted."

"Did she... did she reciprocate your feelings?"

"She was always loyal to your father."

~ MAYANS ~ ~ MAYANS ~

While exiting the medical building after a long day, heading to her car, Izzy was surprised to see Felipe's truck parked right next to her. She watched him roll down his driver window, approaching him, "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. I need some help back at the shop." He told her, "Wanted to see if you could spare a few minutes."

"You could've called me. You didn't have to wait out here in your car."

"Didn't know if I'd get through."

"So your son is talking to you?" She asked, rolling her eyes, "Of course, I'd answer your call."

"I'll meet you there?"

"Sure. I'm gonna go home, change real quick, and then I'll see you there."

And that's exactly what she did. When she arrived at the shop, the old man instructed her on sorting the meats in the fridge while he prepped and cut it. He tended to a few customers who stopped by while she stayed in the back. As he opened the door to wash his hands, the bell rang indicating someone entering the shop, he shooed her, "Go help them. I'll be right there."

"Hi. Welcome-" Izzy opened the door, turned, and was met with EZ's stare, her smile dropped, "Jesus, I should've known."

"I'd really like a chance to talk." He told her, coming around the counter to stand closer to her.

"I'm tired, okay? I had a long day and I only came here because I thought your dad needed help." She took off her apron, "But I can see that was a big lie too."

"Izzy." He put his hand on her shoulder, "Please? I just want to talk."

"Why the sudden change?" She finally looked into his eyes for more than a second, scoffing at him, "I've been trying to talk to you for weeks, you know? Now, you come around? When it's convenient for you?"

"I messed up. Okay? I know I did. I want to explain everything and make it up to you. Please, Iz... come with me."

"Hey. Take my truck." Felipe opened the door and tossed his keys at EZ while Izzy rolled her eyes and sighed, following him outside. He opened the door for her and got in, starting the car, placing a rectangular box on her lap.

"You got me something?" She was confused.

He nodded, "Open it, find out."

"A fork?" She held it.

"For our place. Now, we'll have two sets. One for me and one for you. That's the first part of our night."

"Our place?" She looked at him, biting her lip, "So you are moving in? You really wanna live together? Because I'd rather not live together if it's just gonna be us fighting constantly and not getting along. Seriously, if this relationship is moving too fast for you-"

"Babe," He reached over and took her hand in his, bringing it up to his mouth to kiss the back of it, "I'm sorry for not being there, picking out a place with you, but I'm sure whatever you chose will be perfect for us. I was... I've been struggling with some old shit, you know, since I saw Alicia at the prison."

"Why didn't you just tell me to give you space?" She asked, "All you had to do was say something."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I thought you didn't want to move in together."

"I do. I promise." He squeezed her hand, stopping the car.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us something to eat so we can go to the trailer, grab my stuff, and go home to our new house together," He slid across the seat and cupped her face, grinning at the blush on her face before tenderly kissing her, whispering, "I'll be right back."

One second Izzy was sitting there with a stupid smile on her face, blushing as he looked back at the truck and winked at her, and the next, she was screaming in horror at the man who came up behind him with a gun drawn, firing, "EZ!"

She watched them fight and drop to the ground in front of the truck before another gunshot echoed in the night and made her adrenaline shoot up even higher. She was shaking in fear when EZ got up and jumped into the truck shouting, "Stay down!" before speeding away from the sight. Izzy was slumped down in the floor of the car, shaking, her heart pounding in her ears when EZ slammed on the brakes in an alley, hauling her up to him, examining her, "Are you okay?! Are you okay?!"

It was at that moment she noticed the shattered windshield where a bullet had hit it and nodded, breathing fast, "Y-Yeah. I'm okay. I'm-I'm okay. Are-Are you okay?"

When he pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, Izzy finally noticed the warm wet spot that seemed to grow. She hesitantly, with a shaking hand, pressed onto his shirt and stared at her blood coated fingers, "EZ... wha- you're bleeding. You're bleeding. Oh, my God. EZ!"

Now that it was brought to his attention, and most of his adrenaline from fighting was dying down, the mayan was well aware of the searing pain in his abdomen, groaning.