PROMISE ME (OSCAR DIAZ x OC)

Chapter Fifty (Alana)

CHAPTER FIFTY

Alana

ONE MONTH LATER

My phone rings early in the morning, I'm at Rose's house meeting with a client for a prom gown since prom is in just a few months but for making a gown I need all the time I can get. Especially since this baby is due after the time of prom.

"Cesar?" I answer as I'm writing down all the measurements down into my notebook. Adding up in my head how much of each fabric I'll need. "Everything okay?"

His voice is shaking. "I was walking into the house and Prophets rolled up on me. And 19th street just robbed Ruby."

"Where's Oscar?"

"Work." Cesar says shakily. "I can't go home. I'm terrified-"

"Don't be. Listen to me, I have really good news for you but I need you to stay calm and get to Oscar first okay? Get to him and then I'll pick you up when I leave Rose's house, alright?"

"Alright." He hangs up and I text my brother.

ME: What the fuck happened?

ME: Ruby?

ME: You better not be dead.

RUBY MARTINEZ: I'm fine. Vero's just really scared. I'm trying to calm her down.

RUBY MARTINEZ: Good to know that's how you'd react if I was dead though.

ME: Don't die then.

RUBY MARTINEZ: I promise.

ME: You better mean it.

RUBY MARTINEZ: I do. I told you I'm changing for the better and being a better brother is the start of that.

ME: Love you.

RUBY MARTINEZ: Love you too, sis.

I place my phone back down onto the table and Rose sits across from me. Placing a cup of tea on the table. "Drink up, sweetie. This one's got that good ginger in that I grated myself. Helps soothe every stomach problem known to man and God himself."

"This is why you're my favorite." I tell her as I sip the tea and she's right. Instantly my aches and nausea are relieved.

She taps her nails for a moment and then looks out the window before her eyes fall back down onto me. Her red lipped grin that is just an iconic staple of hers. "When did they say you could move in again?"

"Tomorrow. Which means we need to get a truck and get this shit packed up and ready to go. We haven't told anyone yet because it happened so fast. I mean, the plan was always to move here and do better for ourselves but we didn't think it would happen until the summer."

"You don't want to move with a new baby, I'll tell you that." She sips her own cup of tea. "And wedding planning on top of it all? You need to find time for yourself. Your man is working his ass off for your family and chasing every single one of his dreams. You don't want to push things off, that's not how dreams work. When blessings fall into your lap you take them. So take this one.. And remember the biggest blessing of all is that you'll live across the street from me."

"Blessing?" I tease her. "Or maybe that's a curse."

"I'll only curse you if you let that Jamal boy show up at my house again. I'm starting to think he might just have a thing for me after all."

I shudder at the thought. "Actually... I think he has a thing for my Abuelita."

She makes a disgusted face. "Nothing against your Granny, but girl... Oh my, that boy is something else. But," she sips from her cup and places it down again. "You got yourself a good one. Such a good one... He reminds me of someone I once knew. Someone else who made it out of that life."

I blink at her and I know who she's talking about. I click my tongue and nod. "I met him, Rose, and he's a nice guy. I don't even think Oscar realized who he was. Neither did Cesar. But I knew. I recognized him from the pictures... Do you still talk to him?"

She goes to try to play it off like she doesn't but then she sighs. "How do you think I got this house? How do you think I have all the things I do? He doesn't come to this area but I make that drive to go up and see him. I will always love him."

"Stacy is gone now, Rose. You and him don't have to hide anymore. No more secrets... It can be everything you wanted it to be. He doesn't need to pretend to be dead anymore. He knows that he's well loved and respected. No one would drag him into anything-"

"It's not that simple, Alana." She pauses for a moment. "Oscar made it out of that life. Cesar made it out. Ricky made it out... But for how long? How long until that temptation returns? That itch to walk those streets one last time. Even your father in law... He barely knows the life he lives now. It's still new to him. He knows the streets and prison. Freeridge is a forbidden fruit to those boys."

"Those streets are different now." I explain. "Jose doesn't let shit fly. Everything is about community and helping one another. He just needs to get the other gangs on board with the shit."

"You call him by his name."

I blink at her. "Yeah? And?"

"I noticed you do that for only your guy and him. You don't call them by their street names. Only their God given names."

"Right... And what's the problem with that?" I sip from my cup as I close my notebook.

"Not a problem. It's beautiful, actually. It shows that you, unlike most others, see the human side of them. You love them. And you love them out loud. In the world we live in there are not many of those who are like you out there. Your kind is rare."

I nod and look as my phone lights up with a phone call from Oscar. I answer it without hesitation. I have a feeling he just got off the phone with Cesar and is either going to flip the fuck out about it or remain scarily calm.

"Hi baby," I say trying to keep myself leveled during all of this. "You okay?"

"No I'm not okay." He breathes heavily. "Cesar got rolled up on? I called Sad Eyez to watch his back and told him to pack as much of his shit as he can and for him to head up to Bakersfield to crash with Ray for a few days."

"We move tomorrow." I remind him calmly. "He just needs to lay low-"

"I'm not going to put my brother into the ground because you think you know everything, Alana. It's not safe for him at all right now. Prophets are trickling out of jail and they want to get back at us. Truce or no truce. And with 19th street breaking the truce they made with me? Robbing Ruby? This is the start of an all out war. We need to get the fuck out."

"Yes, I'm aware."

I stay calm. Refusing to get my blood pressure up any higher seeing as I've already been struggling with that for a few weeks now. Becoming far too stressed and getting migraines from how quickly my blood pressure spikes.

"Ray is going to help him out. You and Mia are going to crash with Rose, alright? I'll handle the moving truck tomorrow-"

"No you're not." I argue with him softly. "Sad Eyez and Joker can get some of the guys and they can do it. You're going to come here with Mia and stay with me. If it's really not safe then you shouldn't be at the house either. You're not who you used to be, Oscar. You're not a killer anymore. You're the type who's killed."

"Fine." He breathes softly. "I'll run in quick and grab a bag, alright? Then I'll grab Mia from your Mom. Alright?"

"Be safe, mi amor..."

"I will baby, I promise. I'll see you soon." Oscar hangs up and my chest tightens.