Spanglish | editing

Chapter Nineteen

"What's his name?" He says.

"Victor." I retort. His ego is too high as it is now. And what's life without a little fun.

Danny immediately takes his hands off me and backs up, a look of anger plastered on his face. Without thinking, I start laughing wildly.

"Who the fuck is Victor?!" Daniel shouts, making me laugh harder. Still laughing, I walk over to the couch and sit on the arm next to Adam.

"I'm kidding, I don't know any boys named Victor." I start, and he sighs in relief before leaning back onto the bar and closing his eyes.

"But I should tell you something." I finish, making his eyes snap open. Turning my head to Adam, we share a knowing look and he smirks. Adam sits up straighter and puts his hand on my wrist. Both of our attention goes back to Danny, who has an eyebrow raised with a look that screams 'this better not be what I think it is.'

"I didn't want you to find out this way, man. Me and Nida have been together for a while now, but we didn't want to hurt you. Sorry bro." Adam bluffs. Daniel gets pissed fast and storms to us, him standing a few feet away. I'd have half a mind to stop playing with him but something deep inside of me is saying that he's super hot when he's mad and protective. Sexiness beats sensibility.

Jesus Christ, what is it to me today?! Why am I so into how sexy he is? I need to fucking chill out.

Maybe...

"We should've said something before but, like Adam said, we couldn't hurt you." I feign sad and look at Daniel with sad eyes.

"Nice way to say it, babe." Adam squeezes my wrist. Daniel looks emotionally distraught, making me feel bad. I thought he would realize this was a joke, he's not stupid. I didn't think he'd be this gullible. "One more thing man, we are totally joking."

Instead of me laughing, everyone laughs. I rise from my seat on the arm of the couch and walk to Daniel's irritated and brooding figure. I wrap my arms around his waist and look up at him, resting my chin on his chest. "I'm sorry. It was a joke. I only like you." Finally, he looks back down at me with face full of emotion. He's not as angry as before, fairly mellow but still a little angry because we messed with him. Understandable, I guess.

"Promise?" He says quietly, the corners of his mouth tilting up. His smile is contagious, but as reassurance, I get on my tiptoes and I peck him on the lips. Daniel smiles at me again and wraps his arms around my shoulders. We stand there wrapped in each other's arms.

My mind goes back to the fact being with him makes me feel extremely safe and at peace. Everytime he hugs me, I always try to focus on him and only him solely because he makes me feel so much happier while in his arms.

Then my phone rings.

Daniel groans and I stomp. It seems as if everytime I'm tranquil while hugging him, someone's phone goes off. Without being released, I pull my phone from my pocket and put it to my ear, pressing my other ear to his chest.

"Hola?" I answer.

"Mi hijita." My mom says frantically, immediately causing me to become worried. She never uses that tone, not since she ordered me to take my siblings away from the police. The realization clicks in my head and full fledged panic takes over my body, my heart dropping to my stomach. "¿Estás bien?" When she doesn't answer automatically, I know something's terribly wrong.

"Are you alone?" She whispers.

Not again, please not again! I can't lose another parent, I just can't. My life would be crushed, I would be in ruins. There would be no way for me to go on.

The tears sting my eyes and my breath hitches. No matter what she has to say, I have to push through it.

"Just say it mamá, please." I breathe out. The room is dead silent, Daniel is tense but he rubs his hand up and down my back. Even that doesn't calm me down, nothing will. My mom is silent for a little longer, but I hear her choking back tears. My heart pounds with heavy anticipation.

"Me despidieron." That's when my heart stops and the world around me shatters.

"Fired? You got fired? ¿Despedido? ¿Liberado de su puesto en el trabajo?" I choke.

I hear Ariel gasp behind me, no one daring to speak.

"Lo siento mucho mi hijita." My mother apologizes.

"I'll call you later. Te amo." I say before hanging up.

All my life, I have done nothing but what I was supposed to, yet things like this continuously happen to me. Without my mother having a job, everything will go back to how it was before Cleveland. I'll need to get a job, I won't see my mother much anymore, it'll be that all over again. Those were the hardest years of my life, and I'd rather die than go back to that.

I'd. Rather. Die.

•••

Daniel P.O.V.

My parents fired her mother. After all she's been through, they fire her mother. Everything inside of me feels as if this whole thing is my fault, as if I could have avoided it. But at the same time, there's nothing I could have done. My parents don't listen to me, they don't even like me. Our family is so broken it's ridiculous, but what Nida is going through makes my problem seem minuscule. She's all that's important to me at this moment.

Nida hangs up the phone and stands there in silence. She bites her lip hard, her brown eyes distant. Nida picks at her hands. The silence scares me.

My eyes roam the rest of the room, examining everyone else's expressions.

Adam is stone faced, just watching Nida.

Ariel is latched to Chris' arm, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Chris looks extremely concerned, stroking Ariel's arm.

Finally, I walk to Nida and touch her shoulder. "Nida?" Her eyes snap to mine, them attempting to hide the sadness but it be very unsuccessful. She blinks at me with her beautiful eyes, her bottom lip between her teeth just biting. My heart breaks at the sight. I've hurt her before, I've seen her heart but never like this. "Are you okay?" Dumbass question, of course she's not alright but that was all I could think to say.

I can see her open her mouth to say "Yes." Or "I'm fine." Instead, as soon as she opens her mouth, it's like watching paper decay. With one exhale, her face crumbles, the tears in her eyes stream out, her knees give out. I'm quick to catch her before she hits the floor and I cradle her sobbing body in my arms. I feel the tears go through my shirt, but I couldn't care less about that. She's shaking, her hands gripping my shirt, loudly sobbing. She repeats one thing:

"What am I going to do?!"

My heart shatter completely this time, my grip just tightening around her.

"I'm here." I promise.

•••

[A/N]

You guys hate me yet? Hi guys! *enter me talking about how useless I am because I took long to update again* What's new with you guys? I have exams in a few days, I'm frigging stressing! Omfg! I thought this chapter would be good because I planned it a while ago.... :) Christmas is coming up, if you celebrate, what are you gonna ask for? I'm asking for concert tickets for a band called Sleeping With Sirens. Amazing band! I'll see y'all as soon as my winter break starts! Tell me what you think! Comment, vote, share, whatever you want. That you so much for all the reads once again. Damn I love you guys! BYE BYE!

Sorry if it's too short.....

~ Erica Letta