Last Kiss Goodbye • Teenage Juice Ortiz

24 - Confessions

Edited

PRESENT

Emilio didn't know what shocked him more: the gun pointed at his face, the deadly look in Juan's eyes or the fact that the man staring at him looked like he had witnessed the murder of everything that he ever cared for.

Using the universal gesture of surrender he raised his hands. He could see Juan's hands were slightly shaking – it was clear that guy was completely lost and Emilio wouldn't be surprised if he took a bullet whether his old friend meant to shoot or not. "Easy man, just chill. I just came to talk."

"Talk?!" Juan's voice cracked. "Why the hell would you think I ever wanna talk to you again?" Tears jumped into his eyes. "I swore I was going to kill you if I – who are you calling?" he barked all of a sudden, swinging his attention and his gun away from Emilio.

Emilio looked over his shoulder. Jordy's face was pale and she looked at him with a heated glare. Her phone pressed to her ear.

"I need you here, June," she whispered. "That moronic boyfriend of yours pushed his way into my living room and Juan flipped out and is has us at gunpoint."

Emilio gritted his teeth. Really, he was the one acting like a moron? Sure, he had expected that Juan would get pissed, but how was he to know that he would pull a gun? Come on! Who could have seen that coming?!

"Who are you calling!" the man snarled again. "Are you calling June? She can't come over, not with... not with him here!" His finger was still closed around the trigger.

"I... I've already hung up, Juan." Jordy moved to step towards him, but Emilio pushed her away with his shoulder.

"Stay out of sight, idiot," he grumbled. She might think she knew what she was doing because she worked with crazy people all day long, but he doubted they would be holding her at gunpoint any time soon.

Emilio aimed his attention back towards the unstable man in front of him. Juan was still standing a few steps away from him, the weapon was shaking in his hand. His eyes jumping around the room, as if he couldn't decide what to do.

He kept silent.

Emilio took the time to look at the man in front of him. It had been more than fifteen years since they had last spoken to each other. For years, Emilio had searched for him; he had wanted to make things right with the man who had always been like a brother to him. His search had taken him across the east coast, and while it had never led him to Juan, he had managed to find June.

Until now.

Behind him, he heard a door opening. He heard the soft footsteps that he now recognized from memory. He didn't stop her as she walked past him though; no matter how crazy Juan might seem, he was sure that the man would never purposefully hurt her.

. . .

June's whole body was shaking with anger. She had explicitly told Emilio that Juan wasn't ready to meet him, and somehow that translated to Emilio that he should go to visit him? What on earth had he been thinking? That she was exaggerating?

Juan's wide panicked eyes fell upon her. A shiver went through her body. She stood still in front of him and wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay, Juan," she whispered. "It's okay. Please put the gun down. Emilio won't hurt me, okay? He already apologised to me. Okay? We're okay now, we made up." She cupped his cheek with her hand.

"He made up with you?!" Juan blew up at her. "And you forgave him?! Are you insane? You know – you know what he did. What he..."

"It's been seventeen years, Juan," Emilio responded. "Come on man. I was drunk, I made a mistake. We all did stupid things back in those days."