All For Us || Oscar Diaz

52: Bargaining

They would text and call on rare occasions now but Nina still felt this weight when it came to him. Like she was using Oscar as some sort of emotional crutch. Since a few days after that moment, she began avoiding him because she felt like shit knowing she could be just using him to feel better like that. Oscar didn't deserve that kind of treatment.

But what confused her even more is that when she pushed him away she felt like she was hurting him too because he wanted to make things better unknowingly with texting and calling. Ignoring him just made her feel like shit either way and it made her feel guilty for pushing him away like that. At the end she didn't know what to do anymore.

And then there was Cesar.

"Cesar, I'm sorry," Nina said suddenly making him furrow his eyebrows as he sat back down on the bed.

"What for?" he asked grabbing his pair of shoes.

"For letting you down," with that said Cesar looks up to her abruptly. "I feel like I should've been there for you more. You're own brother kicked you out I feel like I should've done something about it. Like visit you, make sure you had a place to stay. Monse told me about the hostel situation... I could've done something about it to make you more comfortable."

Nina prodded further, "I looked after you for four years because of that I see you as my little brother. And I can't help but feel like I've neglected you all this time."

"Nina you haven't let me down on anything," Cesar reassured as he stood up again. "You do check up on me and it's not like you should be hovering around me 24/7 cos you're going through your own shit."

"What happened between me and my brother isn't a problem for you to worry," he pressed further. "And I'm fine now. The crew has my back and even though it's been a pain lately but I'm really grateful for Jamal and his family to pick me up like this."

The more he explained he could still tell that Nina felt guilty and responsible for his situation, which he understood as well. "I'm okay, Nina. I'm gonna be okay. You need to focus on yourself," Cesar assured her taking her hands in his.

Nina smiles at him before quickly pulling him in for a hug. "When did you get so grown up, huh? I used to bake you cookies when you were ten and you would get mad at me when I would forget to give you a glass of milk to go along with it," she cooed making Cesar laugh.

"I'd get pissy when it wasn't warm too," he added with a small smile and Nina closed her eyes momentarily. She'd only known him for four years and he meant the absolute world to her.

"I love you, hermano," Nina squeezed him a little tighter and Cesar did the same. "If you need anything, you do not hesitate on calling or texting me, okay?"

"I love you too, Nina," he whispers back. "And yea, Nina. I got it," he added with a small smile.

A little while later, Nina pulls away and places a hand under his chin to get a look at the young man before her. She smiles and takes a step back so she could allow him to finish getting ready for the school Valentine's Day dance. He takes a seat back on the bed and she takes a seat next to him watching him lace up his shoes.

"What about you? Any plans for tonight?" he asked knowing it was a very special day. He thought Nina should take the opportunity to go out since she got off of work early.

"I gotta talk to your brother about... something," she admits. "Other than that, it's just me and the twins and a buttload of Disney movies tonight. V has a date with this guy named Brian we met at the mall once," she explained further laughing a little thinking about how that guy looked like the character from Fast and the Furious.