Forever Yours (13 page)

“Cool, huh?” she asked, feeling lame but wanting desperately to play it off as if she’d noticed nothing unusual about the photo Leonardo had chosen to send her.

Angel eyes went from the screen up to hers then back down again. “Yeah, cool.”

It was all he had to say, but she didn’t miss the tightening of his already locked jaw. She took the phone as soon as he handed it back without another word about it. It was just an innocent photo from her
brother—a
photo that would likely have Valerie drooling and asking her to forward it to her, especially after she heard about Thing One and Thing Two whom Alex had taken the day off to hang out with.

Angel handed the phone back to her, and Sarah was a little surprised he didn’t say more. “Time to get back to work,” he said with a stiff smile and leaned in to peck her.

First chance she got she’d forward the photo to Sydney to ask his opinion. What she loved about Sydney most was how objective he could be, but often times, even when she thought Angel was overreacting, Sydney played devil’s advocate taking Angel’s side—helping her see he wasn’t just being a hard ass. Somehow she got the feeling this would be one of those times.

Chapter 9

Angel

With just a week before his first game and the fall semester starting the Monday after that, Angel was relieved Sarah had been right about Syd not making it out to see her again. She’d mentioned he got a job and made sure to emphasize that his new roommate was a girl Syd said was “pretty cool.” Angel got that Sarah was hoping that would soothe his doubts about her longtime
friend
feeling for her more than just that—friendship.

It didn’t.

But he was done with the negative attitude. Thankfully, Sarah had toned down the talk of Syd, and it was back to the minimum, only mentioning once or twice a week that he’d checked in with a text or quick phone call. Between Sydney and Leo, Angel had to be careful about being the suspicious boyfriend who questioned everything about his girlfriend’s
friend
and her newfound brother. But fuck if he didn’t have enough to worry about with Syd, now Leo with his compliments and the near-naked photo he sent her made it hard not to feel suspicious.

So far, from what little Angel had shared, Alex hadn’t questioned the validity of Sarah’s dad and brother. But there was no way Angel was telling him about that photo. Alex would no doubt make his opinion crystal clear. Angel doubted Leo would
show off
his catch by sending that photo with his shorts hanging that low to any dude, or they’d for sure think his ass gay. Unless he’d specifically planned on sending it to a chick, it would be the only reason he’d even take a picture like that. He was certain Alex would agree, so he kept it to himself. The last thing Angel needed was for Alex to refuel his suspicions.

Maybe it was the best or
only
photo he had of himself with the stupid fish, and he hadn’t thought it through before sending it to his sister. Maybe the guy was just an idiot. Who knew? But he was done listening to Alex
and
Romero. Neither of them had ever come close to having what he and Sarah did. Where the hell did they get off giving him that kind of unsolicited advice? From now on Angel would be cool and keep his thoughts to himself about it all. He’d concentrate on being the supportive boyfriend Sarah needed instead.

Grabbing a couple more slices of pizza from the kitchen’s island countertop, Angel headed back into Romero’s front room where his uncles were setting up for the charades tournament they’d all soon be playing. It was his uncle Max’s birthday, and this was how he chose to spend it. The man was part owner of a titty bar, he was single and in his thirties, and this is what he was doing on the Saturday night of his birthday? What was worse was that, with Sarah’s mom gone all weekend, there were things Angel would much rather have been doing at her place right then. Instead Sarah was adamant that they had to be there. Since Romero had never missed out on any of the parties or gatherings they ever had, it was only right to at least show up for a little bit. At least Angel had gotten Sarah to agree they’d only hang out a few hours. He smiled as he sat down next to Sarah.

“All right, let’s get this shit going ’cause I got some places to be later,” Romero said, standing up. “Teams?” He glanced at Angel and Sarah. “No-brainer. You two are one.”

There were a few guys there from Manny and Max’s bar, and Romero teamed them all up. “Sof and Eric got five minutes to get here or they miss round one,” Romero said to Angel then turned to Alex. “Alex, me and you?”

Alex’s face soured. “Max, you sure you don’t wanna team up against Manny and Moe?” Alex asked.

“No way,” Max said, stretching and cracking his knuckles as if this game required any physical endurance whatsoever. “Me and Manny are the dream team when it comes to charades.”

Alex turned back to Romero, his face as sour as ever, but then smirked and rolled his eyes. “I guess I’m stuck with you.”

“Are you kidding me?” Romero said with a scoff. “I’m the king of charades. Stick with me, and we’ll be the new dream team of charades.”

“Yeah.” Alex laughed. “I’m sure that’ll make the girls go wild.”

Angel laughed, surprised Alex was even there. He would’ve thought with the two chicks Alex had left the restaurant with today he’d still be busy or at least have better things to do on a Saturday night than be here playing charades with Romero’s uncles.

The front door opened, and everyone turned to see Eric and Sof walk in. Behind them was Valerie and right behind her a dude. No way would she be stupid enough to bring another guy here, especially not if Romero’s reaction at the pizza place was any indication of what might happen if she did. She knew full well there was a good chance Alex would be here tonight. If anything she had to know Romero would not take too kindly to any guy she showed up with. Angel turned to Alex, who was already on his feet, the laughing expression completely wiped from his face. Angel handed Sarah the plate with the pizza he’d been holding and stood up cautiously.

He saw Alex and Valerie exchange glances even from way over at the far end of the long corridor to the front door where Valerie stood. Then Alex zeroed in on the guy who leaned into her ear and whispered something.

“Who the fuck is that?” Romero asked, picking up on Alex’s sudden agitation.

“Let’s find out.” Alex set his beer down on the counter and started toward them slowly.

Just then another two girls walked in. One went straight toward the guy, who wrapped his arm around the girl’s waist, and the other walked over to Valerie. “I brought some friends,” she said to Romero as she walked toward him. “You said it’d be okay, right?”

Romero peered at the guy who’d walked in behind her and was now smooching with the giggling girl who’d walked in after Valerie, and smirked. “Yeah,” he turned to Alex. “It’s cool, right?”

Alex nodded headed toward Valerie whose eyebrow lifted as he approached her. Angel walked back to Sarah. “That was close,” he said as he sat down.

“She knows about the two girls today,” Sarah informed him as she bit into one of the slices of pizza.

Angel turned to her surprised because they’d come straight here from the restaurant. When had she had time to tell her?

As if reading his mind, Sarah shrugged. “I’d already decided maybe it was better if I didn’t say anything. So I wasn’t going to unless she asked directly. As luck would have it, she texted me today to ask if I knew if he was going to be here tonight and if I’d talked to him lately or seen him.” She frowned and took a deep breath. “I wasn’t gonna lie.”

What wasn’t surprising was that Alex had barely gotten a few words in with Valerie when she stalked away to the other side of the room and sat with the couple and other girl she’d walked in with. His mood changed completely as he sat there, unable shake whatever it is she’d said to him and failing miserably at not looking her way. Suddenly why he was here and not somewhere else made sense. He’d come here to try and explain what he’d evidently been certain Sarah had already told her.

Romero quickly confirmed the couple with Valerie was a team as was Valerie with the other girl who’d walked in with them. The first painful round of charades started with the birthday boy and Manny going first. They were off to a bad start as the timer went off and Manny wasn’t able to figure out what Max was trying to describe. “What the hell was that?” Manny asked as Max pulled out a hanky to wipe off the sweat he’d worked up.

“J.F.K!” Max said. “Everyone knows his head went back like this, not forward like them conspiring bastards who murdered him want you to think. Okay, maybe it didn’t make much sense—”

“
Much
?” Manny practically yelled out. “His head went back once. He didn’t go into fucking convulsions like you was doin!”

“All right. All right.” Romero stepped up. “Big fat zero points for you two.” He held up his hand in a shape of a circle. “Now sit down and see how it’s done. We’re up, Alex. I’ll do this.” He picked up a card, read it, and smirked. “Too easy. All right, you ready?” Alex nodded. “It’s two words, but pay close attention ’cause what I’ll be doing has nothing to do with the title.”

He put the card down, placed both hands behind his head, and then did his famous violent pelvic thrust. Immediately everyone in the room was laughing. Everyone that is except Alex who looked more annoyed than amused. “What the hell is that?”

“Turn the music up, Max,” Romero said then spun around, bending over and placing one hand on the floor as his ass began to twerk.”

“Are you kidding me?” Alex asked. “I don’t wanna see that shit?”

Sarah could barely breathe she was laughing so much. So were Valerie, her friends, and everyone else for that matter. Manny and Max laughed too, though Manny was claiming he knew exactly what movie Romero was doing.

Alex turned to Manny, exasperated. “You know what that is?” Before Manny could respond, he turned to Romero, who was on the floor now, thrusting his middle up in the air. “All right, will you stop? I give up, okay?” He shook his head when Romero continued. “I said I give up!’

“You don’t even wanna guess?” Romero asked, standing up. “C’mon at least try.” He placed his hands behind his head again.

“Okay, I’ll guess, “Alex said, holding out a hand. “Just don’t start that shit up again.” He thought about it for a moment then smiled as if he had it. “
Napoleon Dynamite
.”

“
What!
” Romero asked as Sarah fell back into the sofa and went on her second round of hysterical laughing.

“That scene at the end where he dances on stage,” Alex explained.

“No! That was
Magic Mike
, man!” Romero said, shaking his head disgusted. “
Napoleon Dynamite
?” he muttered as he walked back to sit next to Alex.

“I knew it,” Manny said with a big smug smile. “Man, why couldn’t we have gotten that one?”

Now Angel laughed. That might’ve been Manny up there twerking instead of Romero. He shuddered at the thought.

As the night went on, there was no shortage of laughter. They sat through Manny’s interpretation of
White Men Can’t Jump
as he nearly took out an ankle then laughed even more because every one of Romero’s movies had him dancing. The moment Romero started doing the twist on the fourth round Alex threw his napkin on the floor as if he were slam dunking a ball. “This is bullshit!”

“No, watch, watch, watch!” Romero said then brought two open fingers over his face pulling each hand off to the sides over his eyes as he continued to twist in slow motion.

Alex’s disgusted face eased up. “
Pulp Fiction.
”

“Yeah!” Romero jumped up in the air then clapped. “Finally,” he high fived Alex as he reached him. “Man, you suck at this.”

“
I
suck at this?” Alex looked at him incredulously. “How was I supposed to get
Rocky
from you prancing around up there earlier?”

“I was running in place and bobbing and weaving!”

By the time the game was over, Sarah said her sides hurt from how much she’d laughed. Another not surprising outcome was that Alex and Valerie were now in a corner of the kitchen, talking in hushed voices. Even though she seemed a bit pissed still, their faces were much too close for her protesting to be taken too seriously. Since her friends had already left without her, it was obvious who’d be taking her home.

“Those two.” Romero shook his head as he downed his beer.

“No more of those, Moe,” Manny warned. “Or your ass ain’t leaving this house tonight.”

Sarah walked back toward Angel from the bathroom. She almost walked into Max she was so busy reading something on her phone. Their eyes met as she looked up suddenly and she smiled. Angel could hardly wait to get her home. By the time she reached him, she was back to reading whatever it was she’d been reading on her phone. ‘You ready to go?” he asked.