Valentin and Rojo | ✓

fourteen (2nd draft)

Adriana

My whole life I had been completely sheltered. Nothing bad ever happened to me; my parents made sure of it. I couldn't even go anywhere by myself. Hell, I wasn't even allowed to have a phone. That didn't bother me as much. I could live without a phone. However, a part of me hated being so sheltered. I wanted to go out by myself or God forbid, have friends my own age. I could only talk to immediate family, the guards and maids. And don't even get me started on my brothers, they were so overprotective. Just like my father. Once, I went to the mall with Santiago, a guy tried to talk to me and Santiago threatened to knock him out cold. That was the last time he went out with me. Nevertheless, a part of me did love it. Nothing bad ever happened to me. I was protected from all the bad stuff. I had self defense training as well. But nothing could ever prepare me for loving someone that I knew I had to leave. I didn't even want to think about leaving Xavier. It hurt too much.

But I didn't want to love him.

*

I hadn't even remembered falling asleep. I woke up with my body pressed up against Xavier's. He was already awake, twirling my hair. I snuggled my face closer to his chest, even though I couldn't get any closer.

"Hey, how was your nap?" he said in a soft voice.

I chuckled and rubbed my eyes. "Good." I still had my eyes closed, inhaling his scent. I didn't know how to explain it, his scent. He just... smelled really good. "How long have I've been asleep?" I asked as my eyes fluttered open.

"Three hours." His fingers rubbed my scalp and it felt so nice. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to just fall asleep.

"Xavier!" One of the guards from downstairs yelled.

"Jesus Christ," he mumbled under his breath. "I'll be right back." He slipped out of my grip and headed downstairs. A few minutes later, he opened my door with a phone in his hand. "It's for you."

I jumped up and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hola, mami." It was my mom. "Are you okay? What happened? Are you safe? Are you hurt? He didn't hurt you right? How are you?" It wouldn't be my mom if she didn't ask me a hundred questions.

"Mamá, I'm okay. I'm safe."

"Ah, thank God. We've been worried sick about you. Gabriel didn't hurt you, right?"

"No, he didn't. I'm fine, Ama," I insisted. "How is everyone?"

"Mateo is fine, he got released from the hospital a couple of days ago. Santiago and I are managing..." Her voice sounded so sad and I wanted to cry. I would've gave anything to be with them right now.

"How about Dad? How is he?" All I wanted to do was relieve her stress but when I heard her sigh, I knew I was doing the exact opposite.

She took a deep breath. "Not good. He's being going crazy just trying to find Gabriel. Not sleeping, not eating, nothing. Then, when he heard about what happened in that diner... It's been hard."

My heart ached. I missed my family so much. I wanted to be there with them.

"Hi, my love." Ah, it was Mateo. His voice was like music to my ears. He sounded sullen and exhausted but it was pure music.