Web of Deceit

Taste and See

I am sitting in this car trying to wrap my head around what AJ said. How could she escape jail? It's not like a prison, jail is set up differently. Folks are waiting for their day in court. There had to be someone that helped her. How could she just- "Em, Emmy!! Did you hear me? AJ was sitting in the driver's seat. "What did you say," I ask. "I said that the officer thinks that she had help. She should have been locked in her cell at the time she escaped. There is an investigation underway hermana. We are gonna let them have that and worry about this trip to Lowes," he tells me.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to feel right now. I never expected her to try to escape. You should call the officer back and tell them to find Emil. I bet he knows where she is," I say bitterly. "They deserve each other. Not another minute worried about them," demands Stacia. AJ grabs my hand to pull me in for a hug. "No sé por qué sucede esto, pero nos ocuparemos de eso, hermana," he whispers.

I sit back in my seat and take a deep breath. I'm surprised that I'm not surprised. Of course, Maribela would try to dodge jail if she could possibly go to prison. Emil probably made bail. His mother would never allow her baby to stay in jail overnight, let alone for a whole weekend. I take another deep cleansing breath. Shake that ish off Imelda, I tell myself.

"So, who's up for a trip to Lowe's," I ask my two favorite people. AJ starts the car as I place the directions in Waze. I want to hit up Rinconcito Cafe. I want a chocolate concha and an extra hot mocha. I rub my belly. I can feel her moving around in there more now. It's amazing to me that just over a month ago, I was planning a completely different future. I'm glad I found out though. Those two bastards were going to either try to take my baby or keep f*cking until I couldn't ignore it.

I put my shades on. The glare from the sun off of the snow was in the way. "Hermano, turn on that Bad Bunny/Drake song. I want to feel the bass thump," I tell AJ. "Let's get the food and then hit up the Lowe's and maybe see if there's a baby boutique around here. I want to indulge in a little retail therapy and my little princess still needs things for her room."

" Did you already start setting it up, sis," asks Stacia. " Well I have a few things and I didn't plan to get that together until next month or something bu-" " Good thing you have an incredible brother who can handle all that," interrupts AJ. "What I was gonna say before a rude boy interrupted was, AJ put it all together and he even painted a mural on the wall. Stacia, it's so pretty, beautiful even. I am surprised you didn't peek in there earlier," I say.

"Yeah, I was otherwise occupied. I still have to handle that too, later. AJ I haven't seen your work in years, yo! I'm glad you picked up a brush. You always had an amazing talent, jerkface," smirks Stacia. " You have always been real liberal with the backhanded compliments Stacia," AJ murmurs as he looks in the rearview mirror. " I haven't been inspired to create until recently. My muse no longer aroused me." Stacia flinches and looks away out of the window. Her face is drawn and she quietly says "I didn't mean for it to sound like a backhanded compliment. I am truly happy you started to paint again."

I look back at her and notice she is holding her breath as she stares out of the window. I see her exhale quietly and slowly as if she is trying to stay in control. I nudge AJ. "No esta tonto," I whisper. "Why are you always picking with her?" He shrugs and turns up the music. We arrive a few tense minutes later at the cafe.

I open the door quickly. The atmosphere in the truck was too much, sooner or later they were going to have to settle up their issues. There is way too much tension, sexual or otherwise not to feel it. I walk up to the cafe doors to open up when it swings open hard. I step back in a hurry not wanting to be hit by the door. "Oh damn, I'm sorry," says the person backing out of the door with a crate filled with goodies. " I didn't hit you did I? Oh shoot it's you..." I look up and see BT in a fitted cap, peacoat, jeans, and butters. Damn, I didn't make up how fine he is... "It's me," I question. " I mean, I looked for you on Saturday. I made chocolate concha, especially for you. When you didn't come back, I thought maybe you weren't-" he starts. "Oh, I had a few fires to put out, but I fully intended on coming back" I saw as I gestured to my presence at the cafe. "Yeah, I can definitely see that," he says with what looks like a blush across his cheeks.