Belonging

Chapter Thirteen

Jayce Ramirez
Second home, Forsyth, GA
7:09 PM
——

After that disagreement between Xavier and I, I decided to take up my dad's offer to join him on a business trip. In reality I just needed a reason to forget everything that happened in the past couple of hours.

He wouldn't answer any of my text or calls. He even turned off his read receipts.

"Antonio. Anton-"

"Sí papa? I'm listening just a lil tired."

My father looked me up and down before stepping back and redoing the gesture, "Sure... 'tired'." his eyebrow quirked up in question.

"Yes tired. You were talking about the proposal from Qin's company. I think we should decline, their sales are...odd."

"Mm...that's what I was telling your mamá, but she usually doesn't listen to my business talk." My dad muttered while slinging the large package over his shoulder.

We were currently at one of our homes. Trying to break down a negotiation initiated by an associate. A bad associate.

The Qin family was known for their relentless
attitude towards alliances. Unfortunately for them, no one was willing to accept the proposals due to their loopy business practices.

Fraud, corruption, extortion, and the cherry on top—the CEO is a little weirdo.

Fucking odd ass company.

I let out a short sigh, stared up at the clear, sunny sky, and checked my phone for the 375th time. Maybe on the 376th Xay will have at least seen the texts I sent him. I didn't mean to do what I did. I just didn't like the thought of my person running off thinking he could be someone else's.

Xavier belongs to me.

I didn't place that tag under his car just for him to run around the city with another man. I ain't been sitting here playing nice for him to lay under another man.

"This shit is crazy..." my left hand instinctively slid down my face until it reached the sharp dip of  my collar bones.

"¡Ay! ¿Qué pasa? You've been sighing and groaning since we pulled up earlier." my father placed the papers back onto the table and stared at me.

I twirled cup of tea around a few times before responding, "It's nothing for real...that person I told you and mamá about last time...well, he—I kinda did something that made him go ghost, and I've been trying to figure out how to get him back," I held the cup closely to my lips, "It's like every time I try to get him back, he slips away from me."

My dad stared at me for a moment before erupting in laughter. "That's what you've been worried about?! Why don't you just take charge? That's how I got your mamá! And look at us—the happiest people in the world."

"Yea, I know, I tried to do that, but he flipped out and tried to turn it back on me! I was just trying to help him out, and strengthen our relationship."

"Fuck being nice. You need to show him who you are. A motherfuckin' Ramirez."

I just nodded my head in agreement, and stood up to stretch. "Ight, I'll pull up on him or something later."

——

I've been sitting on the pool deck for a good 2 hours thinking about how I could approach Xavier.

I have to make sure he won't try to leave me again.

Have to make sure he understands that he's mine. That even if the world itself tried to keep us apart, I would still find my way to him.