WEST COAST 18+

20.

I do suggest reading the chapter fully

W E S T C O A S T

"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere right now?" Enrique asked Georgie while passing him, entering his mother's home a little after six.

"Time got mixed up. It's at seven," Georgie answers before Enrique dips off into the kitchen.

Mrs. González was making dinner, not expecting to see her oldest present. She would've greeted him with a small hug, but Enrique took the lid off a pot and started eating from it. "Enrique, por favor," his mother begs.

"Lo estaba probando," he reasons, his mother swatting his hand away with a spoon. I was testing it."It's hot in here. Open a window," Enrique fanned himself by pulling the top of his shirt.

"It's jammed again," Mrs. González informs, watching him toss a duffle bag on the island. Enrique walked over to the sink, pushing the bottom of the window upwards a few times before it started opening. "Ah, gracias a Dios," ah, thank God.

"I did that," Enrique clarifies, dusting off his hands. "I'ma get someone over here to fix it."

"Make sure it's tomorrow after two. I don't want your father hurt that someone else had to fix something he swore he fixed," Mrs. González rolled her eyes.

"Ma!" Genevieve shouted from her bedroom.

"What?!" only to be met with silence. Mrs. González sighed, "Oh my god, what?!"

"Come here, please!" Genevieve begs, stuck to her bed and wanting to show her mom the gray strand growing in her hair. Mrs. González tossed the spoon down and turned the flame low, heading out while mumbling that if it was stupid, she's killing Enrique's sister.

Enrique waited until she left out before taking the lid off the pot, eating a small portion of what was meant for chicken fajitas. Ashton was over and caught him in the kitchen, confusing Enrique when he asked, "Enrique, how does one become a Saint?"

Enrique chewed on his food, "I know you ain't asking for ya self."

"N-no." Enrique just knew he was lying by the way his voice went up.

"So why you asking me some shit like that?" Enrique turning around after making sure there was no evidence that he dug back into the pot. He tilts his head, awaiting a response.

"Okay..." Ashton sighed in defeat. "Being a Saint means something around here—"

And seeing why he was asking, "You ain't got shit to prove to these kids."

"That's easy for you to say. You got people out here scared of you. I just wanna feel secure, even when my friends aren't around," Ashton reasons.

"Ask ya mom to move you back to Jacksonville," Enrique tells him.

Ashton says, "My life was whack there. I wanna do something here, be like you."

And seeing how this kid was glorifying him, Enrique shakes his head. "You don't wanna be like me 'cause what I do ain't shit. What you need to do is keep ya head in those books," he said, snatching the black duffle bag off the counter to leave.

Ashton watched him get ready to head out, but he asked, "Is this because of Daniela?"

"I promised your sister to not get you involved—"

"To hell with what that bitch thinks." When this leaves his mouth, he took Enrique by surprise.

"Watch ya damn mouth," Enrique staring down at him like he was crazy.

"She's my sister."

"More than enough reason to respect her." Enrique can see that hanging out with Marcus clearly changed a few things in Ashton because he was calling his sister out of her name.