WEST COAST 18+

35.

W E S T C O A S T

"I like ya cut, G," Daniela exclaimed, smacking the back of Ashton's neck-the sharpness leaving a stinging sensation.

He flinched and gripped the sore spot, groaning. "This is abuse," Ashton said, glaring her way as they walked out of the barbershop. His father sent money for him to look clean, Daniela killing two birds with one stone and doing laundry down the street.

"You need a little of it," Daniela reasons. Ashton started checking himself out with his camera, Daniela knowing exactly where this concern about appearance was coming from. "Raquel's gonna like ya hair."

Ashton ran his hand over his braids. "You think so?" He had grown it out for a while, the length now past his shoulders. "We're talking a little more, and she's pretty funny," Ashton smiling with the jokes she told running through his head.

"How come you ain't ask her out yet?" she questions, Ashton freaking out over just that. Daniela rolled her eyes, "What the hell you waiting for-for hell to freeze over?"

"Sounds reasonable," he says, his sister nudging him.

"Stop being a punk," Daniela utters, Enrique attracting her attention as he walked out of this shop. She got hyped like a kid in a candy store, the desire to jump in his arms surging through her, but she kept her cool once seeing Berto and Pablo trailing after him. Daniela was all good until she spotted Vikki, the hostility thickening in her bones. She had to tell herself that this was work in order to not lose her marbles.

"Where you coming from?" Enrique asked while coming in the opposite direction. He had to concentrate on listening because between the sway of her hips and Daniela's natural beauty drawing him, it was hard.

"Barbershop. Ashton got a haircut while we waited for the clothes to wash," directing all of her attention to him as she replied.

"It's called a shape-up," Ashton corrects her.

"Shape these nuts," Daniela tells Ashton with her eyes on Enrique, shooing her brother away to go check on the clothes or walk in traffic. He did the first, Daniela asking Enrique, "What you doing over here?" with Vikki is what she wanted to add, but to appear bothered by ole girl in front of her? Fuck no.

"Came to see a friend," Enrique answers, inhaling the air surrounding her. Daniela was smelling like cocoa butter and orange citrus.

"I could expect to see you after, or I gotta wait til' tomorrow?" Daniela asks, tilting her head down like she could see the future-which was her not seeing Enrique for the remainder of the day.

"By the time you done, I should have a little time on my hands to see you," Enrique tells her. "But if not, you know I'ma make it up to you." When he wasn't out in the streets, he was swinging by her place. She got attached to that-hooked on seeing him. She got mad when she couldn't, catching attitudes because he was busy. What more could Enrique be doing? But she had to remember he had a life outside of her and accept it.

"Alright," Daniela sighed through her nose, arms folded over her chest.

Her body language told him, but Enrique could sense the annoyance in her energy, "Don't be catching an attitude either."

She smirks, "I'm not," feeling him fix her necklace that she didn't even notice was backwards. Daniela reached her hand for his when he was done, lacing her fingers with his. She warmed lightly on her face as Enrique kissed her fingers, the flirtatious gesture making her feel more alive and special. Suddenly, nobody else was around as she stood on her tippy toes to return the affection.

"Y'all done yet?" Berto asked with jealousy and a frown. He wanted his girl to be as affectionate as Daniela, but all he got was her voicemail, a hand to the face, and constant nagging.