RIDE OR DIE ➸ OSCAR DIAZ [1]

THREE

I HAVE NO clue how I ended up driving around the block with Oscar while the soft music from the radio fills the air, but I don't feel as uncomfortable and uneasy as I thought I would. Just something about being in his presence makes me feel safe and at home. Which is completely absurd, considering that he runs my ex-boyfriend's rival gang.

"You were friends with Monica right?" Oscar says lowly, making me snap my head in his direction. He's staring at the dark road ahead of us, his fingers lightly tapping along on the steering wheel with the Spanish music. "How is she?"

"I haven't heard from her in a while." I shrug, looking down at my hands. My left hand is adorned with the ring my abuelita gave me for my sixteenth birthday. My right is covered with small scars and scratches from various things. "She left Freeridge around the time you were arrested." After everything that happened between them, her family ended up moving really far away.

"I'm not that guy anymore, I hope you know that," Oscar says hastily. I look up from my hands and find him staring at me. I force a small smile onto my face and nod my head.

"Does it really matter if I know that?" I ask, twisting the ring around my finger again and again. "I mean, it's not like anything's going to happen between us..."

Oscar exhales a breathy laugh as he shakes his head and turns his eyes back to the road. "Camilla let me ask you one thing, do you want there to be something between us?"

I blink rapidly, observing him for a moment before speaking. "Well I don't know, is it really up to me? Because that's a pretty big responsibility and I don't know if I should be the one to make such a big decision. And I saw you with that girl tonight, aren't you two together or whatever? I'm sorry I ramble when I'm nervous." I say hastily, moving my hands around to make gestures as I speak.

Oscar laughs, briefly glancing over at me. A light blush finds it's way onto my cheeks as I shift my eyes around the car. "I think that was adorable." He flashes me a quick grin that makes my insides feel weird. "And to answer your question no, I'm not with that girl. I just can't keep the chicas off me."

"I wouldn't use chica to describe her." I scoff with a roll of my eyes. "She's more of a puta."

Oscar chuckles, "You're not wrong." His right-hand slides off the steering wheel and slowly creeps towards me. I hold my breath watching his hand carefully, as he places it on my thigh. His touch sends a wave of shocks through my body, making me suck in a sharp breath. No, I can't mess around with guys like him again. "This okay with you mi amor?"

My mouth falls open as I lift my head to look up at him. I bite the inside of my cheek as my face heats up quite quickly. What the hell is going on? "Oscar..." I trail off, glancing down at his hand once again before shifting my eyes back to his face.

"Yes, morenita?" He smirks, slowly stopping the car. I look out the windshield and see a large beach out in front of us.

I raise an eyebrow at the view in front of us before shifting my body so I'm facing him, and he does the same. "Your nicknames literally make my heart stop."

He leans towards me and tucks a stray piece of hair behind my ear. "That's the point." His hand rests on my cheek, softly caressing my skin with his thumb.

"Y-You brought us to a beach?" My voice shakes as I stare into his hazel eyes. Oscar drops his hand from my cheek and instead plays with my hands.

"I used to come here all the time," Oscar says quietly, looking down at our hands. "It was like my safe spot, you know?"

With furrowed eyebrows, I ask, "Then why'd you bring me here? I'm just another girl."

His head shoots up the second the words pass my lips, his mouth turned down into a frown. "You're not just another girl, Camilla. I want you to be mi novia."

I exhale a shaky breath, looking anywhere but at him. No way. Not again Camilla. You are not doing this again. You promised Mario. "You don't mean that," I say softly, looking out the window at the beach. "We barely know each other."

"Then let's do that shit," Oscar says, softly tugging my chin so I'm looking at him. "There's just something special about you baby."

I'm at a loss for words, all I can do is sit there and stare at him. "Oscar I can't," I whisper, looking down at our hands that have somehow become intertwined. A blush creeps up my neck as I stare at our hands.

"Why not?"

I sigh, "There's so much that you don't know about me, and I don't know about you."

"Okay," He scoffs, "I'm Oscar, I'm 19 almost 20. I run the Santos and I'm Cesar's older brother. I just got out of jail after four years and... I don't know I love weed. Your turn."

I laugh lightly, looking up at him. His lips are tugged into a smile and his eyes are locked on my face, making me feel slightly shy under his gaze. "I'm Camilla and I'm 17. I'm Mario's younger sister and I guess you could say I sort of have a thing for bad boys like you." I say, going along with his little game.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Oscar smirks, glancing at the time on the dashboard. I mimic his actions; the clock reads 11:30 pm. "We're going to play this little game until you can't keep your eyes open. And then you make your decision."

"You want me to make a decision while I'm half asleep?" I scoff, arching an eyebrow.

He hums in response, leaning towards me until his lips are inches away from mine. My breath hitches in my throat and I resist the urge to look down at his lips. "You're going to say yes by the end of this." He whispers confidently as his hot breath fans my face.

My lips lift into a smirk. "Game on Santo."