The Girl Next Door

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A couple of days later, I am sitting on my couch when my phone rings and I see it's EZ. "Hey Zeek. What's up?" I ask. "Me and a couple of brothers need a ride." he says and I ask "Where are you? I'm leaving now." I tell him. "Meet us behind Pop's shop in the alley." he says. "Be there in ten." I tell him and head out to pick him up. I pull down the alley and see them standing there. I see Zeek, a man a little shorter than him and then I see Angel. Little shit. Zeek gets in the front and Angel and the other guy get in the back. "Where to?" I ask and Zeek starts giving me directions. "So how do you know the Prospect?" the man in the back asks. "We grew up next door to each other. Right Zeek?" I ask and look in the rear view mirror and see Angel's eyes go wide. "Pull over." Angel says and I find a pull off and pull over out of sight. "Get out." he says and I get out of the car and so does he. "Marla?" he asks. I nod. We look at each other for a minute and I start to get worried that he hates me when all of a sudden he pulls me close and his arms are around me. "You're home." he whispers. "I am mi dulce. I am." I say and he pulls back to cup my face. "Sorry to break up the reunion but we gotta go." EZ says and he tells EZ "Get in the back." He moves to the back seat and I get in the passenger seat and tell him to drive. He takes my hand and laces our fingers together and kisses my knuckles. "I take it you two know each other?" the guy that I learned is named Coco asks. "You could say that." EZ says.

We pull up at what Angel says is the clubhouse. Getting out of the car, Zeek and Coco head inside and Angel says "Be there in a minute." Once we're alone, he asks "What happened?" he asks. "I'll explain when I have you, Zeek and Papa together." I tell him. "I missed you mi amore." he whispers. "I missed you too mi dulce but I'm afraid you won't feel the same way when I tell you why I left." I tell him and he pulls me close. I put my arms around him and we hold each other tight. "I'm not going anywhere." he tells me. "I hope not." I tell him. A few minutes later, Zeek comes back out and Angel says "Head to Pop's. We're right behind you." I nod and get in the car and head to Papa's house.

Walking into the house, Papa is sitting in the living room. The three of us walk into the living room and Papa stands to hug me. "Mija, boys." he greets us. We all sit down and I say "It's time I explain to you all why I left." I say and they all nod their heads. I have Papa in his recliner, Zeek is on one couch and Angel and I are on the other. Angel laces his fingers with mine and brings them to his lips and kisses my knuckles. "I'm so sorry I left the way I did. I didn't know how to tell you what happened and I didn't want to see the disappointment in your faces when I told you." I start. "Mija, we will never be disappointed in you." Papa tells me and I look down at my hands holding Angel's hand. "I was hanging out with a friend and her boyfriend invited us over to hang out with him. Everything was fine but I after a while I had to get home. Her boyfriend offered to take me home and pulled down a dirt road on the way to my house. I asked where we were going and he said he wanted to show me something but when he stopped the car, he tried to kiss me. I tried to fight him off. I really did Angel. I swear I did." I say as I look at him and there are tears in my eyes. I look back at our hands and I let go and say "He was stronger than I was. He punched me in the face and almost knocked me out and he raped me." I say. All three men run their hands down their faces and I say "I told mom and she told me that if I weren't such a prude he wouldn't have had to rape me. I couldn't stay. She didn't care and I was so scared that Angel wouldn't want me anymore and I couldn't handle that. I was so messed up, I honestly wanted to die. I didn't want to lose you Angel." I say as the tears fall harder. "Mija, we would have helped you. You wouldn't have lost any of us." Papa tells me. Zeek says "Pop's right Marla. We would have been here for you. You will always have us." I look at them and smile. "Let's give them a few minutes." Papa says to Zeek and they get up and walk out of the room, leaving me alone with Angel.

We sit there quietly for a few minutes and I can't look at him. I go to stand but he takes my hand and says "You wouldn't have lost me." I look at him and say "That's the thing. If I would have stayed, I was scared I was going to lose you but me leaving I lost you anyway." I say. He kneels in front of me and says "You didn't lose me. I have always been yours." he says. I look at him and he says "Te amo mi amor." I smile softly and say "Te amo mi dulce." before he places a soft kiss to my lips and I let him deepen the kiss just a little. When we separate, I whisper "I missed you Angel." Still in his knees in front of me he lays his head in my lap and I wrap my arms around him the best I can and hear him whisper "I missed you too."

Once we get ourselves together, he looks up at me and says "Tomorrow I want to introduce you to the club." I look at him shocked and he says "You're mine Marla. Time you met my other family." he says. I nod my head and kiss him softly. "You want to stay at mine tonight?" I ask and he smiles before standing up and pulling me to stand. We walk into the kitchen where Zeek and Papa are. "We're heading to my house to talk more." I tell them. Papa hugs me and says "You know my door is always open. We are so glad you're home where you belong." he tells me. "Thank you Papa. Te Amo." I say. "Te amo Mija." he says. Zeek hugs me and says "Glad you're back Mana." I smile softly and says "Te amo Mano." Smiling he says "Te amo."

Angel follows me to my house and once we're inside, he grabs my hand and turns me to face him and cups my face and kisses me deeply. "I've waited ten years to do that. I missed you so much Marla. Please don't leave me again." he says. "I won't Angel. I'm not going anywhere baby. Not again." I tell him. I pull him to the bedroom and I move to get changed and he strips down to his boxer briefs. Getting into bed, he pulls me next to him and I lay my head on his chest. "Do you remember the first night we spent together?" he asks. "Yeah. It was the night we lost our virginities." I say. "I couldn't get enough of you after that." he tells me. "I'm surprised you didn't get me pregnant." I tell him. "Even if I did, I had always planned to spend my life with you. You were it for me." He says. "And now?" I asked, scared of the answer. "You're still it. Why do you think I never moved on?" he asks. I kiss him softly and say "I didn't either. I've not been with anyone since my rape." I say. He hovers over me and says "I'm not letting you go again." I smile softly and say "I'm all yours Angel. Until you decide you don't want me anymore." Looking into my eyes he says "I'll never not want you." We spend the rest of the night kissing and talking and he doesn't push me for more.