GOOD GIRL [COCO CRUZ] - ON HOLD

11: keys

Isabella woke up to the sound of light rain tapping on the window. It was just beginning to get light outside, and it seemed strange for it to be raining in Santo Padre.
Isabella turned over to see that Coco's side of the bed was empty, with the covers thrown over to her side. Sitting up slightly, Isabella stopped as she heard Coco's voice in another room.
"I ain't sure how we're getting out of this one. We're too far in."
Isabella always heard Coco and the guys talking about club shit, but she was never really allowed to know what they were really on about. They were always so secretive about it all.
"Alright, Bishop, I'll be at the yard soon. I gotta get rid of Isabella first."
Isabella laid back down as she heard Coco finishing his phone call and walking back into the room. He climbed back into the bed and she looked at him.
"Get rid of me, that's lovely." Isabella gave him a look, but then smirked at him to show him that she wasn't really mad.
"You know what I meant." Coco stood up again and began to get ready, throwing on his club cut.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm good, baby." Coco leaned down and kissed Isabella's forehead.
"Even with the club?"
"Yeah," Coco replied as if he was brushing her off. "You know everything's always good with the club."
Isabella raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, right." She scoffed, knowing that once again Coco would brush her off. She understood that she wasn't really meant to know club business, but the more her feelings developed for Coco, the more she worried about him.
"Be back soon!" Coco was shouting but Isabella heard his front door slam shut before she could even respond.

Sighing, Isabella sprawled out on Coco's bed. She was left alone in his house most of the time, while he was always out with the club. She picked up her phone and saw messages from Penelope that she hadn't responded to. She still hadn't even worked up the courage to tell Penelope about her and Coco.
Isabella: Hey, Pen. I've been so busy. Come over later?
Isabella put her phone down and began picking her clothes up from the floor. She wanted to go to the clubhouse - she loved being around the guys - but she knew from Coco's conversation this morning that she wouldn't be wanted there today. Instead, she drove back home.

"Mi amor." Isabella's grandmother greeted her as she walked in and headed straight into the living room.
"Afternoon, Grandma. Are you up to much today?"
Isabella sometimes felt bad for her - she was left in the huge house alone pretty much every day while Isabella, her mother, and her father went to work.
"I did a little gardening this morning. Those hydrangea I planted for you are looking lovely."
Isabella hugged her and smiled. Gardening was her favourite thing to do, and Isabella was so glad it made her happy that she could do it here.
"Oh thank you, Grandma. I'll go and have a look at them." She said as she started to head outside, but she was stopped by her Grandmother.
"First, I wanted to talk to you." She suddenly looked serious as she signalled to the dining room. Isabella walked in and sat down and she followed shortly after, with a velvety pouch in her hand.
"Actually, I wanted to give you something." She sat down opposite Isabella and began to open the pouch. She pulled out a key and slid it across the table towards her granddaughter.
"What's this, Grandma?" Isabella looked confused as she picked it up. A proud smile appeared on her face.
"It's the keys to my old house." The smile remained in place as Isabella's expression turned to a shocked one.
"In Santo Padre?"
Her Grandma nodded. "I thought you sold that?"
She shook her head, "Your father wanted me to, years ago. He always hated it down there. But I couldn't let it go."
Isabella thought she saw a wave of sadness flush over her Grandma's face then, but it was soon replaced with her previously happy smile.
"And now I want you to have it."
Isabella's breath stopped short. "Grandma, what?" Was all she could manage.
"Even if you won't admit it, I know how much you like it down there in Santo Padre, with that biker club." She chuckled slightly.
"Grandm-"
"No, no, dear, I was the same when I was your age!" She put her hand up to cut Isabella off. "I'm not telling you to move out."
Isabella laughed, "Well, that's good."
"I just want you to know that if you ever want to get away down there, with the boy, then you can."
Isabella giggled again at the mention of Coco as she stood up and went around the table to hug her grandmother.
"I love you so much." She told her.
"Take this, too." She slid the photograph she'd shown her before onto the table. Her facial expression told Isabella that she understood, without even knowing - she understood that Coco was worried about their differences. And she knew that really, neither of them were that different at all.

Sitting next to the hydrangeas, Isabella stared at the photo of her Grandma. She knew that Coco still had worries about her getting too close to the club, but he pushed them away. Isabella's phone vibrated in her pocket.
Coco: where are you?
Coco must have finished up with the club and gone home, and normally Isabella would be there waiting.
Isabella: went home. Come to my place.
She knew Coco would freak out over this suggestion. Even though he'd been to the house once, it was quick and he hadn't been back since. Isabella checked her phone and saw that Coco had read the message but not responded.

Rolling her eyes, Isabella headed upstairs to her bedroom and flopped onto the bed. She was wondering what would happen with Coco now, when she felt her phone vibrating.
Coco: on my way.
Isabella was almost shocked that he wasn't freaking out. She understood that being in her house, around her family, was a complete different territory to him - one that he definitely wasn't used to.

Isabella heard knocking on the door downstairs, and pulled herself out of her bed and began to head down the hallway. As she reached the top of the stairs, she noticed María and her Grandma stood in front of the front door, with Coco frozen in the middle of the doorway, an awkward look on his face.
Shit, Isabella thought to herself as she headed down the stairs.
"Uh Coco, this is my Grandma Lucia." Isabella said as she placed her hands on her Grandma's shoulders and shot Coco a smile.
"It's so lovely to meet you." Lucia smiled and stepped forward, taking Coco into her arms.
"Um, you too Mrs..."
"Please, call me Lucia dear."
Coco nodded and then turned to look at Isabella. Isabella looked at her Grandma, not knowing what to say.
"Oh!" She jumped slightly and turned to face the direction of the living room. "I'm so sorry, I'll leave you to it."

"I'm sorry if that freaked you out." Isabella said to Coco as he sat on her bed.
"No, she's sweet." Coco said, as Isabella shot him a look. "I promise, Bella."
She sat down next to him and smiled.
"I think she knew it was you behind the door, she seemed excited to meet you. Probably why she pounced on you." Isabella laughed.
"She knew about me?" Coco looked shocked.
"She guessed about you, actually."
"How did I not even know that your family are from Mexico." Coco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Bella."
"It's my mother's side. The Lexington name is from my father, of course."
"And your Grandma is why you used to be in Santo Padre all the time?" Coco asked her.
"Yeah. You know Coco, we're not all that different." Isabella stood up and walked over to her dresser, picking up the photo, and sitting back down next to Coco. She handed him the photo and watched him.
"Who is this?" He asked, studying it.
"That's my Grandma. Years back, of course."
"Wow." Coco said.
"She's been through it all too, Coco. That's why she wanted to see you."
"Your Grandma's a badass." Coco chuckled. Isabella laughed and stood up again.
"There's something else, too." Isabella took the house key out of the pouch and showed him. "The keys to her old house in Santo Padre."
Coco raised his eyebrows, a shocked look appearing on his face yet again.
"I'm not asking you to move in with me." Isabella laughed and Coco breathed a sigh of relief.
"She wants me to know that I can get away down there whenever I want to."
Coco smiled and pulled Isabella closer to him, still sitting on the bed.
"I'm ready." He whispered and Isabella looked into his eyes. "I'm ready to do all this with you."