Hate to Love

30.

He walks around everyone and introduces me and every time he does he calls me his girlfriend and every time it makes me smile and blush. 

I spot the girl from the mall the other day and nod "that's the girl I thought you was sleeping with." Ricardo nods "that's Rosa." 

He waves at her and she smile and runs over "hey." 

She hugs Ricardo and looks at me "so I can finally meet the famous Belle? Everyone loves you and I can't wait to get to know you." 

She hugs me and I smile "thank you." 

Carlos walks over and smiles "sorry to interrupt but Ricardo you are wanted?" 

He looks towards the kitchen and spots Pedro waving "won't be long ok?" I nod and he kisses my head. He looks at Rosa and raises his eyebrow "be nice." Rosa shrugs and smiles "I always am."

He runs of and Carlos shoves Rosa gently "yeah. Be nice." He smiles at me and nods "we all love Belle." 

I roll my eyes and shove Carlos softly "how do you always get this drunk?" He shrugs and takes a drink of his beer "I mix whiskey with my beer?" 

He holds his beer forward and I smell it "wow. That smells horrible." He shrugs and takes other sip "your loss." 

He walks away and Rosa looks at me and smiles "we should go for a drink before I leave?" I smile and nod "I would love too. When do you leave?" She smiles and takes a sip of her beer "after the girl's dance show Thursday." I smile and nod "well I am free all week so let me know and we can arrange something?" She nods and hugs me  smirking"can't wait."

She runs of towards a group of people behind me and I look towards the girl's tree house and see them looking at me "Belle." 

I walk over and smile "hey girl's." They shrug and smile "so?" I shake my head and laugh nervously "it's going ok I think? Oh and Ricardo may have told me he loved me in a way?" 

The girl's scream with excitement and shake their heads "what? What did he say?" I smile and look behind me to check no one was there. I lean down and smile "he said that everyone will love me like he does? I don't know if that means in that way or if he means as friends?" 

The girl's shrug and look at each other "I'm only 12 so I don't know?" Adrianna shrugs and smiles "and I'm 10 so I have less knowledge about it?" They look behind me and nod "let's ask Abuelo."

Gloria comes over and smiles "hey girls." Rosie looks at me and smiles "so Ricardo may or may not have told Belle he loves her?"

 Gloria looks at me and smirks "what? Wow." I smile and the girl's nods "we know."

 Gloria shakes her head and take a deep breath "so what makes you think he didn't mean it?" I laugh nervously and shake my head "it's just the way he put it." 

She nods and smiles "how did he put it?" I look behind me and look towards Ricardo "he said that everyone will love me like he does?" She smiles softly and nods "it sounds like he means it but doesn't want to say it straight forward yet?" She looks at the girl's and nods "we will speak later. Ok girl's?" The girl's nod and run back into their tree house. 

"Come with me." Gloria walks away towards the house and I follow her inside and into her room.

She nods towards the bed and smiles "sit." 

I sit down on the bed and she walks over with a box "Ricardo never shows emotions or feelings." She opens the box and smiles "but with you he is...." 

She smirks and nods "different." 

She takes out a photo of a young woman and a younger looking Ricardo "is that?" She nods and smiles "Ricardo and his mother." 

I look at the picture and smile "she looks like Rosie." 

She nods and shows me another photo "we don't know what he gets up to and I think it's best that way but we are not stupid and we know he is following in his father's footsteps." 

She shows me a photo of a man who looks like Ricardo and the same boy in the first photo surrounded by other men with the same tattoo of a N and a knife on their wrists. 

I point towards it and shake my head "what is that?" Gloria pulls out a news article and smiles "the Northsides gang tattoo." 

She points towards a photo with the tattoo and another tattoo next to it with a S and a gun next to it "and this is the Southside tattoo." 

I smile and nod "just make sure you are careful because people will know you are Ricardo's weakness and they will come after you." 

The door opens and the girl's walk in "we have a plan." 

They smirk and look at each other "salsa dancing." Gloria stands up and laughs softly "great idea girls." S

he sticks the box back in the cupboard and nods "I will get everyone up so make sure you grab Ricardo." 

I nod and follow them downstairs "I don't know how to salsa dance?" The girl's smile "just follow us." I nod and follow them out the back yard.

 "Let's get this party started." Gloria turns the music on and turns it up "salsa time." I see the girl's push Ricardo towards me "go." I smile and nod "shall we?" He holds his hand out and I smile "ok."

I follow him into the middle and I look towards the girl's and they start dancing in tone with the music but they go to fast "you don't know salsa do you?" I laugh nervously and nod "that obvious?" He smiles and wraps his arm around my waist "just relax and follow me. Boo." I roll my eyes and relax my body and he leads the way. 

With my body pressed up against his I spot Alicia standing with her arms cross locking her eyes on us. I smile and look back in Ricardo's eyes "she still watching?" I nod and smile "yip." 

He rolls his eyes and kisses my lips "may as well give her something to watch?" I giggle and look towards the floor "you're the worst." 

He winks and shakes his head "oh yeah?" He spins me around and I fall over a rock and drag Ricardo down with me and we both end up in the pool.