Then & Now [OMB || Cesar Diaz]

now - 3

Cesar followed them out to the backyard where he heard an uncomfortable whimper coming from the side of the house.

"Wait," Layla frowned. "I️ don't...where's my friend?" She asked him.

"She's fine. You're fine," the guy moaned against her skin as he kissed her before moving up and down her neck. "So fine..." he whispers before slipping a hand up her shirt.

Cesar arrived, only to angrily shove the guy away from Layla, who looked almost half-asleep. "Yo, don't you see how drunk she is?" He yells at him.

"Yeah! Or else I️ wouldn't have been able to get into her panties," he hissed, pissing Cesar off further. "Oh chill out Lil Spooky. You had your chance with this fine ass hyna. Your claim doesn't mean shit anymore," he hissed. "It's time you share with the rest of us."

Cesar takes out his gun from the waistband of his pants and pistol whips Alejandro across the face, making him fall to the ground, clutching his face in pain. Cesar keeps the gun pointed at him. "You're bold as shit Alejandro," Cesar scowls. "First you demand to control Jefferson, then you try to fuck my girl," Cesar growls. "I️ should kill you for insulting me like this."

"You're not gonna do shi-"

Pow!

Layla screams in surprise as Cesar shoots Alejandro in the shoulder. Alejandro falls to the ground, screaming in pain as he presses against his bullet wound to stop the bleeding. "Disrespect me again and next time I️ won't be so nice," Cesar spat before grabbing Layla's hand and tucking the gun back into his pants.

Layla covered her mouth in shock as she followed behind Cesar, having a hard time processing what she just witnessed. "Tell Danna I'm taking you home," Cesar says in her ear.

"No! We're going home together," she tries to wretch herself out of his grip but it was no use. "Cesar let me go-"

Cesar approaches Danna, who were catching up with some other friends, with a polite smile, catching her off guard. "Oh, hey," she notices them both together. The two other girls giggled and whispered as they eyed Cesar up and down. "What's up?"

"I'm taking Layla home. She's had too much to drink," Cesar tells her.

Danna's eyes widen at that. "Layla...do you want to go? With him?" She asked.

Layla let out a sigh and said, "Yes."

"Well okay," Danna nods. "Be safe. Drink water and text me when you get home," Danna hugs Layla before letting her go.

Usually, Danna wouldn't let Layla go off with any guy. They made a pact with each other to watch out for each other during parties cause guys were grimy. But Danna didn't worry much about Cesar. He may have been head of the Santos now but she knows he truly loves Layla. Always has.

Cesar helped Layla into the passenger side of his car that he bought back in junior year before getting in the driver's side and turning on the ignition.

"Cesar, my dad's gonna kill you if he sees you," Layla whines from the passenger seat.

"I️ don't care, as long as your safe," he shrugs, making her look over at him.  "I️ told you, I'll always protect you."

She reaches out and lightly traces a tattoo her got on his arm. "You shot someone," she reminds.

"I️ had to," was his only response.

"When did shooting someone become so easy to you?" She asked him.

Silence.

"The Cesar I️ fell in love with couldn't even shoot Latrelle...because he knew that was wrong," she reminds him.

"And the Layla I️ know wouldn't hook up with some guy at a party," Cesar spat back.

Layla glares at him now. "Who I️ hook up with is none of your fucking business," she snaps.

Cesar pulls over and parks the car, now menacingly looking down at her. "You're wrong," He seethes, getting in her face now. "Because as long as I️ claim you, it will always be my business," he fights back.

"I️ don't want your stupid claim!" She shouts back at him. "We haven't been together since sophomore year!"

"Layla do you know what will happen if I took my claim off you?" Cesar hissed, making Layla roll her eyes. "And we've been together plenty of times after that," Cesar reminds her. "Homecoming. Winter formal. Danna's Sweet 16. Junior prom," He lists out, making her roll her eyes and scoff. "I️ fucking love you Layla. Are you telling me those times didn't mean anything to you?"

"Of course they did! They meant everything to me," she whispers.

Before she knew it, Cesar's lips were on hers, and they definitely felt better than when she was kissing Alejandro. His lips, his touch, his entire being felt like home to her. She kissed him back, pulling him in closer until he finally picks her up by the waist and pulls her over to him, straddling his waist over the driver's seat.

But as soon as the moment started, Layla pulled away, ending it. "I️ can't be doing this with you anymore," she says. "I'm going to UC Berkeley soon and you already made it clear that where I'm going, you can't follow."

Cesar traces the outline of her lips with the pad of his thumb. "I️ wanna go with you..." he says. "But I'm in too deep."

Layla angrily shoves Cesar against his seat before dismounting him and getting back into her own seat. "I'm not having this argument with you again."

"Layla-"

"I'm tired. Take me home," she orders. "All you do, is hurt and disappoint me."

Hurt, Cesar simply starts the car and drives. "You hurt me too, you know."

"You're the big bad leader of the Santos now. Heartless. Emotionless-"

"Not when it comes to you," Cesar quietly admits.

Layla was quiet for a moment. "You'll get over it," she says as she looks out the window.