A Quiet Kismet

Chapter Seventeen

AGE 26

"They don't know." I said when he was finished with his story. "I never told them I went to look for you. If they knew how you really were, you wouldn't be here." I said coldly.

Ruben looked up the rear-view mirror, at least sparing me from looking at him face to face. "I could tell them, if that's what you want."

"And ruin Julia's wedding? No." I shook my head. The song changed and the car was silent. How could I tell my family the truth? From the looks of it, everyone was ready to forgive him but me.

But they didn't know what I did. They didn't see how he really was. A drunkard who didn't care for his wife and children. Who wasted away in a trailer park burning through his money with alcohol. All the while my Mother broke her back to raise us and give us the life she never could have.

"I should have never kicked you out mija. I wasn't in a good place when you found me." He said, his eyes searching for mine through the rear-view mirror. What killed me was that they looked like mine. They looked like mine when I begged Mom to forgive me for breaking her favorite glass bowl. They were filled with remorse, but the trouble with that is I wasn't sure if he was genuine or not. I stopped believing in Ruben when he kicked me out of his trailer. Before that, I had every reason to trust that he was exactly what I'd been looking for.

I remembered that night and how happy I had been. How it felt like I found a piece of myself when I saw him look at me with a flicker of recognition. How he hugged me and despite the smell of beer on his breath, he was the one I wanted most in this world. Was that what Julia wanted? Was that what my entire family wanted? A piece of the past that wasn't tainted with darkness?

"Don't hurt them Ruben." I said, "Mom and I know what you really are, but they don't. So don't screw it up."

Ruben nodded, and turned away from the mirror. Derek was coming back, his hair now brushed out a little bit more and he was holding up a bag. He clambered in the truck and looked between us, then held up his bag with a boyish smile. "I brought snacks."

"We're going to a restaurant for a rehearsal dinner." I said flatly. "You're going to eat there. What are the snacks for?"

Derek shot me a look, "They're for later."

"Weirdo."

"Butt-face."

Ruben snapped his fingers. "That's how I remember you!"

"Oh, you remember me?" Derek asked, and it almost sounded like he was flattered. Oh God, I really hope Ruben isn't winning Derek over.

"Yeah, you're that little boy who used to pick on Millie. Flor and I thought it was adorable but we were afraid Millie would beat you up one day."

"To be fair, she picked on me too." Derek said, giving me a pointed look. I smirked, remembering all the trouble we used to get into. "And she never beat me up." He scoffed, I rolled my eyes. Yeah right.

"I remember all those phone calls from the school about Millie's behavior." Ruben chuckled, "Her mother thought about sending her away to her great grandmother's a couple of times. She was a mean old lady who believed in corporal punishment." He shuddered.

"I don't think it would've done her any good. Amelia doesn't seem like the type to back down from anything." Derek said offhandedly rummaging through his bag.

Ruben looked back at me and smiled briefly, almost proudly. "No, I don't think so either."

***

Everyone was already seated when we burst through the doors of the restaurant. Apparently Jaimie had secured the place so that only our party was here. So about twenty pairs of eyes landed on us. Julia in particular looked like she was seething.