All For Us || Oscar Diaz

37: Ghost

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Nina was exhausted. All the crying and the drinking the night before gave her a massive headache. The cry of her sister from the driveway forced her to jump out of bed. The world around her was spinning like a wheel. Her vision was blurry but she could've sworn that her ex-lover was standing there before her. The light coming from their house made it seem like he was a ghost standing in front her.

"Tony? Is that really you?" she took one cautious step forward trying to get a better look at him.

He grew out his hair, his curls were more evident since the last time she saw him. He had a little scruff on his jawline and chin. He looked buffer, with his arm muscles seeming more defined in his long sleeved shirt. She could tell that he definitely grew a little older by his face but his eyes remained the same. The light had hit his eyes just right for Nina to remember everything they had done when they were younger.

"Hey, Nina," Tony smiled softly at her.

That smile. That same smile he had given her when he promised everything was going to be alright since the day she left the barrio. He carried a big black duffle bag with him and a guitar locked away in his gray case that still had the same stickers he had since high school. That fucking same guitar he used to write her songs with as he would sing to her while she studied sometimes.

"It really is me," Tony encouraged even more as Nina took a step closer to him.

It really was Tony.

"Oh my God, Tony," Nina breathed before running into him to be soon engulfed in each other's embrace. Again she felt like crying, like she hadn't been doing just that for the entire day.

Tony hugged Nina tigheter, gently lifting her off the ground. He held her close, taking in the scent of her hair as she buried her face into his neck. Tony noticed how she looked more mature but still beautiful as ever. However, he did notice that she had been crying but regardless she looked like how she had left her all those years ago.

"Nina," he breathed as he was in slight disbelief that he was holding her again after all those years a part. "I've missed you," he admitted in a whisper as he tightened his embrace.

"I missed you too," Nina replied as Tony began to slowly set her down on the ground. "I can't believe you're here. What are you doing here? How'd you find us?" she asked him softly as her fingers traced along his forehead and his cheek. He was real.

"It's a long story. A-are you okay?" He asked sincerely as he still had his hands on her waist as he looked into her eyes. They were red and watery and puffy from crying. On the bright side she couldn't have been crying because of his arrival.

"U-uh," Nina lets him go as she hurriedly rubs her eyes and wipes her tears. Avoiding his gaze for just a moment. "Never mind about me. Let's go inside," she offered as she tried getting his stuff.

"Nina, I got it," Tony smiled reaching down to get his stuff as well. Their hands brushed against each other like some dumb and stupid cliche. They pull away in an instant, covering up their mishap with a chuckle. Tony gathers his stuff as both Nina and Victoria head into the house.

-

Across the street, Oscar was at the barbecue cooking to get his mind off of what happened this morning. Ruby Martinez was keeping him company for the rest of the day. He didn't exactly know why he chose him as company but ever since the kid dropped by earlier that day, they've been together ever since arguing about different things.

In the middle of their sort of cookout, Ruby had spotted the guy approaching Nina's house just as Victoria was getting out of the car. Oscar was so close to pulling out his gun and probably busting a cap in the guy's ass but Ruby had stopped him. The two of them watched the entire thing transpire.