Ride Home To Me

Chapter 15

I reach my arms out and tickle Letty from behind, causing her to fall off the short step stool she's standing on and let out a stream of cursing. I laugh and run to Leon who lets me jump onto his back so we can run away from Letty together. That is, until Dom appears and sweeps her up.

"That hijueputa made me drop the garland," Letty grumbles. I giggle and go finish taping it up myself.

"I'm so excited for you and your mom to be here tomorrow Gabi," Mia says, coming onto the porch. "Christmas eve is my favorite day of the year."

"She just likes it because her dad and her brother actually let her drink in the evening," Letty mutters, smirking.

"Oh shut up Letty."

I chuckle and shake my head, but jump when Dom comes up and claps my shoulder.

"You ready for tonight?" he asks. I frown.

"Christmas eve ain't until tomorrow hermano," I say.

"I know," he grins. "We're goin' to Hector's place. He's havin' a party. Your ma said you could come with us this time."

My eyes widen and my jaw drops. "Quit playin' Dom. Are you serious? She actually said that?"

"You gotta get ready cause you are not showing up in that oversized t-shirt and shorts girl." Mia starts pulling me along.

"It's comfortable Mia, leave me alone!"

•-•-•-•-•

"Hey Hector, Christian, how's it goin'?" Dom claps hands with the boys that greet us at the door. I recognize Hector from the races last month and this Christian guy must be his cousin that Leon mentioned to me. I clap Hector's hand and nod to Christian before following Leon into the house.

The living room is filled with dudes standing around, trying to act macho, and girls wearing barely enough clothing to cover their asses, sometimes not even that. I roll my eyes and find my way to the kitchen to grab a drink. I'll allow myself only one tonight, just to be safe, but that don't mean I have to save it for just the end.

The party is fun. I dance for a bit with Vince and then sit on the couch with Letty and some other girls, singing along to the music. At one point I stand up to grab some of the pizza they got sitting on the table in the next room. Suddenly I hear a voice behind me.

"Hey baby, you new in town? I ain't seen you before."

I roll my eyes and turn to see a dude smiling at me from the doorway.

"Yeah. Got here a couple months ago."

"That's tight. I'm Danny. Lemme get you a drink."

I hold up my bottle to him and give him a sarcastic smile.

"Thanks but I'm covered homie." I grab my slice of pizza and try to walk around him but he blocks my path.

"Aye wait wait wait," he puts a hand on my waist. "Come on baby talk to me."

"I ain't your baby so stop calling me that." I look over his shoulder, searching for one of the guys to flag down. All I see is Letty talking to Dom and Vince busy talking up another chick; Leon is nowhere to be seen. Vince makes eye contact with me for a moment and I send him a pleading look but he just holds up a finger and goes back to talking with his girl. I scoff and turn back to Danny, putting my pizza down and grabbing his wrist to move it off my waist. "And I was about to go talk to my friends so I'm good."

"What, don't think I'm good company?" he smirks. "I bet I could show you a real good time."

"No thanks, man. I'm goin' over there now," I narrow my eyes and move again but he stops me, this time grabbing my arm and trying to turn me around. I instinctively reach back and pop him in the nose and then the balls, making him double over and groan out a string of cussing at me.

I feel people's eyes on me as I walk over to Vince and hit him upside the head.

"You were real helpful," I snap, before turning and bumping into Dom.

"You okay?" he asks.

"Might wanna ask Danny instead babe," Letty grins, seeing Danny propping himself against the wall.

"Callin me a bitch just cause I don't wanna be felt up, cabron getting aggressive so the fuck else was he expecting?" I mutter to Letty as Dom stalks over to the guy. "Wait Dom, chill out please!"

We go to catch up with him and hear him talking to the dude.

"I'm sorry man I didn't know she was part of your crew!"

"Chill Dom. This fool got what was comin' to him. Think the next time you wanna try chatting up somebody that ain't interested, yeah homie?" I ruffle his hair and smirk. Dom snorts behind me and Letty does her best not to laugh.

We got a 1 AM curfew so we're in the car pretty soon after. There's a lot of tension in the car, some coming from Dom and Letty, some between me and Vince since I'm still pissed at him for not helping me, and some from Leon 'cause he was busy getting laid while everything went down so he's got no clue why everyone's so awkward.

"Hey look Gabi I-I'm sorry," Vince whispers from next to me. "Are you mad?"

"I ain't mad, V, I'm pissed," I snap. "We both know I can handle myself but it'd be nice to know I can count on you guys if I need help anyway. I know you saw how uncomfortable I was. That ain't what friends do."

"Shit. Yeah I guess I know that. Hey," he pulls me into a side hug and ruffles my hair, "you can count on me, promise. Next time I catch you like that I got you aight?"

I roll my eyes, but I can't stay totally mad at him forever so I begrudgingly return the hug. I slap his chest and mutter, "Okay. I'm still mad at you though. I ain't doin' no lunch runs for you for a while 'cause you were a dick."

"What?!"