The kitchen smells like bacon when I walk in, and i'm greeted with the sight of Yasmin standing at the frying pan, and Val and Marco sitting at the table doing Marco's homework.

"Hey," I kiss the side of Yasmin's head, smiling, and she gives me a weird look.

"You're in a good mood. Did I miss something?"

"Nope." I walk to the table and mess up Marco's hair, looking down at the algebra problems he's doing.

"Stop, i'm concentrating."

"The only thing you're concentrating on is bacon," Val corrects. "We've been doin' this fuckin' same question for ten minutes."

"You're a bad teacher, that's why."

"I'm the best teacher there is. Now fuckin' do it before I shove this pencil down your throat."

"Just give him the answers." I take the bit of bacon from the plate as soon as Yasmin sets it on it.

"Yeah, do that," Marco nods in agreement.

"No. I will not let my brother grow up to be an idiot and get held back years. That'd be fuckin' embarrassing and I don't want to have to disown you."

"I already disowned you years ago. When people ask if we're related I pretend not to know who you are."

"You should be fuckin' proud that I'm your bro. I'm like the coolest person ever."

"Everyone says you're a prostitute."

Val's eyes widen and he looks at me, beginning to laugh. Yasmin turns around with her mouth open in shock and I just stand there enjoying bacon.

"Let's get back to algebra," Val shakes his head, looking down at the paper.

"How to middle school kids even know about you?" I ask. "Please don't tell me you've-"

"I said we're getting back to algebra!" He interrupts and I share a disgusted look with Yasmin.

Santiago walks in wearing a jacket and holding his keys. "Goin' to see Dad. You comin'?" He looks at everyone but me. Mom's started letting us see him since she found out he was forced to do what he did, but Ray and I are the only ones who haven't seen him yet since the hospital. I don't particularly know why, it's just hard for me to be around him and feel normal. It feels too different and strange, like he's a different person but I know he's not.

"Yeah," Marco says eagerly and Val shakes his head at him. "Yasmin bring bacon for the way."

"Not even gonna ask me?" I joke, even though I usually just avoid the subject all together.

"Nope. I plan on talking shit about you to Dad, so if you don't want to hear what I have to say, it's best you don't come."

"Good luck telling him you're addicted to-"

"Guys," Yasmin interrupts and looks at Marco. "Mar, go put shoes on." I feel Santiago staring at me while I watch Marco get up and take the plate of bacon out the door.

"Also, you can tell him you're addicted to smoking," I say. "Make sure and tell him you'll probably be dead by the time he's out of jail."

"That wouldn't be so bad if it means I don't need to see you anymore."

"Stop!" Yasmin looks at him with horror.

"Jesus Joney," Val comments.

I hold myself back from saying anything until they all leave. God, I can never just be in a happy mood without something bad happening.

+++

"I can't believe I get to do this," I say, holding Amelia close to me in the school corridor.

She smiles in response. "I can't believe it doesn't bother you that everyone who walks past stares at us."

"And I get to do this," I tilt my head closer, putting my lips on hers.

"And I," she pauses, smiling as if she's about to say something dirty back to me. "Can't believe we've been standing here for ten minutes and one of your brothers haven't showed up to annoy us yet."

"Shh. You know what they say, speak of the devil and it shall come."

"Right, okay. I didn't mention them." She kisses me and it lasts about four seconds before Val's voice is in my ear.

"Hmm, what do you think of the kissing skills, Mon?"

"Not enough tongue," Montana points out with a concentrated expression.

"Agreed. What's the point in kissing if you're not getting all up in there?"

"Obviously you wouldn't know," I turn to face them and put my arm around Amelia's waist.

"You guys banged yet?" Montana asks. "Bet he's been dying for sex all this time," she says to Amelia. "He'll probably last like twenty seconds."

Amelia raises her eyebrows and Val screws up his face. "Why do you think about things like that?"

"I don't. It just came to me."

I can't take it anymore. "Why? Because you were so desperate to get with Val, you only lasted that long?"

Both of them shift and I can already feel the thick awkwardness in the air. "How could you tell him?" Montana accuses Val.

"It was Yasmin."

"It wouldn't have been hard to guess," I add. "You left more scratches on him than a tiger could."

Montana death glares Val then punches his arm before walking away, then Val punches my arm. "I wanted you to help make her less mad, not más." Luckily he leaves too.

"They two had sex?" Amelia asks when I turn towards her again. "That's weird as hell."

"I know," I chuckle. "Where were we?" I lean down to kiss her and the bell rings, so she places a finger on my lips.

"Going to class."

The moment I see Aarons smile at Amelia, I almost throw a fit. How can she be so oblivious to him crushing on her? Crushing on my girl. Does that idiot know who I am?

I light up inside though when I get an idea. Aarons looks at me with a straight face, and that's when I stop Amelia, turning her around and kiss her right in front of his desk like I did before. But she pulls away, giving me a pissed off look and I pout, not wanting to look like a reject in front of Aarons, and Amelia being the awesome person she is sighs and kisses me, putting her hand on the back of my head.

"Go to your seat, Alex," Aarons demands and I smile through the kiss, not stopping. "Enough! Before I give you detention." Why just me? Is Amelia invisible right now? Does he think i'm just tonguing the air?

Amelia breaks the kiss when he says that and walks to her seat beside the stupid Chrissy dude and I walk over to mine. Luckily Jace is late so I don't need to listen to him go on about what just happened.

"So you and Amelia are back together, why didn't you tell me?" Yasmin asks at lunch. It's just her, Jace, Max and I sitting here today since Santiago is avoiding me and Val is sitting with Montana and his friends again.

I shrug. "Do we need to share everything with each other? It's not like I ask you what guy you're onto every week."

Jace clears his throat. "Speaking of which, what guy are you onto this week?"

"None," she scoffs and looks to the other side of the cafeteria. "Well there is this guy in my art class who is really hot."

"Don't go throwing parties just to get with him. Ask the dude out like a normal person," Max says.

"Or just don't even bother," Jace shrugs and Yasmin rolls her eyes.

"Don't make me start on you," she threatens and he zips his mouth shut then puts the metaphorical 'key' into her mouth, sticking his finger in which makes her shove him and wipe her mouth. I'm gonna be sick watching this.

"So, Alex. You nervous about going to court?" Jace asks.

"I've been trying not to think about it."

"I'd be shitting myself. I mean, you could go to jail and stuff."

I sigh, "I'm aware." I spot Amelia about to walk past our table and catch her eye which makes her stop.

"Hey," she smiles brightly and I try at a smile back with what Jace just said weighing heavy on my mind.

"Sit here?"

"I can't ditch my friends."

I look down. "Fine."

Her hand goes under my chin and lifts my head so I look at her as she frowns. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I assure, faking a better smile. She nods, still frowning and goes away after talking to the others for a moment. Everything is great right now. I really hope things turn out okay at court and I don't end up in a cell.

+++

I'm home alone

So?

Come over, chica

Careful, your inner teenage boy is showing.

So you're coming?

Fine.

I smile down at my phone, silently praying that none of my siblings walk in that door right now. They'll probably bring fifty people with them just because Amelia and I had a moment to be alone and it's my luck.

When the doorbell rings, I run like a kid on christmas and open the door, lifting Amelia up into my arms while she lets out an adorable scream. She wraps her legs around my torso, and I kick the door shut with my foot and carry her to the couch then drop down beside her.

"Missed you," I admit with my mouth on her neck, my breath making her shiver.

"Missed you too," she says breathlessly and grabs my arm. "A lot." I kiss over her jawline until my lips touch hers, and her hand slips down onto my torso, then she moves it up, taking my shirt with it and I start to think she plans on taking this to the next level.

When she pulls away from the kiss and looks down at my stomach, I realise what she's doing. "Amelia-" I pull my shirt down to hide the scar on me.

"You-" she struggles for words, her hand resting on my waistline. "I can't believe that happened to you. It must have really hurt."

"No, it was a pleasurable experience."

She puts her hands on each side of my face. "Alex, it was scary and painful."

"Okay."

"Say it."

"Alex, it was scary and painful."

She rolls her eyes. "Why do you always act so tough? A blade went in you like that," she balls her hand and puts it against my stomach.

"Princesa, I'm fine now, so stop worrying." I kiss her but she's still pouting, then she lifts my shirt and looks again, leaning down to get a closer look. I sigh.

"It's scary. Does your Dad know what happened? You think he'd feel guilty?"

"Yeah, he knows."

"How?" She comes back up to my level and drops my shirt.

"He was allowed to come to the hospital for a couple hours. His sentence could also be shortened because what he did could be considered as self defence. And me defence."

"That's great! Is your Mom letting you guys visit him now?" I nod hesitantly, hoping she doesn't ask if i've seen him. "You need to take me to meet him."

I look away from her eyes. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Because I, well I haven't even seen him myself since the hospital."

She sighs and lays her head against my chest. "I know you're not comfortable with him since what happened, but he's your Dad, and he probably really wants to see you."

Considering every time Yasmin comes back from visiting him she tells me he was asking for me to come, I think he definitely does. "But it's hard. I don't know." I think for a moment, "I'll go if you come."

"Really?" She lifts her head, smiling.

"Yeah, if you're sure you want to. Prisons not a nice place."

"And how would you know that, Alex Fuentes?"

"I just know. My Dad looks like shit from being in there, like the grey ass walls are dyeing his skin grey."

"Better remember to moisturise before going then," she taps my nose. "Except you have perfect tanned skin. How does your Dad's skin go from dark and perfect to grey?"

"He's not that tan. His grandma wasn't spanish."

"Interesante." I chuckle at her terrible spanish accent. "That's a word, right?"

"Sí, mi princesa. ¿Te quieres casar conmigo?"

"I have no idea what you just said but it was hot."

"Good, 'cause it was a joke and you'd probably take it very seriously."

She furrows her eyebrows. "What'd you say? Was it that my ears are ugly? Ray thinks they are."

I laugh, "Your ears are cute, fuck Ray."

"I'm all insecure now." She untucks her hair from behind her ears and I laugh louder.

"Aww, want me to beat him up?"

"Nah, I'm just sensitive."

The door flies open and Santiago walks in carrying Yasmin on his back with Max behind them. "Hey, Amelia!" Yasmin shouts and Santiago puts her down. "We've missed you being here – right, Santi?" She nudges Santiago who just looks at me with a straight face. Amelia frowns, probably thinking he doesn't like her or something.

"Stop being a dick," I say. "Amelia's done nothing wrong."

"I didn't say she did."

Yasmin rolls her eyes and walks into the kitchen with Max. "What's going on?" Amelia asks, seeing the way we're looking at each other.

"Your novio is a jackass with no respect for anyone's privacy. You better put a lock on your phone."

I stand up and walk towards him. "You're a fucking druggy who gets mad when people try to help you."

"When are you gonna learn, Alex? I don't want your help."

"You're gonna need someone's help if you ever look at Amelia in the wrong way ever again."

"I didn't look at her in any way. Holy shit, how do you put up with his overprotective bullshit?" He says to Amelia, then looks back to me. "Give it time and she'll regret coming back to you."

I shove him hard and he walks backwards. "Shut up."

"She'll be running back to Chrissy in no time, and they'll laugh at you together. They'll laugh at the issues you have that are so fucking annoying," he smirks while he walks backwards and I walk forwards.

"Shut up, Santiago," I hiss. It's like he wants me to fucking lash out at him. He knows how angry I get.

"You ever think about them together? I bet she was much happier with her legs wrapped around-" His back hits the wall and I punch him hard in the face, making him slide down to the floor with blood trickling down his face. I squeeze my hand tight into a fist until it hurts, the pain distracting me from beating the shit out of mi hermano.

"Why are you guys fighting like this?" Amelia rushes over to Santiago which doesn't help with my anger. She helps him to his feet and he wipes the blood from his face, looking me in the eye. "None of what you said is true," she tells him then looks at me as if she's trying to assure me too.

Santiago looks at her and for some reason it ticks me off so I punch him again, and he uses the wall as support to stop him falling.

"Alex!" Amelia cries and Yasmin comes through the kitchen door, gaping at Santiago.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Hitting me for no reason," 'Tiago smirks and I wipe it straight off of his face with another punch.

"Stop it now, Alex," Yasmin says, obviously believing her angel Santiago. She pulls out her phone and sticks it to her ear. "Mom-"

"Yasmin!" I grab the phone from her and she tries to pull it back.

"¿Que esta pasando?" Mom says through the phone.

"Alex is fighting with Santi!" Yasmin shouts into her phone when she manages it out of my hand. I'm dead now.

I turn around, seeing Santiago saying something to Amelia. I take her hand and pull her outside, closing the door behind us and we walk to her car.

"He didn't mean it, Alex-"

"He still said it."

"He was trying to make you mad."

"I know."

"Why did you let it get to you then?" She leans against her car and doesn't let go of my hand.

"Because you're a sensitive subject."

"You know that's not true, don't you?"

"I hope not."

She pulls on my shirt, making me come closer. "There's no way I could ever be with anyone else after knowing you. What about you? Did you get with anyone while we weren't together?"

"Of course not. I spent most of the time in hospital, remember?" I feel my anger start to slip away and I move my head in closer to her.

"I love you," she says out of the blue and kisses the edge of my lips.

"Te amo."

"Te amo more," she smiles, trying not to laugh at herself.

I smile from ear to ear. "Imposible."

+++

my childrennnnnnnnnn omg u guys i'm so excited to write the epilogue for this and the epilogue for yasmin's book even though i've not even started that book. just the idea of alex as a dad is aaahhhhhh ugghhhhh yum

this chapter is almost 3000 words les goooooo

teaser: amelia's dad is unhappy with alex, and amelia meets alex's dad

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