Page 38 of Please Don’t Go (The Midnight Strike #1)

DANIEL

“I got busy but it’s not a big deal. Nothing is for certain anyway.” My chest constricts, making it hard to inhale or think.

“Muy ocupado para contestar nuestras llamadas también?” Dad’s thick brow quirks up, and he folds his arms over his chest.

My tight smile almost wavers. “ Sus llamadas? La única que me llama es mamá. Unless your phone stopped working and you’ve been using Mom’s?”

He hates when I do that, switching languages. I didn’t mean to, but it happened and I’m sure he’ll find a way to make it seem like I’m starting something. Though I did give him a smart-ass reply, so I guess I did start something.

I try to breathe in again, but I can’t and now my hands are trembling at my sides. I feel dizzy. My head is spinning and I feel like I’m both drowning while simultaneously feeling like I have a ton of bricks on my chest.

He takes a step forward, dropping his arms to his side, but Mom places a hand on his chest, stopping him from getting any closer.

“You better watch how you’re speaking to me,” he threatens, voice dropping an octave.

I want to speak, but my lips feel glued together and…fuck…I can’t breathe. I inhale again, desperately, urgently, begging my lungs to work.

“Julio, that’s enough.” She pierces him with a discontented look and then pins me with the same look. “Both of you. Why didn’t you tell us about the email?”

White dots dance in my vision, my heart and lungs slowly shutting down from the lack of oxygen until I lock eyes with my favorite pair.

Breathing becomes a little easier, but still the rest of my body is trying to catch up and work together.

Some days it takes me longer to feel somewhat decent, but right now everything is working as is.

Still, something looms in the corner. My hands are still shaky and sweaty, my heart is racing, and I still feel a little dizzy.

But for the most part, I feel steady, grounded, and I’m able to breathe.

Then she approaches us and once again I’m struggling. There’s never a day that goes by without thinking about being around her, but right now is not one of those days.

I don’t want Josie to see me like this or to think that I’m broken because I’m not.

“Hey.” She stands next to me, offering the faintest smile, and for a moment I forget it all as the fireworks go off. I need to stop staring at her lips, but I can’t bring myself to. Not until she turns to my parents. “Sorry for interrupting. I?—”

“Not at all,” Mom interjects, her face softening and lips lifting in a curious smile. Oh God, I know that smile all too well. “We’re Danny’s parents. I’m Esmeralda.” She extends her hand for Josie to shake it.

She does then dad extends his. “I’m Julio.”

“I’m Josefine. It’s so good to meet you both.”

It may be dark out, but there are enough lights that I see the spark of realization in Mom’s eyes before it sweeps over her face. “You’re Josie? Danny’s new roommate?”

Dammit, Penelope.

“Uh, yeah.” Josie casts me a glance before it drifts back to my parents.

“It’s so good to finally meet you. I’ve heard so many good things about you.”

Josie’s eyebrow’s furrow before they smooth out. “That’s good to hear.”

I mentally facepalm myself and intervene before Mom starts to pop out questions. “Can you both give me one second? I need talk to Josie really quickly.”

Dad tersely nods, but Mom only smiles wider. Josie doesn’t know what’s going on, but I see the wheels spinning in Mom’s head. I don’t want to get her hopes up because nothing is going on between us even though I’ve—no, I’m not going there.

They climb back into their food truck and once I know they’re busy selling their bread, I draw my focus to Josie.

“I didn’t mean to ambush you. You looked a little in distress and thought maybe you’d?—”

I force a chuckle. “Why would you think that?”

She tucks a wisp of her hair behind her ear. “You looked anxious.”

“Me, anxious?” Blood roars in my ears and my hands become clammy again. “I don’t know why you’d think that but I’m good. My parents just like to ask a million questions.”

“You know you can be honest with me. I won’t judge.”

I slip my hands in my pockets as my fingers twitch with tremors. “Honest about what? We’ve talked, remember? I’m good. I’m sorry you assumed I was anxious but I’m not. They’re just a little annoyed because I didn’t tell them about the MLB email and they?—”

She stares up at me, astonished. “You got the email? That’s?—”

“It’s really not a big deal. I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet.”

Her brows pull together and her inquisitive eyes study my face. “Is everything okay?”

The muscles on my face strain to keep my smile from falling. “Everything’s good. It’s just been a busy and long day. I’m tired and my parents—they like pestering me with questions. And I’m sure they’re going to bombard me with many more. I didn’t tell them about you, by the way. That was all Pen.”

“Right.” Her expression becomes impassive, and she adds distance between us. “Well…I won’t hold you up.”

Please don’t go. I want to yell and hold her, but my mind is static and my body isn’t responding the way it should. Sweat rolls down my back, and my hands are trembling worse than they had before.

“Josefine, here.” Mom climbs down the little steps and holds a brown paper bag with the name of the bakery stamped on it. “I hope you like pan dulce . I added some of Danny’s favorites and a few other ones. You have Facebook, don’t you?”

“Mom, please,” I warn but she doesn’t look at me.

“I put my card in the bag. When you’ve tried them, message me on Facebook and let me know which ones you liked and I’ll send you more.”

“Thank you.” Her lips lift. It’s hardly a smile, and I hate myself for it. “I’m going to get going. It was so good to meet you.”

“You don’t need to leave. Julio and I need to keep working. We’ll call Danny later. You kids go have fun and?—”

“I just came to say hello. I’m actually helping the mermaid so I should be going now. Thanks for the bread again.” She doesn’t meet my stare anymore and walks away before letting Mom get a word out.

Mom’s eyes narrow in suspicion. She places her hands at her hips. “?Qué le hiciste?”

I don’t have the energy to pretend, but I also don’t have it in me to tell her either.

“Daniel,” she says in a stern Spanish voice. “Qué pasó?”

I pinch the bridge of my nose, exhaling a breath through my nose. “Nada, nomás que soy un idiota.”

She slaps my shoulder hard. “Don’t call yourself that. What happened?”

I could tell her but then we’d have to talk about Adrian, and I don’t want to do that. She’ll get worried, Dad will hear, and we’ll end up in the same bullshit cycle. I can’t deal with either one of them and their looks of disappointment and grief. I just can’t.

I side-eye the spot Josie was just at, and guilt unwinds in my stomach. It rises to my head, making it hurt. I deserve that.

“?Te gusta ella?”

My head jerks and my heart stops. “What? I—we’re friends and I live with her.”

She cocks her head to the side, expression impatient. “We’re still going to talk about that by the way. I can’t believe I had to hear it from your sister. But that’s not what I asked you.”

“Please don’t do that.” I groan. “Stop romanticizing things.”

“You can lie to whoever you want but I’m your mom. I know you better.” She pinches my chin and tugs my head downward to her eye level. “Te gusta?”

“Mamá, por Dios es mi ? —”

“Tell me the truth,” she incessantly demands.

“I’ve only known her for six weeks.”

“Your father knew me for a week and knew I was the one.”

“Yeah, well this is different,” I retort and attempt to pull my head back, but she has a strong grip on my chin.

“She’s really pretty.”

She is, she really fucking is. “Mom, please stop. We’re friends and roommates.”

“You didn’t deny it.” She lets go and places her hands back on her hips. “I don’t know what you did to her, but you better go make things right.” She flicks her hand as if saying that I need to leave now.

But I don’t walk away. I stay in my spot and cave a little. “How did Dad know?”

Her eyes widen in disbelief before she recovers. She knows what I mean by that. “Why don’t you ask him.”

My gaze jumps to the food truck and linger for a moment, but I snap out of it and shake my head. “No, you know it’s not going to end well. I should go find her.”

She wraps her arms around me and releases a debilitated sigh. “You know, he loves you very much. He’s just having a hard time.”

I hug her back, feeling the knot in my throat. “Don’t lie, and we’ve all had a hard time.”

“He does. He’s just?—”

“Please stop making excuses.” I let go, feeling angry. “I lost him too,” I grit, aggravated. “I was there and I’m paying for it every day. He knows that and doesn’t care and you keep making excuses for him.”

“Daniel—”

I step back, hating the grief-stricken look on her face and the way her eyes glass over. Dammit, I should’ve kept my mouth shut. “I’m sorry, I-I’m really sorry. I should go.”

She offers me a small smile. “I love you. Don’t forget that, okay?

“I love you too.” I walk away before I make a bigger ass out of myself.

I don’t know what I’m going to say to Josie, but I need to find her. I make my way to the tank, but when I get there, she’s not around.

“Hey, Danny.” Vienna smiles at me from inside the tank.

I blink, flabbergasted by how she looks like a real mermaid. “Hey, have you seen Josie?”

“She was supposed to go find you.”

She didn’t come back. Way to go, idiot.

“Danny, hey.” Amanda approaches.

I hear Vienna mumble something under her breath, but she moves away to the other side of the tank. I want to explain myself to her, but Amanda is already in front of me.

“Not right now.” I sidestep her but she follows behind me and calls my name. “What?” I spin to face her. “What now, Amanda?”

“I just wanted to congratulate you.” She crosses her arms against her chest. “Sheesh, what the hell is wrong with you?”

I lift my hat, running my fingers through my hair before I place it back. “I’m sorry. It’s been a long day.”

“It’s okay, I get it.” She sympathetically smiles at me. “Can I hug you, or are you going to bite my head off?”

She unfolds her arms and raises them, but I don’t embrace her.

“It’s just a hug. I’m not asking you to have sex with me.” She deviously grins. “I mean unless…” She trails off as if she were letting me fill in the blank.

“Don’t—” My peripheral vision catches something white, and despite there being hordes of people today wearing that, black, or turquoise, I know it’s Josie. I’m right when I spot her but see she’s not alone.

“Danny, what are you…” Amanda’s voice dwindles I think, I’m not sure, as my gaze stays locked on Josie and Bryson.

She looks a little irritated, but Bryson has a shit-eating grin. I don’t have the slightest clue what they could be talking about, but she doesn’t move away when he takes a step closer. Something creeps up in my chest and takes a hold of my heart.

Josie must’ve felt me looking because our eyes collide, but she only holds my stare for a moment before they flick to Amanda.

“Danny.” Amanda grabs my arm, urging me to look at her.

I shrug her hand away. “I can’t keep doing this with you. We’re done and I don’t want you back. Just leave me the fuck alone.”

Her jaw drops and hurt flashes on her face, but I can’t bring myself to care.

I go to search for Josie, but she and Bryson are nowhere in sight.