Page 81 of The Broposal

I focused on breathing steadily while I reached for my wallet, pulling out my fake and handing it over.

Kenny kept recording, but the screeching of wheels scraping against the highway stole his attention as a car in the lane next to us rear-ended a white Expedition, which had slowed almost to a stop to get a peek at the “show.” The cop sighed. He glanced at our IDs, then at Kenny’s phone, where he was being recorded. Then he handed them back to Kenny.

“I’ll let you off with a warning this time.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said.

Kenny waited for the cop to pull over whoever rear-ended the Expedition before he drove away. But even after we started moving again, I couldn’t relax. No matter how much I focused, my breath came out ragged and quick, like I couldn’t take in enough air.

“Hey, it’s okay Han. It’s over now,” Kenny said, voice much softer than before.

“Did you have to agitate him?” I snapped, knowing I wasn’t really being fair.

“I was trying to help,” Kenny said, and I knew it was true. Kenny had just been trying to protect me. Still, though, he’d been snippy, and that no doubt contributed to why the cop kept insisting. If there hadn’t been an accident, who knew what would have happened to me. I could have been taken to a detention center with no showers and barely any food for who knew how long. After all my years living in the States, I’d never come that close to getting caught. I felt tears pulling at my lashes, but they didn’t fall. I blinked them back.

When we got to the restaurant, I rushed as quickly as I could on my crutches. When I got inside to clock in, seeing the time made me panic even more. I was fifteen minutes late.

Luckily, Daniel didn’t seem to notice, or at least he didn’t say anything. I powered all the way through the dinner rush without confrontation. The pain in my foot was a good distraction from the cop this morning and from my anxiety that Daniel might call me out for being late. I worked through the pain until closing time at midnight, when he finally called me into his office.

“What’s up?” I said as I awkwardly sat down in the office chair. Not really knowing what to do with the crutches, I just laid them on the floor.

“I noticed you clocked in late today. What was that about?”

Dammit. So he had noticed. “Kenny and I got pulled over on our way here. We got here as soon as we could.”

“You know I have a no-tolerance policy for unexcused tardiness and absences.”

My breath caught in my throat, and it was hard to get the next words out. “I’m sorry, sir. I haven’t been late once since I’ve been here. I can stay late to make up for the time I missed, or work through my break. Whatever you need. I swear it won’t happen again.”

“You’re damn right it won’t happen again.”

I nodded. “I won’t let you down.”

Daniel gave an exasperated sigh. “No, I mean, I can literally guarantee it won’t happen again.”

“What do you mean?” I shifted in my seat.

“I mean you’re fired, Alejandro.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

KENNY

Imeant to tell Han everything earlier, but how could I? There was no way I could have sent him to work stressing about it, and then after getting pulled over? Forget it. Han was already so messed up as it was. All I’d wanted to do was hug him and tell him it was going to be all right, but my guilt wouldn’t let me. I knew I would have to break things off when he came home from work. I just didn’t know where things would go from there.

There was no way Han would ever forgive me for this. Even if I was open about the reasoning, I knew Han would be completely broken up about it. He didn’t give his trust out very easily. It had taken me a lifetime to earn it, and I was about to throw it all away. But I had to, or he would go through a lot worse than getting asked for his ID. I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let Jackie report him, no matter what.

I sat at the couch with my head between my knees, trying to figure out how I was going to break the news. My first instinct was to callHanand ask for advice. But obviously I couldn’t dothat this time. This was a problem I had to solve on my own. I’d already hurt Han enough.

My phone rang. Jackie. I couldn’t answer it. If I had to hear her voice right now, I’d absolutely lose it. I forwarded her to voicemail, but I knew I had to text her. I couldn’t risk pissing her off when she was holding Han’s freedom hostage.

Kenny: I’m breaking it off today.

I tossed my phone onto the carpet next to the couch so I wouldn’t have to see it. I didn’t want to know what she would say to that.

A little after midnight, the sound of keys in the front door shook me out of my thoughts. Han came in, and I braced myself for what I needed to tell him. “How was work?” I asked, no idea how to ease into the conversation.

“I got fired for being late,” Han said without making eye contact.

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