Page 3 of Always Mine

“You’re smart too. Street smart.”

“I’d better be. I can’t do my job without it.” He’d graduated from John Jay three years ahead of her. “What time are your parents coming?”

“They’ll be here around noon.” She checked her watch. “We should get going.”

“Hold on a sec.” He reached over to the nightstand in her room in an apartment she shared with two other girls. When he turned back, he held a maroon square velvet box in his hand.

Her blue eyes widened and she looked so cute with her hair curly from last night’s shower. “Diego…what did you do?”

He opened the box. Took out a ring. He’d spent too much money on it, but he’d pay it off in installments. “Annette Stefano, will you marry me?” He was grinning since he knew the answer.

Her face fell. “Um…”

His heartbeat sped up. “Um, what? We planned this.”

“Yeah, but not yet. Later.”

“Querida, we said when you graduated.”

“I’m not ready yet.”

“Is it the safety thing again?” He tried not to sound exasperated. “I’m always gonna be a cop. You’ll get used to it.”

“I’m sorry. This just makes my fear surface.”

“What are you saying, Annie?”

She looked down at the big diamond with sapphires on each side that matched her eyes. “It’s beautiful, honey, but…” She drew in a heavy breath and let it out. “Can’t we just wait a bit?”

Fuck. “What for?”

“I got that job at Remmington Prep waiting for me and I already rented my own place. I’ve never lived alone.”

She hadn’t told him any of that. “Why would you want to?”

“I don’t know, Diego. But I’m feeling pressured right now.”

Stung, and shockingly hurt, he sprung out of bed like the athlete he’d been, leaving the ring on the pillow. He stuffed his legs into his jeans. “Diego, don’t leave.”

He threw on his shirt and whirled on her. “Why? You said no, that I was pressuring you.” Which made him sick to his stomach.

“I didn’t say no.”

His left eyebrow arched. “Then tell me now. Yes or no.”

“I can’t say yes. Yet. All I want is time.”

“You know what, sweetheart? You can have all the time you want.”

He slid into his sneakers and walked out of the room.

He hadn’t gone to graduation that day. He’d refused her calls, visits, until they finally stopped…and eventually, she sent the ring back to him.

* * *

Annie watched Diego’s fitful sleep. He shook his head back and forth on the pillow. His good hand fisted. She thought about waking him when she heard, “Dio mio, mi hija.”

She hadn’t gotten out of here in time.

---