Page 115 of Only Fate

“Essie,” Valeria cheerfully says, “did my Adrian ever tell you he stole a car?”

“No, he didn’t,” I say, drawing my response out in curiosity.

Adrian grabs his water and stares at Valeria in confusion.

“When he was twelve, he stole my car while visiting me during his winter break. I had come down with the flu. While I was napping, he took my keys and drove to the pharmacy to get me medicine and a stuffed animal. He was just a block away from getting back when an officer pulled him over.”

Covering his face, Adrian shakes his head. “Really?” he asks, his hand slightly muffling his word.

“What?” Valeria shrugs and then raises her glass toward him. “The judge sentenced him to twenty hours of community service. He volunteered at the nursing home, but after he finished his hours, he kept going there.” The smile on her face builds. “I’d find him playing Monopoly, knitting, and even taking tango lessons with them there.”

I trace the rim of my glass, fighting the urge to look at him. “That’s nice.”

“Oh, he was the sweetest boy,” Valeria goes on. “He always tried mowing my yard in the summers. He was too short to see over the mower and not great, but he really wanted to help. He’d even pause to flex his muscles.” Her sincere gaze flits to Adrian. “His heart is so big, but sometimes, it bites him in the butt. My grandson sometimes holds back the truth to spare people’s feelings.”

I finally turn in my chair to look at Adrian.

Apology is on his face as he leans toward me to whisper, “Sorry.”

What is he apologizing for?

Hiding that he was working with PEP?

Crashing lunch?

Breaking my heart again?

“We love us a man who does chores,” Lainey comments.

Dear God.

From the way they’re bragging about him, you’d think they were starting a fan club.

Adrian either paid them or has blackmail against them.

Valeria spends the rest of lunch telling us stories about Adrian’s generosity. He started an after-school study program and bought pizzas with his allowance to motivate kids to come. He made his mother breakfast every weekend and walked dogs at the local animal shelter.

Lainey adds her approval to the stories.

They praise him as if he single-handedly united iPhone and Android users.

Adrian rests his elbow on the table, eyes fixed on me, clearly enjoying this moment.

37

Want to win your girl back? Have your abuela tell her all your embarrassing stories.

She spends the entire lunch doing just that.

Essie tries to look uninterested, but my abuela has her full attention. She also spends her time asking Essie questions about herself. Essie tells her she loves living in Blue Beech, and my abuela takes that opportunity to mention how much I’ve grown to like the town as well.

When the server drops off the check, my abuela grabs it faster than I can.

She then passes it straight to me.

“I know I said lunch was on me, but Adrian would never let me pay,” she says with absolute certainty. “He’s the definition of a true gentleman.”

I nod, pulling out my wallet. “Never.”

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