Page 20 of Heat Haze
It’s a shoddy wooden building, with a few shelves of gardening supplies and a table sat near the back. The table itself holds a few potted plants, all of which seem to have wilted and died a long time ago.
“Is this… yours?” I ask, stepping forward to take a closer look. His grip on my hand tightens, his body leaning over mine to look at all the plants. “You like to garden, Toro?”
When I glance over my shoulder I’m greeted with the most timid nod. He’s obviously aware none of the plants are alive, since he’s staring at the floor with the most dejected expression.
“It’s alright,” I try my best to comfort him even though I know the plants are definitely beyond saving. “Why don’t we plant one together? I’ll help you take care of it. Nadine, she uh… showed me a few things.”
Those eyes of his immediately come to life. He nods excitedly, letting go of my hand to instead wrap me up into a hug from behind. My feet leave the ground, the laughter that follows both happy and terrified. When he sets me back down he begins prepping another pot, and I kind of just watch awkwardly for a minute.
“Do you not have enough time to take care of them?” I ask, the seed packet in his hands ripping open while he tries not to spill any. “Or do you not know how?”
Toro shrugs, pointing to the water pail on the floor as if that answers the question. “Toro… you know that plants need sunlight, right?”
He stiffens, but doesn’t answer me directly. Instead he lets out a drawn out hum, maybe a little embarrassed ofthe fact he was leaving his plants to die alone in this dark room.
Toro puts the packet in my hand, and the front sayslantanas. I have no idea what kind of flowers these are, but the photo on the front is pretty. With reddish-pink outer petals and yellow inner ones, these could end up being really beautiful.
“Let’s try this,” I begin. “Grab the water, okay?”
I scoop up the pot in both hands, bringing it outside to rest by the door. Just enough sunlight, I hope. I dig a few little holes around the pot, and plant a few seeds. I honestly have no clue if this is right, but I think anything is better than what he was doing before.
Toro hands me the pail, and I sprinkle out some water on the newly planted little guys. Overwatering is a big thing, but we’re also out in the blazing Texas heat so maybe giving them a little extra won’t hurt.
“I’ll check them every day. So you don’t have to worry and can focus on your farmwork.” I drop the pail to the ground, glancing up at Toro. “Sounds good?”
He’s grinning from ear to ear, looking at me with that same adoring expression from before. His hands are immediately at my sides, lifting me up and pulling my chest against his. Our eyes meet briefly, and he looks down at my lips only for a moment.
He knows better. He doesn’t try it, instead opting to lean in and hug me. It’s different. So soft and delicate andscary. His heart is thudding against his ribcage, like my own personal drum. When we pull apart he huffs, moving to hold me properly. One arm sprawls across my back, the other wrapping around my shoulders.
Even with his fingers digging into my skin, the way he cuddles me is so calm. That’s probably why we both nearly drop dead when Mr. Tavera’s voice yells at us from the back door of the house.
“Boy!” He sounds pissed off. “Quit playin’ fuckin’ husband and wife and get in here! Your abuelo needs you!”
Before I can glance back at him I hear the door slam shut. Toro sighs extra loud, the tiniest shred of fear in his eyes. He cautiously drops me back to the ground, taking my hand and leading me back inside. The entire family is crowded in the living room, with the eldest Tavera sitting in his rocking chair.
“Toro…” His voice is so hoarse it almost sounds like a croak. The tone he’s using is indistinguishable to me. I have absolutely no idea what he’s feeling. “C’mere, boy. We oughta’ have a talk.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Hesitantly, Toro pries his hand away from mine. He doesn’t want to let go, but there’s no choice. Not right now. The men of the family are all staring at me with murder in their eyes, but Alma is more focused on her brother.
“Damien… he told me somethin’...” Grandpa Tavera looks up at his grandson, his lips drawn tight. A few wisps of white hair sit on his head, face wrinkled and littered with liver spots. “Told me… yer’ datin’... Datin’ a boy—aman…”
I wince at that, the room feeling even smaller than it already is. Toro turns, checking on me. He momentarily relaxes, before having to turn back and face his grandpa—and face reality. Surely he’ll deny it. Why would he put a target on his back over something so minor?
Instead, he nods.
His grandfather’s eyes narrow, the creases etched into his leathery skin becoming more prominent. “That ain’t right, boy. You know that.” Then his attention shifts to me, looking right past Toro.
It strikes genuine fear into my heart. All this time I’ve been running around like I’m home free, but I’m really not. I’m in the exact same spot I was before, except now I’m developing an unhealthy attachment to Toro. So I guess it’s not theexactsame spot.
“No need’ta be shy,” he says it so kindly I almost believe it. I immediately step up to be at Toro’s side, forcing myself to nervously look at his grandfather. My heart is racing in an entirely different way now, but I want to make a good impression. To be something more than Toro’s scared little captive.
“H-Hi, I’m Nico… Nico Marín.” Do I offer him my hand? Do I keep talking? I should probably do anything other than stare at him.
“Nico,” he repeats tentatively, “you know that our Toro is a… special boy, don’t ya?”
What the fuck? Are they seriously talking down to Toro again? Do they evenseehim as human? They’ll call him every name under the sun if it means they get a chance to treat him like some kind of object—like his only purpose on the farm is to be a fucking meat shield.
