Loving Vicente

III

DANIELLA’S POV:

I wake up to the sun beaming through my window. Looking over at the small alarm clock, 9 am flashes at me. Checking my phone, it's flooded with texts from my parents. Pictures of them together on their trip make me smile. They looked so happy. Telling me they love me and hope I'm having a great time, I send back a picture of my own with a huge smile and messy bed hair.

Gathering my things for a shower, I head to the bathroom. Looking down at my phone, I click on the contacts. Scrolling to the bottom of the list, my finger hovers over Vicente's name. Do I text him? Every instinct tells me no, you don't know this guy. No point in getting mixed up with somebody. But the other part of me is curious about him.

Locking my phone, I hop into the shower. The hot water pounded onto my back, letting me forget my worries for a short while. Walking out of the bathroom, I run into my uncle. "Buenos días Tío, come estás?" (Good morning uncle, how are you?) He smiles at me, telling me he's well. As we walk into the kitchen together, my uncle gathers 2 mugs and fills them with the wonderful steamy liquid.

We drink our coffee in comfortable silence. Anna comes walking into the kitchen, hair thrown in a messy bun paired with sweats. "Morning Papa." She says while opening the refrigerator and grabbing a carton of juice. "Hey Daniella, I'm going for a horse ride today, want to come?" I shake my head yes, "I'd love to." Anna smiles and walks back into her room.

My uncle leaves for work shortly after he finishes his coffee. Telling Anna and I goodbye, we hear his truck take off. Making my way into my room, I lay on my bed and take out a book. For the next hour, I try to push the thoughts of Vicente away. Picking up my phone for what felt like the millionth time today, I click his name.

Finally deciding to message him, I send a simple, "Hey it's Daniella." Locking the screen quickly, my body fills with adrenaline. Getting out of bed, I throw on a pair of bootcut jeans that fit me like a glove and a ruffled off-the-shoulder top embroidered with little flowers. I complete the look with cute brown cowgirl boots. Tossing my phone on the bed, I walk over to Anna's room and let her know I'm ready.

After waiting for a few minutes, out comes my cousin. "Let's go chica." Following her out of the house and towards the barn, she points to an all-white horse. "This is Estrella. She's the sweetest." (Star) I slowly approach the beautiful stag, running my hand along her rough yet soft mane. After letting myself get acquainted, I planted my foot on the saddle and use all my body weight to lift and position myself comfortably. Anna rides towards me on a beautiful chocolate brown horse.

As we take off, I follow Anna closely. The warm breeze blows through my hair. Throwing my head back I soak in the feeling of freedom. As much as I loved my life, the pressure could be suffocating. Looking over at Anna, she has this look on her face. One that showed just how much of an escape riding was for her. At this moment, this trip suddenly clicked into place with me. I didn't know it, but I needed this in more ways than one. Anna slows her horse down, stopping by the edge of her property.

In front of us, you could see land that stretched out for miles. The sun beamed brightly in the sky. Anna takes out a cigarette and places it between her lips. "I hope you don't mind, calms my thoughts sometimes." I shrug my shoulders and stick my fingers out, indicating for her to pass it to me. She does with a shocked look on her face. After taking a drag, I let out a few coughs. Anna chuckles. "Not your thing?" She asks, "Not so much." We both laugh together, it feels good. I wanted to ask her how she's been feeling since her mom, but I didn't want to ruin the moment.

Riding back to the house, I think of my parents and what they would think of me sneaking out on my first night. They wouldn't look at me the same, that's for sure. Pushing them out of my thoughts, I drop the horse back at the barn. Before leaving, I make sure she has fresh water and brush her mane out a bit. Walking back into my room, I grab my phone anxiously. Nothing. Feeling disappointed, I decide to venture onto Anna's side of the house.

Knocking on her door, she tells me to come in. "Hey, I need your advice." I breathed out while flopping onto her bed next to her. "What's up?" She asks, tearing out her headphones. "So, last night I felt something with Vicente." I blurt. Anna lets out a gasp. "You need to be careful Daniella. There's a lot of things you don't know about him." My brows furrowed, he seemed perfectly nice and was a gentleman. "What do you mean?" Anna looks at me with a weary look. "Listen, his father is a very powerful man in this town. Vicente is right underneath him. They are not the type of men you want to mess with." Her comments linger in my thoughts.

We gab back and forth for what feels like hours. When the sun was close to setting, we decide to start getting dinner ready. Anna showed me how to make fresh soups and how to mold them. About an hour later, the food was ready. Shortly after her dad pulled into the driveway, greeting us with a tired hello. Seeing the food he smiles, "Thank you both." He says gratefully.

We all take a seat and talk about our day. My uncle grew more and more tired as the night wore on. After cleaning up our mess, we say our good nights to one another. As I change into my pajamas, I think about my cousin's words. I wonder what she meant by his family as powerful. Who are they? What do they do? With my mind racing, an alert rings out on my phone. Looking at the screen, I see Vicente's name. "Hola hermosa, I was wondering when I'd hear from you." Read his smooth response. A blush settles on my face reading over the pet name he'd given me. "They are not the type of men you want to mess with." My brain nags at me. Deciding to push my phone aside for the night, I pick up my book of poems and read myself to sleep.

The next morning, Anna shakes me awake. "Wake up chica, we're going into town and getting some coffee." I smile at her happy demeanor. Taking a quick shower, I throw my hair into a braid, a few curls framing my face. Going back into my room, I grab a simple white sun dress and white sandals. Heading into the kitchen, I spot Anna.

We make our way to her small car and start the short drive to town. On the way, we turn on the radio to pass the time. After about 10 minutes we pull into a small part of town with a few restaurants and convenience stores. Anna pulls into this cute little cafe. "I love it here. Come on." She says while getting out of the car. Walking into the shop, I'm hit with an intense smell of coffee. It smelt like heaven.

Anna orders for me and we take a seat at one of the tables. As we wait for our order, we hear the bell above the entrance ring. Isa walks in with a huge smile on her face, Vicente followed close behind her. Anna stands and greets her friend with a hug. Isa waves hello to me with a smile and takes a seat, already launching into a conversation with Anna.

Feeling eyes on me, I finally turn my head and meet his gaze with his. "Hi, Vicente," I say in a meek voice. "Hola hermosa. Good to see you're well, I was worried after not hearing back from you." Everything he said was so put together, it made me weak in the knees. "I'm sorry about that, I fell asleep reading." I offer shyly, feeling a blush bloom from my chest to my face. Vicente flashes me another one of his award-winning smiles.

I feel Anna shift her attention over to us, "So guys, what's the plan for tonight?" Vicente's eyes glance back my way. "I was wondering if Daniella wanted to come out with me tonight." A gasp leaves my lips. Anna looks between us with a worried look on her face, Isa didn't seem to notice and smiled wide. Looking back to Vicente, "OK. What time will you pick me up? It has to be after my uncle falls asleep." We're cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. Checking his caller ID he tells me he'll text me. And just like that, he was gone. Something about his sudden exit made me feel funny. "Don't worry, it was our dad. He has... responsibilities." Says Isa. Anna and I decided that was our cue to leave and head back home, our coffees in hand.

Making my way into the room, I think about him. I felt this pull to him that I can't explain. And no matter the warnings, I had to know more. A knock at my door interrupts my thoughts. Anna pokes her head in, "How are you feeling about tonight?" She asks. "I'm not sure, he hasn't texted yet. The way he left was weird though right?" Anna doesn't meet my eyes, "Daniella. He's part of the cartel. His world is full of violence. He's trouble." Her words make me anxious.

I think about all the warnings my dad has drilled in me time and time again. But then I think of Vicente. And the way his eyes feel while looking at me, and how his voice sent chills down my spine. "Anna, he makes me feel something I've never felt in my life." Her eyes soften upon hearing my admission. "Be careful, OK?"

With that, she leaves me alone with my thoughts. The silence doesn't last long as my phone lights to life. My blood runs hot when I see Vicente's name. "I'll be there at 9." It read confidently. My heart beats wildly in my chest, this was my first date. Sorting through my clothes, I think about what an acceptable outfit would be.

Finally, I settle on a light pink halter top that brightened up my eyes and an all-white jean skirt that made my tan stand out. Gathering up my curls, I let a few pieces fall and throw the rest into a clip. After putting on mascara and lip gloss, I feel ready as I'll ever be. Anna comes into my room, "You look so beautiful. He's going to go crazy." She laughs. I thank her, feeling nerves bloom. "This is my first date." I breathe out. Anna's mouth falls open. "Just keep it sweet and be yourself. Let the conversation flow naturally. You'll be fine." Taking her advice, I calm myself down.

My uncle arrives home shortly before sunset, he looked exhausted after a long day of working in the fields. We eat a simple dinner of rice and beans, in a comfortable silence. He retires to his room shortly after, calling it a night. Sitting on my bed, I read my book trying not to seem overly eager.

Seeing headlights pass through my window, I quietly make my way outside. As I reach closer to the car, Vicente steps out. Watching as he makes his way to his passenger side and opens the door swiftly. "Ready, Hermosa? You look beautiful." His eyes devoured every inch of me. Butterflies dance in my stomach as I thank him and step into the car.