Page 64 of A Coffee Away

I took a breath, preparing for her inevitable outburst. “First, I’m no longer Robbie’s proxy.”

She widened her eyes. “But he can’t.”

I shrugged and looked down at my beer. “He can.” I scratched at the bottle label, my mind numb. I hadn’t slept well since the fight. “He questioned its legitimacy.”

She clenched her fists. “Asshole. I should’ve kicked his ass when I had the chance.” She frowned. “I get you were mad, but—”

“Then he said he was going to make sure I never saw Robbie again and called me a faggot.”

I jumped as Eva’s fist hit the wooden table. “I’ll fucking break his face.”

I chuckled because even as sad and frustrated as I was, Eva was so much like me that it was surreal. “I already did.”

“Did he press charges?” Her tone was low, caring. “When did this happen?”

I scratched my growing stubble. “Last week, but he did something far worse.”

Stephany stood next to Eva. “What did he do?”

“Yesterday I received a restraining order.” I slumped my shoulders. “I can’t be near Robbie’s father or enter the hospital.”

Silence and a deep stillness fell upon us, then Eva’s arms were around me. I let my tears fall freely as she whispered soothing words.

A couple of beers later, Stephany was the one to break the silence.

She tilted her head toward the Mexican food truck. “Did you talk to Carmen?”

It was already late, and the park was about to close after salsa classes. She was in line.

I frowned. “What about?”

Stephany leaned forward, watching her. “She works the graveyard shift.” A mischievous smirk was plastered on her face. “Maybe she can sneak you in.”

Suddenly, the night seemed brighter. Why the hell hadn’t I thought of that? But then…

I shook my head. “She could get in trouble.” I wrinkled my brow. “Damn. Me too.” I could get arrested for trying something like that, but at the same time…

Stephany sneered. “Do you know Carmen at all?”

I smiled.

Carmen hated injustice and, as a bisexual woman, was an advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Her boyfriend accompanied her to all of our activities and was studying law to open a firm specifically for defending our rights. So she and Gustavo loved to break society’s mold and fight the system in any way possible.

A jolt of energy swept through me. “It might work.” I had to see him.

Eva grabbed my forearm. “Let’s go.”

I widened my eyes. “You mean now?” God, was I ready to risk it all? I swallowed my doubts. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

We rushed through the crowd until we were met by Carmen’s lovely face. Her smile and red lips were captivating, and her short, flowy red dress was a sight to behold.

“Eva!” She kissed her cheek and then threw her arms around me. “Esteban, I’m so happy to see you. I heard about what happened. I’m so sorry. Please. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”

I hugged her back. Some of my worries eased at her words. Maybe she could help me. I took her hands and gathered my courage. “There is. Can we sit?”

She nodded. “Let me finish my order.”

I glanced around. Gustavo talked to a couple.