Page 59 of Harbor

That time, it was Micheal’s turn to stiffen. The man let out a sigh, and scrubbed a hand down his jaw. He eyed the car with a curious eye, his gaze landing on Lucia first. His stare lingered, like he was trying to figure out who she was just by looking at her, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. She stared back, unbothered.

“Listen, Ren, I—”

“I just need a safe spot for a couple of days. Maybe a little longer, but we won’t be a bother. Just long enough for me to find something to do—get a job—and a place of our own. I have never asked you for anything.”

“I don’t want that bitch you call a mother around here. All right? She does nothing but cause fucking problems, kid.”

Renzo made a noise under his breath. “What do you think I’m trying to get away from, huh?”

Micheal looked back at Lucia again. “Who’s that, anyway?”

“Someone important to me. She’s not going to cause problems, either.”

The man grunted under his breath. “A few days—that’s it.”

“Thank you.”

Renzo’s tone was calm, but even Lucia could hear the relief in his tone.

Then, Micheal looked back to Renzo and asked, “You’re not in any trouble, right? Last time we talked, I was pretty clear to you, right? Stay out of trouble, do the right thing and all that shit. Don’t be like your parents, Ren. You’re still doing the right thing, aren’t you?”

Clearing his throat, Renzo shifted on his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he glanced Lucia’s way. “Yeah, I’m staying out of trouble. Of course.”

What was another white lie added onto the mountain of a mess they’d already made together?

• • •

“What’s up there?” Diego asked, pointing at a stairwell leading up into a dark enclave.

Micheal chuckled. “That takes you up to the roof. You can eat up there, get a view of the bay, or whatever.”

Diego’s eyes widened. “Can I go up there now?”

“How about we grab something to eat first,” Renzo suggested.

“But I wanna go up there, Ren!”

Lucia bumped Renzo’s shoulder with her own. “It’s fine, I’ll take him up.”

He could continue his talk with Micheal, then, without their interruption. Diego could only take so much of sitting in the car before he was ready to get out and explore. Stretch his little legs after having been tucked in a backseat for another long drive. Not that Lucia blamed the kid, really.

She was sick and tired of driving, too.

“I, uh, had some stuff ready to put on the grill,” Micheal said, scratching the back of his neck. “I could throw a bit more on, and we can eat. I’m guessing you’re all pretty hungry.”

Lucia gave Renzo a look, not missing the awkwardness of this entire conversation. She still didn’t know who Micheal was to Renzo, or why this was where they came when the man was clearly uncomfortable with them being there. Guessing by his house, the lack of pictures of family or kids, she figured he wasn’t used to having young people around. There was no ring on his finger to say he was married—if he ever was—and just as a safe guess, she didn’t think he had kids, either.

He was being kind to offer them a place to stay, but that didn’t mean he wanted them there. Lucia could tell that right from the start. She was grateful he was willing to help—without even details to know why they were there—so she didn’t want to make this any worse on Micheal than it already was.

Renzo didn’t miss Lucia’s look. “Yeah, sure, that sounds great, Micheal.”

“You can help, kid,” Micheal said, slapping Renzo on the back. “Learn some skills, I guess.”

Lucia had to press her lips together to keep from smiling at the way Renzo scowled at being called kid. He was quick to fix his face when Micheal looked his way, expectantly.

“Yeah, sure,” Renzo replied, “I don’t mind helping.”

Lucia gave Renzo a wink over her shoulder before she climbed the stairs with Diego. The small, dark enclave at the stop of the stairs led to a tiny door that the adults had to duck through to exit onto the roof. The seating area on the deck was only big enough to hold a small circular table, two chairs, and not much else.