“Then he promptly asked her out that very night.” Xochitl shook her head. “And this one here didn’t think he was into her.”
Nena’s jaw dropped again. “That was just this past Monday?”
“Yes,” Vannah nodded, her insides going all wild again.
“Oh my God, Xochitl.” Nena’s eyes went even wider. “You should’ve seen him today he looked ready to explode. Well, he kind of did.”
“Explode?” Xochitl asked understandably confused.
Nena filled Xochitl in on the happenings of the day. How Byron had confronted them, and Taz reacting in his usual hot-headed way.
“You’re kidding me?” Xochitl turned to Vannah, this time she did the jaw dropping. “No wonder he sent that text. This makes total sense now.”
Vannah winced as Xochitl told Nena about the text he’d sent Vannah yesterday. How they hadn’t been able to figure out what had gone wrong since he’d been so into her all week when they’d spoken, and video chatted. But remembering his genuine explanation and how tightly he held her today, had Vannah smiling again.
“He couldn’t just ask you about seeing me with another guy? Sending that text was a jerk move of him,” Nena said with a frown. “I should bring it up during dinner tonight.”
“No, you shouldn’t,” Vannah responded immediately. “Unless you want me to point out in front of mom, daddy, Taz and Gordo that it was only because he saw you sucking face with another guy and he thought it was me.” Before her sister could even try to retort, Vannah scrunched her face. “Really? Sucking face at King Taco, Nena? Didn’t you just meet this guy a few weeks ago?”
“Not in the restaurant. He kissed me when we got to the car and then again when we got in the car.” Nena explained then laughed. “And you gotta lot of nerve. You’ve known this guy one week and already you’re bringing him to dinner with the whole family.”
“Daddy’s idea not mine.” Vannah touched her forehead. “I just hope Taz and Gordo behave.”
Nena was laughing again. “This is gonna be fun.”
Thankfully, Xochitl knew better than to ask Vannah why she hadn’t mentioned such a huge fact about herself to him during all the talking texting and video chatting they’d done all week. It’s why Vannah had purposely made less of their nonstop chatting all week when she mentioned it to Nena. She was certain her sister thought that’s all it was. Vannah hadn’t known him long enough and likely hadn’t talked to him too much yet. But Xochitl knew better.
When she first met Xochitl she hadn’t told her about her twin either. As she’d done with Byron, she’d of course mentioned having a sister she was very close to. Just left out the part about Nena being her identical twin. It wasn’t even until Nena had called to tell her she’d be stopping by to visit her at their dorm for the first time that Vannah decided to give her roommate a heads up. So, her good friend probably already not only knew why, but that Vannah would rather not discuss that right now.
“Did she tell you the best part?” Xochitl asked all bright eyed.
“What?” Nena asked curiously.
“He’s Beast, the famous boxer Beast’s brother.”
Nena’s mouth was already wide open. “Oh my God.” She grabbed her phone. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Who are you calling?” Vannah asked.
“Daddy. Him and the boys are gonna flip.”
For whatever reason that made Vannah even more nervous. The knot that had formed in her stomach the moment her dad had suggested she bring Byron to dinner only got bigger now. She wasn’t past the insecurity that Byron was way out of her league, despite his seeming genuinely into her. So, the reminder that he was a minor celebrity to boot, even if only by relation, just added to that insecurity.
“That man never answers.” Nena frowned as she put her phone down. “This makes even more sense, though. Your hot new man was on fire today. Of course, they’d be related. His brother didn’t get his nickname for nothing, you know. That Beast is an inferno when he’s pissed. I saw footage of him and his family at the airport and one idiot reporter made the mistake of getting too close to his daughters and spooking them.”
“Oh my God, I saw that too.” Xochitl nodded adamantly. “That reporter would’ve been a dead man had they not been in a public place.”
“I remember too but even daddy said any father would’ve reacted that way,” Vannah added not sure why she suddenly felt the need to soften Byron and his brother’s tempers.
Nena rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Of course, daddy would say that. He’s no better but this guy’s brother is known for his seething temper and clearly, he and Byron are cut from the same cloth. Though he was quick to change his tune the moment he realized he was facing your siblings and daddy. God, tonight is gonna be fun.”
Thankfully Vannah’s phone rang interrupting the nerve-wracking conversation. She closed her eyes momentarily when she saw it was her mother, but then hit the answer button and walked to the fridge.
“Hey, mom.”
“Savannah Bridgette Moreno, why in the world hadn’t you told any of us about your boyfriend? At the very least me or your sister?”
Vannah stopped just before grabbing another bottled water from the fridge feeling her insides tighten. “Because I don’t?”
“Oh, really? So, this guy who isn’t your boyfriend making such a scene over Sienna hanging out with another guy because he thought it was you, is just a friend?”
“Mom,” Vannah lowered her voice glancing back at her sister as she opened her bottled water. “Where’s dad and the boys? Are they listening?”
“No, I purposely passed on going into the comic book and gaming store so that I could call you.” Vannah heard her mom thank someone then was back to talking to her. “I came into the coffee shop next door instead. Seriously, Savannah, your fathers all worked up over this. Thinks you’re keeping stuff from us. You know we don’t have secrets in this family, honey.”
“I’m not keeping secrets, mom,” Vannah insisted even as her sister smirked and shook her head. “My first official date, if you could even call it that, was just this past Monday. He’s just . . . I don’t know. Intense?”
Vannah knew it sounded insane, but fact was just one week or not, she’d already shed a few tears over this guy. She explained about not having been able to see him but having kept in touch all week and how their much-anticipated lunch date yesterday was cancelled last minute.
“It’s when he saw Nena with another guy.”
She smiled remembering how relieved he’d been about getting it straight today. “Yeah, I’ll get to her too when we get home. You girls have always been so good about being able to tell me everything. I don’t want that to change.”
“It won’t. It hasn’t.” She assured her then heeding her mother’s worries and feeling a little guilty she decided to tell her more. “He’s not a boy either, mom. I didn’t meet him at school. He’s twenty-five, has his own apartment and just recently became part owner of his own business. An auto repair and restoration shop.”