slow down or speed up; in New York I always felt like I was trying to catch up to someone, you know?”
I grunted in answer, feeling the truth of that statement all the way down to my toes. “How did you find yourself this far from Corona?”
I regretted asking almost as soon as the words came out of my mouth. Seeing Julia sad was much worse than seeing her mad—and that was the kind of information that would only complicate things for me.
She didn’t answer my question right away, and I figured she had better sense than me. But right when we were coming up to the turn to her apartment she spoke into the eerily silent car. “I made a string of bad choices that left me dumped, holding a two-year lease for an apartment and a car payment a week after I started my dream job.” Her tone was harsh, but not bitter, determined. I could hear in her voice she was used to being judged about this. Like the asshole who left her hanging wasn’t the one who should be ashamed of themselves.
“So this person asked you to trust them and move across the country and then left you here holding a lease?” I had no right to be enraged on behalf of this woman, but I could’ve slain dragons to keep seeing the smile that suddenly appeared on her face.
She grinned shyly, obviously noticing my pissiness, and when she spoke again she sounded like the Julia who could get my blood boiling in two seconds flat. “It was a he. And yes, he did.”
What kind of dipshit could ever leave a woman like this?
“I hope that fucker knows not to show his face in Queens.”
That laugh, the head thrown back as she looked at me with a mixture of shock and glee, puffed up my chest. This was better than when I graduated from business school, better than the moment I was finally able to get my sister out of my parents’ house. Julia Ortiz could become a very dangerous addiction for me.
By the time she’d stopped laughing, we were coming to a stop in front of her building, and she was still smiling wide. I was having trouble looking away. Julia’s smile took over her whole face. As I stole one more look at her face, I realized that I would probably be willing to do a lot of crazy shit trying to coax more of them out of her.
When she spoke her voice was still ringing with humor. “You already know he can’t come anywhere near Corona. Dominican mom and dad from PR.”
The Queens burst out of me before I could stop it. “He doesn’t know much, if he ever let you go.”
I held her gaze, because I meant it, but what had flames licking low in my gut was how she locked those brown eyes with mine. She wasn’t shying away from the compliment. This woman knew what she was worth.
Something in the energy between us kindled and caught fire and I had to grip the steering wheel hard so I didn’t do something we would both regret. I wondered if she felt it too. And maybe she did because when she spoke I could hear a tremor in her voice that was more than the AC.
“Thanks for the ride, Rocco, and for showing up early.” She raised her eyebrow, hands on her big purse. “Even though it’s still sort of nerve-wracking being around you, tonight was fun.” I didn’t have to ask why I made her nervous.
“I’m glad you let me stick around.”
She nodded and went to open the door, but kept her eyes on me. “Monday I’ll check in with you about the visits. I was thinking you could come and see the after-school program first. I sent you the details in an email.”
I nodded as she waited for a response. “I’m sure whatever you have in mind will work great.”
She dropped her gaze to her lap for the next part, and I knew the night was about to be truly over. “I don’t want to muddy the waters, Rocco, not just because I want to keep my job, but because this work is too important.”
“I know.” But I didn’t, if I was being honest with myself. Trying to get something started with Julia was the height of foolishness. I still wanted her though.
“The families we work with are mostly undocumented. This program is one of the few in the state