Moreno's (Moreno Brothers Series) - Elizabeth Reyes Page 0,71

shattered, and she’d never forget or get over Alejandro. Ever.

Capítulo 19

Letting Go

Alejandro

It’d been a while since Alej did the run down to Butcher’s Block to pick up meat, not since they’d opened the restaurant and started having their food delivered. Even before that, he’d been sending one of the guys to get it for them, but this weekend would be busier than the norm. The street the restaurant was on would be closing down for the weekend for a mariachi festival. Alej’s dad had forgotten to order extra meat in time from the place that delivered it every week. He just hoped they’d have as much chivo and carne asada as he anticipated they’d be needing.

Alej had only been there a few minutes when he spotted him. He nearly did an about-face and rushed the opposite direction, but it was too late. Cido had seen him and was already walking toward him with a big smile.

“Hey, you.”

He held his fist up for Alej as soon as he was close enough, so Alej tapped it, as they’d done so often back in the day. Apparently, Cido thought they were back to being pals after their run-in at the festival. Though Alej would be sure to tell him he was out of his fucking mind if Cido ever so much as suggested Alej hang out with him and Isa. Even now he could barely stomach looking at the guy without being obvious about how disgusted he still was with him.

“So, is it a boy or a girl?”

Clearing his throat, Alej shook his head, not sure how to say it.

“Not born yet?”

“Carmela and my unborn child both passed just shortly after the festival.” Cido’s already light complexion blanched even further as his jaw dropped. “Complications of the pregnancy.”

He’d leave it at that. He didn’t owe Cido details, and Alej was in no mood to discuss it. The longer he had to stand there and look at him, the more it turned his stomach to think he was now living with Isa—the one girl this fucker knew Alej had never gotten over. Alej just wondered now how much about Alej being her first everything this guy knew. Even if she hadn’t told him, the thought had crossed Alej’s mind more than once now. Cido had to assume, when she hadn’t bled for days, that Alej was likely the only one she would’ve given that honor to.

“I’m sorry to hear it, man. That’s gotta be tough.”

“It was. Still is,” Alej said bitterly. “Time’s supposed to heal all wounds, but, in my experience, the biggest ones never heal. There are some things you just never get over.” Staring at him purposely impassive, Alej shrugged. “Hope this one’s different. We’ll see.”

Cido stared at him for a moment as if he was trying to decipher whether Alej meant anything more by that. But Alej refused to ask him how things were going for him. Last thing he wanted was to hear about him and Isa. Especially because just like in the past when it came to anything to do with his Isa that might piss him off, Alej already felt like going off on him. In fact, he stared Cido down, willing him to ask if he’d really gone there. Because Alej was ready to tell him he sure as fuck had.

“So uh . . .” Cido cleared his throat. “What are you doing now? You’re here, so I’m assuming you’re still doing the food trucking?”

“Nope. We have a restaurant now. Down in La Jolla. Listen . . .” Alej stroked his chin stubble, glancing away for a second, but he was done shooting the breeze with this asshole. He turned back to face him, feeling his brows inevitably furrow, tilted his head, and peered at him. “I’m curious. How long did you wait for Isa to try and find me before moving her in with you?” Cido’s stupid brows shooting up in surprise had Alej’s insides heating even further and adding more. “I mean you had to know—she probably even told you—that she’d moved here looking for me. San Diego area was the last place she knew I’d lived.”

Lifting his ballcap, Cido scratched his head. “Actually, she said she moved here because it’d always been her and her mother’s dream.” Placing the ballcap back on, this time Cido tilted his head with a smirk. “You remember how she raved about her trip to Sea World when she got back to Mexico.” Alej stared at the fucking liar,