before these three get my brown ass kicked out of a fucking conuco.
I smiled at her calling the pumpkin patch the Spanish word for orchard, and tapped a quick message letting her know I was here.
I got out of the car and walked to the entrance. It was cool, but not freezing. The sun was setting and the air felt crisp in that way that it does in the fall. I walked in the direction the information desk person told me I needed to go, and took my time appreciating the surroundings. The foliage looked so vibrant against the late afternoon glow. It wasn’t Central Park in the fall, but it was beautiful in its own way. The magnolia and pecan trees scattered around the grounds felt familiar and comforting.
I came up to the entrance of the area where the rest of the exiles where waiting and spotted them right away. Dani and Tariq were standing by a tall table while José and Salome were in line for what looked like a wine and beer bar. They stood close, engrossed in conversation. They seemed like they’d been friends forever, and that’s how it felt to me too. When I looked at them, I saw people I could count on, people who knew me and liked me. Dallas was no longer a place I was stuck in. It was a place I’d been building something. Just like my dad told me.
I frowned as I walked up, noticing that I did not see Rocco anywhere. Did he cancel because of me?
I never responded to his text saying he was not going to come to the Kennedy Tour with me and my parents last Saturday. It was Wednesday now. He wouldn’t just not show; he would’ve said something in the group chat. Unless he didn’t want me to know.
Fuck. I needed to stop this shit. There was no use in agonizing about it. This was all for the best. I knew that. He knew that.
I came up to the small table where Dani and Tariq were standing and greeted them with kisses on the cheek. “Hello, hello.” I waved my hand around. “This is certainly festive.”
Dani rolled his eyes and took a sip from his glass of red wine. He had forgone his usual business casual attire for well-fitting dark jeans and an oatmeal sweater. He looked like the very picture of autumnal fashion and would mostly likely have one of us take pictures of him for the Gram at some point. I turned and looked at Tariq, who must have come straight from work because he was wearing charcoal slacks and a light blue oxford shirt under a very stylish black trench coat. I was not going to ask him if he knew where Rocco was. “Well don’t you two look handsome.”
They both smiled and complimented my outfit. I’d done a lot more than I usually did for work, but I knew I’d be coming here after and, well, I could lie to others, but not myself. I’d wanted to look good in case I saw Rocco. Because nothing said healthy coping like getting all sexy for a guy who made you come in his hallway before you ghosted him.
I angled my head in the direction of Salome and José, who had seen me and were waving me over. “I’m going to say hi to those two. Salome said you guys were being a handful. We need to keep an eye on you two.”
Tariq gave me a cheeky smile and shook his head, feigning innocence. “Us? Never. Rocco’s the one usually causing mischief.”
Dani chuckled at that and took another sip of wine. Just hearing Rocco’s name made my stomach dip. I looked around again, hoping to see him. But he was nowhere to be found. I was literally biting my tongue to keep from asking, but for better or worse Dani opened his mouth and put me out of my misery.
“Speaking of the devil, here he comes. That’s Caroline, the ‘gym buddy.’” I looked up and saw him walking with the woman from the Insta photo, so close their arms brushed as they walked. I’d never considered myself a jealous person, and intentionally tried never to fall under the stereotype of the possessive Latinx woman, but I was vibrating with the urge to go and pry them apart. Tell her that she was too close, that those clothes, those eyes, that cologne were for me. Not hers. Mine.
I heard someone clearing their