Company had been awkward ever since me and Brice's falling out. We didn't talk to each other, trying to stay out of each other's way while Oliver bounced back and forth between us. I felt bad for the guy. It must have been exhausting.

        Today was an especially grueling practice, and Brice and I were placed close to each other. As we danced, I almost bumped into Brice, and he glared at me, so I backed off. We continued our routine until I missed a step, and Brice ran into me.

        "Watch it." He shoved me back, and Justin frowned.

        "Whoa," Justin said. "Take it easy, Brice. Jax, watch where you're going."

        "Sorry," I replied.

        The routine continued, and I tried putting the event to the back of my mind, until Brice tripped me. I landed with a thud as everyone else stopped.

        I got up just as fast. "You did that on purpose."

        "It was an accident," he said.

        I scoffed. "Yeah, right."

        "That's it." Justin came forward to stand between us. "Both of you, out."

        "What?" Brice and I said at the same time.

        "You need to cool off," he said. "I don't know what's up with you two, but it's been getting in the way of practice lately. You need to work something out. Now, go."

        With a heavy exhale, Brice turned to leave, and I hesitantly followed. We grabbed our water bottles before making it to the hallway, leaning against the wall with some distance between us. We didn't talk for some time, until I couldn't take it anymore.

        "Brice, I'm sorry," I said, capturing his attention. "I don't know what else to do or say."

        "I'm tired, Velasco," he said. "I'm tired of being pissed and of being sad. I just can't believe you would do this to me."

        "I never intended to hurt you." I turned my body to face him, leaning my arm against the wall. "Estella didn't either. It's just that when it comes to her..." I paused for a second, trying to gather my thoughts. "I couldn't help it." I never intended to betray Brice. At the same time, I wanted Estella. "I don't regret being with her, but I regret causing you pain."

        "The fucked up part is I should have seen it coming," he said. "You two were close. You had this bond even me and her couldn't imitate. I knew this, but I chose to ignore it because she was my girl and you were my boy. I never expected anything to happen." He snorted. "Too bad it bit me in the ass in the end."

        "I didn't expect this to happen either."

        In the beginning, the last thing I expected was to fall in love with Estella. If anything, her crush on Brice didn't interest me much, although it was a little irritating. I never would have guessed things would end up like this.

        "If you weren't around, Estella and I would have been great together," Brice said. "We had potential, too. It could have been explored more if you weren't in the picture. We never got a chance because of you. Then again, you are the reason we started talking in the first place. I wouldn't have gotten the chance to know her if you didn't introduce us." He looked forward. "I guess Estella and I were doomed from the beginning."

        "I'm sorry," I said. "I'm so sorry, Brice."

        He sent me a sad smile. "I really didn't mean to trip you. I'm not petty like that."

        I cracked a smile, too. "Sorry for assuming you did. You can't blame me though. Things have been tense with us. Our group is fucked up, and me and you's relationship is worse. I just want to go back to the way things were before."

        "So, you actually care about our friendship?"

        "I always have," I said. "I may not have acted like it in the past, but I do care. You guys are my boys, and I want to be better to you. I appreciate our friendship."

        I did. I didn't hate people after all, certainly not the boys. They deserved more than what I was giving them, especially when it came to letting them in. I could open up to Estella, so how much more them?

        "I guess that's nice to know," he said. "Lately, I've been doubting that you care at all. That's probably what hurts most. It seeming as if you don't give a damn."

        "I do." I moved closer. "I didn't mean to come across as cold. I was trying to process everything, and I went about it the wrong way."

        Brice bobbed his head. "Good. Honestly, I just want to get back to practice."

        "I want to make sure we're okay first," I said. "Are we good?"

        He glanced my way. "We'll see."

        I wanted a more definite answer, but it was better than nothing. Brice and I stood outside for a couple more minutes until Oliver was sent to get us. We went back in, and practice continued as normal with no incidence.

        After school, I went to Estella's house since her father was working, and we watched a movie in her room and made out between breaks. Even with everything happening with Brice, every time I was with Estella, it made it a little easier to face Brice's wrath. I spent a good two hours with her before heading home. As soon as I arrived at the house, it was oddly quiet. My father should have been home by now.

        Then I got a call from my mother. "Hola," I answered.

        "Iago." My mother's voice came out desperate. "Your father is in jail."

        "What?" I sat up straight on my bed.

        "He confessed to some murder he committed ten years ago." No. "Ay Dios mio. I can't believe he killed someone. How did I not know this?"

        "When did this happen?" I got up, frantically gathering my things. "I need to go see him."

        "He turned himself in an hour ago," she said. "According to him, he couldn't take it anymore. I'm still in disbelief."

        "I need to go."

        "No," she said, making me halt. "We'll go see him together, tomorrow. I need some time to process this. It makes sense now. That burden. It has destroyed our family, and that poor woman. How could Jorge do this?"

        I was pissed at my father—for many things. For killing Estella's mom. For ruining our family. For all the years of alcoholism and verbal abuse. He needed redemption, but he was my father. I didn't want him in jail, even if that was where he belonged.

        "I called your brothers," my mother said. "They're on their way to Creek Rowe."

        "Papa," I muttered. "He finally did it. I never thought he would."

        A part of me admired him for finding the courage, but I still didn't know how to wrap my head around this revelation.

        "Is there something you want to tell me?" my mother asked.

        "I knew." She didn't say anything. "Papa told me about the hit and run, and I kept it from you. I hid it from a lot of people."

        "That shouldn't have been your burden to carry."

        "He's Papa," I told her. "No matter how messed up we are, we're still family."

        She was still my mother. Santiago and Diego were still my brothers. My father was still my dad. Circumstances couldn't change any of that.

        "I can't believe he didn't tell me," she said. "How could he go on for all these years knowing what he did?"

        I didn't know either. I didn't commit a crime but keeping it in ate at me. I couldn't imagine what my father endured for those ten years.

        Then the doorbell rang. "I have to go, Ma," I said. "I'll talk to you later."

        "I'll see you tomorrow."

        We hung up, and I stood still for a couple seconds, trying to understand all of this. My father confessed. After years, it finally came out.

        The bell ringing again brought me back to the present, and I walked downstairs to answer it. To my shock, Brice stood in my doorway.

        "Hey," he greeted, and I stepped aside to let him in. After closing the door, we faced each other. "I've been thinking about our talk. I left things pretty open ended." As he spoke my eyelids got heavier as the weight of what my father did began to hit me. "You asked if we're good, and I didn't give an answer. I'm kind of tired of this beef, too." I wiped my mouth, willing the urge to cry to go away. "I want us to be good, despite all that happened." Then he frowned as he watched me. "Are you okay?"

        I covered my face with a deep inhale, trying to get it together. I released my breath as my hands came down. "This is not really a good time. I'm going through something right now."

        "Like what?"

        The old me would have shut off, eluding his question, but I had to let the boys in.

        "My father killed someone ten years ago." His eyes bugged out. "It was Estella's mom." His eyes got even wider. "He finally turned himself in today."

        Brice was silent for a second, probably processing what I said. "Damn," he finally let out. "That's rough. Even that's an understatement."

        "It's so weird being with the daughter of the woman my father killed," I said. "It's so weird being with the girl my best friend dated, but here I am."

        Estella and I shouldn't have been together. Too many things stood in the way of that, but here we were. We still found our way to each other, and we stuck together.

        "You really like her, don't you?" he asked.

        I nodded. "I wouldn't be with her if I didn't." I moved to sit on the couch, and he sat beside me. "You don't have to be here. It's kind of an awkward and sad situation. Even I don't know how to feel."

        I should have felt stronger emotions. At the moment, I just felt numb. I wasn't looking forward to the moment it would hit me. The moment I may have to face the fact that my father could be going to prison for some time. He wasn't a perfect man, and our relationship was strained, but I still wanted him around.

        "I'm not going anywhere," Brice said. "You need someone, and I'm here." He smiled at me. "Like I always say. We don't stay mad at each other for long. Especially not over a girl, even if that girl is Estella."

        I returned his smile. "How are you going to deal with seeing us together?"

        He shrugged. "I'll deal." He leaned back in the seat. "Like she said, I'll find an amazing girl, too. I can have something real, like what you two have."

        "Yes, you can," I agreed. "You deserve to be happy."

        "You do, too," he said. "If Estella makes you happier, I can't get in the way of that." He chuckled. "All along, I thought you were the one getting in the way of me and Estella, but I may have been the one getting in the way of the two of you."

        "You didn't get in the way," I said. "You were just in the middle of it."

        I guessed Brice was right all along. As long as I was in the equation, he and Estella were doomed from the beginning. We were bound to get together. The two of us just didn't realize it at first.

        "I'm tired of being in the middle of it," he said. "I'm done with this drama, so what do you say? Ready to move on?"

        I grinned. "So ready."

        He put his fist out, and I pounded it, ecstatic to have my friend back.

        "What do you need right now, Velasco?" he asked. "This is a tough time for you."

        The answer was obvious. "I just need a friend," I answered.

        "Okay."

        Brice stayed with me. We continued talking, and we even went outside to play ball to get my mind off things. A part of me wanted to crawl into bed and cry but having Brice around made it better.

        By the time he left, I laid in my bed, the emotions starting to hit me. Then I received a call from Estella, to my relief.

        "Hello," I answered, hearing the strain in my own voice.

        "Jax," she said. "I heard. The police contacted my father. They found the man who killed my mother. Your father finally confessed."

        "Yeah," I said. "He finds new ways to shake up our family."

        The line went silent for a couple seconds. "I'm sorry."

        "Don't be." I sat up, leaning against the headboard. "You have nothing to apologize for. My father and our family need to apologize to you. I haven't said this enough yet, but I'm so sorry, Estella. I'm sorry that what my father did will always taint us."

        It would always follow us. It would always be a sour reminder.

        "No," she said. "It doesn't. Our relationship isn't always smooth sailing, and we aren't perfect, but it doesn't taint us. It's a part of our history, but it doesn't define us. What your father did and what happened to my mother isn't us. We're separate from them. We can endure anything together, Jax. We just have to trust each other and stick together."

        "You mean it?"

        "Yes," she answered. "Every word. Him confessing is a good thing. We can finally move past it."

        "Brice and I made up."

        "That's great," she said. "We can get past that, too. We'll be okay, Jax. We have each other."

        She was right. This was a dark time for both our families, but our parents didn't taint us. Our relationship wasn't perfect, but it didn't have to be. Our feelings for each other was enough.

        We were enough.

        Estella and I continued talking, and we stayed on the phone until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. I dreaded tomorrow, knowing I had to face my father. At the same time, I had my family, friends and Estella to support me.

        I could face this the way my father faced the mistake he made ten years ago.