I was taking Estella to my house today.

I couldn't stop thinking about how Ximena indirectly told her where I lived. I bet she thought about it, too, or maybe I was being paranoid. Either way, Estella had been occupying too much space in my mind lately. I needed to know whether she would be okay with where I lived or whether she would judge me.

Maybe her judging me would be a good thing. I'd see her for who she truly was, and I would have no choice but to stop talking to her. I would have to end my friendship with her, and then I won't have to think about her anymore.

This was perfect.

"I'm really glad you called me, so we can hang out, Jax," Estella said with a hand rested on the window. "I haven't seen or heard from you in a while. Did you get to spend time with Ximena?"

She watched me for a response. "I guess." I shrugged. "We saw each other three days out of the whole break, and one of those days was the day all of us hung out."

"Oh..." Estella sent me a pout. "I'm sorry."

Why was she sorry? "Don't," I said. "We don't have to see each other all the time, you know."

"But she's your girlfriend."

"So?" I pulled into my driveway, and Estella began to look around.

"Most people are more affectionate," she said as we got out of the car, and I walked around it to stand beside her.

"Not me." I led her to the front door, and I opened it to let us in. Estella bent down to remove her shoes, but I helped her back up. "Don't bother. My family doesn't do that shit."

"Oh..." She followed me into the living room, and I turned to face her, waiting for it. "What?"

"Are you not going to say anything?"

Estella tilted her head to the side. "Am I supposed to say something?"

"I live in South Creek."

"I know," she said. "I can see."

"Do you see me differently now?"

She placed a finger on her chin, thinking, before answering. "Yes." What? "I see you differently, not because of where you live, but because you were comfortable enough with me to bring me to your house. It shows a level of vulnerability and trust, and I really appreciate that. So yes, Jax. I see you differently—in the best way possible."

She smiled, and all I could do was watch her.

That wasn't what she was supposed to say.

Estella moved closer to me. "Where you live doesn't define who you are. It doesn't define anyone."

We held eye contact. She was supposed to judge me. Then I would have no choice but to let her loose. I would have no choice but to stop thinking about her. She wasn't supposed to say this and make me think about her more.

"Are your parents home?" she asked, and I snapped out of it.

"They're working."

"Daddy is a real estate agent," she said, and I got the hint.

She already knew where I lived. What else could I lose? "My mom is a seamstress, and she works at the local tailor shop. My dad works at the steel factory." She nodded. "I'm not Brice with the big house and the father with the fancy job."

"I don't want you to be Brice," she said.

"You like Brice."

"I like you," she said, and we went silent. I bit my lip as she looked around. "And you like me, as a friend. We like each other."

I didn't know. Recently, I wasn't a big fan of the way I was feeling.

"You know what I mean."

"I don't know," she said. "I'm with you right now, not Brice. I don't wanna talk about Brice. He's avoiding me."

"Did something happen?" I asked as I started heading for the kitchen, and she followed.

"I honestly don't know," she said. "I went to his house unannounced, and he kicked me out. He's been avoiding me since."

When it came to where he lived, Brice was weird like that. I didn't get it. He lived in a really nice part of Creek Rowe. What was there to be secretive about? He was an idiot. Then again, I was kind of avoiding Estella, too, but for very different reasons.

"Don't worry about him." We stopped at the kitchen, and she looked around while I went to the counter that had most of the materials laid out. I went to the fridge to retrieve the rest. "Focus on this moment because we're about to make some Spanish food."

Estella's face brightened. "Really?"

I nodded as I took out the last ingredient, and I turned to her. "You gave me hell for it, but you finally get to cook in my kitchen, even though I'll be the one doing most of the work."

My mother never cooked anymore, and my father rarely cooked, so that left me to do the honors. It was finally paying off.

"Jax, this is exciting." She pulled me into a hug, and I instantly wrapped my arms around her. I wasn't a hugs guy, but I appreciated her hugs.

"Lunch is the biggest meal of the day in Spain," I told her, "and it's called la comida."

"La comida," she repeated after me, and I smiled.

"Yes," I said. "We'll be cooking estofado de pollo with green salad and flan. Estofado de pollo is pretty much chicken stew."

"Estofado de pollo," she said, and I was impressed by her pronunciation.

I gave her a thumbs up. "Nice. Now, let's wash our hands. After the food is ready, we're watching Fight Club while we eat."

She squealed. "This is amazing."

"Actually..." I paused for a second. "I take that back. Let's eat first and then watch Fight Club."

"Why?"

"It has some scenes," I said. "Scenes you don't want to be eating while watching."

She nodded. "Got it. Eat. Then Fight Club. Let's go."

She beat me to the sink, and we watched our hands. I made the chicken stew while Estella got the salad ready. When she was done with it, she assisted me in making the chicken stew and eventually the flan. We worked well together. She asked a lot of questions about the food and the culture behind it. She also listened and followed my lead while adding her own touch to things.

I was so afraid of Estella finding out where I lived, and here she was cooking in my small kitchen. I couldn't help but steal glimpses at her because I was impressed. I thought today was going to be the end of our friendship, but it only made me want to be around her more.

When the meal was ready, we laid everything out on the table, and we stood back to take in our work.

"Beautiful," Estella said. "Let me take a picture." She took out her phone and snapped away before pocketing it. "This is perfect."

"Let's eat." I rubbed my hands together as we went to the sink to wash our hands once more.

Then we sat at the dining table, facing each other. We took our portions and ate in silence for a good five minutes. It wasn't awkward, though. It was relaxing.

"You know," Estella said while finishing up the bite she was eating, "I read somewhere that face to face is intimidating and side by side is intimate."

I shook my head. The things girls read.

"Are you intimidated now?" I ate some of my chicken with my eyes on her.

She stared right back. "No. That's the funny thing. I don't feel intimidated. With you, I don't need to be side by side. I can feel comfortable either way because you may struggle with intimacy, but this moment feels intimate."

I stopped eating for a second as I took her in. I was glad she didn't judge me because I didn't think I could let her go at this point. The way I was feeling about her was annoying and predictable, but I didn't want to let go of it.

"Let's finish up," she said while taking another bite. "I really wanna watch Fight Club."

I tried not to, but I continued to peer over at her. Maybe this was a mistake. What was I doing? Bringing her here to eat and watch a movie. It seemed like a date, and we weren't dating. She was with Brice, and I was officially with Ximena, although, I could be with other girls. I stuffed my face, trying to focus solely on the taste of the meal and not my racing thoughts.

When we were done, Estella and I went to the downstairs living room, and she got comfortable while I put Fight Club on.

When I sat beside her, she grinned. "The food was delicious. Gracias."

"De nada," I replied. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Okay, let's get this started." I pressed the play button, and the movie started.

I'd watched this movie so many times, but there was always something new to catch, and this time was no different. That was why I loved Fight Club. It was such an intelligent movie. Estella seemed to be mesmerized by it, too, because she kept asking questions and watching the screen as if it was the most fascinating thing. Having her appreciate it was validating, and it felt good.

We made jokes about the different characters and all the shit that happened. We spent a lot of time talking during the movie, but Estella still knew what was going on. I liked discussing movies because it made everything more exciting. I was thrilled she felt the same way.

When the movie ended, I stopped it and retrieved the CD. When I came back, Estella's gaze moved from forward to me. I sat down and she said, "So, this movie is pretty much about two guys who become one."

I chuckled. "I guess that's a simple way of putting it."

She stared past me with a look of horror. "I can never look at soap the same way again."

I busted into laughter. "Yeah, the fat scene was kind of epic and disgusting at the same time."

Estella giggled. "That was an incredible movie."

"Right?" I said. "My favorite."

"Shawshank Redemption is still my favorite movie," she said, "but this is second best for me."

"I'm glad you liked it." I leaned back against the couch to get comfortable, and she continued to watch me. When I couldn't take it anymore, I glanced her way. "What?"

"You don't tease me like you used to."

"Okay..." I sat up straight. "Do you want me to tease you?"

"No," she said. "I just randomly thought of it."

"I can tease you." I leaned towards her side of the couch, getting comfortable again. "You're annoying." A smile tugged on my lips. "You drive me crazy."

She leaned in as well, and our gazes locked. "In a good way or a bad way?"

My smile was gone as I focused on her. "Both."

She swallowed before responding. "Which one is stronger? The annoying Estella? Or the one who drives you crazy in a good way?"

Oh God.

My eyes dropped down to her lips, and I bit mine. I wanted to kiss her. I actually wanted to kiss Estella.

I rested a hand against her neck and jaw, and I pulled her close. "The Estella who drives me crazy in a good way."

I brushed her hair back, and she stared at me with panic in her eyes, but there was also some excitement. That was exactly how I felt.

"Jax." I was already leaning in with my eyes on her, and she shut hers, giving me the go ahead.

I tilted my head, but before I could bring my lips down to hers, the front door slammed shut. "Iago!"

Estella and I jerked away from each other, and I tousled my hair. "Fuck."

We stood up and ran up the stairs to come face to face with my father.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He narrowed his eyes as they moved from me to Estella. "Quién es, Iago?"

"Estella," I answered, "Estella Gillon. Ella es mi amiga."

His eyes widened, and his nostrils flared. Estella shrunk back to stand behind me, and I kept her back.

"Out," he said while pointing a finger at Estella. "Get out of here now."

I glared at him. "Papa."

"Cállate, Iago," he said with a finger silencing me. "Get her out of here now."      

"Let's go." I grabbed her arm and led the way out of the suffocating house.

Estella made sure she had all her things as we entered the car, and I backed out of the cramped driveway and sped down the street to drop Estella off.

"Jax, slow down."

I eased up on the accelerator. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

She stared out the window while I glared ahead. Why did my father have to ruin everything? He ruined things with my friends, making me feel like an outlier among them. Now, he wanted to ruin things with Estella.

My parents were such an embarrassment. They were poor. They were drunks. They were assholes.

My grip tightened around the wheel. "You're never coming to my house again."

Estella's head snapped my way. "Jax."

"It's for your own good," I said. "It was fun while it lasted."

Until he ruined everything.

"I had a blast, if that means anything," Estella said. "You're an amazing host. If your father wouldn't have barged in, it would have been perfect." My frown deepened. "But that's life. Things aren't perfect. I'm learning that life isn't a race, and you have to learn that life isn't perfect—and that includes the people in it."

I hated that our time together was being cut short but having this car ride with her made it a little better.

"Hang in there, Jax." She patted my arm before moving her attention to the window.

We rode the rest of the ride in comfortable silence until we reached her house. We said our goodbyes, and I watched her enter her house. When she was out of view, I was backing out and driving off to my house.

As soon as I stepped foot into the place, my father was sitting on the couch waiting for me. He rose to his feet to stand before me. "You made lunch."

My firm expression remained. "I made enough for you and mom to have some."

He nodded, almost proud, and it pissed me off more. "That's nice. Don't bring that girl in my house again."

"Do you want me to be alone?"

He tilted his head. "Excuse me?"

"You hate my friends, and now, I finally get the guts to bring one home, and you don't want her here."

A scowl took over his face. "Don't bring that girl here. This is my house, and I forbid her from coming here." My jaw tensed. "You have a girlfriend. What are you doing alone with another girl, anyway?"

I scoffed. He was bringing Ximena into this? The same Ximena who was hooking up with other guys?

"You have a beautiful girl on your arm, but no. You're spending your day with some random girl?"

Estella wasn't random. Ximena was the random one. She was the safe one.

"You don't know her," I said, "and you don't know me either."

"You're a fool," my father said. "Don't you see I'm looking out for you? Ximena is like us, in more than one way. That Estella girl isn't. She'll only pull you away from who you truly are and maybe even make you feel like shit for it."

"I don't wanna be like this," I said. "I'm not going to be like this."

This vicious cycle was ending with me and my brothers. I couldn't live the rest of my life this way.

"You're more idiotic than I thought," he said. "Staying away from her is best for you. Staying away from those pijos is best for you. I love you, and I'm looking out for you, mijo. I don't want you to get hurt."

He always did that. Be a complete jackass and then say some sweet words at the end. It usually worked, but not this time.

"I'm going to my room." I turned for the stairs, done with this conversation.

"Iago," he said with a sigh, but I ignored him.

I went to my room, and I locked the door, not wanting to be disturbed today. It was such a great day, but as always.

My father ruined great days.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

* What do you guys think about Estella and Jax's day together? The near kiss? Jax's father barging in? Jax's father's logic?