Must Wait (16 page)

I am on my return flight home from Corpus Christie.
That was the second worse experience of my life. Katie’s
family is crazy. I was so excited to see Katie, but it was
cut short by her psychotic grandmother. The woman is so
mentally unstable and jealous of Olivia. She went as far as
shooting Ryan in the back with a gun. She could have
killed her own son. I do not understand crazy Americans.
I love Katie, but I do not want to move there. I do not
want Ramón exposed to this unstable family. I have to
figure out how to give her up. Katie is tainted. Olivia’s
naughty behavior that Ryan fuels was no way for Katie to
grow up. I do not understand why Rosalie loves them so
much. I am going to have to speak with Rosalie when she
gets back to Costa Rica. I need her advice on how to
break it off with Katie.

A few days later, Paolo storms into my kitchen. He
points at me, shaking his head. “Ryan sent Katie back
here with Rosalie. He wants you to watch her and to
protect her until he comes back home.” He paces back
and forth. “What are you going to do? You can’t break it
off with her now.”

“I have to break this off. That family is bad news.
Not good for our family.”
He grabs my arm. “That is the same thing the Ticos
said to Grandpa when he got involved with a Scottish
nurse. The same as when Dad loved the Dutch school
teacher. Me with the German Kimma. Pedro, Katie is
your destiny. Just follow your heart.” He runs to the
window sliding back the curtain. “She just pulled up in
her father’s Range Rover. Pedro, she loves you. You
know that. Do not be like Lasaro, love her right, Pedro.”
I glance over at him. “She is toxic, Paolo.” My front
door moves open and Katie stands before me. I melt at
the sight of her as she walks into my house, smiling at me.
Paolo nods at me. “I will get Ramón from school.
You need to be alone with your fiancée.”
I glare at him as he leaves me alone with Katie.
I glance over at her. “How is your father, Katie?
“Much better. They kicked him out of the hospital
for making my mother scream as he fucked her in the
bathroom.”
I blush at Katie’s candidness. “Good then, how
about your grandma?”
She shakes her head. “Still out on the loose. That is
why Daddy sent me here. He wants you to protect me,
Pedro. Grandma can’t come after me here with you. She
does not have a passport to leave the country. Daddy
knows that, that you will protect me at any cost.”
“No, Katie, not at any cost. My son comes first.
Please leave me. I need to think, sweetie.”
She steps towards me. “Did you hear me? My father,
who was shot by his mother, he wants me here with you.”
“No, Katie. I do not give a shit what your crazy
father wants for you. Ramón comes first. Right now, I do
not want my son exposed to your family.”
Tears well in her eyes. “I would expect nothing less
from you. Protecting your child first! That is what I love
you about you, Pedro. Your nurturing care. Much like
Rosalie.”
I bit my lip. “Please go back to Rosalie. I can’t help
you anymore.”
She nods and leaves out the door.

I stare at the clock knowing Ramón is not coming
home to me tonight. I do want Katie by my side tonight.
I do love her and need her. Paolo may be right, she could
be my destiny. I decide that I will go down to the Cantina
and see her. To see if she is worthy of me.

I drive down to the Cantina. Katie is not there as I
push through the kitchen doors.
Rosalie looks up at me smiling. “You Araya men love
the challenge of foreign women, I assume you are looking
for Katie.”
I nod as Rosalie laughs. “Just like your father, so
honorable, Pedro. She has been drinking a lot lately. She
has too much to deal with her family issues. She almost
got herself into some trouble in New Orleans at the tour
bus with a man. Go to her, Pedro. She is walking the
beach. Pedro, honey, if she is the one in your heart.
Please take her tonight. No more of that must wait until
marriage game. You confuse her. Take her home, boy, do
you understand me?”
I have a hard time making eye contact with Rosalie,
but I nod to her, reassuring her that I will take care of
Katie tonight. I run off towards the beach. She is not
there. I am confused where could Katie be. I go back to
the Cantina in to the kitchen.
“Rosalie, Katie is not down at the beach.”
“She has to be. The day trippers left before I sent her
on her walk to sober up.” Rosalie walks over to the back
door looking out. “Oh no, Pedro. The Range Rover is
gone.” Rosalie shifts her eyes. “My God, Pedro. I think
she might have left with Parker. She was talking all smutty
to him as they were drinking.”
I shake my head as I run out of the Cantina.

I check Parker’s house and they are not there. The
Range Rover is not at Rosalie’s house either. I think hard
as to where they could be. Her mother’s house, but
Parker would not take her there. There is construction
going on at the house, but I will check there. I feel my
rage as I pull up next to the Range Rover. He has taken
her to her mother’s house, why would Parker do this? He
is my best friend, he knows that I love her. I get out of
my truck and walk to the door. I pause before entering. I
let myself into the house, worried about what I may see.
As I walk straight ahead, I see Katie’s naked body
sprawled out on her mother’s bed. I reach out to touch
her face and see that she is sleeping. I leave the room and
see Parker sitting at the kitchen table. He is not wearing
his shirt and his hair is tousled. I step closer to him
feeling my heart drop as anger fills me. His stare is
transfixed on the bottle he is drinking out of.

He looks up at me. “I couldn’t do it, Pedro. As much
as she was begging me, I couldn’t do it. She is damn
close, but she is not Olivia.” He sighs. “She was so damn
drunk. Screaming at me, begging me to end her virginity.
Pedro, it was hard. So very hard for me to say no. I let her
strip down and told her to wait for me in there. She
finally passed out.” He stands up and pulls his shirt on. I
watch him leave out the door.

I walk back into the bedroom. I sit on the edge of
the bed staring down at her. I brush her hair away from
her face. She looks like an angel to me, so beautiful yet so
naughty. I dress her into her clothes then carry her out to
my truck. I drive back to the Cantina to where Rosalie is
standing at the stairs. I pick up Katie as Rosalie points to
her jeep. I place her in the front seat and peck a kiss to
her forehead leaving her there. I walk to the stairs of the
Cantina. I face Rosalie who is searching my eyes for
answers. She can see my pain.

I glance away from her stare. “In her mother’s bed
naked.”
Rosalie shifts her weight. “And Parker?”
“He was there as well. He didn’t succumb to her
attempts of seducing him.”
Rosalie sighs in relief. “Good, Ryan would have
killed him. He wanted Katie in your care.”
“No, Rosalie. Katie will never be in my care. She is
not for me. She is too much to handle. I have to protect
myself and keep my focus on Ramón.”
“I understand, Pedro. I really do. I got her from
here.”
I turn away going back to my truck. As I start the
ignition, I can see Katie stir in the front seat of Rosalie’s
jeep. I know that tomorrow, I will come back down here
and talk to her. Explain why I have to give her up for
good.

The next afternoon, Rosalie tells me that Katie is on
the beach. I walk down and see her sitting on a blanket.
She is watching some of the schoolchildren frolic in the
water. She is wearing dark sunglasses and listening to
music with her ear buds from her iPhone. I touch her
shoulder startling her as I sit down beside her. She turns
off whatever it was she was listening to. We sit there for a
few minutes in silence then Ramón comes crashing into
me, running from the school. He wrestles with me and I
hug him and kiss the top of his head. Katie just watches
us expressionless behind those dark sunglasses.

Ramón stands up and looks at me. “Daddy, Daddy,
can I go in the water?”
I smile up at him. “Sure, here let me help you with
your shirt.”
He pushes away from me as his eyes shift to Katie.
“No, I got it. I am a big boy now. Remember, Daddy?”
I laugh at him. “Yes, Ramón, I remember.” He runs
off splashing in the water with his friends.
Katie turns her head back looking out at the water as
she speaks softly, “I just keep on fucking up.”
I glare over at her. “Katie, please, your language.
There are children here.”
“You are right, Pedro. I am sorry.”
“Katie, we need to talk.”
She puts up her hand to silence me. “I know, Pedro.
Rosalie and I discussed it this morning. My behavior is
inexcusable. We can be friends though, right?”
“I am not sure, Katie. Friends do not hurt each other
like you have to me.”
She tenses up. “I know, I screwed up royally. Parker
is disgusted with me.”
“Yea Katie, I am too. I thought you were smarter
than that, but hearing that you did this twice in one week
makes my head spin. You are self-destructive, Katie.”
“I am going through a lot right now. I am scared,
you know.”
I reach out to rub her back. “I know Katie. It is
insane what you are going through. I am here for you as
you friend now. Nothing more though.”
“Thank you, Pedro. I have another favor to ask of
you.”
I shake my head. “Come on, Katie. No.”
She shifts. “Not that. Can you not tell anyone that
we are no longer together? My family has too much going
on right now to worry about me. If my dad thinks I am
safe here with you then they can focus on finding my
grandmother and band.”
“Sure, I can do that for you. But please tell them
when they return home.”
“I will Pedro, I will.”

A few days later Katie leaves when she learns that her
cousin Nick had shot and killed his grandmother. I was
free of Katie once and for all. Rosalie told me that Ryan
had a mental shut down after seeing his mother gunned
down. Nick and Olivia are in jail pending charges. I am in
shock, but they do not deserved to be punished for what
they have done. They were protecting themselves. Rosalie
is very worried for them. I decide to call Katie to make
sure she is alright. Rosalie gives me my phone back that
Katie provided to me months ago. I drive up the hillside
to the location that I went with Katie for a phone signal. I
place the call and wait for her to answer. After the fifth
ring she answers.

“Hi, Katie.”
She sighs into the phone. “Hi, Pedro.”
“I wanted to call you. I wanted to see how you are

She is quiet for a few seconds. “Pedro, can you give
me five minutes? I will walk back to my apartment. I will
FaceTime you from my laptop. I do not want to talk
here.”

“Sure, Katie. I will wait for you. Talk to you in a few
minutes.”
As I wait, I look at the photos on the phone. I
remember back to when she showed me how to use the
camera. All the things we did using this phone. I look at
her face caked with dirt in the one photo that I snapped.
She looked happy that day when we worked out in the
fields with Nick. They were so silly and she was a mess
with dirt. I feel my heart get heavy again as I look at her. I
have to stop doing this to myself. Thinking about her in
any other way but a friend that I truly do care about. I do
care, but she almost damaged my relationship with
Parker. It was awkward at first for him and me, but we
plowed through it. I forgave him for what almost
happened between him and my girl. Wait, she is not my
girl. I have to remember that. I should leave and not wait
for her call. Then my FaceTime alert goes off. I answer
the call and see Katie’s beautiful face fill my screen.
“Hi, Katie.”
“Hey, Pedro.”
I stare at the screen. “Are you back at school?”
“Yeah. The media is hounding me too about my
parents and grandmother. It is really rough.”
“I am sorry, Katie. Rosalie told me what happen with
Olivia and Nick. Your dad too.”
“Yeah, Chris took care of Daddy. Daddy made it to
court and gave his account of the incident. They never
went through with the indictment. Mommy and Daddy
are on their way back now. They are in a rough place.”
I raise my eyebrows. “When are they not in a rough
place? Drama all the time for them. I really do not know
how they survive. I think you were right that they are
better off apart. All the hurting that they cause to each
other.”
“Pedro, they love each other. You know that and you
saw that nothing will keep them a part.”
“Yes, I see that. Your mother really tests his patience
with her music. I see why he gets so upset with her.”
“Pedro, he loves her. He knows that everything she
does is for him. It is for him and only him. They are
going to need some time to heal from this ordeal. I will
tell them soon that we are no longer together.”
“I am fine with that, Katie. Parker is a little nervous
that Rosalie is going to tell Ryan what happened.”
“No, she won’t. She is going to keep our secret. He
does know that you turned me down again.”
I laugh. “He must be so proud of me too.”
She frowns at me. “Mommy is being medicated. She
lost her mind after he was shot. The medication was to
keep her focused to complete the tour. She told Daddy
about her past. She was completely freaked out when
Daddy told her he was sending me off to be with you.”
“I couldn’t imagine what was going through her head
when I saw her break down when we told her what
happened. She is better now, right?”
“No, it gets worse. That information about her past
about Chris’s brother, Tyler, was haunting her. Tyler had
cancer. She convinced Daddy to let her and Chris
confront him and say goodbye before he passed away.”
“That must have went over well with jealous Ryan.”
“He supported her decision to go. So there was
another shooting, Pedro.”
My jaw drops. “What, Katie?”
She shakes her head. “Tyler committed suicide with
Mommy in the room. Then after that was Grandma. She
is holding it together for Daddy. They need to mend. I
could see that they are worn out and helpless. I know
Mommy can’t wait to get back to her routine teaching and
put all this behind her.”
“Katie, your family is really screwed up. No wonder
why you are the way that you are.”
She nods. “Funny that you say that, Pedro. Those are
almost the same sentences that Daddy said to Mommy
when I was with them in New Orleans. He changed,
Pedro. He stopped touching her and they were fighting
again in Georgia about Mommy’s past. Rosalie claims that
they have a long road to recovery.”
I see Noelia come into the room. Katie looks over at
her and speaks to her “Yea, it is Pedro. I am filling him in
on what happened. Sorry about the reporters outside.”
She turns her head back to me.
I smile and try to make her laugh. “It is hard being
the child of the famous couple, huh, Katie?”
“Yes, very hard, Pedro. Too much all at one time. I
am just going to wrap myself up in school and make
Daddy and Mommy happy.”
“You will make me happy too when you finish law
school.”
“What did you mean by that, Pedro?”
“I want my friend to accomplish her goals, then to
make her dreams come true to be a successful lawyer like
her parents were at one time.”
“Oh, that is what you meant. I get it now. My
parents should have landed already back in Costa Rica.
Just stay away from then for a while until I can talk to
them.”
“I will do that for you Katie. They have been
through too much these last few weeks. Well, I am going
to go now. I just wanted to check on you. I will give your
phone back to Rosalie.”
Katie moves closer to the screen. “No, please hold
on to it Pedro. Check in with me and keep me posted on
what is going on down there.”
“Will do, Katie. Bye-bye. She waves and cuts the call
off.