Page 24 of Lost Prince
I start to rise to give him privacy, but he wraps his arm around me and tugs me next to him.
“Hello,” he barks into the phone. He winces and jerks the phone away from his ear as Elio’s voice bellows on the other end.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“None of your fucking business,” Lazaro growls back.
My heart sinks, guilt washing over me as I realize the stress we've caused his family.
I catch fragments of Elio's words, something about Lana being beside herself with worry and how irresponsible Lazaro is being.
Lazaro's eyes meet mine, and I see a mix of frustration and regret in them. I want to comfort him, but I stay still, not wanting to make any noise that Elio might hear.
"I'm sorry, alright?" Lazaro says, his voice gruff but sincere. "I needed to take a walk and ended up at a friend’s place.”
I’m a friend. Friend with benefits?
“What friend? Since when do you have friends you hang out with?”
Pain slices across Lazaro’s face. “Fuck you, Elio.”
For a moment I don’t hear anything and then Elio says, “Sorry. I’m just sick of Lana’s bitching at me when she’s pissed at you. Get the hell home so she can see you’re okay.”
Lazaro sucks in a breath. “I'll be back soon." He listens for a moment longer, then ends the call with a terse goodbye. Sighing heavily, he runs a hand through his hair, messing it up even more than our night together already had.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, feeling responsible for the trouble I've caused.
“Why? It’s not your fault. I'm the one who showed up at your door in the middle of the night." He shakes his head. “I hadn’t intended to stay the night.”
I nod, not sure how to respond.
"I should go," he says reluctantly, his hand gently cupping my cheek. "Before Elio sends out a search party. Or worse, Lana."
I check the clock on my small bedside table noting that it’s nearly eight. I need to get up and go if I’m going to make it to work on time. “I need to clean up and get ready to get to work.”
He nods and turns his attention back to his phone. I notice he’s pulling up a rideshare app.
“How did you get here?” I ask.
“When I left last night, I’d only intended to go for a walk. I was a mile or so up the road when I realized I wanted to see you, so I used this app.”
He seems unfamiliar with using a phone, as if it’s a new thing to him.
“You didn’t have the phone yesterday?” Why didn’t Elio or Lana call when Lazaro was MIA the day before?
“Nah. But I promised Lana I’d keep it with me. She has it all souped up with stuff.” His brow furrows as he studies the app.
“Did you not have a phone before?”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t see the point. My life was the garage and home, sometimes the bar.” There’s a tone in his voice that suggests he misses the simplicity of his old life.
“I can give you a ride home since I’ll be heading there for work.”
Amusement dances in his eyes. “You think Lulu will make it?”
I smirk. “It’s Lola, and yes, she’ll make it. She’s like me. Scrappy and determined.” A thought occurs to me. “Unless you don’t want to be seen with me.”
His brow furrows at me. “Why would you think that?”