The morning light shined on their faces, waking her up. She felt a heavy arm wrapped around her waist and someone breathing down her neck. She slowly turns around to see Nathan sleeping peacefully beside her on this cramped couch. She watches him for a few minutes, savoring these last moments of peace before having to her up and face the real world.

Why did she fall for him so fast? He's annoying. And...and stupid. Not to mention reckless and privileged. He would never understand her. Understand her life.

"Stop staring. It's getting weird," he mumbled, making her giggle.

But he liked her. And she could tell he was trying. Guess that's all she could ask for from a rich kid from the other side of town.

"We gotta go," Jessica murmurs softly. "You got a green light on you."

"I️ have a what?" He mutters as he shifts and snuggles up to her, eyes still closed.

Jessica pushes his arms aside and sits up, making him wake up. "It's early, like 6, maybe even 7 AM. You have time to get out of here before anyone catches you," she quickly says as she stands up and fixes her outfit. Although nothing happened, she didn't want to look like something did.

Aye, que verguenza.

Nathan looked disappointed, but nodded his head. "Y-Yeah. I️ guess you're right," he agrees, getting up, grabbing his jacket. "Jess?" He called out, making her look up at him.

"Yeah Nate?" She looked over at him expectantly.

Nate stood there, at a loss for words. There were so many things he wanted to say or do or maybe even both. But instead, he says, "Come with me."

Jessica looked like as if she couldn't believe what she just heard. "What?" She sounded confused. She was.

Nate lets out a loud sigh. "I'm so selfish. I️ really wish I️ could leave you alone and pretend that I️ never met you but I️ just can't," he took her hands in his. "So come with me," he pleaded.

Jessica looked up at him, conflicted. "Where would we even go?" She asked him, shaking her head and looking out into the horizon. "Plus, I️ can't just leave," she tells him. "I️ have my mom to think about."

Nate ran a hand through his hair, thinking deeply. It was a long shot but...

Two hours, three busses and a taxi later and they were standing in front of a breathtakingly beautiful large white house that made Jessica's jaw drop.

"You live...here?" She asked in disbelief as she ogled the manicured lawn, three door garage and everything else. "Woah..."

"Yeah, don't be too impressed," he grumbled as took her hand and led her to the front door. He stubbornly knocked on the door and waited for them to answer. Unsurprisingly, Jimena answered the door. "Nathaniel!" She greeted with a hug.

Nate hugged her back, relieved to see her. When she pulled away, she eyes Jessica standing next to him. "And who's this?" She asked warmly.

Nate smiled and pulled Jess forward. Nate was actually proud to present Jessica to Jimena. She was like the mother figure his real mom should've been. Instead, his birth giver just shoved him in the arms of a twenty year old Salvadoran girl that became his caretaker. Jimena was always there for Nate, from when he first took his steps, to his first day of school to his first date and even came to his high school graduation along with his sister. She's probably the reason why Nate didn't turn out any worse.

"Jimena, this is Jessica," Nate introduced her. "Jessica, this is Jimena. She's like a mother to me," he smiles.

"Mucho gusto," Jessica reaches out shakes her hand, much to her surprise.

"Hablas Espanol?" She sounded surprised.

"No tanto como debería, pero sé suficiente," Jess said fluently. "Mi papá es Boricuq y también mi tío, mi tía y mis primos," she explains happily.

"I like her," Jimena tells Nate with a smile. "But why are you here-"

"Jimena! Who are you talking to at the door?! You're letting all the cool air out-" his father stepped out from the side, walking over to the door. His eyes widen I'm surprised to see Nate standing there. "Oh. Nathan." He sounded pleasantly surprised and amused. "It's good to see you. What a wonderful surprise for you to drop by," he walks over to them both. He eyes Jessica up and down, but he hides his contempt well. "Who...who's this?" He asked.

"I'm Jessica," she holds her hand out for him to take, only to be met with an icy glare, making her awkwardly pull her hand back. "You have a lovely home Mr. Carter," she compliments with a smile. "It's beautiful."

"Uh-huh..." He sounds uncertain. "Jimena, would you take Jerrica here-"

"Jessica," Nate corrected.

"Yeah, take her to the kitchen and get her something to drink while me and my son catch up?" He orders her. His message was clear though. Get her out of here.

Jimena hurries over and escorts Jessica to the kitchen. Once out of sight, Nate's dad heads over to their second living room, closing the doors behind them. "Is this some sort of joke?" He asks, taking Nate aback.

"Gee, nice seeing you too dad," he bites back.

His father ignores his sarcasm. "Honestly Nate, haven't you embarrassed me enough? First you refuse to take over the family business. And now you're dating a-a black girl?" He scoffs. "When will this childish tantrum of yours end?"

Nate's naw dropped, not believing what he was hearing. "Tantrum? You think I️'m throwing a tantrum?!" His voice raises.

"Tell me son, why are you with her then? Did you tell her about the investment company? Your trust fund?" His father interrogates, placing his hands on the desk.

"She doesn't care about any of that-"

"Did. You. Tell. Her?" His dad grinds out slowly.

Nate was quiet for a moment. "I...told her about the company," he slowly admits. "But-"

"I️ don't want to hear anymore," his dad stands up. "Until you've found some common sense, get out," his dad pointed out the door. "I️ don't want to see that girl ever again either."

Nate started to panic. "No! No dad please, you don't understand," he pleads. "Look, I️ got myself into some trouble, and me and Jessica need a place to stay," he tells him. "I'm in really hot water pops, please," he begs. Nathan really didn't want to stoop as low as to beg his father to take him in, but for Jessica, he'd do anything to ensure her safety.

His dad looks over at him. For a second he saw a flash of sympathy in his eyes. "What kind of trouble?" He curiously asked. "Does it involve that girl?" Nate didn't respond, which confirmed everything for his dad. "Nate!"

"I️ offended some neighborhood criminal and now he wants to murder me."

His father's eyes widen in shock. "You let that girl be the cause of your death?" He hissed. "Are you stupid?!"

"That girl is the love of my life-"

"Nate! You're 23! You don't know anything about love!" His dad yells at him. "You're at an age where any pretty girl is the love of your life! Although I️ wouldn't say she's-"

Nate rushes forward and shoves him back. "Watch it Dad!" He threatens. "And it's not like you know anything about love either! You and mom haven't talked in years, and you barely look at each other. And you don't think I️ know about the girl you're messing with is the same age as me?" He says, making his dad's face turn red.

He soon found his dad glaring down at him again. "This isn't my problem," he replies, eerily calm. "You got yourself into this mess, and now you're old enough to get yourself out of it," he seethed. "Consider yourself cut off. You won't be getting another dime from me anymore. And if you continue to act up like this, you won't be getting your trust fund either," he says coldly.

Nate backed away from him as if he was punched in the gut. Too upset to say anything else, he walked out the room, heading into the kitchen to get Jessica. She was conversing and laughing happily with Jimena when she caught him from the corner of her eye. "Hey-" she stopped when she saw the look on his face. He looked completely devastated and that worried her. "Nate, are you okay?" She asked, getting up go near him.

"We're leaving, let's go," he basically ordered, all emotion drained from his voice. It really worried her. "Good-bye Jimena," he sounded somber.

"Adios..." she waved sadly as they left.

Nate speed walked down the street, leaving Jessica to basically run to catch up with him and his long legs. "Wait up! Nate!" She called out after him. They finally reached a payphone where they could call for a cab to take them back. Nate basically shut himself in the box while he called for a cab. Jessica persistently banged on the glass. "Nate, talk to me!" She pleaded. "Please!"

Nate finally ended the call and throw the door open, making her jump back a bit. "I️ hate him. I️ swear to God I️ hate him!" He raged, taking his anger out on the telephone booth.

"Okay! Okay...calm down," she reaches to touch him but he just jerks back instead.

"He refused to help us, Jess! And then he cut me off and threatened to take my trust fund away!" He complained, feeling hopelessly betrayed. He knew his dad was a cold and calculating man but never did he think he was...heartless.

Jessica watched him break down. "I'm gonna be honest with you. I️ don't know what any of that means," she says sheepishly.

"Basically, he's not giving me anymore money from now on. We may not have been on speaking terms but he was still funding my life," he tells her. "And as for my trust fund...well it's just more money I️ was supposed to come in to when I️ turned twenty-five, or got married. Which ever came first," he explained.
"But now I️ don't have either to help us out."

Jessica cocked her head to the side in wonder. "But you have some money saved up, right?" She asked. Hopefully he was smarter than he led on.

"Of course I️ do. But it'll only last me a good couple of months," he says, sitting down on feeling hopeless among other things. Jessica sunk down right next to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But it's not about the money Jess. It's about the fact that he only gave birth to me so I️ can take over his bullshit company, and then gets mad cause I️ realized that I️ don't have to be his little puppet. Graduate, take over the business, get married to some girl they pick out for me that I️ don't care about, have a couple of kids and repeat," he scoffs. "Does that sound like something anybody would want?" He asked her.

Jessica looked away, the truth of his words hitter her deeper than a knife. Most people expected her and Rico to get together, just for the sake of money and protection. To cook and clean and have his children. But she knew she wanted more than that. "You're right," she wraps her arm around his shoulders, pressing a kiss against his temple, calming him down. "So what do you want?" She asked while they waited for the cab.

"Besides you?" He jokes, making her giggle. "I️ love music," he looks up at her through his lashes. "If I️ could own my own record store or maybe even be in the music business myself, that'd be amazing," he sighed as he leaned against her. "What about you?"

"I️ haven't thought about it much," she said truthfully, resting her cheek against his head. "Is that bad?" She wondered.

"No way. And that's something I️ wished I️ learned when I️ was younger," he shook his head.

"What is?" She asked him.

"That you don't have to have it all figured out right now."

The cab pulled up in front of them and they hopped in. First dropping Nate off at a hotel downtown. They kissed each other goodbye, which earned a shocked looked from the cab driver but he didn't say anything, instead drove Jessica back home in silence.

Once Jess was back in her apartment building, she trudged up the stairs and to her apartment, ready to take a shower. She knocked on the door once before her mother threw open the door and tackled her in a hug. "Child, where have you been?! I've been worried sick!" She cried and scolded at the same time.

"I'm sorry mom," she detached herself from her mom to explain. "Last night got crazy. I️ spent the night at Nate's family home. It was the only place that still had electricity," she lied. She didn't want her mom to know she spent the night making out with him on a rooftop, she'd think the absolute worst.

"Oh Nathan is so wonderful, taking care of you," her mom praised. Turns out, despite the awkward first meeting, she was Nate's biggest fan. "Did you meet his parents?" She asked, all traces of anger and worry melting from her face as she talked about her man.

Jessica thought back to Nate's father's distasteful look at her. "Nope. They were out of town on business unfortunately," she walked around her mom. "I'm gonna go take a shower," she tells her as she headed towards the bathroom, relieved that her crazy day was over.
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I changed the names, oops, i hope y'all don't mind.

Smeone doesn't like her :/ what did y'all think of this chapter? The 70's believe it or not is almost over in three chapters. And now we get into what's probably gonna be my favorite era, the 80's!

Thank y'all for reading!! 💕