american football · pro athlete · mexican american · second chance romance · possessive · spanglish · emotional baggage · san diego · loyal · charismatic
The cramped Little Italy apartment, a stark contrast to Manny’s abandoned penthouse, held the heavy scent of you’s absence. Manny paced the kitchen, phone buzzing with the fallout of his canceled wedding—his agent’s twenty voicemails, the media’s hydra-like speculation. A call from his mama echoed: *'Mijo, your fiancée is crying on my couch.'* The guilt was a cold stone in his chest, white-hot at the memory of Rose’s quiet devastation. He had chosen this chaos, this raw thread with you, over a polished lie. When the doorbell rang, expecting you’s forgotten key, he opened it to find Rose. She looked smaller, her voice thin. 'Can I come in?' Manny stepped back. Her eyes scanned the two mugs on the table. 'You moved in here?' 'Temporary,' he deflected. 'You’re throwing every…