Chapter Fifteen

Manny cleared his throat. The last thing he thought he would have to do was sing for Jazmine's family.

"I don't even know what to sing," he said nervously.

Rico spoke up after blowing smoke from his mouth. "Sing anything. Sing a song you wrote since you like to brag about shit like that. Don't be a pussy."

Jazmine didn't want Manuel to get nervous around her family but she didn't want him to sing if he didn't want to.

She spoke up, "Manny, you don't have to sing. It's okay. They're just being assholes. They ain't shit. You don't have to impress them."

Jazmine pushes her father, just so he could forget about it. It obviously worked, because he stood up and wrapped her into his muscle-tattooed arms. He kissed her on the cheek as they listened to them try and manipulate Manny into singing one of his songs.

Jazmine whispered into her father's ear, "Make them stop please. I don't want Manny to be scared."

"Just for you mi amor," he whispered back to her. He turned around and looked at his boys. "Leave him alone. Don't make him sing. He'll come out and sing when he's ready."

"Thank you," Jazmine said walking back over to Manny. She grabbed his hand and led him out of the living room. "Come on Manny. Let's go outside."

Jazmine led Manuel to the porch that was attached off of her room. Her father had gave up the master bedroom for his only daughter. He did anything for her, and the porch was Jazmine's favorite part of the whole house. She begged her father to buy furniture for her and of course she got it.

When Manuel walked outside on the spacious porch, he saw that Jazmine had great taste. There was a small couch for two against the apartment and a table in front of it. There was a one-person chair on the other side of the porch.

"Wow," Manny said sitting down on the couch for two. "What do you do when it rains or snows?"

Jazmine sat next to him. "I don't care about the table, it's glass, I can just clean it. But if I'm not home or something, my dad throws plastic over it."

Manny looked at the sun that began to set. He sighed and said, "It's a beautiful view of the city. It looks like the city is harmless from up here."

Jazmine looked at him in wonder. "That's why I love to come out here. Especially when something is bothering me. My family would find me out here sleeping sometimes. It's so peaceful. Well, when I throw my headphones on." They shared a laugh. "I love the feel of the air. It's not as fresh as it should be, but it feels good to get away from everything."

Manny looked at her. "I wish I had something this nice." He turned his attention back to the beautiful colored sky. "It really is nice up here. I wouldn't mind sleeping out here."

"Maybe one day, we'll sleep out here together."

They looked in each other's eyes. Manny wrapped his arms around her. "I'm looking forward to it."