Hey everyone! Thank you so so much to anyone that read the first chapter! Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! I am sorry the second chapter has taken so long to get up. I was kinda stuck! I thought for sure this would just be a series of one-shots but now I am leaning toward a proper story.

I don't know what to do though. What do readers prefer to read? I have an idea where the story would go but the idea of a full blown story seems a little daunting. I could go either way though or I might do both. Please let me know what you think! I am kinda new to all of this and I am still learning.

The first part of the chapter will be Vada's point of view and the second is EZ's.

Thank you for any help!

Far too early the next day, a pounding head woke Vada up long before her alarm clock ever had the chance. She cursed under her breath as the sun's painfully bright rays filled the room, only adding to her misery as they danced across the pale walls. It would seem that against all odds, she managed to wake up with something that hurt more than her broken heart. From the top of her head to the tip of her toes, every inch of her lean frame ached.

"God, please."

Praying wasn't going to help. Not after last night. So in hopes of making the sun and all her pain go away, Vada pulled a white comforter over her head. She desperately needed a few more minutes of peace and quiet before she was forced to face the world. Hell, just the idea of facing her family was enough to make her groan into her pillow and they were usually the least of her trouble. It was not even six in the morning and she could already tell it was going to be a long damn day.

Whatever dreams she had of going back to sleep though were quickly dashed. No sooner did she settle back into her comfy cocoon than she heard the sound of little paws as they scurried up and down the hallway. Any other time she might have been worried about what the puppy was up to but this morning she was just too exhausted to even care. She just hoped his obedience classes finally kicked in and Oscar would enjoy what little freedom he had left.

She should have known better by now. The mischievous mutt made his presence known as he tried to jump up on the bed. Lacking any grace, it took a few attempts before he wiggled himself up with an adorable grunt. Through squinted eyes, Vada made the mistake of sneaking a peak only for a wet snout to be shoved in her face. "Stop - stop it," She squealed, trying to cover herself back up again as the licks turned ticklish. "I'm awake, I promise."

Oscar would only be satisfied when she actually got out of bed and found him food. So ever so slowly, she eased her way up, stretching. Holy hell. The world spun a little as she wrapped a plush throw around her shoulders. She had every intention of going home after the second drink but two very quickly turned to three. Before she knew it, it was one in the morning.

She wasn't too drunk but instead more Vada than she has been in years. She honestly could not remember the last time she was that relaxed. That was not to say her heart wasn't broken and she wasn't hurt but she could breathe again. For now…

As she stood, Vada's phone vibrated on the nightstand. It would seem she was very popular last night. In all, there were seventeen missed calls. Some were from James but most were from his mother. She was the last person that needed to get involved in all this. It still didn't come as a huge surprise considering their demented relationship.

Not happening. She tossed the phone down, deciding this was not the best time to call his mom back. Vada was not in the mood for a lecture on bad life choices and how she is throwing away her future. It will probably be along the same lines as her there's more important things than love speech she gave while wedding dress shopping. She still remembers every word of that and the dressing room panic attack that followed.

"I need coffee."

Two strong cups gave her enough courage to take on the day. A long hot shower made her feel a little more human and less like the dumpster raccoon Vada went in as. With the help of her magical full coverage foundation, nobody would be able to tell she's only had two hours of sleep or that she bawled watching an ASPCA commercial. Maybe that sweatshirt she was suckered into will keep her warm during all those lonely winter nights coming up.

Vada eventually pulled herself together. By the time she was ready to leave for work, she was convinced that she actually looked good. She also decided instead of going to the gym, she would be ordering pizza and catching up on Riverdale tonight. If anyone asks though she is totally watching documentaries for work.

Speaking of, her commute to work was as uneventful as ever. Vada could not afford to actually live in San Diego, so every morning she made the forty-five minute drive to the station. That usually gave her enough time to perform a one woman show of her favorite songs. With her head still pounding, she dialed it back this morning and just listened to the local news instead.

There wasn't much going on or at least nothing out of the ordinary. Today would be sunny and Trump's twitter still has not been taken away. He now wanted to put an end to birthright citizenship. She doubted that would happen but that was more than enough to get her all fired up again as she yelled at her radio.

"Good morning," greeted a chipper voice as soon as Vada stepped into the cramped office they shared. Jules Parrish was an east coast transplant who started at the station not long before her. Both women were the same age, went to top ranked schools and graduated at the top of their class. They were basically interchangeable to the company and their boss loved to use that as motivation. "I bought you coffee."

"Thank you," She took the red cup. More coffee was the very last thing Vada needed but she clearly had a problem turning down free drinks. As she went to take a sip, Jules blue eyes narrowed in on her. "Who told you?"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about," Jules tried to feign ignorance but that was one of the few looks the blonde could not pull off. She looked away for a few seconds only to crack with a very dramatic sigh. "Fine! I know the bartender. She told me about the fight."

"Oh, and what bartender would that be?"

"Don't judge me. I was so bored and she promised me a free steak," Jules covered her face in shame. After a bad breakup, she swore she would never have anything to do with her again. In her defense, the bartender is gorgeous and the steak was well worth the shame. That still did not explain how she knew they were involved since they've never met her. "James has already called three times this morning and you're not wearing your ring. I just put two and two together."

Vada looked down to her bare ring finger. Instead of the beautiful diamond, there was only a faint tan line where it used to be. Her chest tightened as an unexpected pang of sadness hit her. "I told him to go fuck himself and if he ever calls here again, I will let everyone know what a worthless piece of shit he is."

"I love you," She laughed, wiping away her tears. Their boss loved to pin the two women against each other but somehow they still became friends. They realized quickly it was a lot easier to just support each other than it was to constantly tear each other down. She knew Jules had her back and vice versa.

"Well, the fun doesn't end there. Close the door," Vada was surprised by the sudden request but still followed her instructions. She locked the door. Jules then proceeded to turn on music to make sure nobody heard what they were saying. She waited for the big reveal but instead her pal just handed her a stack of pictures. "So, that happened."

Miguel Galindo. He was the hot topic everyone was talking about right now. He was recently named as one of the most influential businessmen of the year. Which was a well-earned title. You couldn't go anywhere in southern California without seeing his face or something he owns or helped build. He was on fire and it looked like nothing could stop him. Well, besides this…

"Holy shit. When was this?"

"I don't know - sometime recently."

Vada sat down, slowly thumbing through the photos and studying them all closely. Miguel Galindo was detained at the border. There were dozens of photos, ranging from him carrying his son to being confronted by border patrol guards and then escorted away. There were even some of his family as they anxiously waited for him on the other side of the border. "Do you know what happened?"

"He tried to smuggle in drugs. I forgot how much but it was all in the blanket."

"I had no idea," Vada shook her head as she went through them again. She knew Miguel. He was close to James so she saw the Galindo clan and company far more than she would have liked. She tried to think back, the last couple weeks were a blur though and nothing really stuck out to her. "We just had dinner with them a few days ago. They seemed fine."

Vada knew about the Galindo cartel and drugs. Over the years, James slipped up here and there and she pieced it all together. She also googled a lot. Of course, she could never tell anyone that. Everyone knows what happens to rats who run their mouth. "What are you going to do with these?"

Hands down, Jules was better at getting leads for stories than she was. While Vada had the connections, she knew how to use them. Which could be scary at times. She was willing to put everything on the line. This was something else entirely though and she knew it. These could get her killed.

"Nothing. I was told to do nothing," She answered, more nervous than anything. Jules has gotten herself into a few tricky situations but this time she might be in deeper than she bargained for. "They are insurance."

Insurance for what? By who? She had so many questions right now. Unfortunately, before she could ask the office phone rang. "You have a visitor."

Of course, he would come now. Vada should have known this was coming anyways. When she was mad or needed time to think, she wanted space. James was the complete opposite. His approach was to annoy and wear you down until he got whatever he wanted. Which is why he's now called two dozen times and sent her twice as many messages. "Can I please go with you?"

"I think you're in enough trouble, so how about you just sit this one out."

They compromised and Vada brought her phone with her, promising to call if she needed backup. She really wasn't sure what Jules thought was going to happen but she still agreed. She also threw on a little gloss and made sure her loose waves looked perfect. That may be considered vain but sometimes you have to be a little extra to get over the hump.

Vada took a deep breath. She checked herself out in the shiny elevator doors, turning to the side as she smoothed her hands over her black sweater. By the time she made it to the first floor, she was confident she could take on her ex. When she turned the corner her shoulders fell.

—-

"She'll be down in a minute."

EZ nodded to the security guard, pushing himself off the counter. He made his way back to the lobby, taking in the sights as he waited. With the floor to ceiling windows all around, the bright sun illuminated every inch of the huge space. Hell, even the marble glowed. This place was so different from his own world that he wasn't even sure why he was here.

"Ezekiel?"

That was why. He spun around quickly when Vada called his name. There's no doubt she was surprised to see him standing there but her apprehension turned to relief when she realized it wasn't her ex. "Hi," He greeted her with a bright smile, moving closer. "I'm sorry for just dropping by like this."

"No, no, it's totally fine. What's up?"

"I think this is yours."

Last night when her cab came, he went out with her. The area was too rough and it didn't feel right to just let her go on her own. When he came back inside, a delicate gold chain caught his attention. The necklace could have belonged to anyone there but EZ had a good feeling who the owner might be. He ran back outside, hoping to catch her before she left but it was too late.

Her eyes went wide as her hand immediately went to her neck, feeling for a chain that was not there. "Oh my God! Thank you!" The tears threatened to well up again as she took the rosary from him. Vada thanked him again as she slipped it back on and complained about the wonky clasp that needed to be fixed. Her hand never left the tiny cross as she looked up. "You seriously have no idea how much this means to me. I would have been heart broken."

The antique rosary once belonged to her mom and before that her great-grandmother. It was the only thing her dad didn't make her mother sell when they were trying to get money together to move to the US. The simple chain was not much but it still meant more to her than anything else in this world. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, it was nothing."

"Ezekiel, you just drove an hour to bring back a necklace most people would not have given a second thought - to a girl you barely even know," His eyes fell to the ground as she praised him, scraping the toe of his boot against the marble. "That is kinda the opposite of nothing."

EZ didn't bring the rosary back so he could see her again or to get recognition- though both were nice. He went out of his way because it was the right thing to do and hoped someone would do the same for him. "Well, if you're not going to let me thank you, can I please buy you coffee?"

He knew deep down he needed to say no now. Last night was the first time in years though that he felt normal. He wasn't wearing his cut. For a few short hours, he was not EZ the prospect. He wasn't some thug or a felon. She had no had idea that one choice ruined his life forever. When she looked at him, he just any other guy at the bar.

His brow furrowed as his gaze shifted between Vada and the door. EZ was stuck. A part of him wanted to linger in that freedom a little longer while the other knew it wasn't fair to either of them. Please, Ezekiel. He was a sucker. "I could use some coffee."

"Then I'm your girl! The coffee here sucks but I know a great place," Vada practically bounced as she pulled him to the exit. As he held it open, his hand grazed her lower back. He tried to hold on to some semblance of control but he could already feel that was a lost cause. "So, it's a little up the road but not too far."

"You're good - these boots were made for walking."

She beamed, looking down to his worn boots. They have definitely seen their better days but they were comfy and warm. Which was probably more than she can say for her heels and sheer black tights. With every gust of wind, she shivered and he cursed himself for not bringing his jacket with him. "So, you got any late breaking stories you can tell me about?"

"Let me think," Vada hummed, distracted by the lock of hair that was determined to cover her face. She fought to keep her dark hair in check before she just decided to hell with it. If he knew her any better, he would have told her it looked better a little wild. "It's really windy."

It was windy and uncharacteristically cold. The cold snap would only last another day or so but it was rough. "We have crews covering the fires, a bank robbery and a gang shooting," Vada rambled on as they continued down the quiet sidewalk. Her accent wasn't the thickest but every so often he could hear the drawl in her voice. "I will be helping with a story about a taco truck."

"How'd you draw the short stick?"

"Well, I ran into my boss at Taco Bell about a month ago and now he thinks I'm from south of the border. He likes to ask me for favorite taco recipes." Vada rolled her eyes, telling him all the other ignorant comments he's made. It was amazing in this day and age, someone can get away with saying things like that. Then again, it shows we still have a long way to go. "For the longest time, he thought my dad was a Columbian drug dealer and I kinda loved it."

"Oh, I'm sure he didn't mess with you then..."

"He was afraid to even look me in the eyes, let alone hit on me," Vada laughed and he could not help but laugh along with her. There was something about her that made him want to smile again. He couldn't explain why he felt that way but for a few seconds, he did. "We are almost there."

Vada brought him to a small hole in the wall coffee shop that was literally named, a hole in the wall. "So, there's a catch," She stopped abruptly at the door, turning around so quickly that he almost crashed into her. Barely an inch apart, he towered over her as he waited for what she was going to say. "The owner is kind of an asshole and will be super rude. Just let me handle him."

The idea of her protecting him from a coffee shop owner made another smile tug at his lips. She was dead serious though. "Hey, don't laugh at that," she grinned, pushing him. Not hard enough to actually move him but she still gave it her best shot. "Get inside."

"Can you go first? You know, just in case."

As luck would have it, the owner was not in today. For its name, the place itself was really nice and not what he expected. The coffee was heavenly. "Do you come here a lot?"

"Probably more than I should," She admitted, sitting at a nearby table. The entire time the barista kept a close eye on them, nervously looking to the door. "I have a little bit of a coffee problem though I would like to think I could quit if I wanted to."

"Spoken like a true addict.."

"I was never this bad before. I just had so much going on between the wedding, work and my family that I stopped sleeping," EZ understood stress. There were times when he was so overwhelmed by everything going on that he'd stay up for what felt like days. He would crash eventually but until then he worried. "Coffee and Jesus are the only reasons I survived the last year."

Vada was an enigma. She was bright and full of life. She laughed a little too much and spoke with her hands when she got excited. There was a darkness in her though. No matter how many times she smiled, he could still see the storm raging in her eyes. "Sometimes, I don't even know if that's working anymore."

Vada had faith. Even when her life was falling apart, she never wavered. She believed she had a purpose and there was a plan for all the crazy. Right now she was exhausted and tired of fighting. More than that though she was tired of doing it alone.

"We have to go."

Confused how the mood could change that quickly, EZ's eyes immediately snapped up to her. The owner. A man came out of a back office, slamming the door so hard he swore the room shook. "Everyone get out! We're closed now!" he demanded with a thick Russian accent. He then came over to their table, snapping his fingers in their face as he tried to hurry them along. "Come on princess, you know the drill! Move it!"

If he had a little more time to think, he might have been more angry but everything happened so fast. For now, he was just happy to be out in the cold again. As he glanced back over to Vada, she looked completely amused by his pounding chest. "What the hell was that?"

"I told you he was an asshole," She did warn him, he will give her that. EZ pointed back to the shop, ready to argue that was more than being an asshole but he just shook his head instead. "Maybe next time you'll listen to me."

"Next time."

—

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Thank you for reading!