The Right Kind of Wrong: A Brother's Best Friend Romance by Fabiola Francisco (open ebook .TXT) 📗

English?” I raise my eyebrows. No amount of months I’ve spent here has prepared me to communicate with a customs officer in Spanish. I’m still limited in my knowledge.

“Sir, you’ve exceeded the number of days allowed to visit the country. I cannot let you continue beyond this point,” he informs with a heavy accent.

“What?” My body shakes. “How is that even possible if I was allowed to buy a plane ticket?”

“The airlines don’t monitor the length of stay of each customer. That’s the individual’s responsibility to know the laws.”

“What’s going on?” Allyson steps toward me, but the officer stops her.

“Ma’am, you cannot return to this point. I need you to continue going.” The officer steps out of his box office to guarantee she’s listening.

“But he’s my boyfriend.” Her eyes widen.

“Do you have a visa?” the officer asks her.

“Yes, I work in Madrid.”

“Then you must go on.” He points in the direction she needs to go, but Allyson stays planted with a frown and wide eyes.

“Go, Ally. I’ll sort this out and let you know what’s happening.” The last thing I need is for her to stress or get into legal trouble for not following the officer’s command.

She opens her mouth to argue, and I shake my head. “Go,” I mouth.

Allyson hesitates a few seconds and then walks away. I look at the officer and ask, “What do I do now?”

“You have to return to the United States. If you wish to extend your stay in Spain, you’ll need to apply for a visa at the consulate. Only then will you be able to return. Your other option is to wait for the days to roll over. There is a maximum of a ninety-day period to visit Spain within a one-hundred-and-eighty day period.”

I’m hearing his explanation, but all I’m thinking about is having to wait half a year to return. There’s no way I’m going to miss the birth of my son and being there for Ally when she needs me.

“Is there a way to apply for a visa here instead of flying back and returning? As you saw, my girlfriend is pregnant.”

“No. You’ll have to leave the country and apply from your native country.”

“Fuck,” I murmur. “So, where do I go?” My shoulders slump, and I shake my head.

The next few hours are a nightmare. Between interviews with customs, booking a flight home, and figuring out how the hell to return as soon as possible, I’m exhausted and frustrated.

Thankfully, I was able to send Ally a message so she wouldn’t worry more than necessary, and I promised I’d be back soon. I hope I can keep my promise. All I wanted was to be home with her now, holding her as we slept off the jet lag. Instead, I’m getting ready to climb into another crowded plane as if I were some kind of prisoner or some shit.

It was an honest mistake, and they’re treating me as if I’m a criminal. As soon as I land, I’m going to the consulate and applying for a visa. I’d give my life savings away to be back by Allyson’s side.

The first thing I do when I land in Richmond is call Easton. I arrived after the consulate closed—of course, they’re only open until one in the afternoon.

“Hello?” His voice is drowned by loud music.

“Hey, sorry to bother you, but I have a problem.”

“What’s wrong? Is Ally okay?” Panic rings in his question as the background noise quiets.

“Yeah, sorry, she’s okay. She’s in Madrid.”

“Wait. Where are you?” His question lingers with confusion.

“I’m back in Richmond. That’s why I’m calling. When I got to customs in Madrid, they said I had reached my maximum days to visit required by law, and I need to apply for a visa. Do you have any experience with this?” Besides being my best friend, he’s the closest lawyer I know that I can call up during the holidays and not get taken advantage of with high fees.

“Shit,” he mumbles. “I’m not familiar with immigration law, but from my limited knowledge, you do need to apply for a visa in order to stay in the country longer than is permitted by law.”

“Fuck,” I growl, and people standing nearby outside the airport stare at me.

“Go to the consulate office tomorrow morning. It’s in DC. I remember Ally having to go a few times when she was preparing for her move. Also, go with patience. It’s an exhausting process from what she told me.” Easton’s advice does little to calm my nerves. There’s nothing I want more than to be with Ally right now, not standing in a cold airport, waiting for my Uber, and hoping to God I can be there for the rest of the pregnancy and my son’s birth.

“Thanks, Easton.” I run a hand through my hair.

“Anytime. And Camden…” Easton pauses, and I wait for him to continue speaking. “Things will work out.”

“Yeah,” I sigh and end the call.

By the time I get home, I’m exhausted and in need of a shower and uninterrupted sleep. I send Ally a quick goodnight message since she’s probably deep in sleep and crash. The frustration from the last two days melts away, and I close my eyes.

- - - - -

My heart races as I listen to the employee in the consulate tell me it could take up to three months to receive either an approval or denial for my long-term visa. This is insane.

“Sir, my girlfriend lives in Madrid with a work visa, and she is pregnant. In three months, she could have my baby, and I’ll miss it.” I try to remain as calm as possible, keeping my voice even.

“According to your travel dates, you’ll be able to return in three months as a tourist again.” He looks at my dates and does the calculations, informing me that I will indeed be able to return if my visa is denied. The problem is that I want to be there now, not in three months.

“Is there anything else I can