Have you ever heard the saying, "One night can change everything"? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't. In some situations, it's not true. But in this case. It is.
Rue Garcia's life turned upside down in a matter of seconds. She always knew it would h...
IT'S AWKWARD. While Nadine's eyes are on me, my eyes are fixated on the dark blue water.
The sound of the wind swaying the branches of the trees, are the only thing that fill this terrifying silence.
Of course I'm not scared of him. But I am scared of silence. Silence is awkward. And being awkward is scary. Very scary.
"I know you probably think I hate you." I look at him. "But I just have a hard time with certain people."
He gives me an understanding, but mad look. I think the mad look is just his resting face though.
"You're scared of me." He says it likes it's a statement. That he knows for sure he haunts my dreams.
I almost laugh at loud at that.
Me? Scared? Please.
Let me save his ego. Just this once.
"I'm not scared of you. Anything, but that." I laugh. "Like I said. We just don't click." He tilts his head to the side, looking at me like he doesn't believe a single word I just said.
"I don't click with many people." He suddenly says. And I take notice how his voice isn't as cold or harsh. Although his eyes are still terrifying. "So trust me. It's not you."
I nod my head. My eyes fall to his chest. His very muscular chest. But that's not what caught my attention. Nadines body is scattered with beautiful tattoos. A snake coiled around its self, going around his waist, and around his back. Many, many more tattoos, everywhere. The number 1999, tattooed on his collar bone. A spade of cards on the side of his stomach. And on his back- my favorite, a tattoo of broken angel wings. They looks so realistic, as if it could be real.
Maybe they are real. A fallen angel disguised as the devil.
It sounds a bit catchy, don't you think.
As I look a little harder, I notice scars. They were long and skinny. Whip marks. He had them scattered across his whole back. When he lifted his arm a little, you could see multiple, tiny cut marks. Self harm? I'm not sure. Burn marks on his shoulders. Cigarette burns.
I let my mind wander off to Nadine. What he's done. How many people has he killed? Does he do it often? Is he gonna kill me? Wait- oh my god, is he gonna kill me!
Psh, I'm not scared.
But I always do let my curiosity get the best of me. "Hey, can I ask you something?" I ask with an unsure voice. He looks over at me, his eyes trail down my body then back up.
"Go ahead." His voice- ugh. His accent- it's just, woah.
"Is it true that you... you killed people?"
He looks at me as if it's the most obvious question in the world, "Have you not." He asks. A blank, straight face.
I feel my body tense, "I- no, just no." I answer back.
"How are you in the Mafia, but have never killed someone? It doesn't make sense." He mutters. I try to register everything that's happening. I guess he does have a point.
"My mom tried to keep me away from that stuff for as long as she could, but uh- my dad- my dad made it really hard for her." I look down at my hands, they're fiddling with my swimsuit strings.
"It is true." He mumbles, "I have killed people, and I don't regret it." I look up to see him staring down at me, "I killed traitors, enemies, and people who have been by my side since the beginning. But I killed them, because they were a threat to the Mafia- My mafia."
I nod my head, realizing that I'm starting to understand him a bit better.
He's misunderstood. He doesn't kill people, just to kill them. Everything he does, he does for the sake of his Mafia.
"People who have been by my side..."
I can't imagine having to kill the people you love. People you expected to be with for the rest of your life. I could never do that. I will never do that.
I feel my cheeks heat up as Nadine holds my stare.
His eyes aren't as dark as I took them for. When I first saw them, I was scared. They looked stormy and black. So cold. But now. They seem soft and bright.
I feel bad for judging him, as I don't even know him. Everyone's warnings and rumors made me second guess myself.
"He killed four men before the first one could hit the ground."
But he did it to protect the people he cares about. Right?
"He's the devil in disguise. A man so cruel that hell turns cold."
But looking at him in this very moment. I don't see a devil. I don't see a mad man, or a killer. I see someone who's lost. Someone who is misunderstood and judged.
"You're not as bad as I thought you would be." I admit. His eyes search for mine. Trying to see if he can spot a lie, but he can't. Because I'm not lying.
"Then you haven't met me yet."
———
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
