Metà (COMPLETED)

Epilogue

Marco POV

I pulled up to my house and stopped the car, staring at smoke dissipating into the sky. The left side of the house was crumbling, but the right side still stood.

I walked through the busted front doors, covering my mouth with my sweatshirt. Family pictures were flying around in flakes as I walked down the once beautiful hall, heading for my office.

My office door was gone and my desk was tipped over. The drawer I kept locked remained locked, having survived the mess. I unlocked it with the new code I'd set up when I'd met Sofi.

Sofi and Angelos birthday unlocked the drawer and I pulled out the tiny phone. I tucked it into my pocket and grabbed the remaining files documenting our allies.

I caught a whiff of something behind me, something haunting and familiar. Behind me, the table that once held my whiskey stood tall. The pitcher filled with whiskey was tipped over, dripping the last remains, but next to it stood a full bottle.

I licked my lips and looked away, trying to ignore the sudden dryness in my mouth.

I have a reason to be better.

I walked out of the room quickly, ignoring the urge. I carefully went up the stairs and into our room. The breeze rushed in and I could clearly see the backyard from my position by the door. I entered the closet and opened grabbed a box on Rosalie side.

Soon after, I left the house that wasn't a home for 5 years. A house that held mostly terrible memories, all courtesy of the woman who I wished to forget.

***

"Took you long enough," Cane shouted from the beach. I stood on the hill above our safe house, looking out at the water. A memory of the the first time Zhara and I came here flooded my mind.

"Did you take the wrong turn or something," she asked me. I turned to face her.

"What do you mean?"

"Um... I don't know. When you said you knew a "safe place" we could go to I didn't expect the fucking jungle." I laughed and got out the car.

"It's a forest," I began. She followed me up the hill. "It's also where my safe place is." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, well my safe place is my bed, but that's not exactly where I'd go if my life was on the line," she replied.

She was my safe place now.

"Beautiful isn't it," I asked. Our position on top of the hill gave us a beautiful view of the ocean spreading miles out; I could see the white, foamy waves crashing against each other.

"This is- just... wow," she said in awe.

Little did she know, I was subtly referring to her. Her beauty remained a constant attraction to me. It was a an odd contrast to her roughness. I'd expected her to be different. I'd never forget my shock when she said she was a bodyguard. I smiled, remembering her telling me off in the hall of the nightclub restroom. How badly had I wanted to pin her to the wall, have my way with her.

But it had just been carnal attraction.

To think I'd fallen in love with her.

"What the hell are you grinning about. Get the fuck down here," yelled Cane. He had his arms extended and waved me off, turning around to look at the ocean. I jumped down, making my way to him.