THIRD PERSON
The two souls reread their story in hopes for a better ending. They are both, however, met with disappointment once there are no more pages to turn.
Lorenzo had fallen to his knees, crumbling beneath Catalina's dainty fingertips as he allowed prayers of redemption to spill from the very tongue that had lied to her.
That had hid from her.
Yet she had walked away.
He found himself unable to beg her to stay. To plead for her to listen to him. For her to hear the words "I did not kill your mother."
His father, Rafael Gambino, had managed to escape the chaos that had erupted before Lorenzo was able to put a bullet through the very mouth that had done nothing but torment him.
Lorenzo knew that Catalina was in danger— he knew that if he were to stay with her while his father was still walking on the ground of this earth he would find a way to kill her.
He knew he had to let her go.
He couldn't tell her that he didn't kill her mother, it would be easier if she held that in her heart so that she could move on.
It would be easier if she saw him as a monster.
It was the last thing he wanted but her safety was the most important thing to him. He would ensure that not a hand would touch a hair on her head for the rest of their lives apart.
He swore it.
Catalina had made her way to California, the very place she grew up in. She had hopes of finding Amelie again.
Lorenzo had men follow her out there and to keep watch over her as her days went by. He made sure that they put her safety above their lives. If they had to die to ensure that she was okay, then so be it.
☁️
A child who lost everything sat on doorstep of a house that was no longer there. She was sitting on the warm ground, finding herself looking back at the empty lot with the familiar heaviness aching in her chest.
The ghost soul of the house still lingered in the area, haunting her like her deepest and darkest secrets.
Catalina glanced upwards towards the area that held the small window in the attic, she could see her dainty, bruised hand reaching out to feel the warmth of the air.
She could smell the delicious food that Amélie cooked dancing around her senses, food that she wasn't even allowed to look at.
And of course, she could still hear Finn's yelling echoing on the land of the demolished house.
Even after the way this area agonized her soul, the little girl smiled underneath the stars and moon. She missed the good memories that this place held. Not only that, she also missed the sadness that came along with this place.
What a weird girl she was.
Sadness.
She was ridiculously familiar with that emotion; although, she didn't know it. Catalina was so convinced by her happy persona that she thought the aching in her chest, the constant tears, and her tired soul was just what happiness felt like.
After all, once you tell a lie so much, you begin to believe it.
The one person who helped her heal had managed to break her all over again.
He destroyed her.
The one person she so blindly trusted with her heart was the root of all the years of torment and torture she went through.
The love of her life had killed her mother.
Or so she believed.
Where will I find Amelie? She asked herself, her mind wracking with ideas of where she could possibly be.
She needed family after losing the one place she found to be home. After losing the people that had meant the entire world to her.
"I know you miss your brother, Captain Rogers. Don't worry, he's with his dad. I'll get you a new sibling soon and we can build a life together," she spoke to the deformed plushie that was snuggled into her chest.
She couldn't help but sadly smile when she remembered the day that the boys killed the two plushies.
Catalina had to stay at a hotel until she found a place to live. The boys let her know that her room would be paid for for as long as she decided to stay. They left out the part where Lorenzo had organized everything, spending hundreds a night to make sure she received the best room in the hotel.
Catalina appreciated her friends but she could no longer talk to them. She couldn't depend on anyone else for financial support so she needed to find a job and to enroll herself in university.
She had dreams to fulfill and she wouldn't let her heartache pause her life.
Catalina found herself crying as she rolled around in the cold bed of the hotel room, her heart aching for her brother who she didn't even say goodbye to.
"I'm such a bad sister," she heaved into her little hands.
Leo had called and texted her, threatening to blow Lorenzo up if she didn't return his calls. She couldn't bring herself to speak to him, she couldn't bring herself to talk to him at all.
She wanted him to live a happy life with Marco, she didn't want to get in the way of their love. He shouldn't feel the need to move back to California with me because I'm sad, she thought.
A knock on her door had paused her breakdown, alerting her to grab the lamp on the nightstand as the best self defense tool.
What a silly girl.
She slowly crept towards the door and looked through the peep hole, her eyes widening when she saw who was behind it.
She quickly opened the door, the lamp dropping to the ground as she was immediately brought into a giant bear hug.
"Holy fuck, what the hell is the matter with you, leaving me all alone like that?!" Leo had kissed the top of her head over and over, as if she'd disappear if he let go.
Catalina couldn't bring herself to muster up any words, simply falling limp in his arms as she felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"Cat," he whispered, "It's okay, you can cry, I'm here." As angry as Leo wanted to be, he understood why she ran away.
The pair sat on the bed watching Gilmore Girls and We Bare Bears for the entire night. Sniffles filled the air alongside bursts of giggling.
"I left Marco," Leo eventually spoke out.
Catalina's lips fell into a deep pout, she knew how much they loved each other. She found another situation to blame herself for. Just because she lost the love of her life didn't mean her brother had to.
"Leo, no. Go back to him. You can't give up what you had just because-"
He interrupted her, "Are you crazy? No. You're not going to be out here alone, I'm not abandoning my family."
"I'm sorry, I'm so beyond sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for, we're family and we will stick together forever. I will always support you." Leo's heart ached for Marco the same way Catalina's heart hurt for Lorenzo. He knew he had to be strong for her, however. He knew he couldn't let her go through this alone.
The two siblings eventually fell asleep in the middle of having a deep conversation that had the both of them in tears. Leo eventually had to sleep on the couch because Catalina wouldn't stop kicking him in the gut. He nearly threw her off the bed for her disastrous sleeping condition.
How can a tiny girl sleep like such an ogre, he muttered to himself.
He decided he was going to work and find a job in the city so that they could get an apartment. He knew Catalina wanted to go to school and he wanted to make sure that she wouldn't have to struggle too bad financially.