Romeo
They convinced me to stay an hour longer. When the hour passes, I collect everyone. Tonight, oddly, I was the only one who didn't touch a drink. Maybe it's good. Now I have someone I must take care of...I must take care of Elizabeth.
"I want to stay," she complains and begins to curse me in Spanish.
"Oh mi vida," I grumble. She pats her chest with a cloth to dry it off. I can see her pouting when it doesn't get dry.
"You boys will deal with the consequences tomorrow morning," I say.
"Aye, captain," Evan says and winks at me.
"Let's go," I say once more.
"I'll get the car," Casso says. He's not drunk, but he's completely tired. He overworks himself.
"No. I'll have a bodyguard grab it. You can barely stand," I say.
"Yes, Dad," he complains.
"Let's go, Elizabeth," I say. She smiles and stumbles over to me in her heels. She can't walk. I pick her up over my shoulders and hold my hand under her butt while I can feel her hitting my back.
"Upside down!" She squeals, for she's upside down the way I hold her. "Romeo! Set me down!"
"I said, let's go," I say once more.
I lead everyone outside. My guard has the truck. Santino tries to take the keys. I elbow him and grab the keys to drive.
I put Elizabeth in the passenger seat. Everyone else piles in the truck.
"I heard about how you had sex with the other girl," she says in Spanish as I drive off.
Fucking idiots. I don't respond to her.
"You know, Casso has a big mouth." I'm glad Santino's the only one who knows Spanish...because he doesn't say anything to anyone. "Am I not good enough to have sex with you? Or am I not good enough?" She asks. I've never seen this part of her. They say that drunk words are sober thoughts. Is this really how she feels? "I have boobs," she says and looks down at her. She touches her dress and gets occupied trying to get the stain off her dress. "I could give you that. Is she that much better?"
"You're drunk, Elizabeth," I say. I try to appeal to something else rather than her prying me about my sex life.
"No. You're drunk," she tries. She reaches over to touch me; I gently push her away while keeping control of the truck. I just need to get everyone safe.
"I just want to be good enough," she says and begins to cry. She turns away from me and wipes her tears.
Am I like this when I'm drunk?
...
In fifteen minutes, we are home. Everyone gets out. I go to Elizabeth's side. She's dead asleep. Her lips are slightly parted, and her hair is on her face. This time, I pick her up bridal style and hold her close to my chest.
Upstairs, I lay her on the bed rather than the couch she's been sleeping on for the past few days. I take her shoes off and go to the bathroom to find a makeup wipe for her.
When I was younger, I always watched Dad wipe mom's makeup off when she was tired or when she was asleep before dinner. Dad explained that it had to do something with makeup not sitting well or some shit.
I place my knee on the bed to get closer to her. I gently wipe the makeup from her face. She doesn't wake up once. "I'm better than any girl," she whispers. She pouts and turns over on the bed when I'm finished with the makeup wipe.
I go to turn off the lights. She jumps almost. "Lights on," she whimpers. "Please." I turn the lamp off. She smiles and lays down again.
I set out clothes for her before leaving the room and praying that the gods watch over her while I work.
When I leave my room, I head for my office and when I'm in my office, I sit in the chair. I pull a blade from the drawer and play with it against my skin.
I remember the scars on my back from the battles I've lost. I remember everything I've done that I've failed at. So for that, I slit my wrist.
It relieves the pain. Relieves the pain of my failures and flaws.
As I see the beads of blood embed against my skin, I see it drip to the floor.
A second time, I slit my wrist. It feels so good. It feels like I'm properly being punished for not being good enough.
If I'm not good enough, how can I be good enough for Elizabeth?
...
Two days later
Elizabeth
I haven't seen Romeo in two days.
I sit with Evan on the couch. The fire is on. The fall has grown colder and colder, so I am wrapped in leggings and a sweatshirt. "Good afternoon, mija. How are you?" Elijah walks in and pats my shoulder. He's become the father I never knew.
"Fine..." I trail off. "Where's Romeo?"
"His office. Third floor." I get up and head to the third floor. I miss seeing Romeo. I haven't seen him in days.
I wonder what he's doing.
The only closed door on the third floor is the last door, so I knock. "Romeo," I say. I push the door. It cracks open.
"Oh Romeo, you make me feel so good," says a girl. There's no answer from him. Is he even in the room? I back away from the door. "I want you to be inside of me," she moans.
"I said, get the fuck out!" He yells.
"But Romeo," she moans.
I wipe a tear and turn away.
I hear shuffling from the room before a woman rushes out of the room. I am about to follow her out. "Elizabeth. Come here." I close my eyes and bite the inside of my mouth. "Elizabeth," he says again. I can't believe he has the guts to talk to me like that after what he did.
I walk in the office. He leans against his desk and pinches the bridge of his nose. "I'm gonna go," I say.
"What were you doing out there?" He asks me. "What did you need to tell me?"
"I just—" I pause and wipe a tear. "I wanted to see you since I hadn't seen you in a couple of days," I whisper. "I'm sorry. I should leave."
"That's not what it looked like, Elizabeth."
"Really? Because it looked like you were—" I can't even say the words.
"Say it," he says.
"It looked like you were going to have sex with her."
"I didn't fuck her," is all he says in response. I turn away from him. Why does this bother me? We aren't a couple nor are we even seeing each other. "How many times must I kiss you to tell you that I only want you?"
And he said it.
"You want me?" I ask him. "But you already own me."
"I gave you your freedom a long time ago. I don't own you, Elizabeth. I want to love you."
"But I don't know how to love you back," I whisper.
"That's ok," is all he says. "Now, I do want to talk to you about something," he says. "Do you see this?" He unbuttons his shirt a little bit and pulls it aside so that I can see his tattooed chest. He points to a crown on his chest. "This is a tattoo that shows who you are protected by. You're going to get one today. My dad's going to tattoo it."
"Why can't you?" I ask. Even if Elijah does it, I only feel comfortable with Romeo.
"Because for the hell of me, I can't draw a straight line." He's so serious about it.
"Will you not be there to protect me?" I ask him.
"I will. I promise you I will, but this allows our allies to know who you are." I nod.
Wow. There's a lot to think about. I pause. I stop to think about everything.
"I won't love you unless you allow me. Shit, I've never done this..." he trails off.
Silence.
"Please love me," I say.
...
Downstairs, both Romeo and I head to the living room. He's changed since I've agreed to his love. He stays by my side. He touches me. It's like he's deprived of me. "You ready?" Elijah asks. Romeo looks to me. I nod.
I chose to put the tattoo on the back of my neck. I put my hair up and sit down. Elijah does everything that he needs to do to be sanitary and stuff.
I feel the needle hit my skin. I flinch. "You're ok," Elijah says. He steadies my neck, so I don't move again. He stops for a minute. "Tell me when you're ready." Romeo stands across the room. He's watching me. I look at him. Without even talking, he approaches me to sit down next to me.
"I'm ready," I whisper. And he continues.
...
I lay in bed. I'm alone in the room. The fan goes above me.
Romeo wants to love me.
I've never had anyone love me before. How does someone love me?
Romeo
I sit in the living room with everyone. Elizabeth's in bed.
Everyone looks at me. Everyone wants to ask the same question. "Just ask it," I complain. Emilio is the first one to say something, but Evan interrupts him. Thank god for Evan.
"So, is this a relationship?" He asks.
"Yeah," I pause. "I guess it is."
"So, you'll be taking her to the banquet in two months?" Mom asks me. I look at her. I haven't told her about any of this.
"How do I love someone?" I ask Dad. He's the one who scored on love. He's the one who has a happy marriage. He's the one who has everything.
Dad looks to Mom. She smiles as he puts his hand on her lap. I envy their love. As a child, I always wanted to find a girl who would look at me the way mom does to dad, but I don't know if I'll get that with Elizabeth. She's terrified. It doesn't make me want to love her any less, though.
"If you love her first, then she'll learn to love you harder," is all he says.
My phone rings. So do Casso and Santino's phones ring. "What's this?" Nate asks and looks over his son's shoulder.
"Warehouse?" He questions. Santino looks at me.
"Oh fuck," I mumble. After our run-in with Bobby, I took him to the warehouse to be tortured.
"Gotta go," Casso says.
"Where?" Zane asks.
"Warehouse. It's Bobby Ross," is all I say. Dad stands up after kissing Mom's cheek.
"We will come too."
...
When arriving at the warehouse, it's up in flames. Both the prisoners and guards are dead.
I rush up to the warehouse with my gun out. "Boss!" Some shout. Some of my guards are trapped under burning rubble. "You have to go back. It's a trap," is all he says.
Traps. I hate traps.
"A trap?" I repeat.
"Romeo!" Dad shouts. He's on the phone. "It's your mother." Without further instruction, we rush back to the truck to get back in time...hoping it's not too late.
...
Elizabeth
The door to my room bursts open. "Eliza." I can hear Alina's rushed voice. She closes the door behind her and grabs a gun from under the bathroom sink.
In our silence, we can hear voices downstairs. She puts a finger to her lips. I get out of bed and throw a sweatshirt on me, not caring if it's mine or not. "Mom!" I hear someone shout.
"Emilio," she gasps. She reaches for the door handle.
"Mom. Let's just talk this out. The men I work for want one thing only. It's not you. It's the girl. You don't have to get hurt."
"Emilio, this isn't you, baby."
"Let me in, Mom," he tries again to get inside. Alina pushes me behind her. "You've known this girl for what? A month? I'm your fucking son."
"Get in the bathroom," she says to me. She pushes me to the bathroom and goes in with me. We can't hear Emilio as loud now.
She picks up her phone and calls Elijah. It's a quick call, but I know they will be home soon.
"Mom!" The door to the bedroom is pried open. Now, he abuses the bathroom door. Alina is crying. She cocks the gun back and holds me in her arms for a minute.
"When I open this door, you need to run for your life," she whispers. She hands me her gun. "Run. Someone will find you. I promise."
Alina opens the door. He's caught off guard with his own mother opens the door, so I take the opportunity to run. I run as fast as I can.
"Elizabeth!" This isn't Romeo's voice. It's Emilio. "Elizabeth!" He catches skin with his knife. I scream and fall.
No. No. Keep running. Alina's counting on you. Keep running. Don't look back. Keep running.
I run to the backyard where the forest starts even as he and a few other men chase me. I can hear their shouting. When I've met the tree line, I catch my breath.
Flashlights are looking for me.
My bare feet are scraped up and I have a ringing headache.
The flashlights get closer. My only option is to go further in the woods.
Find me soon, Romeo.
Romeo
Where is she? I've looked through the whole house. "Have you found her?" Mom asks. She wipes her tears. Dad sits her on the couch. She's limping.
"Hey, mami," Nate says. He kneels down to her to help her.
"Where did you send her, mom?"
"I told her to run. I just told her to run."
Fuck, Elizabeth. Where are you?
-Everest-