ARLO
"The kids are out having fun. Let's not worry."
"You know Jason. He's probably taken a detour. He wants to bother you." I speak up, giving Adrik a side eyed glance. Regularly, I could tell what he was thinking just by the look on his face. Right now, he was unreadable. Staring at Stefano as he annoyingly paced the room.
Because nothing we said seemed to calm the erratic man. Nothing was good enough. The fucker needed to actually see her to have some peace of mind. And I don't blame him. I'd feel similar if this was Adrik we were talking about here.
I'd go fucking crazy. I know this because it's happened before. I found him all on my own, without anyone's help despite their discouraging words. He needed me and I found him. I understand.
"Do we know Jason? He's a walking disaster. He doesn't think. He does." Adrik's sweet voice fills my senses.
I give Stefano a look of pity as he turns to look at me with a thoughtful expression. He was staring into my eyes, but he wasn't looking at me. Yet through me with an idea.
His head turns to the side, doing a double take directed towards a bookshelf off to the side of the room. It was full of dust, very old and nothing to catch someone's immediate attention.
I watch closely, leaning forward on the couch i'm sitting on as his fingers grazed the spine of each book. Finding the one he set his eyes on and pulling down. The staged book, a leaver. Triggers the wall into moving. Opening up like a vault. I'm one step behind Adrik as the two men rushed into the hidden door.
"Whoa." I gasp lowly, looking at the walls. The room wasn't much. It's small and has dim light. Floor to ceiling wasn't very impressive either. Adrik and Stefano both had to crouch, besides me though, I stand fine.
My eyes lay onto the large tv's. On one side of the wall. The other, lined with electrical. Cords and a computer that Stefano stands in-front of, fingers moving quickly across the keyboard. It makes a loud beep, and our heads turn.
Lighting up the room, my vision is blinded by the new source of light. The tv screens, two of them are on and working. Buffering, I wait, stepping away from Stefano and more towards the door. Giving him enough room to breathe if needed. The man was a walking 8 ball.
You shake it and never know what you'll get.
I'm talking about the fortune toy by the way. I don't play pool, made that mistake the first time I played. I won the game of course, as I win every. Against an older man. Yeah, we got to know each other very well that night. Too well for Adrik's liking, he beat the dirty man with a pool stick.
The sight gave me nightmares for weeks. Adrik had his crew hold me down to watch, and the cries that escaped me that night were still burned into my brain.
I swallow back my change of mood, deciding it's best to watch the screen instead.
Watching the screen, my mouth drops open seeing the sight of Carmen's pretty face, and Jason sitting next to her. His face filled the other screen, driving with ease unlike Carmen who's face was filled with concern. They both watched the road ahead with little to no knowledge of the three of us watching.
"It's playback." Stefano reversed the clip.
It was dark out. With no sign of them anywhere, they haven't returned from earlier in the day. Which means Stefano was losing it. If Stefano isn't happy, no one is.
That's how the mafia works right?
Yes Don. No Don. I'm sorry, Don.
The man just isn't happy without her, i've got to accept it. Adrik for some reason does. I may be hoping that the reason he does is me.
"-Bitter." Jason's words are cut off as Stefano cues in a little too late. Staring up at the two large screens, each one holding a different face.
Stefano's forehead creased as his darkened eyes favored his wife's side of the tv screen more than the boy sitting next to her. Letting his eyes glance around her features and relaxing a bit before turning his head over to Jasons side.
As does Adrik.
I turn my attention away from him. Instead watching Jason intently, staring into his eyes, and without him having any idea. My head tilts, noticing his fingers interlocking on the steering wheel. A habit he does when nervous.
Everyone has a flaw.
They're very easy to pick up on.
"He's nervous." I glare.
Unlike Jason, Carmen doesn't have an give aways. Other than her ironic cheek biting, she doesn't act on it when nervous, but thinking. That little girl is always holding thoughts in that head of hers.
"His fingers Stefano." Adrik points up at the screen, Adrik walks closer to take a look, showing the obvious. Brows lifting with unease, the two men's heads turn to look at each other in thought.
"Carmen doesn't bother him. He's up to something. He planned this." Adrik spoke, eyes flickering back and forth between the screens and me.
Carmen suddenly leans forward, gaining our full attention. Snapping her head over to his and back out of the window, taking a double take.
"I knew this would happen." She spoke breathlessly, leaning further back into her seat. Licking her lips, she keeps her gaze straight ahead, just as Jason does.
"You passed it. You passed the store." She continues to spew. Voice calm.
"We've got a stop first."
"I told Stefano we'd be right back."
"Let's not get rowdy, you tried kicking the man upside the head like five minutes ago. I have a little errand, it's fine. I'll be quick. Stop fucking flipping. A few more hours won't hurt anyone."
"Hours?" She gave him a disgusted look.
"I'm not spending hours with you!" Her voice had him rolling his eyes.
"I'm so sorry that I don't care, princess." He spits, sending an unfocused her ways.
That's when things turn. Literally.
Her entire body shifts, knocking her into the side of the door. If it wasn't for Carmen's hand flying out to cover the space between her head and the window. It would've been bloody.
The car took a sharp and violent turn onto a dirt road. The dusted dirt flew up from behind the car, it's noticeable through the back window.
"We're being followed." Jason's eyes scanned the windshield with awareness. His gaze bouncing back and forth between the view ahead and the rear view mirror.
Making Carmen look back in confusion.
"No we aren't, you're being paranoid."
"You're oblivious."
"No one is following us, what are you doing? What's the point of this." Carmen asks as the car comes to a sudden halt. Throwing her forward, Jason's hand flies out to catch her from hitting her head on the shield.
"Get out, let's go, come on. Move it barbie." He unbuckles her seatbelt and then his own. Removing himself from the car before she could get over her shocked state.
It gives Jason enough time to get to the other side. Opening up her door and just dragging her out, she doesn't complain.
Until she does.
"Get off of me Jason." Her brows furrowed, confused. Shoving his hands off of her, her legs start to kick at him.
"We don't have enough time for this. But fine get your brain fucking blown. I could give a fuck." She stops to listen. Dumb mistake.
He wraps an arm around her neck. Taking the upper hand, he puts half his body weight on her, holding her down.
"You know if Stefano gave two fucks about you, you'd know self defense?" He laughed above her.
"I guess you're right." Carmen grumbles, pushing against him and flat out slamming his head against the arm rest.
The dumbass didn't restrain her hands. Not that i'm picking teams or anything.
"I think I accept her now." I smile brightly up at the screens.
"Okay so he did." Jason's voice flows loudly through the small room.
He tries to grab her again, managing to grab a fist full of her hair.
"Stop fighting me!" She yells, holding her knees down onto his throat, resting the rest of her body onto his chest and the seat. She continues to push her weight down onto him until he gives up. Even removing his hands from her, one of his arms drop down onto her thigh.
"Don't make me do this." The sound of her voice caused my heart to flutter. Her back covered half the camera, the only other thing we could see was Jason's face. He looked just as sad as she sounds.
"What happened to best friends?" She asks him as they both stop moving. He stops fighting though she doesn't lift her body off of him, now fully sitting on top of his chest.
"Answer me Jason!" She screams, replacing her knee with her booted foot, and he lets her. Watching her fall back against the drivers seat as he laid on the passenger. Half his body down on the floorboard, Carmen's leg stretched out.
"Do you seriously look at me and feel nothing?"
"You don't know anything." He spoke harshly, shoving her foot off of him, and she lets him.
"No one was behind us." Carmen gives him a look as they exchange expressions of defeat.
"You're a fucking genius."
"This is it." I stare into Carmen's tear filled eyes and feel a weight on my chest. It was a look similar to the one she'd given me all the times i'd send a snarky remark her way.
"What now?" Jason's voice was starting to annoy me. Much more than Carmen's ever has.
"I'm not trying anymore."
"You're such a drama queen."
"Jason I loved you. I love you!" Carmen confessed. Tears streaming down both her swollen cheeks from the slaps Jason sent her way as they fought, never once blowing his fist into any part of her body.
"Get it through your thick fucking skull. I don't give a fuck about you or our past. You annoy me now, you annoyed me then. You fucking annoy every single person around you, because you make everything about you! All I want to do is fucking- I can't do shit! Why can't you just leave things alone, let go of me! Things will never be the same Carmen. No body gives a fuck about your childish behavior or mentality. Jesus fuck, Stefano doesn't even- he- he just puts up with you. You're just a warm body-"
Before Jason could finish speaking. Carmen's foot flies up and into the side of his head. Generating a loud crack to fill the air. He slowly pops his neck again and cranes it her way. With a murderous look not even I wanted to be there for.
"I won't sit here and be disrespected by you."
It starts again, worse than before. Jason flies up, going for her leg. He bends it up making her head slip and crash against the window.
She let's out a scream from the pain. And slowly the scene in front of me became worrying. He had much more leverage at the moment. Blocking every camera as his hands pushed against her arms, wanting to hurt her.
Wrapping a quick arm around his neck, she throws his body to the side, pushing her full weight onto him. As hard as she could. I watch the struggle on her face turn into a painful expression as she throws her first punch.
Her fists drive into his face with repetitive blows. Each one harder than before. Jason breaks his hands loose from under her thighs, grabbing her jacket. Moving hands under and onto her shoulders, he tries pushing her away.
Not trying as well as he could have.
Her fists drove so hard into his face I watched blood rise right then. With bloodied hands she remained unbothered, continuing each blow through. Her knuckles were covered in black and blue, her own blood mixing with his.
"I hate you!"
The sound of her voice caused my chest to tighten even more. Just the look in her face was heartbreaking in itself. I couldn't bare turning to look at Stefano's. She doesn't stop, incapable to. Jason laid there taking every punch.
"I hate you." Tears begin to stream down her face. Followed by a sob breaking through the air. Her eyes close tightly, blocking him from her view.
"Carmen I-." He spoke softly.
"I loved you so much." She sobs, dropping both of her hands onto his chest as she straddled him. Chest heaving up and down, heavy breaths raked out of her mouth.
Heaving, she starts to panic. More when Jason grabs onto both of her wrists with his shaking hands.
"I've never been the person you thought of me." He confirms, choking on some of his blood. Dripping down into his mouth from is bruised up face. He licks his chapped lips.
"I miss you."
"Don't." He states solidly.
"We used to do everything together! You-"
"Carmen not now."
Did he knows about the cameras?
"I can't do this again." She shakes him off, moving back and into the passenger seat. Pulling both her knees up to her chest and sobbing into them. Her arms wrap tightly around the front of her legs as Jason laid with visible tears in his eyes.
"It was good while it lasted right?" He laughs lightly, trying to sit up. Her response was moving both her hands up to cover her ears.
"Good things always come to an end." He speaks, staring at her from across the car with a single tear trailing down his cheek.
"You abandoned me. You just stopped talking to me. You'd avoid me in the halls while I called out your name. You wouldn't respond to my calls or texts, you made me think that it was me. You just made new friends.
What's really worse is that you actually disappeared because of me. But instead of something that I did, you put a hit on my head. You were always planning to hurt me. I just thought that you outgrew me over the summer.
You're all i've ever known Jason. You were all that I needed, I told you everything. I'd cry to you on my bad days and I found so much comfort in you. You accepted me for who I was. But you don't even know me now and I can't let go of this feeling inside my chest.
How could you just leave and come back years later. I- we met when we were five. We were best friends, you were my best friend. And you don't even care right now. You speak to me with so much hate in your heart. You look at me like i'm nothing and it's hard enough being looked down on by Arlo and Adrik.
Because your opinion still matters the most.
I don't need you to do it too. I shouldn't even care, about them or you! But I do! I'm terrified of all three of you. I'm terrified of you hurting him Jason. I don't care about your threats. I could careless about your concern of me and Stefano's well being. You don't care.
If you cared about me you'd be supportive. You would defend me instead of throwing me under the bus, like every fucking week now. I'm terrified of you hurting Stefano. I don't care about me. I'm terrified of you, and Arlo.
I'm terrified of Giovanni. All I want to do is protect Stefano and you're getting in my fucking way! You- you got- you betrayed me. You pushed me head first into the mafia.
You intended to get me killed and here I am. And for that i'm sorry. I'm sorry that- I- I don't even know why you did anything that you did but I really hope that it was worth it and it fucking sucks! Because I wake up every fucking morning thanking you!
Without your heartlessness I would have never met Stefano. And it fucking sucks, because I hate you. I love you and I hate you. I hate you so much it hurts. I can't trust you. I don't want to trust you. Jason it hurts. And I don't even know why i'm talking because you don't even care. But I do. So I guess that's my fault."
Carmen pours her heart and soul out to Jason.
"I'm sorry."