✔️ edited
pimp
joey
flashback
"dance with me." i look at rowans hand sticking out for me to take. i look up at her and chuckle softly.
"i'm not much of a dancer rowan, you should know this by now." she giggles and nods.
"i know, but i love slow songs. they're not that difficult to follow." i stared at her hand unsure whether to take it or not.
"come on! one dance isn't going to hurt you, tell him leo!" she looked over her shoulder and at leo. leo looked over at us as roman spun him around.
"dance with her you fucking pussy!" he shouts.
rowan and i both laugh. i shrug and stood up as i took her hand and led her over to the "dance floor" which was really just the area of grass where everyone was dancing at.
i snake my hand around rowans waist. she placed her hand on my shoulder and took my free hand into hers and danced with me. we messed up a couple of times but she ends up leading the dance.
i make eye contact with her, smiling before giving her a little spin. she giggled and placed her hand back on my shoulder. "see, you are a great dancer birlem."
i shrug it off like it was nothing. "maybe i am or maybe i just wanted to see you lead the dance." she giggled again.
her giggle was my second most favorite thing about her, her smile being first, the way her dimples showed whenever she smiled or laughed. i swear her smile can light up a whole damn room. and it did.
except her smile didn't lit up a room, it lit up my world, she lit my world hell she was my world. she's everything i've ever wanted in life. i knew that since the moment i laid my eyes on her.
"like what you see?" she spoke up, interrupting my thoughts. i smile widely and nod.
"i love what's in front of me." i whispered to her. her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.
she slapped my shoulder lightly. "i hate it when you make me blush." she mumbled.
"but it's the cutest thing in the world babe." i kiss her forehead lightly and spun her around once more.
i take a glance around my surroundings. other couples danced around us, including the newly weds leo and roman. i was really happy for them, except i wish it was me and rowan.
i wish i didn't screw everything up with her before. we could've had a real wedding instead of a shot gun one. angelica could've been the flower girl and theo the ring bear, even if he was one. that kid has legs like a twenty year old running a marathon.
"god, it could've been so perfect."
"what could've?" i shot my head up and look at rowan. my cheeks heat up in embarrassment which made her giggle. "now who's blushing?"
i stuck my tongue out at her playfully. "i was just thinking about how it could've been us married instead of roman and leo."
her smile fades away. she nods. "if things went differently-"
"we can get married one day birlem." she cupped both my cheeks and kissed me gently. i smiled and kissed her back, placing my hands over hers, nodding.
"we will get married one day, rowan." i whispered before pulling away.
she looks at me with a huge smile. "i really can't wait for that day."
"me either" i peck her lips once more and look at her, intertwining our fingers.
"i love you so much rowan salvador"
"i love you too joey birlem"
flashback over
i stared down at my toes with teary eyes. i was currently at the hospital with everyone. they had mark and rowan in the ER. we still haven't heard news about them. i texted hunter and sophia to meet us here so they should be getting here any minute now.
"how am i gonna suppose to tell her?" i look over at roman. he looked at me. his eyes were puffy and red just like mine.
he didn't say anything except shrug before beginning to cry again. leo pulled him close to his chest. roman looked away from me and started sobbing against leo's chest.
leo looked at me with a sad expression on his face. "you tell her the truth." a tear streaming down his cheek.
"you tell your daughter the truth. don't keep it from her, it's gonna hurt her too, but it needs to be done." he breathes out before wiping his tears away with his sleeves. i nod, looking back down at the floor.
"for rowan salvador and mark ruiz." i shot my head up and stood up from my seat, grabbing my crunches as i heard the doctor call out.
"right here." i clear my throat. the doctors looks over at me and makes his way over.
"let's start with mark ruiz" i nod and wipe my tears away. "mark has lost a lot of blood, but we managed to stop the bleeding. he will however need surgery to remove the bullet and will be in a wheel chair until his leg heels, then he'll be in crunches for about two through three weeks." i nod in understandment. "it's important to get him into surgery as soon as possible"
"yeah of course doc, just make sure he makes it out alive." he nods.
"he will don't worry, he's a strong guy." he smiles.
"and what about rowan salvador?" i ask him, worried filled my eyes. "will she be okay?"
his smile fades away. "i am so sorry mr. birlem." he took a deep breath before continuing. "we did everything we could to save her. we did cpr, try to stop the bleeding, but she had already lost a lot of blood before arriving the hospital. i'm afraid that ms. salvador did not make it."
my heart felt like it was shatterer into a million of pieces. i stumbled back a bit until i felt someone grab me. i didn't see who it was nor did i care. instead i started crying into their shoulder uncontrollably. "i can't- there's no fucking-"
"sh, sh joey it's okay." i heard hunter say. i gripped onto him as i cried, shaking my head over and over again. "it's gonna be okay"
i push him away lightly and sit back down on my seat. i place my hands over my face and cry into them. i just lost the love of my life. it's never going to be okay.
"daddy.." i stopped crying as i felt angelica's hand on my leg. i still had to tell her. i had to tell angelica that her mother didn't make it. that's what broke my heart the most. telling a little girl her mother won't be around anymore.
i bring my head up slowly and look at her. she looked worried and confused. "princess.." i whisper.
"daddy what's wrong? why are we at the hospital and why are you crying?" i looked down at her innocent face. i couldn't bring myself to do it, but i had to bring myself to do it.
"princess.. we're in the hospital because mark got hurt on his leg and your mom-" she frowned.
"will he be okay? will he be walking in crunches like you dadda?"
"yes princess he's okay." i nod. "maybe you can teach him how to walk step by step once he's out." i chuckled.
she giggled and nods. "i can do that!"
"what about mommy? where is she? is she okay?" she tilted her head curiously at me.
i frown. i look up at hunter and sophia who were standing in front of me. i took a glance around the room. everyone's eyes fell on me. i look back at angelica and took a deep breath.
"angelica.. your mother-" i stopped and sighed as i looked down. i felt a tear run down my cheek. it broke my heart to continue the sentence.
"angelica this isn't easy to say." i swallow the huge lump in my throat. she looked at me confused.
"your mother passed away princess. she- she's gone." i caress her cheek softly and look at her.
her pout fades away. she backed away from me slowly and shook her head. "no dadda, i saw her earlier today s-she was fi-fine."
i shook my head and pulled her close to me. i cupped her cheeks and stared into her eyes. she had rowan's eyes. "no princess, we lost her on our way here."
she shook her head again and fidgeted out of my grip before throwing her stuffie on the floor. "no she's not dead!" she screamed before running away.
i stood up abruptly but hunter stopped me. "i'll get her" sophia says before rushing after her.
i brush past hunter and kick the chair before walking away from everyone.
"joey!" i heard someone call out but i just ignored them and head outside.
i sit on the curb and bury my hands in my hair as i start to cry again. i have no idea how to handle this. how the hell am i suppose to live without the one person that meant so much to me.
i feel like i just lost a piece of myself. a piece i'll never get back, never.