26| you

S E R I N E

"You?"

"It's me," I slightly smile. Not even knowing if he could see it through the darkness. "Why are we always meeting in the most unexpected places?"

"You tell me," he says and takes a seat next to me on the roof. "What's your name, again?" I put an emphasis on 'again' because I absolutely couldn't help it.  He seems taken back a bit. "I'm just kidding. I actually remember you, Louis," His about to say something and I remember.

"Oh right, Louis Enzo," There's something in his eyes once I say that. It even shocks me the amount of stuff I remembered. "Serine Santana,"

"Serine, or Rine. Santana is an absolute crime," I joke. "Oh definitely," he says and I gasp. "Hey!" I playfully hit him with my palm on his shoulder a bit. "What? You said it yourself," he grins.

It's then I realize, in the dark,  that this man is so good looking. He had a peach black trimmed beard that suited him perfectly. I could see the silver ring on his thumb. His dark hair suited him. I couldn't describe him any further because it was dark. "Is there a reason why you smoke?" I ask, hoping the question wasn't too deep. "Are you looking forward to lung cancer or something?"

"I was trying to stop," he responds. "Doesn't seem like it,"

"Instead of excuses, you should actually try doing something good,"

"I am apart of the F-"

"Which doesn't mean anything," I state my fact.

What good were they?

His about to say something but I hear a loud voice and bottle break. I almost thought I was hallucinating because there's no way I could hear anything. There was-- Oh, there was no music at still.

"I think something's happening,"  I shoot up to my feet. Literally, my bare feet. My shoes were still off. "I'll go with you, it might be something serious,"

"Only if you drop that cigarette,"

The next words he says almost make me stop in my tracks. "Only for you," Almost.

"Hey Serine, you forgot your-"

I couldn't hear him because I'd already walked off.

**

We walk in together and it was the opposite of what I had left it in here. There was no music at all, there were no people singing, nobody was dancing.

What was going on here?

"Okay can someone put the music back on? We didn't come here for a family reunion,"

Family reunion?

And just like that, everyone was back to dancing once the music hit. Where was Nina? Levine?

I scroll through my phone, about to call her when I hear voice. "Whoa, watch it Santana,"

"It's Serine," I reiterate but when I look up, I look up to completely different orbs. The silver ones pierce into me and I don't know why it's so intense.

It's almost like a glare. Alexander averts his gaze away from me, to my hand. Which was covered with another man's hand.

"You couldn't wait, now could you?"

"I don't owe you any explana-"

"Just like your father, you went running to the first person you-" I slapped him.

Before he could continue I made sure I sent him a hard slap. One he deserved and more. "You don't get to tell me any of this! I suffered because of you, I went to jail because of you, I lost my Goddamn relationship because of YOU! You Alexander, and you can't do me a simple favor of disappearing? Leaving me alone? I don't want you in my life. I hate you Alexander McCann, I hate you!"

"You wish you did. You so wish you hated me,"

"Quit being so in denial! I no longer love you. And maybe it took me time, but I can finally say it without having to feel like I'm lying. It made me sick, that when you came back, a portion of those feeling did too. But I guess it was what  I needed to move on completely. To move on! From a  person who made me so unhappy, you made me miserable!"  I yell out in pain. "You played a part in taking my sister away, the person who I considered family cause I never had one! The one I never had.. traitor. You took that away from me and you still say you love me? Give me fucking break, Alexander. You wouldn't hurt someone you really loved, that'd hurt you. But look at you, standing tall, no regrets but you're torn inside.  "

"Erase me, while you're at it. Because I, I already have." And with that, I had my closure.

I was done feeling anything for him. Whether it was having him in my proximity, it didn't matter. The heart flutters, butterflies, shivers, gone. I'm upset it took me this long but I had accepted it. There was no use in me being upset with myself.

***

L E V I N E

"Everything has an expiration date,"

"Amen to that," I appear from behind. "Baby girl, what you said out there, was so powerful," I tell her. "It was, it made me realize a couple of things. Not only romantically, but in a platonic way too."

"Amen,"

"Oh and they say, 'All good boys go to heaven, but bad boys bring heaven to you',"

"And that would be our third amen?"

"Let's make a toast," I say. "To what though?" Nina asks. "In with the new and out with the old?"

"Cheers,"

"I think it's smart to have her on our side,"

"Who?" We both ask simultaneously.

"Okay, that came out wrong," Serine says. "Kelly, I think? She's... changed. I mean, I know we won't be the best of friends but I feel like we're going to see more of her,"

"Is that good or bad?"

"It's... good,"

"That's betrayal! I never forget betrayal,"

"Fuck," I mutter. "What's going on?" Serine pulls her brows together. "Brandon decided to come tonight out of all nights, and David obviously saw him." Serine's jaw drops. "Let's go. Those two will end up killing each other," She gets up.

And she wasn't lying.

***

"Hey babe," I turn around and see a huge grin plastered on his face. "David?" I look at him. "What the hell, you scared the shit out of me. Do you see how dark it is and we're-"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," he chuckles. I roll my eyes and he brings me closer to his chest. His hands cup my cheek and I instantly feel a little calmer.

"For fucks sake, leave me the hell alone!" Within a blink of an eye, I see Alex has Nina trapped. A gun pointed to her  temple.

It was like Déjá vú.

"Take me, Alexander don't break my hear-"

"You already broke mine!"

"I can mend it," Serine tries convincing him.  "As long as you let her go- please. Take me. I'm here! I'm right here,"

No.

"Serine, don't do this," I say. "Shut up!" Alexander glares at me. "Alex," she cries. "Look at me, I'm right here. No one's going to do anything. Just take me and let her go,"

"No," My heart sinks. "I know you all too well already,"

"Alexander, please." She pleas. "You're killing me, Alex. You're hurting me! Is that you want? Huh? Tell me is that what you want?"

Before I can even blink my tears out, somebody hits him from the back. The gun slips out of his hand and the person goes to reach for it. He trips and Nina attempts to kick him but fails. She squirms on the floor. David runs but I hear a gunshot.

No.

Every thing was like slow motion.

He falls down and my heart drops. "NO!" I run to where his at but another gunshot stops me. Luckily it's to the sky. "One move and I will kill him,"

"You got some fighters of friends," he states. "but only I can win," there's an evil smug on his now bleeding lip.

He twirled his wrist before pointing the gun straight to Serine who is frozen on her spot. "I would've done anything for you! I loved you, I still love you,"

"How could you have forgotten me so fast? Huh?" he questions. "With Angelo it took a few months, and the other one? It only took a few minutes?"

"Why?" His voice comes out hoarse. There's genuine pain in his words. He then points the gun to me. "Alexander, no."

"I can take it Serine,"

"No you can't!"

"Serine," I say lowly. "Levine, stop!" Alex sets the gun up, about to pull the trigger and I wait for it. I land on the floor harshly. With no gun shot-  once I open my eyes, I see David on top of me.

Wait-

But I still hear a gunshots..

My heart stops.

I see the body lying on the floor and my heart aches. "Serine?" I crawl to her. She lied unconscious, her eyes closed. That was all I could see.

"No, no, no, no! NO! Not you too!" I cry.

"YOU KILLED HER! You bastard, you murderer!" I shout, tears rolling down my cheeks. "Serine," he whispers. He seems to have regret it but I don't care.

"See what you've done? Look at her! She's not breathing. And it's all because of you! YOU!" I can't stop shouting. "Come on, sis. Wake up for me, for me. Please, please don't leave me,"

I hear the ambulance but I don't dare move away.

The medics come running, arms rap around me as I watch. I watch them try to save her.

Is this how she felt when she saw Sarah die? Is this how she felt.

Yelling at the  medics, making sure she remained alive?

She went through this- this type of pain?

"It's too late," I freeze. "No it can't be," I hear somebody else. He drops to his knees, he was the guy. The guy that came in with her.

"I'm so sorry,"  Alexander mutters, watching her lifeless body.

And with that, he held the gun to his head, and shot himself.

Pain was all I felt.

And all I'd ever feel.