CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR-REALITY & NARRATOR

PICKING THE PIECES

"Real listen up, are you just gonna leave like this, as you did last time?!" Milan yells as he follows behind me in the dark night with street lights illuminating all over the dark blue sky.

Milan is correct, for how long will I continue doing this, when will the right time ever come. I stop and just stand with my heart heavy as a rock. I fail to hold my emotions and tears just come flowing faster than the Mississippi.

"Fine, you really wanna know?" I say turning to Milan.

"Then listen, when I was twelve, I watched my father murder my mothers in front of me." I say and Milan just stands like a rock. He's never been the one to show express emotions anyway.

"I was there, Lan, and since then I always had these of her. Doctors called it a psychological trauma and yet everyone at home called it craziness. They all thought I was mad. I overcame it after meeting this lady in Louisiana."

"What'd she tell you?"

"She told me to write letters to her because I couldn't stop blaming myself and it really helped. Though I still have the nightmares from time to time. People just think I'm mad, but this is just me. you tell me what you think, do you also think I'm mad?"

"No, not in a million years would I think that. Come here." Milan says as he opens his arms to me. I go close to him and he wraps me in a warm hug and I just start sobbing.

"Lan, he killed my mom in front of my eyes, he-"

"It's okay, I got you." Lan says as he runs his hand across my back.

"He, he's gonna kill her too." I tell him.

"Relax Real, relax, I'm here." He says.

I cry on his shoulders for some time and he offers me a hank. I use it to wipe my eyes and I feel that I don't look so good. Lan holds my hand and looks me straight in the eye.

"I won't let you go anywhere alone." He says.

"It's okay if you don't wanna hang anymore." I tell him.

"I'm not that type of guy alright, come on. I'm much better than that. I'm someone you can trust with anything." He says and looking him straight in the eye, I can feel the sincerity in his words. I just hug him again.

Okay, so this is what happened on that night. After and I and Lan had the night of our lives, not like he was the first or I was his first, but it just felt special. I didn't want to leave him in that way, I liked him so much to just leave him like that; but I got a text from Taylor telling me he got us a lawyer and reopened the case. I thought if I managed to put my mom in jail then her spirit would finally rest in peace.

I didn't want to disturb Milan, that's why I just left without even telling him. I wasn't ready to answer any questions or explain the story to him. I and Taylor went to London and I met my siblings who haven't changed one bit also the reason I still couldn't bond with them. We lost the case and I was just going through it, so I couldn't reply to any of Lan's texts because I switched cards and I was so ashamed that I failed to put my mom's murder behind bars. The last solution is to wait till I'm eighteen and reappeal at the supreme court.

Fast forward to today, I just landed and thought of speaking to Lan and telling him to meet me; I thought he wasn't going to show up but he did. He looks even better and I explain the entire story to him and he understands, thankfully. He tells me that he's not letting me go anywhere alone and asks me to come with him to his home, I ask him if his parents will not be mad at me or say anything and he tells me they won't and that I should just trust him. I fix my face first in the ladies' room and join him.

It's a quite journey and I ask Lan if I didn't coz any trouble and he tells me that not really. Once he pulls over on the driveway, he helps me out the jeep and the I pull my dress down since it's bubblegum like and has a front sleet. He holds out his hand to me and I put my hand on his and our hands interlock and we walk side to side into the house and I feel kind of nervous, every step just makes it worse. As we reach on the front door, Lan rings the door bell making me more nervous. The door cracks open and Misha comes to the door smiling.

"Oh, Milan baby, you're already back. Didn't enjoy the party?" she asks.

"I guess, look who I've brought." He says bringing me to the door. Misha looks at me like she's just seen a ghost, her mouth wide open with her hand to her mouth.

"Oh my God, Real!" Misha exclaims pulling me into a hug.

"It's been so long since you visited. I just wish I knew you were gonna visit, maybe I- "Misha starts and Alejandro cuts her midsentence.

"Honey, who's-" Alejandro stops as soon as he spots me.

"Real, you? it's been so long since you visited."

"That's exactly what I was telling her." Misha says.

"A lot has happened." He says and it scares me.

"I wasn't gonna continue like that. Come on inside." Misha says.

We get inside and I'm still trying to process what Alejandro said. We seat in the living room and I seat on a chair with Lan and Misha seats on the other with Alejandro seating on the arm of her chair. And they ask me how I am and I tell them fine; I ask how they've all been.

"We've been okay too." Misha says.

"At least some of us." Alejandro says.

"Hey." Misha hits Alejandro on the arm as if to stop him from exposing a top secret which just makes me suspicious.

"What, I gotta be honest because someone isn't fair with himself." He says.

"This is enough. Real, wanna go upstairs?" Milan says looking at me. I just feel confused, I look at Misha and she nodes in acceptance and we go upstairs.

NARRATOR'S P. O. V.

Meanwhile in the living room; Misha and Alejandro start discussing.

"Do you have to ruin everything?" Misha asks looking at Alejandro.

"I just wanted to be honest. Maybe she can help."

"Well, it's up to him to decide whether to tell her or not. Do you even remember how many people didn't wanna hang because of that?" Misha asks.

"Well, if they are going to stay in his life then they have to know his flaws." Alejandro says.

"You're not helping."

"Didn't think I was."

"Then you gotta start now because Real is the girl who will fix your messed up son." Misha explains.

"Right." Alejandro nodes.

"Then don't take the risk again." Misha says.

"Come here." Alejandro wraps his wife into a warm hug; just happy that his wife is no longer sad and doesn't have to cry herself to bed every night anymore.

REALITY'S P. O. V.

Milan takes me to his room and he starts asking me questions about my family and I tell him everything about my siblings; father and how my mother died. He asks me how the court hearing went and I tell him the truth that it wasn't in our favor. He tells me what a strong girl I am and tells me his dad being a detective can actually help me, but I refuse and he keeps insisting. We go down for dinner.

"Tomorrow, I have a game, semifinals. Will you attend?" Milan asks.

"Umm-"

"Yes? Thank you." Milan cuts me.

"But I didn't even agree." I say.

"Umm, excuse me Real, can I speak to you for a second?" Misha says.

"Sure." I say as I go to the side with Misha.

"Listen, we really appreciate your visit and your choice to still hang with Milan." There it goes; I'm guessing this will be the end of the road with Milan.

"H-have I done anything wrong?" I ask, confused.

"No, you haven't done anything wrong. I just wanted to ask if it would be possible to stay the night." Misha says; oh damn, I didn't see that coming.

"Spend the night here?" I ask confused as I narrow my eyes.

"Yes, please say yes." Misha says looking so desperate. I divert my version to Milan and he is unbothered on the dinning table.

"I don't think that's what he'd want." I tell her as I look at Milan.

"That's exactly what he wants." Misha says and Alejandro tells me please, so I agree. I go back to the table and Milan asks what I was discussing with the other two and I tell him the entire story.

"Damn." Milan replies.

"I mean, it's okay if you want me to go." I say.

"That's not what I meant, I was just kinda mad at myself; like why didn't I think of that?"

Milan escorts me home to get my changing clothes.

SATURDAY

I've decided to leave soon after the game. I, Misha and Alejandro seat on the front roll with the others and it's five minutes to the game. My phone beeps and lights up; it's a text from Milan. I open it.

Milan

Meet me in the hallway.

I look at both Misha and Alejandro who seem to be enjoying themselves. I excuse myself and Misha tells me to be quick as the game starts in five minutes. I smile and node at her and put my phone in my back pocket. I'm wearing a short sleeved purple hoodie crop top and jeans. I walk to the hallway and start looking around and finally see him in his purple and black basketball attire, purple and black gloves and a band.

"Why did you call me down here?" I ask.

He pushes me against the wall and gives me a gentle kiss, I kiss back of course and it feels nice.

"Just wanted to meet my lucky charm before the game starts." He says.

"It's bad luck to, meet my lucky charm before the game." He says.

"It's bad luck to meet a girl before a game." I tease.

"I don't fuckin' care." He says as he comes close to my ear and whispers:

"I love you." I look at him and he's smiling at me. my heart starts pounding fast.

"What?" I ask confused. How can this be?

"I know what you must be thinking that this is so soon, but I really mean it." he says as he pushes a strand of hair from my face.

"Won't you at least say you love me back?" he asks holding me.

"Umm…." I say as I find the right words to say.

"It's okay if you don't love me back."

"It's just that that's a really strong word."

"I understand." He says, disappointment written all over his face as he looks down and I feel bad. The announcement is made for the players to go and slowly letting my hand go, he tells me he has to go and I tell him all the best as my hand and his slide against each other going our separate ways.

I go back to Misha and Alejandro and the whistle goes and the game begins. I'm now feeling nervous and guilty. The first half goes and Lan is really doing a great job until the second half when he starts missing his target. I've heard Milan never and has ever missed a target during a game, he's that good. But there's a first time for everything, but a third and fourth time?

Misha and Alejandro start freaking out. Milan violently pushes one of his teammates to the ground; it's Troy. Everyone in the stadium gets up to see him and the crowd becomes messed up. It turns into a fight; I've never seen Milan this violent before. Meanwhile Troy tries to protect himself. All the posters are dropped to the ground and some broken.

"Milan's not okay." Misha says her eyes full of tears.

"I think so too. Come on, Real, we have to go." Alejandro says as he holds Misha and I was as I look back at Milan, he's getting more violet by the minute. What is going on, is this because of me?