Wicked Company

Chapter Thirteen

~ Two weeks later ~

"Ugh, Zio, he's driving me nuts! He's a sarcastic dick and then he does something sweet and then it's like he snaps back and he's an even bigger dick afterwards. It's obnoxious!"

I threw my hands up and let them fall, grabbing a slice of pizza and attempting to devour my troubles along with it. The cemetery was quiet, silent even, as it always seemed to be. Cars passed by in the distance, people going on with their daily lives when I felt stuck in my own.

I sat in solemn tranquility next to my uncle's grave, a calm and peace washing over me for the first time in the months since his death. When I was finished eating, my eyes focused on the headstone in front of me.

Mario Aloisio. A warrior.

"I'm almost done with them, Zio. Almost. And then he'll pay for what he did to you. He'll pay."

A bright reflection suddenly caught my eye under the shine of the sun above, but I tried to keep my attention on my uncle.

"I miss you. I-" another blinding gleam. I squinted against it, shielding my eyes. Getting irritated. I stood, patting my uncle's headstone and leaving his pizza slice on the plate at the base. "Buon compleanno, Zio." (Happy birthday, Uncle.)

I made my way slowly to the culprit that caused the reflection. A ruined pack of Oreos sat at the base of a headstone, the cookies gone from nighttime critters. I smiled softly to myself, knowing the person buried was well loved, even in death, but frowned for the family they'd left behind, knowing the pain all too well.

I glanced at the name, wiping a new vine attempting to grow away from it.

Lauren Ellis. Loving wife and daughter.
I'll see you when I see you.

A shiver ran through me, though I couldn't figure out why. Taking it as a sign to leave, I patted the top of her headstone as I had done for my uncle and slowly made my way back to the street.

A funeral procession slowly made its way past me as I walked, stopping just beyond my place on the path. To my surprise, Sasha stepped out of the limo with tears bubbling in her eyes, hugging a crying redhead to her side.

"Sash?"

She froze, letting the other woman go and staring wide-eyed over at me. "Dani?"

"I'm sorry for whoever you lost."

Her eyes turned hard, menacing. "My girlfriend lost her dad. I'm here for support."

I nodded, smiling softly, completely ignoring her volatile tone. "I'm sorry for her loss. Says a lot though that you're here for her."

I turned to keep walking, but Sasha called out again. "I would've been there for you too, you know. It's your fault I'm not. You wouldn't let me in."

I nodded slowly without acknowledging her, knowing it wasn't the place for a fight, but also forced to remember the pain I was in when I lost my uncle. It had never been my intention to hurt her or anyone else, but at least I'd never lied. I had to hold onto that. Her words were those of a broken-hearted woman and not her true self. So I kept walking, making sure to forget her harsh jabs and instead remembering her as the friend she had once been, but knowing that even that friend was meant to be left in my past.

I turned my head for a moment to see her once again hugging the redhead, happy for her in her new relationship, but I couldn't help but feel a snag of jealousy run through me.

Walking to the shop slowly, dragging my feet, I tapped on the half empty pizza box in my hand, wondering how some people could give their heart away so easily, so willingly, when to me, it seemed like the most impossible task.