Stay With Me

17

Days pass and Alexei hasn't seen Mercedes not even one bit. He stopped by her house for the first three days but her grandmother told him that she wasn't home. During that time Alexei became angry. With no other way to release that anger, he became ruthless. One mistake was all it took for him to end someone's life.

His limp was almost gone and the pain wasn't as bad as it once was. But every night he made sure to text her. Text her how sorry he was and how much she meant to him. He truly didn't mean to hurt her. He just got so angry at her.

Their first fight ruined his relationship. He was in bed laying down as he look at the video she recorded of him cooking dinner for them. He skipped past the parts with him and only watch when she got in it. He zoom in on her and felt his shattered heart shatter even more.

When the video stops on her smile he stares at it. That's all he can do was stare as she looks up at him with some much love and admiration in the video. He never got the chance to tell her how much he love her. He wanted her to know that he was madly in love with her but he couldn't even see her.

The only one happy was his father. His father was almost proud of the outcome of the fight. Seeing Alexei being ruthless, not one bit remorseful, and deadly made him proud. And he knew it was all because he was away from the girl.

Alexei didn't talk to him when his father join him during errands. But he knew from Boris who accidentally told him that they got into a pretty bad argument and that she hadn't been around in days. Alexei barely slept with bags under his eyes and his beard growing out. He checked his phone for anything from Mercedes but it was just nothing.

His father told Alexei to get over it and that he was doing much better without Mercedes in his way. Alexei didn't care. He just wanted to come home with her waiting in his bed, with a smile that can light anyone's heart and hold him tight as she falls asleep on him.

But instead, he came home tonight. Empty and dark in a room with no one to be found. He goes to the drawers and was shocked to find them empty. Boris told him when he asked that she came by and took all her clothes that he didn't buy for her and left. Everything she bought over was now gone. Then he changed out of his clothes, took a shower, and got in his cold bed.

The only thing he had was the ring she bought for him for his birthday. He wondered if she still had hers. If she still wore hers as he did. His finger runs across her face before turning around on his side. He places his phone next to him and closes his eyes. Wishing to see her smile.

❍

"You look like shit," Simeon speak.

Adrik sends a punch to Simeon's arm as Damien rolls his eyes. Alexei take a shot of his liquor, he was now used to the sting on his throat.

"Well, we all have eyes. He looks like he has been in a train wreck." Simeon says to them.

"Shut up dumbass!" Damien and Adrik shout at him in unison.

Simeon waves them off as Alexei sits on the barstool. He grabs the bottle of liquor before taking a swig. Damien sighed as he snatches the bottle away.

"You're going to get alcohol poisoning idiot. I know you're going through a hard time with your father being here and Mercedes not talking to you but, I'm sure she'll come back." Damien assures him as he places the bottle on the bar counter.

"You don't know what I said to her, she'll be an idiot if she comes back to me." Alexei finally speaks back as he grabs the bottle from him.

"We all said something to our wives and girlfriends before. Fights are normal-"

"I should've told her the truth. I'm a fucking criminal that moved here to America to expand my illegal business of narcotics." He says before taking a sip.

"Okay, let me tell you the truth. She would've left either way." Simeon tells him.

"Simeon I'm going rip your tongue out," Adrik says gritting his teeth.

"Let's all be honest. Yes, we like Mercedes but she's going to be a fucking college graduate in a couple of weeks. She's a straight-A student, probably top of her class, and she's a fucking major in Nursing and minor in Sociology. She was a fucking virgin for crying out loud. And her best friend is her grandmother!" He shouts as he throws his hand up in the air dramatically.

"If you thought she was going to be completely okay with the fact you sold and make drugs and your family practically owns Russia, and we're in the Mafia then you're out of your mind. And let's say she somehow try to look past that, the following question would've been 'have you killed someone, and then she would leave with no hesitation." Simeon says sitting on the bar counter.

Damien let out a big breath.

"I hate to say it but Simeon is right. Realistically, you should have thought this out when you asked her out Alexei. Somewhere in the back of your head, you knew this would happen." Damien tells him.

"I did." Alexei mumbles. "I just didn't know it would hurt this much."