Juliet Must Survive | 𝒂𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒚𝒂𝒉.

Chapter 15

"So I heard about your apartment," Tania sat next to Trish in her queen-sized bed, holding a pillow. "Must've been tough for you... Planning on looking for a new one anytime soon?"

Trish looked down while pursing her lips. "Don't know, I haven't thought about it much to be honest, too much stuff going on at the moment."

She appreciated her host for trying to make her feel safe and at home, but she couldn't completely open up to her. Never one to be shy, Trish still liked to maintain some sense of privacy, even if talking about it would probably be better than keeping everything inside herself.

"What about that boyfriend of yours?" Tania asked as she fluffed her pillow. "He can't let you stay with him for a little while? I'm sure he'd let you move in if you asked."

"Oh, I don't know about all that," Trish shook her head. "We've only known each other for like a month or so. I wouldn't want to move too fast, you know."

Tania let out a heavy sigh, leaning forwards putting her hand on her guest's shoulder. "Lemme tell you something, sweetie. I've had my fair share of men, seen 'em all, but the way that boy looks at you is something you don't find easily. Hell, you can go a lifetime without having someone stare at you the way your man does. I'm telling you, he's a keeper."

Trish slightly smiled at her, seeing how genuine Tania's words were. "Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, it's not like you have to, I'm just some girl in your investigation or whatever."

"You're a tough one," Tania chuckled. "You're like what, twenty-three? A young, independent woman trying to make something of herself in the world. Not wanting to be defined by who your dad is or what type of guy you're dating. You just wanna live your life. I get that."

Trish shook her head. "I was already living it. I had my own place, my own shop, my own car..."

"And you're still living it, hun," the agent nodded in agreement. "There are always gonna be hiccups along the way, but you gotta stay strong and stay hopeful for better days. At the end of the day, it all comes down to that. Hope."

"Hope doesn't guarantee anything," her guest frankly said. "It didn't save my brother, it never spared my feelings... But I just gotta put up with that?"

"Yeah," Tania softlh told her, "that's the scary part. Nothing's promised in life, but faith keeps us up and going every day. You gotta have faith, sweetie."

"What if faith screws me over again? I'm done losing people, losing everything. I- I don't wanna lose them. Not daddy... Not Han..."

"Pushing them away won't make the pain be any less painful if you do, honey. You've got to face it head on."

Trish's voice started to falter. "What if I'm too late? What if Han thinks I don't wanna be with him anymore?"

Tania frowned in confusion. "Now why the hell would he think that?"

"I think I might've messed up..." Trish avoided her gaze.

Tania let out a big yawn as she settled under the covers and pulled her sleeping mask on her eyes. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll work things out. That boy is devoted to you like a puppy to his new owner."

"Yeah, Han's a good guy," Trish concluded before pulling up the bedsheets.

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"Yo Dim Sum," Maurice whispered in the dark from the other side of the bed, "you awake?"

"Hmmm," Han groaned in response from the floor, "I am now."

"I can't sleep," his frenemy shifted uncomfortably on the bed, bumping Lee's elbow. "Mr. O' Day's gonna whoop my ass when I get back."

"Don't think about that right now, we have to get prepared for Cuba."

"That's the thing, though. I'm not going with y'all."

"Huh?" Han sat up on the sleeping bag Tania had provided him, rubbing his eyes open. "You're trippin', Mo. Of course you're coming."

Maurice knitted his eyebrows, even though he knew that Han wouldn't see in the dark. "You mean drop everything behind to risk my ass getting handed to? Sean and Tre finna kill me if I do."

"And I will if you don't. What's the matter with you?"

"There's just too much on the line for me, man. I don't think I can do this."

"You're not the only one with a lot to lose. I don't even have a passport, I left everything in China. Every day, I wonder if it's the day they're finally gonna catch me and send me back. I don't think I could escape this time if they did."

"Then you the crazy one for doing this anyways."

"Maybe, but at least I'll get answers out of it. About my father, for Po..."

"And then what? You'll just hide away in Oakland forever?"

"I don't know what comes next, but I'll do everything to stay here. I have to."

"Because of Trish?"

Han didn't respond, he just breathed in silence.

"What if... what if things don't work out with her, man?" Maurice tentatively asked, his voice softened with worry. "What's gonna happen to you?"

"I'd figure something out," Han sighed, then slightly chuckled, "probably becoming alcoholic along the way."

"But you couldn't stay here..."

"No, too many memories."

"So all of this..." Maurice looked around the darkened living room, "it's for her?"

Han laid back into his sleeping bag, eyes closed. "She's the only thing I have left."

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