Who Knows || Riff (West Side Story 2021)

Chapter 30

𝟼. 𝙵𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟿𝟻𝟽

     Being under the watchful eye of the Jets, Rose had become accustomed to spotting potential threats wherever she went. Of course, it was a constant problem as they had so many enemies. New ones were rising through the ranks all of the time.

     Personally, Rose rarely had runs ins. In fact, she'd only been approached twice in the time she'd known Riff.

     But things were changing beneath her.

     The Puerto Rican's had been around for a while, slowly migrating from the Southern Hemisphere. They'd never really broken through into the Everly girl's life, and so she didn't take notice. But now that she was with Riff, these things played on her mind more often than not.

    But it wasn't her safety she worried about. Rather, the Jets' instead.

    They were a second family to her, and to see something happen to them would break her heart. For now, Riff was forcing them away, but she could never know how long it would last.

𝟷𝟺. 𝙵𝚎𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟿𝟻𝟽

Valentine's was always a special day. Though it was mainly good for commercial purposes, Rose knew that she could use it to her own advantage some of the time.

Riff had stayed with her last night, and so, she had plans to surprise him at his trailer. She'd already picked up a whole ton of food so she could make them a nice meal. Presents were unnecessary- they always had been. But this was one thing she would never give up on.

As she wandered down the streets of Manhattan, there was a good feeling in the air. Maybe another holiday was just what everyone needed. Most certainly, she had needed it.

That was why she wasn't expecting it.

Everything had happened in such a hurry, she'd forgotten all of the things she'd been taught. Her self protection knowledge vanished.

A Puerto Rican had jumped her, his sole reason was her connection to the Jets. Bloody gashes and cuts laced her body. Embarrassment flooded her veins, and she raced towards his trailer, as fast as her legs would carry her. The red blood dripped down her face, mimicking the tears they rolled beside.

When she arrived, he wasn't there. So she waited.

Rose knew that she would happily wait years just to see his face- but this seemed to be something that couldn't wait. He needed be there.

Riff arrived back some time later, horrified by the sight of her face. She'd tried making dinner, but broke down in tears as soon as her boyfriend took one look at her.

There were very few times that Riff was gentle, but this was one of them. His hands were soft as he dabbed away the blood with a damp cloth. When his lips grazed her cheek, she managed a smile, and they lay down beside one another, forgetting all of the food Rose had brought over.

Her head rested on his chest, his fingers running through her long hair.

"Hey, look at me, Rosie?" He whispered, so she did. "No one's ever gonna hurt you again."

"You can't mean that, Riff."

"I do." He insisted, softly. "I promise."

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Disclaimer!!!
I do not own West Side Story or the characters originally from the book, play, or musical. I do not own Riff, or any events from the 2021 film that this book is based off. However, I do own Rose, her friends, family, and her relationship with Riff prior to the film.
All of this is purely fictional, anything that relates to real life is purely coincidence.