Make You Feel My Love | Riff Lorton

Chapter 7

Luz walked me to Valentina's after telling her I couldn't stand to spend the night alone. I needed to see Tony. I needed to see the look on his face. He killed Bernardo. Bernardo was one of my closest friends.

Back on the island, he always looked after Anita and I. One time, a boy lifted my skirt up so Bernardo pushed him into a bush. The kid ended up okay, but I never forgot about him sticking up for me when I couldn't.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Luz asks me.

"Honestly, I don't know. But I know I'll be surrounded by loved ones so that will, in a way, help." I say. Luz nods, and kisses my forehead before I walk into the shop. The basement door opens and I see Valentina.

"Mija, are you okay?" She asks.

"Where's Tony?" I ask.

She sighs, "He's downstairs." I rush past her and go down the steps to see Tony sulking on his bed. His head in his hands, bruised up and a bloody lip.

"Tony..." I say. He looks up at me, and his face immediately falls.

"S-Selena, I'm so sor-"

I walk up to him and slap him. "No! You're not sorry! You killed him! Do you have any idea how Maria's feeling? He's not even my brother! But he's been in our lives everyday! Now what, Tony?"

"Selena he killed Riff!" Tony yells.

I pause, "W-Wait a minute. No...he wouldn't kill someone." Tears fill my eyes again.

"He stabbed him, and Riff died in my arms. He was best friend I just...I couldn't let Bernardo get away." He explains.

I feel my legs go weak, falling to the floor and sobbing uncontrollably. Tony wraps his arms around me, engulfing me in a hug as I heard him start to cry.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispers.

I can't say anything back. I just lay there and cry. Two important people in my life just died? What do I do now? What about the Jets and the Sharks. What about Maria and Anita?

What about me?

My breathing steadies and Tony let's go, looking at me to see if I was okay.

He sighs, "I gotta go see Maria. I have to. Stay here, and wait for me, alright?"

I nod, taking deep breaths to stop myself from crying as he grabs his jacket and walks back up the stairs. I follow and see Valentina pour herself some rum.

However, she sets the glass down and starts to cry. I walk up to her and hold her. She looks at me and tries to form a smile. She grabs my hands and kiss them.

"There's a place for us. Somewhere, a place for us. Peace and quiet and open air wait for us, somewhere."

Valentina sings as she walks over to the counter, stocked with bags and boxes of candy.

"There's a time for us. Someday, a time for us. Time together with time to spare. Time to learn, time to care."

She sits at a two seated table as I take a seat next to her. I listen to her sing as tears roll down my face.

"Someday, somewhere we'll find a new way of living. We'll find a way of forgiving somewhere."

I think back to all the times I could've spent talking to Riff instead of hating him, and giving him snarky comments. We could've been something really good. We could've been in love.

"There's a a place for us. A time and place for us. Hold my hand, and we're halfway there. Hold my hand and I'll take you there. Somehow. someday, somewhere"

Valentina finishes as I stand up and kiss her forehead.

"I've gotta go check on Anita. I'll be right back, I promise."

She nods, and I walk out the door, speed walking to their apartment. I don't want to be out here alone. I knew all Bernardo, Riff and Tony so I knew there was definitely a target on my back.

I see Anita in the distance standing by the doors of the apartment complex, crying.

"Anita!" I yell. She looks up at me and breaks down. I wrap my arms around her as she cries on me.

"I saw him. I saw him. They showed me his body. He's gone. He's dead." She sobbed unto my shoulder.

I held her, trying not to cry, "I know. I know. Shh. Come on, let's go upstairs."

She grabs my hand as we make our way up to her apartment. She puts in her as we walk in.

"Maria." Anita calls for her.

"Si, me acabo de despertar, salgo ahora." Maria says from her room. That's when I remember that Tony left to go see her, and he's still probably in there.

"Um, Anita, you should rest. You've been through a lot today." I say.

"How am I supposed to sleep?" She asks. I stay silent as she walks to Maria's room.

"Sal, mi amor, que tenemos que hablar." She says, reaching for the door know.

I watch as the door opens, revealing Tony and Maria standing by the window, looking at Anita in horror. Tony grabs his clothes and climbs down the escape lifts as Anita closes the window behind him.

She turns to me, "¿Sabías que estaba aquí?"

"I...Anita-" She raises her hand up and I stop talking.

She walks over to Maria, "Pero ¿qué es esto?"

"I love him." Maria says. Anita turns to Maria and slaps her. I gasp in surprise as Maria runs over to her mirror to see if she left a bruise.

I look at Anita and see her eyes change from sadness to anger, "Go. Go, before I do something I don't want to do."

I don't say anything and head straight to the door. I close it behind me and walk out the building. I see Tony walking to Valentina's.

"Tony!" I shout.

He turns around and holds his finger to his lips, "Geez, Sel. You can't shout my name like that. What's up?"

"Is Maria okay?" I ask.

"Yes. Yes, she's fine. But um..." He trails off.

I look at him in confusion, "What? Tony, what's going on?"

"Maria is uh...we're leaving the west side." He says.

My eyebrows knot together, "W-Wait what? What do you mean you're leaving?"

"Maria and me. We can't stay here. It's too much of a risk. I'm gonna find the money, and we're gonna take the next train out of here."

"What? So you're just gonna leave me? What about the Jets? What about the Sharks? They're still Maria's family and her enemies." I say.

"And we'll deal with the backlash when it happens but right now...we can't stay. I hope you understand." He says, walking away and leaving me in the street.

How the hell did all this happen?

And what am I gonna do?