Gangster's Paradise // Rio (Good Girls)

28.can't just leave

Emma smiled happily at Isla and Axel as they stood in Axel's living room. "We did it! We got all the money!" Emma exclaimed, her excitement evident in her voice. "Now this can finally end. We don't have to deal with it anymore!"

Axel, visibly relieved, sat down on the couch. "Thank God! These last two months have been a headache trying to get that money."

Isla, although eager for the money situation to be resolved, couldn't help but feel a tinge of nervousness. "So, it's going to happen tonight?" she asked tentatively as she slowly sat down in the chair next to her. "And then it'll be over? Just like that?"

Axel nodded. "Yep, I'll handle it on my own," he replied, throwing a stern glare over at Emma, who looked down guiltily. "And then that'll be it."

Emma, trying to lighten the mood, grabbed three glasses and a bottle, pouring each of them a drink. "Well, we might as well drink to this," she suggested, handing the glasses to Isla and Axel. Sensing the tension in the room, she hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "There's something I want to tell you guys," she said nervously, rubbing her lips together.

"Levi got a job," Emma said with a smile as she looked at Isla and Axel.

"That's great, Emma!" Isla exclaimed, taking a sip from her glass.

"Yeah, it really is. There's just one problem," Emma said, swallowing hard. "It's 15 hours away from here." Isla's smile faded slightly as she took another gulp of her drink.

"Fifteen hours away?" Axel said, looking at her with slightly wide eyes. "You're going to move 15 hours away? How the hell are we going to see you?"

"Well, we've talked about it a lot, and we think it's what's best," Emma explained. "Of course, it will be after the wedding, and I'll come back every holiday to see you guys."

"Well, a lot of big changes, a lot of big news have been dropped lately. This is... This is a lot to take in," Isla said, her voice tinged with concern. "Emma, 15 hours is a long way away."

"Yeah, and with Izzy's busy schedule and me being a newlywed," Axel added, his tone filled with worry. "How are we going to find time to go 15 hours away to see you?"

"I mean, don't get me wrong, Emma. I'm ecstatic for you. I'm glad you got this opportunity, but..." Axel started to express his concerns but then stopped himself. "You know what? If you're happy, I'm happy, right?" He looked over at Isla, who nodded in agreement.

"Well, I'm happy for both of you," Isla said, standing up and placing her glass down on the table. "But I think I'm going to get going. I'm going to grab some food on the way home. I'm starving. I'll see you guys later." She hugged both of them before walking towards the door. Isla didn't mean to be a buzzkill on Emma's happy news, but so many things had changed so fast. From catching Mason cheating to divorcing him, meeting Rio, owing him money, and now getting involved with him—it was all happening so quickly, faster than she could comprehend. She needed a quiet night to think and rest, to process everything that had been going on.

When Isla pulled into her driveway, she reached over and grabbed her Chinese food, eagerly anticipating her meal. Jumping out of the car, she walked into the house, a huff escaping her lips as she glanced at the clock on the wall—it read 8:30. Isla placed everything down on the kitchen counter and proceeded to retrieve a wine glass and a bottle of wine from the cabinet. With her food, wine, and glass in hand, she made her way to the living room, where she turned on a show to accompany her meal.

After finishing her food, Isla laid back on the couch, allowing herself to relax into its comfort. Gradually, sleep gently overcame her, and she drifted off.

Suddenly, Isla was jerked out of her peaceful slumber by a knock on the door. She sat up, rubbing her tired eyes, and glanced at her phone. The time read 12:30. She furrowed her eyebrows, puzzled by the late-night visitor. Slowly making her way to the door, Isla peered through the peephole and saw Rio standing outside.

"Since when do you knock?" Isla said as she opened the door, allowing Rio to enter. She walked back to the living room, picking up the trash and the wine glass along the way, and made her way to the kitchen to put everything away.

"Your brother gave me my money tonight," Rio said, and Isla nodded in response, her attention fully focused on him. "So, where does that leave us?" he asked, causing Isla to pause what she was doing and turn to face him.

"What do you mean, where does that leave us?" Isla's voice carried a hint of panic as the thought of him leaving crossed her mind. "It leaves us exactly where we are right now. Our relationship, or whatever this is, had nothing to do with the money they owed you," she said, her voice filled with a mix of panic and frustration.

"Isla," Rio tried to interject, but she continued to talk over him, unable to contain her emotions.

"What? Are you just going to leave? You can't just leave me, Rio. You can't just..." Isla's voice trailed off as she looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes. She blinked them away, desperately trying to keep them from falling. "Are... Are you leaving?"

"...No," Rio replied, and Isla let out a breath of relief, her body relaxing as she leaned back against the counter. He slowly made his way over to her, gently moving a strand of hair out of her face as he leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer as she kissed him back and then pulled him into a tight hug. "Let's go upstairs," Rio whispered, his lips brushing against her neck. Isla closed her eyes, savoring the sensation of his warm lips against her skin. With a slow nod, she released her hold on him, taking his hand in hers. They walked together, hand in hand, up to her room, anticipation and desire building between them.