Chapter 2 - second chance??
Romeo came down from the pit of the Basement were all the fights were happening, the noise had been deafening. He hadn't been fighting tonight. But he was up tomorrow, so he had thought he should check out the competition.
Most of the fighters were burly young men in there 20, real heavy weights on steroids. Romeo was aware of the fact that compared to the other fighters he must look like a pathetic weak little boy, and he was planning on using that to his advantage.
He walked down the damp and poorly lit corridor round to the back of the underground. The air inside the club was filled with the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. He was basking in his own sweat. His damp clothes stuck to his torso, and he smelled of stale brandy.
He walked through the lounge area, half naked women were all around him. strippers and prostitutes, offering themselves up to him. But he wasn't in the mood for it tonight.
Across the room he saw Blake with a blond chick in his lap, she was rubbing her chest on him. Romeo tried to ignore this, as he went over to them.
The blond motioned towards Romeo as he came towards them so that Blake looked up.
"well, what'd u think? Ready for tomorrow night" he asked as Romeo came and sat opposite him on the large black leather couch.
"yeah, im good"
Blake and Romeo had known each other for 4 yrs, since they were cell mates; he had understood all the shit with Alison and his guilt. Blake had got out a few weeks before Romeo. Knowing that he had nowhere to go, Blake had offered him this place "its no haven , but its an upgrade from this shit hole for sure" he had said
Romeo had gratefully accepted since he wasn't really in a position to complain, and despite the fact that he now lived under a fight club he liked it. It suited him..
"good, good. So listen," Blake gestured to the room around him clumsily "anything you want, you take. What's mine is now yours"
Blake is either drunk or stoned, thought Romeo, most likely both.
Blake was the fight planner, he owned the place with his brothers. Family business he called it; since they were all involved in the mafia.
"thanks, but im just gonna go down"
"you sure you don't want any" said the blond girl turning to face him.
Romeo thought he recognised her from school. He felt a little shocked. Although Romeo hadn't been in this part of the country long, he got the feeling that the Braxton falls locals looked down on people form the lower sect downtown. he doubted that Blake would know the real age of this girl
"I'll take you" he said. Flashing her a brief crooked smile, the one most girls found irresistible. momentarily the girl was flustered.
Blake was shaking with laughter as he pushed the girl out of his lap, violently on to the floor.
" she's yours. take her, have fun" he said, looking at her pointedly.
Romeo didn't wait for the girl to get up. He headed towards the door behind the bar. He waited for the girl there. She wouldn't know were to go to next because this was restricted access.
As soon as she was through, he led her to the left and walked down another series of dimly lit corridors and private rooms.
Finally they came up to a large wooden door. Romeo pushed the door open that led outside. She looks confused, Romeo acknowledged in sympathy. Acts of kindness must be foreign to her, he thought, she must think im gonna bang her in a grotty alleyway and leave her there.
Romeo led her outside and around to the front. He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and turned to hand it to her.
" its not much, but it should get you home and keep you going for a few days. Are you gonna be okay or do you want me to stay while you can catch a cab" he said.
Braxton falls a was a classy little town, but this place was close to the outskirts of New York so triads and mafia gangs patrolled the place looking for innocent victims and gang wars.
The blond girl raised her blue eyes to meet his, wide eyed and surprised. She was incapable of speech for a few minutes.
"th-thank you" she stammered " b-but Blake-"
"you wont get in trouble, don't worry" Romeo said to reassure her.
She grabbed the money and took off.
Romeo watched her go, then turned to go himself. He had wanted to tell her to stay away from this place. But why? if he did that she would only go somewhere else. At least he could keep an eye on her here.
He didn't re-enter the building, instead he took the side entrance that went straight to his basement apartment.
He walked in through the door and flipped the switch with his elbow on his way. The fire place was still dimly lit and his dog was a small heap of fur in front of it.
Despite the fact that Romeo lived under a street fighting arena, the apartment was silent. If it wasn't underground and in the seedy part of town this place would have cost the bill, he thought looking around him.
He walked into the bedroom and stripped his clothes off, before climbing in between the soft satin sheets.
It was no haven, as Blake put it, but I was damn nice, Thought Romeo.
He curled into the soft mattress, laying on his back with one arm behind his head and thought of the girl he'd met at school earlier on, on his first day to Jefferson high.
I cant believe it, he thought, that girl. That beautiful girl, with the crowd of giggling silly cheerleader types..... For a minute I thought she was Alison. Same golden brown hair. Same big amber brown eyes. He could see there colour even from were he stood, they were like pools of golden syrup.
And the way she looked at me, he thought, like she recognised me too, I could almost swear that she could.
But she wasn't Alison was she.
Alison was ...gone.
Later when the bell had rung for class she'd drawn a breath and turned away. That faint flush on her cheeks, and the way that her pulse fluttered in her throat like a butterfly in the hallow of her beautiful throat, had given her away. Such a turn on, she was interested and afraid of him.
Her creamy skinned little throat, her skin would feel like silk. He imagined touching her. He groaned and turned on his side. He wanted her here with him.
NO! he cautioned himself. Not yet. I rushed last time .. And look what happened. Beside's the girl was just a look alike, it wasn't Alice, and I wont let myself shame her memories by hooking up with some pampered princess. I wont. I couldn't
Romeo had always liked slender girls, he liked being able to take care of them; but he wasn't always dependable.
"Isabelle" he said out loud, he liked the sound of it. She was slim and willowy like a princess, just like Alison. And she had that same proud grace of moving her pretty little body around, like a ballerina .
He frowned.
But she's not Alison, he told himself, I gotta stop looking for her in every face I see, that part of my life is over. And haven't I paid a high enough price for it. 4 yrs. And the terrible loneliness of knowing that I had to spend a lifetime without her.
But.....that girl. That girl with the amber eyes....
Am I being given a second chance??
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vot and comment, its not as long as the other one but i thought this was were the story should naturally end for now.
anyway
tell me what you likedabout an what u hated about it, and whta you wud like to see in it.
thnk you
xoxo
