Different Worlds (wlw) Editing

T W E N T Y - F O U R

I sat alone on my couch, deeply ruminative as I stared into oblivion.
Ever so often I'd get a grip of reality only to hear the tv humming away in the background, but it wasn't enough to help capture my attention.

My mind was caught up in a maze, as dozens of thoughts crossed. I still couldn't believe what had happened although I saw it for myself on the news. I couldn't have bared looking at it so as soon as the news anchor started talking about Matteo's death, I flicked the channel.
And now here I was, my thoughts far from me.

Each and every single thing that crossed my consciousness caused me to end up thinking about Raye somehow.
I was worried about her, but I knew I needed to keep my distance. She hadn't reached out since our conversation a bit before my shift ended and I decided to leave it at that.
She was going through a tough time and I knew she'd need her space, but I couldn't stop worrying about her and wondering how she was going to fix the mess that was made.

I didn't need the details but I was hoping and praying that she wouldn't turn to more violence, although it seemed like the solution. I needed her to be smart and handle Matteo's death and everything else that stemmed from what happened months to ago her to be unlike what people would expect. Unlike what her rivals were expecting, but a part of me knew she wouldn't.

To be imprudent was what she'd been bred for. To show no mercy and be the most ruthless leader was what had been instilled into her. The only fortunate thing about it all was that I've never seen her act that way, I've only heard of it.

I learned of her deed through Chris and strangers who had no idea that I was eavesdropping on their conversations but I was hoping she wouldn't be like that though I knew better.

I wanted her to be different, even if it meant sacrificing so much.

* *

I fell asleep sometime around eleven I assumed. I had spent so much of my time living in my head that I couldn't remember falling asleep, I just knew I woke up to the sound of the phone going off.

"Mm, what?" I asked my eyes still closed from the exhaustion I felt, but I knew where my phone was located next to me so there wasn't trouble to find it.

"Brienna, it's Chris I'm outside your apartment, can I come in?"
Chris questioned and I groaned.

"Dude, it's late what are you doing outside?"

"Just come to the door and I'll explain once I'm in,"

"Okay,"

That was all it took to be make me completely sober. I jumped out of bed with a speed I had no idea where it had been conjured from but I scurried out of my room and made for the door to my apartment blocking all of that out.

Chris was already standing there when I opened and the look he greeted me with was that of concern.

"What's wrong, it's after four in the morning, why are you here?" I asked ushering him inside and locking the door behind us.

"It's because of everything that's happening. That guy that worked for Raye and that kid they fucked up."

"Yeah, I know about that. I saw the news and Raye told me before anyway."

"That's not why I'm here Brie. I'm here to let you know what happened a few hours ago. That kid that was beaten by Raye's men, Sean. He's dead. They found him, bounded and with his throat slit just like that guy they found in the motel."

"What?" I frowned stepping back a little from the shock.

"My god!" I covered my lips with my fingers, staring at Chris who appeared deeply troubled.

"I know, it's getting bad out there," He replied and I moved away to walk across the living room, throwing myself into the couch.

"So they're targeting each other now as if it's a game?"

"That's how it is. Blood for blood but this time Raye and her guys made it very obvious. Two homicide in just twenty-four hours, even the police will start to see it as gang-related murders."

There wasn't anything I could've said but listen as Chris spoke. I was horrified to hear of someone else's demise due to the gang's rivalry. I was mostly perturbed knowing that Raye may have orchestrated it all. I wanted to believe it wasn't true but again I knew better.

"Why did you have to tell me?"
I questioned when Christopher had stopped talking and he looked at me and frowned.

"Because word on the street has it that.. that Raye was the one who did it herself. She didn't have the fellas do it, she did, that's the severity. For her to do something like that herself means that she was deeply affected and now she's on the road to revenge."

His words cut me like a knife. Hearing those words, in particular, made my stomach churn from fear. The thought of Raye killing someone made me feel uneasy, and some amount of bitterness.
She didn't have too but she did.
She could've waited and had someone else do it if it needed to be done that badly, but no, she did it.

"And how accurate are those words from the street is?"

"It's not always accurate but it could be. I know you may have a hard time digesting it but think of all the things you don't know about her Brie, it could be true and if it is a whole lot more of that is going to happen and I'm telling you this as a gang member more than a friend, you need to be careful. "

"I know," I started tersely.

"I don't think you do. These people target family, friends and love ones more than anything else. You're with Raye, and everyone who needs to know that already knows so you need to watch how you spend your time with her and where you go alone. I don't want you getting hurt Brie," Christopher said and I noted just how worked up he was about everything.

He was right though.

I knew I needed to be careful, I knew it.
I knew I shouldn't have given Raye the time of day, I knew I shouldn't have slept with her and I knew I shouldn't have fallen in love with her during all of it but I did. I did and now it was hard to see myself stopping all of it even when my life could be in danger.

If I were to tell people that I feared more for her than I did for myself, who would believe me? Better yet, what would they think of me?
Would they see me as weak or gullible, a crazy girl in love or just plain crazy?

Most people would want out after learning of all the violence and the dangerous lifestyle but I was afraid to want out. I knew if I did I would lose her too and that scared me the most.

At first, I would've been able to but now that I've gotten to see what Raye was like and how she made me feel, it was hard.

How could I walk away from that? Were my thoughts as I allowed Chris's words to sink deeper. I couldn't help but wonder about that part of the situation, leaving Raye because I was scared.

More thoughts started coming, like forget wondering how it would feel leaving her now, how could I have walked right into it from the start?

What happened?

A/n

Sorry that I've been slacking with the updates, I've just been exhausted lately but I will finish the story nonetheless.
Also, I hope the chapters don't suck that bad if it does my apologies :( It's hard to write when life's getting harder by the day.