"Is this the place?"

A few days after I woke up, I was transferred out of the hospital into a rehab facility. It took almost a month of walking up and down the halls with a walker and two physical therapists at my side before I could finally walk on my own again. Well, with the help of a cane that is. Everyone told me I was lucky to be alive. A few millimeters to the right and the bullet would've hit my spine. Other than some nerve damage, they didn't think there would be any long lasting problems.

I hadn't seen a single bill the whole time I was in the hospital and rehab, and I had no doubt in my mind as to why. At first, I tried to forget him but I couldn't even if I wanted to. After hours of searching the internet, I finally found the one clue that led me here.

I looked out the window of the taxi. The building looked the same as the last time I was here. Elaborate storefront, long line of people trailing down the sidewalk. Gionno. I knew I wouldn't be able to find my way back home but this seemed like a good place to start.

"Yeah, this is it."

I slid out of the backseat of the cab, a constant ache still nestled in my chest, and handed the driver a wad of bills, courtesy of Jaime. I stared at the building, frozen to the pavement as the taxi drove off. The odds that Jaime would be here are slim, but someone in there must know how to get in touch with him. He was the owner after all.

Slowly, I made it up the stairs, ignoring the glares from the waiting customers. I paused at the top to catch my breath, clutching my aching side before I approached the host stand. I waited patiently for the lady behind the stand to acknowledge me. When she didn't, I cleared my throat and yet, she still ignored me. Biting my tongue, I tapped on the wooden host stand. "Excuse me?"

With a long sigh, she lifted her head, scanning my sweater and jeans with a disgusted look, eyes lingering on the cane in my hand. "Do you have a reservation?" I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes when she raised her perfectly plucked eyebrows.

"Uh, no. But-"

"We are booked full. Try again another night." She started typing away on the tiny screen embedded in the podium. This time I tapped on the screen. "Excuse me," I tried again. "I know the owner. I just need to talk-"

She cut me off again, huffing hot air out of her nose. "Everyone says they know the owner. No reservation, no service."

"I'm not here to-" She threw me a dirty look, and I pressed my lips into a hard line, knowing arguing with this lady will get me nowhere except maybe banned from the restaurant. I stalked off, ignoring the smug smiles of the eavesdropping onlookers in line. I clutched both my cane and the handrail for support as I descended the stairs. I was exhausted from the long car ride here and talking to that infuriating lady inside. All I wanted to do was lay down in a big, soft bed. My eyes caught a tall building a few blocks down that looked like a hotel. At a loss, I headed that direction and decided to figure out where to go from here after a nice, long nap. I've barely made it a block before a voice called out behind me.

"Ava?"

It can't be.

I spun around, taking a long time to process that the voice wasn't the one I wanted to hear. My eyes landed on Izaha and disappointment swept through me before I realized that it was Izaha standing in front of me. His face was ashen, as if he'd seen a ghost. Shock, confusion and then awe crossed his face as he stared at me. He was standing so still like he was afraid that I'd disappear at any second.

"Ava?" Izaha repeated, closing the distance between us. He moved as if to hug me, but stopped, arms frozen at his sides. His eyes locked on my cane before traveling back up to my face. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

"What happened to you? Last time I saw you, you were bleeding out in the backseat of a car. Everyone thought you were dead. Jaime told us you were dead. He hasn't been the same since." Izaha rattled off. I wasn't sure I'd ever heard so many words leave his mouth at once. My breath hitched at the mention of Jaime's name. I couldn't seem to find the words to explain to him what happened so I just shrugged instead. I wouldn't even know where to start.

When I could find my voice again, I choked out, "Can you take me to him?" He nodded mutely, leading me to where he was parked down the street. My entire body ached, it wasn't used to this much walking.

Izaha helped me into his car before getting into the driver's seat. He kept glancing over at me and I noticed his mouth open a few times but he always shut it seconds later. I wasn't sure I had the strength to hold a conversation anyway. I leaned my head against the window, watching the world pass by outside until the gentle rolling of the car lolled my eyes closed.

When I opened my eyes, we were passing through the front gates of the mansion. I bolted upright in my seat, a quiet panic working its way up inside of me. I started second guessing myself. What if Jaime didn't want to see me? My leg bounced nervously. Who knew the sight of one house could turn me into an emotional mess.

The car slowed to a stop at the front door. "He's probably still in his office."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. I turned in my seat and wrapped my arms around Izaha's neck, surprising him. "Thank you." I pulled away, sniffling, and Izaha gave me an encouraging nod. I took a deep breath and opened the car door.

There was no one inside when I walked in, empty and silent. I walked slowly in the direction of Jaime's office, my cane a dull thud against the carpet. After what felt like the longest walk of my life, I stood in front of a closed door. I raised my hand, softly rapping on the wood.

"Come in."