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Bailey's POV:

I hear her scoff as she lifts her head, "I know it's hard to believe. It's nothing like your books, not everyone in the mafia is born money rich or insanely hot but your books do get something right, there's a lot of death." She pulls out her wallet and hands me a picture of young her with Sage in front of a large manor.

"That was our first day with the Angellos, they're basically the top people with the power over everyone. My brother owed them a favor for doing him a favor that resulted in us joining them. I obviously didn't get a choice but I'd follow my brother into hell if I had to." She pulls her knees to her chest and hugs them.

"Why didn't you have a choice?" I asked still looking at the photo, "Because, one I didn't know what was actually happening, and two I was what thirteen maybe not even that when it happened. It was quick and frankly, I think I blocked out the day it happened. Sage and I were just biking needing to get something from the store I think then all of the sudden we were attacked or something I don't know." She explains then lets out a deep sigh.

I hand the photo back and she grips it between her fingers, "Can't you leave the mafia?" I let out a scoff that sounded like a stupid laugh, "What?" She looks at me confused, "I'm sorry it's just you being in the mafia and the mafia actually existing is hard to, um, grasp. I've read about murder in the mafia, betrayal, sex you know stuff that makes it like a fantasy." I lean against the wall feeling a chill run through my body.

"It's not a fantasy. When you saw me all beat up from a delivery. We were jumped when trying to deal a large amount of money. Our location somehow got into some guy's hands and he got a group of buff dudes that managed to beat the living crap out of us but we managed. All of the boxes you saw in my house. Those were filled with weapons, money, drugs and so on." She suddenly stands up making me jump.

"This mafia stuff isn't a fantasy and never will be, you betray you get killed, you do something wrong there's a punishment. There's no room for mistakes or wasted time, I wish I wasn't a part of the mafia, there are too many things that I wish I didn't see or experience, and what's worse about it all is that they follow you, they have eyes everywhere without you knowing till they show you and now they've been following you too." She turns her back to me after her little rant.

Rant? That isn't the right word, please universe help me out here. "What do you mean they've been following me?" I ask before glancing around the area, is anyone watching us now? Watching me? "Anyone who has been in contact with us or anyone in the mafia gets followed to see what they know. Ever since we hung out they've been watching us, when we spray painted and Mr. John's pool." She stays looking away from me.

"I don't understand, they've been watching me. Why? I really don't understand and it almost makes me not want to believe you at all. Were you going to tell me that we were being watched?" I jump onto my feet and I place my hand on her shoulder forcing her to turn around.

She spins in front of me but doesn't say anything. "Were you ever going to tell me that I was being watched? Skylar?!" I raise my voice, everything I've been doing, at school or at home? They knew what Skylar has done for me, whoever 'they' are. I hear my heart beat through my ears.

"No." She mumbles looking at the ground. "No? You were just going to leave me in the dark about being watched by the mafia?!" I pinch her chin tilting her head but her eyes drift in a different direction. "I didn't want to tell you any of this because of what would happen next?" She pushes my hand away and I let it drop to my side.

"What would happen next please just tell me, I can't handle any more secrets about you and well everything. Please tell me." I move my head to get in her line of sight, "You don't wanna know." She says, "I do, I really do!" I fight back, "I don't want you to know because it's WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!" I rose her voice making me step back a little. My heart jumped fast and kept beating hard.

"It's what happened to me Bailey! My parents think I'm at a fucking boarding school right now, they think that Sage is doing the best in college while working at a law firm, they don't even know that Dean exists or that we're in another state! They don't know that we were forced to leave them. I cried when I was told I'd never see them again and the only contact I'd have would be through fake letters! FAKE LETTERS!" I feel my back hit the wall.

Her nose flares and her eyes start to water, "I don't know what'd I do if that happened to you and I was the one that cause it because I love you." Her voice breaks and I watch the tears spill, "Every time you saw me, every time that I saw you, sneaked into your room, went with you to class all I could think about is me potentially ruining your life." She cries.

"I know your parents are horrible but I couldn't take you away from them, I couldn't take you away from your aunt, from Carmen, and fuck, even Tyler. Your entire life would change just because you know me, I wouldn't do it." She covers her face but I slowly reach out to her and I pull her hands away. "I'm sorry." I whisper, it now explains a lot. Especially when we had dinner at my place.

I understand. "It's whatever." She shakes her head fighting the tears that want to pour out. "No it isn't whatever-" "But you don't understand Bailey, you don't, okay. I wasn't thinking on prom night and you saw me in a headlock with the guy I felt my heart break and it broke more when I knew you were watching as I was beating him up. The last thing I ever wanted to do was scare you, I yelled at you just like how you're parents have done to you. I scared you and I still feel horrible." She cut me off stuffing her hands into her pockets.

"It's my fault for leaving the car. I should've just listened." I speak up but she continues to shake her head not taking that it's also partly my fault. "I shouldn't have brought you with me, I could've left you with Sage and Dean while I got the job done." I can feel the guilt in her because it's the same as mine. I feel guilty for getting out of the car, for intruding on anything that was out of line for me.

We stand in silence but I see her mouth move as if she's saying words. It hit me, right then and there, that this talk could be more than just a talk. She has no intention of me leaving everything I know and leaving the ones I love but she isn't including herself. "Skylar?" I start to fiddle with my fingers, picking at my skin while I wait for her to look at me.

"What?" She questions looking frantically at me like something bad happened but I took a deep breath. "Were you going to leave me after all of this was done?" I let out a breath and I think she stopped breathing. "Skylar?! I wave my hand in front of her face and she flinches. "Answer me." I tell her but she doesn't. "Were you really going to leave me? After everything we've done?" My voice cracks and my hands start to shake.

"If it means that you would be able to stay with your family and not be watched. If it means that you'll be safe from what I go through then, yeah. I would leave because you don't deserve to live a life like mine, you should go off to the college you want to go to and read a million books a day. My type of life wouldn't let you do that at all. You'd be stuck and I don't want you hurt." She looks right at me and I watch her slowly turn around walking away.

No no no no no no. This can't be happening. "But I don't want you to leave." I cry out wiping my wet eyes. She stops walking and I take that opportunity quickly walk towards her and I quickly wrap my arms around her torso while pushing the side of my head into her back. "I don't want you to leave me Skylar. Please don't leave." I sniffle hugging her tighter and tighter until I couldn't. I continued to cry. I've cried so much already but I can't afford to lose her.

"I love you." I whisper lifting my head a little and noticing the damp spots on her shirt. "I love you too." I feel her turn in my arms and she encloses me in her warmth. "I love you so much and you know that." She says into my hair, "Then don't say you're going to leave or that you were planning to. Stay." I slowly move my hands from her back to her the sides of her face.

"Did you not hear what I said, I don't want you to get hurt or any of your family." She grasps my wrist but I keep my hands on her face. "And did you not hear what I said, I don't want you to leave. I don't care if it means I don't see my parents. I do need to get out of that house and my aunt will understand probably only because she likes you and Carmen, well I think she'd be fine too if we were to ever run away." I let out a small life which makes Skylar smile a little.

"Living my life isn't something you can just read about, it's not a fantasy, it's not a perfect life and I can't give you perfect, I can't promise that. I'm anything but perfect and so is my family." She takes my hands away linking our fingers together, "I don't want perfect, that's all my parents ever wanted from me. I can't keep being this perfect, straight-A, college legacy, lawyer daughter. I can't anymore and you've helped me be able to break away from that, just promise me one thing okay?" She nods.

"Okay well, technically two things. One that you don't ever keep secrets from me again especially not these big ones where you hide your entire life okay, I want to know and I don't think what you've done will scare me. And two, I know that I'm not a fighter but I will protect you the best I can. Always. So can you pro-" I suddenly feel her lips on mine and I close my eyes kissing her back.

Her thumbs grazed my cheeks and I gripped onto the bottom of her shirt trying to pull her closer. She slowly pulls away but I want more, I touch our foreheads together but I still kept my eyes closed. "I promise to always keep you safe, from anything. For as long as I'm around nothing is going to harm you." She kisses my forehead deeply.

"Does this mean you're going to stay with me?" I ask lifting my head from hers and I see a bright smile on her face, "I'm staying." She picks me up and I wrap my arms around her neck hugging her tightly. "I'm also sorry for ignoring you for that long I just couldn't comprehend anything from that night." I land back on my feet and she stares at me.

"Yeah I'm still pretty butt hurt over that." She looks away from me and I could tell she was being serious. "Well I'm not surprised but I have a question, just one more." I hold my index finger up. "Sure what's the question?" She asks and I look back at the mural, "What were we supposed to do after prom? Instead of you know, the detour you made." I keep fiddling with my fingers eager to know.

"Uhhh, that's a surprise!" She snaps her fingers then my face drops, "I think surprises count as secrets, so can you tell me?" I try to pry it out of her. "Nope." I see a smirk slowly make its way onto her face, "Ugh I hate you!" I turn around flipping my hair against her face. "I love you too." My body suddenly gets lifted into the air and I feel her shoulder under my stomach. "I still hate you." I mumble trying to squirm my way out of her arms.