Warning- last chapter can be considered as the last chapter, so basically, this one is another ending... a totally different one, some of you would call a sad ending, but I personally don't think so... so, if you don't want to read it, you can just consider last chapter is the end :) and if you do read this one... please let me know what you thought about it :)
And thanks for all the support you guys gave the story throughout the whole chapters :D Meant a lot. And stay tuned for new stories soon... once I'm done with another story :)
Chapter 25
-Epilogue-
"Come on girls! We're going to be late!" Gabriella rolled her eyes upon hearing the familiar yell coming from downstairs.
The sixteen year old teenager looked at her reflection in the full length mirror in her room and checked her black dress. She couldn't help but let her lower lip tremble and her eyes be filled with tears as she took a black scarf to wrap around her neck. She's always been so insecure about that part of her body.
She let out a broken sigh and kneeled to look under her bed searching for the black shoes she's got out earlier.
She didn't want to go. She never did.
But, she knew it is a must. She knew it was one of her duties to go. She knew it's what her parents want and what she secretly deep down wants also.
But, that ache in her heart always hit her once she realized it was time to go. Once she notice the date, a few days earlier she feels suffocated. She feels depressed. It's annual.
She doesn't know why; after all, it's been years, but yet, every year when it time to go to the graves, she suddenly wishes it's not true.
She heard a knock on her door as she huffed, "I'm coming, okay?" she said but the door cracked opened anyway as she turned around furiously only to soften once she realized it was her younger sister.
"Rosy,"
"I hate that visit." Rosy admitted without any prologues.
Gabby sighed, "I do too, but you and I both know it's the right thing."
"I do." Rosy rolled her eyes and nodded.
"Then let's go before they start screaming like every year."
"Ugh, can't we just pray from home? Do we have to actually face the cold graves?"
"Com on, Rosy, I know what you mean, but I also know that you'd feel a lot worse if you didn't go."
"Right…" she mumbled as they both left the older girl's room and climbed down the stairs to find that the older couple is already waiting by the door.
"Finally!" the brunette rolled her eyes at them and shook her head, "Why does it seem like you're always late on purpose?"
"Well, sorry, mom." Gabby mumbled as the woman sighed.
"Alright, come on, we don't want to be any more late." The brown eyed man said and led the way out to his mustang.
"Late for what?" Rosy mouthed to her sister who shrugged and sent her a smile as the slipped into the back seat and the car started moving to reach the depressing destination.
Here it was coming again; the suffocation, the feeling of pure sadness, the feeling of defeat. But, this time, the feelings hit the four individuals.
Once the car stopped, everybody stayed still in their places for a moment before slowly as if been put on slow motion, they got out of the car and without any words being said, they took the way too familiar way through the graves. They've been going there at least once a year for five five years now.
They walked and walked until they saw the grave with the familiar craving on it:
Selena Mary Russo, 1988-2013
But, they didn't stop, the four just glanced at the cold white stone and passed it by; instead, they stood in front of other two neighboring graves.
Instantly, the woman threw herself in between her husband's hands like she always did in those situations and started crying as he caressed her hair with forming tears also, while the sisters held hands and upon seeing the hysterical cries in front of them, they both didn't mind the flowing tears.
"I just wish they would have known before they…" she spoke throughout her sobs and cut her sentence off.
XxXx
He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead as he walked through the way too familiar streets.
He half smiled when he passed a certain house knowing it's not inhabited anymore as the owners of it are long gone and he was happy to see he was the reason.
He kept walking and walking and walking and eventually stopped under a certain building, he looked up at the familiar building and confidently walked in. He took the elevator and pressed the number of the aimed level and sighed happily when the door opened and he saw the door of the Apartment in front of him.
He held the book in his hands tightly as he walked towards the Apartment and entered.
He took in the familiar furniture, the walls, the pictures, everything was the same. He missed this place.
He didn't waste much time reliving the memories and took his way to the bedroom where he knew he'd find the old book. To him, memories are in the past, and the past can't be changed so why waste time remembering it, wither it's good or bad.
Some people say he's crazy.
He held the old book in his hands and smiled; Selena's diaries. The ones he told her what to write in. Sure, she's gone out of line a few times or maybe a lot of times and had her conscious blaming her as she added some sentences that sure have helped in ruining his plan.
Justin hated the Grays.
Justin had always wanted revenge.
The Grays ruined his family, because of the Grays he had to struggle through his whole life, when his friends were partying and having the time of their lives as teenagers, he had to work more shifts to get money for his sister and him.
His father worked at the Gray's company, Mr. Gray once out of the blue accused him for stealing money from them. He was thrown into prison where he eventually died, his mother as if found it a chance, she went off partying and found herself someone else and left her kids behind and took off the road.
And that's where his hatred for the Grays came from. He hated them all with passion.
So, he made a pact with himself to destroy them. Yes, he started an illegal job, but that got him money and it became bigger and bigger, that's when Selena came in the picture, and he loved her, he really did, he was even considering leaving everything behind for her, but then, no one but Nick Gray himself and his girlfriend came to live in the same building as him.
He watched as Selena got closer to them and he didn't say a word, the monster that has been dying inside of him just came back and stronger than before, and it wasn't even love that could change him, no, instead he used Selena. He used her badly which he didn't realize until it was too late. When she was already dead.
But before her death, before she committed suicide to be more specific, she was like his doll, she did all what he wanted her to do, he somehow convinced her it was the right thing, until she started refusing and that's when he started using checks against her.
Selena was definitely the first of his victims, and apparently, the series is still opened.
He made her do awful things; one of them is this diary in his hands.
He told her to tell Nick Gabby is his, when both of them knew very well she wasn't.
Yes, Nick cheated on Miley with Selena, but he never had a child form her.
Justin was almost successful in breaking them apart, but they got together back again and they came back stronger than before.
That's when he decided he must revenge in another way. And he had… and it worked the second time.
His plan was to destroy the three Gray brothers. And now that one was down, he had another two to go…
And he has two options now: A) Use the other dairies he also wrote with Selena that he brought along and make them go crazy. B) Run after what is lawfully his; Gabby's custody.
And this place –Apartment 130- is going to be his working place.
XxXx
Rosy stepped forward and put her hand on the woman's shoulder who pulled away from her husband and turned around to look at the crying 15 year old girl. She sniffed and hugged her tightly.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, I shouldn't have cried like that in front of you girls, I just can't help it."
"It's okay, aunt Demi." Rosy mumbled. "We miss them too."
"I know you do honey." She nodded and looked at Gabby opening her arm for her to join them as the girl rushed in between them.
"I know they're not my real parents, but I really do miss them."
"They always treated you like their own blood, so don't ever say that, if they were here, they would have scolded you."
"I know, I know." Gabby nodded, by this time, she already knows everything that happened when she was a baby. She knew what happened between Nick and Miley and how Miley always insisted on taking care of her. And how they got back together, she and Rosy always wanted to hear the story. They thought it was cute, but every time Gabby heard about it, she couldn't help but be a little bit sad that they weren't her real parents.
As for her father, no one was sure who he was actually was. They just knew after Nick and Miley's car crash that Nick wasn't the father of Gabby when they were at the hospital and Nick needed blood, they took a sample from Gabby and during the analysis they discovered she wasn't his child.
About the car crash, it was actually their anniversary, and they were going to spend the day and its night in Vegas. So, while driving, on the road, Nick was speeding, and when he wanted to slow down, he found the brakes were broken, and it all went messy from there.
It was ribbed by someone. Nobody ever figured who did that. Even Justin was at jail back then, but his men were outside though…
"I miss you, mom." Rosy looked at the right grave and knelt down hugging the cold stone as Gabby knelt down next her.
Joe sighed and but the roses they brought on the graves and looked sadly at the girls and his wife mourning the death of his brother and sister in law for their fifth memorial.
He may look strong outside, but he was torn apart inside, this was his brother he lost, and his best of friends and the one that became his sister over the years.
And now, he's the one watching their girls grow up, something they both wished they'd live to see. They deserved to be the ones with the girls there. He's not complaining, he loves the girls. He didn't have children of his own and he considered them his from the minute it was official their parents are gone.
"I don't understand." Rosy shook her head, "Why couldn't they just have their happily ever after?"
"Rosy," Joe spoke and put a hand on his niece's shoulder, "Death doesn't always mean a sad ending. Your parents have had their happily ever after." He confirmed.
"How's that?" Gabby asked
"They were happy together, and even when they died, they died together, they're happy, and they're happy now; they're together."
"You're right!" Rosy wiped her tears and nodded, "They're together, so, they must be happy, and we should be happy for that." She said aloud as if convincing herself too.
"Wise girl." Joe smiled comfortingly at her.
"Death is not always a sad end." She repeated his words aloud as if craving them in her memory.
Joe's phone buzzed indicating he has a message, he pulled it out of his pocket thinking it was one of the family telling him they arrived, but he found a name he hadn't seen long ago flashing on his cell phone screen; Selena.
He blinked and opened the message that read, 'Take care of your daughter, Joe. Our daughter.'
What in the hell was that?
He blinked and in confusion as Demi noticed his expression and looked at his phone and read the message.
"What?" she looked at him confused as he frowned.
"A blackmailer! I swear over my dead body if it wasn't Rachel or Justin!"
"But, Justin died in jail." Demi said what she have heard a week ago.
Joe looked at her not knowing what to say, but Joe was smart. He looked down at the white stone, "I swear I'm going to let them pay the price of your lives. Just rest in peace." He mumbled looking at the graves.
Nicolas Jerry Gray, 1987-2024
Miley Ray Gray, 1989-2024
*Always will be remembered and remained in our hearts*
XxXx
It was a smart move of his to make the world think he'd died in jail while he actually ran away. That poor kid that was dead instead of him is now long gone and forever forgotten.
Justin sighed satisfied and laid back on the bed closing his eyes to relax. Once his eyes were closed, his eyelids hid behind them the hint of madness that was almost discoverable anyway. That madness that is slowly turning Apartment 130 into a curse.