Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OCs and storylines…

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 14: Lifeline

By Love Ink

Happy listened to his mother worrying away on the other end of the phone. Apparently, she'd been trying to reach Angela for the past week and a half and hadn't gotten through. She wasn't answering her phone, and her mailbox was apparently full. His Ma had no idea how to text her and didn't know how else to get a hold of her. She was currently cursing at him over the phone for making her go to school on the other side of the country. She didn't understand how good it had been for Angela to get away. To go live on her own and grow up a bit. Gain some independence. That changes he'd seen in his cousin were all good ones. She'd found herself in New York, and he didn't regret sending her there for a second. Still, he hated to hear his mother worry. He was going to kick Angela's ass once he got a hold of her for upsetting his Ma.

Hanging up the phone, he called out to Kozik who was chatting with Bobby at the end of the bar. "Koz, you heard from my cousin?" he asked, not about to call her "the kid" in front of his other brothers. They didn't know her like Kozik did. They'd get all meddlesome and ask who he had a kid with, something he didn't really feel like explaining. He wanted to keep his little cousin out of the club for as long as he could. It was already bad enough she was best friends with the damn prospect.

"Nah, but I haven't tried either," he answered on a shrug. It was normal for Angela not to have contact with them for weeks; she didn't want to bother them with stupid shit, and they were constantly getting new burners and changing numbers. If she talked to either of them, it was because they reached out to her. "Why?"

"She won't answer my Ma's calls," he explained, already dialing his cousin's number. Just as his Ma had said, it went straight to voicemail and a message which said the box was full. "Voicemail's full."

Kozik straightened up a bit, a look of concern crossing his face. He pulled out his own phone and tried calling her as if he'd get a different outcome. He didn't. "Shit. Think her phone's off."

Something was wrong. Happy could feel it in his gut. "Call Ham. I'ma ask the idiot," he told Kozik. Andrew Hamilton, or "Ham" as his brother's called him, was a member of the Sons of Anarchy's New York charter. The only member over there Happy trusted with Angela, the only one she knew. Kozik nodded, phone already at his ear, while Happy headed back to the bathroom to ask Juice what he knew. If her being mad at the idiot for accepting the prospect's cut was the reason she wasn't talking to anyone, he was going to be in a world of pain.

Andrew Hamilton, the newly elected Sons of Anarchy New York secretary, climbed the stairs to the SOA penthouse apartment in Brooklyn. Kozik from SAMCRO was yapping at him on the phone about Happy's little cousin. Apparently, no one had heard from her in a weeks or so. It was a prospect's errand, which he didn't appreciate doing. He liked Angela. She was a good kid, but he was a fully patched Sons of Anarchy member, the goddamn secretary no less, and he had better things to do than babysit some kid. He knocked on the door, expecting to hear her curse before unlocking the three large locks on the door. He didn't hear anything in response, so he knocked a little harder. "Angela?" he shouted through the door. "C'mon, Ang, open the door! Don't make me bust it open!"

Before busting down the door, he tried using his key, and much to his surprise, the deadbolts hadn't been locked in place like they should've been. His eyes widened as he surveyed the usually neat apartment. It looked like a tornado had gone through it. Shit was thrown everywhere. Books and papers littered the floor. "Angie?" he shouted, slowly making his way inside. The TV was on, though there was no sound.

He found her sitting on the couch in a men's button-down shirt that was much too big for her and sweats, knees pulled up to her chest, a bottle of tequila at her side. Her dark eyes were staring unfocused at the TV screen. Her right hand was wrapped around the neck of the tequila bottle showing off bloodied knuckles. "I'm okay," she rasped mechanically without turning her head to look at him.

He stepped in front of her, crouching a bit to take a look at her face. She was pale and gaunt, deep, dark circles underneath her dull eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a mess of a ponytail, and it looked as if she hadn't washed it in days. "What the hell happened?"

"I um...he..." her brow furrowed together as if she didn't quite know what to say.

He had a feeling he knew exactly what she was getting at. "That Roy kid broke up with you? That little Indian shit?" Ham asked incredulously. He had met her boyfriend before and thought he was a total square. It was hard to believe such a strong girl was so upset because some nerd broke up with her. "All this for that asshat? What the hell kid? Thought you were stronger than this shit! You shouldn't be destroyin' things and cryin'! Put your big girl panties on and suck it up! That motherfucker needs to hurt too! Where's he at?"

Angela brought the mostly empty bottle of tequila up to her lips, taking a long pull of it. "He's dead. Cremated. Spread over some ocean. That's where he's at."

Ham let out a long breath and sat on the couch next to her; he certainly hadn't been expecting that. "Shit."

"Yep," she replied, popping the last consonant before she took another sip. "He got hit by a fucking car. It just mowed him down. Vrooom!"

If she wasn't such a mess, Ham would've laughed. "Jesus, kid."

"He was supposed to be safe, Ham. He was supposed to be the good one, y'know?" she explained, her speech slurred. "And this is all my fault. I wanted to spend time with him because I missed Juice, and Raj knew. And I told Raj I wanted to move back 'n' we fought...he knew I loved Juice, Ham. How did he know? How could I love them both so much? And I lost Raj. I didn't...he's just gone. I wanted Juice as soon as he went to Oakland and now Raj is gone, and I...I just want him back. Did Raj know how much I loved him? He knew that I loved Juice, but did he know I loved him too? And I got so mad at Raj for knowing and for being so nice, and we fought and I walked out 'n' he followed me and then he...he died. Because a me. I did this. How could I be so stupid? So selfish? I just wanted to spend time with Raj. That's all. I didn't want him to die. Now I'm never gonna spend time with him."

"Shit, Angie. When the fuck did this happen?"

"Last week," she said, taking another swig of tequila. She stood quickly, almost falling over her feet. "Almost ten fucking days he's been gone. And I was good for the first few days because I was plannin' everythin', but I got nothin' now. Nothing. He left me," she rambled, gesturing wildly with her hands and the tequila in the bottle sloshing about as she moved. "I was used to him being gone, but he always came back and I keep...keep waiting for him to walk in with his stupid books to study, and he just...doesn't. Because he didn't look both ways while crossing the goddamn street! And what the fuck do I do now?"

He stood slowly, helping steady her a big. "You need to stop drinking, that's a good start."

"Fuck you," she growled, her voice so low and threatening, it made him think of her cousin. "You don't fuckin' know me. What the fuck are you even doing here?"

Ham sighed, running a hand over his face. "Hap and Koz said you weren't answering their calls. They were worried."

"My phone is off."

"Yeah, I'm aware. 's why I gotta come babysit you. Gimme the bottle and let's get you food." He went to grab the bottle from her hand, and she took a swing at him, her fist narrowly missing his face. He ducked, and she stumbled forward, practically falling on top of him. He caught her and steadied her. "The fuck was that?"

"I am a grown ass woman! I don't need you here tellin' me what to do!" she shouted, pushing away from him. "Get the fuck out of here! Leave me alone! Just like everyone else does! Just go!"

Ham could see the tears brimming her eyes as she screamed at him. She was in so much pain, and while he felt for her, he had no idea how to help her. "Sweetheart, I want to help you. I really do. You got my number if you need anythin', okay?"

"Just get out!" she shouted, throwing the bottle in his direction. He heard it hit the back of the door as he closed it behind him. Running a hand through his hair, he pulled out his cellphone and dialed Kozik's number. They had to get someone over there to help her before she self-destructed.

Juice was busy cleaning the clubhouse bathroom floor on his hands and knees when he felt a boot hit his side. He looked up to find Happy standing in the doorway looking intimidating as ever. He quicky wracked his mind to see if there was anything he might've done to piss him off but couldn't come up with anything. " 'ey, idiot. You hear from the kid?" Hap asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"N-no. Not since she came to visit. Left her a couple voicemails couple days ago, but I got nothin'. She's still mad at me, I think," he said, sitting back on his heels. "Why, what's going on?"

"Shit," Happy muttered, shaking his head. "Ma hasn't heard from her in a few week. Won't answer any of our phone calls on her cell or the house. Voicemail's full. Thought she might've talked to you. Koz is gettin' Ham to stop by, but figured you might know somethin'."

Juice shook his head, feeling a little worried. He knew Angela was mad at him, but for her not to call her Aunt or Hap back was unusual. Something was wrong. Whatever it was, sending Ham over was a bad idea. If something was wrong, she was sure to be pissed. "I um...did you try calling Raj?"

"Don't have his number."

Koz walked down the hall, his face ashen, phone still pressed to his ear. "We got a problem," he said looking at Happy. He handed the phone to Juice. "Put it on that speakerphone shit."

If he didn't look so worried, Juice would've given him shit for not knowing how to put the damn thing on speakerphone. Instead, he did as he was told and handed it back to Koz. The blonde held it in his outstretched palm. "All right, Hammy. Let's hear it."

"She's a fuckin' mess. The dude she was with? Roger?" Ham started, his voice sounding a little distressed.

"Raj," Juice corrected, shrinking back when both Hap and Koz glared at him.

"Whatever his name is. He's fuckin' dead," Ham said bluntly. He let out a shaky sigh. "I dunno what the fuck happened. He either got hit by some random car or she pushed him into the street or something. She's drunk and not making any sense, but she thinks it's her fault."

Juice pushed past his brothers, his heart sinking as he ran to the computer. Quickly, he searched for any and all articles involving a guy getting hit by a car in Brooklyn. The first article he opened had a huge picture of a smiling Raj with the title: "New York student struck and killed by car in a hit and run. Killer still on the loose."

"Holy shit," he breathed, reading the article.

He was barely aware of Hap and Koz stepping behind him. All he could hear was Ham over the speaker as he continued to fill them in. "Think she drank a whole handle of tequila or some shit. Just keeps rambling on. I tried to take the bottle from her, and she took a fuckin' swing at me! She's like an angry little pixie, spitting fire one minute and then cryin' the next. I don't know how to deal with this shit. I didn't sign up for it. I'm fine checkin' in on her when she's normal, but this is somethin' else. Girl looks like she hasn't eaten or slept in days."

"Shit," Happy muttered. "You still with her?"

"Nah, I'm outside her place. She kicked me out. I'll check in on her again to make sure she's breathin', but I don't know what more I can do for her. She don't trust me enough to let me help her."

Koz cursed softly, shaking his head. "Thanks, Ham."

"Yeah, brother. Wish I could help her somehow. Don't like seeing her this way. I like the kid."

Juice felt like he couldn't breathe as he heard Ham talk about her. It sounded like Raj's death had completely destroyed her, and she had no one there to help her. He ran a hand over his mohawk. He had to go to her. Had to help her through this. She couldn't be alone, or she was going to end up hurting herself. Once Kozik hung up the phone, he turned back to the computer, searching for more information. "We gotta go over there, we gotta..."

Happy shook his head slowly. "Can't. We got warrants. Can't fly. Won't be there fast enough."

He barely heard him. He was already deep into one of the airline sites looking for the first flight out. "I'll go then. She-she shouldn't be alone. Not after this."

"You can't. They'll kill ya 'n' it'll be worse for her," Koz told him on a frown. He raked a hand through his hair. "Fuck, man. We shoulda never sent her to New York."

Happy nodded in agreement. "Damn."

"Well, someone needs to go over there to be with her! Now. She's not okay!" Juice exclaimed, his breathing was coming a little too fast now. Millions of thoughts of Angela alone, suffering, went through his head. It hurt to think of her hurting, to know there was nothing he could do about it. "You can't just send Ham over there to help her! She needs someone she's knows, someone she trusts!"

"Like who? You got any ideas? Can't be you! Can't be us! Lena won't fly 'n' Graci is more likely to piss her off than anything. I don't got any other ideas," Kozik replied, his voice just as frustrated.

Juice ran a hand over his hair, cursing himself for being such an idiot, for being run out of New York. Angela needed him, and he couldn't be there for her. She needed a friend now, and he couldn't think of a good person to send her way. Except... "What about that one guy? They've been friends for...forever? Since they were babies?"

"Paulino," Happy said on a frown. "He ain't gonna have that kinda cash."

"I do," Juice stated quickly. "I haven't spent any of the cash I earned at the garage. I got more than enough for a roundtrip."

Kozik and Happy exchanged glances. "Ain't a bad idea," Kozik said on a nod. "You got his number?"

"My Aunt does. We'll get it to ya, and you call him," Happy ordered, his phone already at his ear as he called his Aunt.

Juice wasn't sure if that was the best idea in the world; he'd never met the guy and didn't understand why he had to be the one to call. Still, he was a lowly prospect, and he'd do what he was told for Angela's sake. He just hoped Lino got to her in time.

Lino was sitting the Marcus Alvarez's backyard enjoying the Mayan barbeque his girlfriend, Vanessa, had invited him to go to. Her father was a member of the Oakland Charter, her Uncle Hank was in the Santo Padre charter. She had been trying to get him to prospect for months now, and he had been seriously considering it especially since his job at the local auto-body shop was boring as hell. He'd much rather be riding with the Mayans and working on their shit than getting paid pennies to work like a dog. Esai Alvarez took a seat next to him, handing him an ice cold beer as he did so. "What's up, Lino? When you gonna be my prospect?"

Lino smirked and shrugged; if he was going to prospect, he wasn't so sure he wanted Esai as a sponsor. Mostly because Angela would kill him, also because he knew the only reason Esai wanted to sponsor him was because of Angela. "Dunno."

"All right," he said bobbing his head slowly. " 'ey, you hear anything about our girl Angelita?"

He clenched his jaw shut, staring down at the beer. Every time he talked to Esai, he asked the same question, and it was annoying as hell. He remembered the way Esai had treated Angela, and under no circumstances did he want them to get back together. Their relationship was toxic and usually caused Angela more grief than joy. "Not recently," he answered vaguely. Truth be told, he hadn't talked to her in weeks. He made a mental note to call her to check-in when he could. "Why? She talk to you?"

"Nah. I've been told to stay away," he answered with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "Don't really give a fuck though. She's gonna move back, and I'll win her back vas a ver." (You'll see)

"Sure, E. Whatever you say," Lino said, trying to sound as if he believed him. His phone rang, loud and obnoxious, and he fought the urge to sigh with relief. It was a good excuse to get out of this conversation with Esai. Pointing to the phone, he stood and walked away. He didn't recognize the number, but he answered it anyway more as an excuse to not talk to Esai. "Hello?"

"Hello? Is this...Lino?"

"Uh…yeah. Who's this?" he questioned, leaning against the house.

"I um...you don't know me at all, but I'm Angela Ruiz's friend from New York. Juice," he explained, and Lino was just able to pick up a New York accent in his voice.

Lino remembered Juice; he was the one Angela insisted she didn't love as anything more than a friend. The one who made her smile and laugh. "Yeah, right. I heard about you. Why you callin'? Is she all right?"

"I don't...I don't think so. I um...I just heard Raj died like five days ago. Got hit by some asshole driver while crossin' the street, and she's...she's not answering any of my calls 'cause we got in a fight, and I can't go out there and neither can Hap so...I wanted to...someone should be there for her, and I can...I can pay for your ticket. I just...someone needs to be with her because I can guarantee you she's not okay and I can't...I can't go and Hap and Koz can't either, so you're kind of...my last hope," he rambled quickly.

His heart sunk in his chest. Raj was dead. Angela was probably a hot mess and all alone on the other side of the country. No wonder Juice sounded stressed. He didn't blame him. He wanted to get over there to take care of her too. "Y-yeah, dude. Let me figure shit out. This a good number for you?"

He heard his sigh of relief. "Yeah. T-there's a flight that leaves tonight that has some good prices."

Lino glanced over at Vanessa whose brows were furrowed in concern as she walked towards him. "All right, all right. I um...lemme talk to my girl. Figure shit out. Dunno if I can swing it tonight, but maybe tomorrow."

"Thanks, man. I'd go if I could. Shit, if you'da said no, I would've gone anyway."

"Yeah, how 'bout we don't do that. She would be in worse shape if you got killed too," Lino told him on a smirk. Vanessa raised an eyebrow as she neared, her hand reaching for his free one. He squeezed her hand tightly; he didn't know what he'd do if he lost her. He could only imagine what Angela was going through. "Let me get my shit together. I'll call you in a bit."

Juice thanked him again before hanging up the phone. Lino sighed heavily, running a hand over his shaved head. Vanessa's brows furrowed in concern. "Que paso?" she asked, stroking his face lovingly. (What happened?)

"You know how I told you Angela was in love with this Raj guy in New York? How much she loved him and shit?" he stated, waiting until she nodded before continuing, "Yeah, well he's dead. Got hit by a car."

Vanessa's russet eyes widened, her hand falling from his face. "Que?" (What?)

He let out a long breath and nodded. "Yeah, that was her friend, Juice. I told you about him too."

She nodded again; there wasn't much he didn't tell her. "Is someone going over there to take care a her?"

"Me," he said, scratching at the back of his neck. He knew she was bound to be pissed since she wasn't Angela's biggest fan so he quickly explained, "She don't got anyone else that can go. Juice said he'll pay for my ticket and shit, 'n' I can stay with her, but I dunno how long I'll be gone for."

Vanessa tensed for a moment before she let out a long breath. "I'm comin' with."

That was something Lino wasn't expecting. Vanessa wasn't fond of Angela; she'd said it multiple times. The fact she wanted to go across the country to help her blew his mind. "I'm sorry. What?"

"I'm coming. She's gonna need more help than you, and I got family over there anyway. 's about time I go visit. If Ang doesn't want my help, then I can just go out with them, y'know? Why? You want to go alone?"

"No, no. I think...think she can use all the support she can get. I'm just surprised 'cause you don't like her," he explained on a shrug.

She shrugged, looking a little guilty. "That's not true. I just...don't really know her. And I know she's not after you. Learned that after your last trip over there. She's gotta be hurting now, and I want to help. I mean, I can just cook and clean for you guys so you don't have to worry about it. Unless you don't want me to come..."

Lino felt his heart swell with love for his girlfriend. "I love you," he said, leaning in to kiss her. "And I want you to come. Of course I do. Think it'll be good to have another girl there for her. There's a lotta shit I can't handle, y'know? But we gotta go like soon. Its already been like a week 'n' no one's heard from her."

Vanessa smiled at him and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, okay. I can do that. Lemme tell my dad. See if I can use some a his airline points."

"Thanks, preciosa." He pulled her in close, kissing her again. "Te amo tanto." (Precious...I love you a lot)

"Love you too, Lee," she told him with a big smile. "C'mon, let's go tell my Dad. We gotta get packing!"

"Hey love. Listen, I'm so sorry for what I said. I know you don't love Juice. Not like you love me. I think...think I've been putting the blame on him for our problems, when its really me. And I'm sorry for that. I'm going to make more time for you because you deserve that. You are everything I could ever want, and I'm so lucky to have you. I can see you now, sitting at the diner. And I'm just hoping against all hope that I can say something to make you smile. Because I love you. I love you so...so..."

The loud crash that followed on Raj's voicemail made Angela wince every time. She'd listened to the voicemail over and over again from her place on the couch. It was Raj's final message to her and listening to it hurt like a shot through the heart. She clutched Raj's scarf close to her chest, bringing it to her nose to smell as she started to sob again. Everything hurt. Her heart ached, her body felt sore from crying so much. A part of her wished she hadn't sent Ham away, she hated being alone. Her head was too loud. Reaching out, she grabbed the bottle of tequila and took another drink. It was empty, so she stumbled towards the cabinets, grabbing another bottle of tequila that she'd stowed there. She didn't even taste it anymore. It was the only thing quieting the voice in her head, soothing the guilt that was swirling around in her stomach.

She just wanted someone to hold her. Ached for someone she loved and trusted to just be there for her. She knew if she called Juice, he'd talk to her. Tell her how sorry he was and just...listen to her cry. She needed that. The thought made her feel even guiltier, though. Her whole fight with Raj had revolved around Juice and how she needed him. She couldn't call Juice now. No matter how good he would make her feel while they were talking, the second she hung up, she would feel even worse.

Her phone chirped with a text message. She knew Koz and Hap didn't know how to text and Juice hadn't sent her anything in a long time. Probably because he still thought she was mad at him and had no idea what happened to Raj. Reaching out, she grabbed the phone. She narrowed her eyes as the screen swam before her. She was too fuckin' drunk for this. It was an unknown number with a 510 area code. Oakland. "Shit," she muttered as she read the message.

She could practically hear it in his smooth, lightly accented voice. "Chiqui, heard what happened. Call me. Lemme make you feel better. – E."

How the fuck had Esai Alvarez gotten her phone number? She certainly hadn't given it to him. Just seeing the message had stirred something in her stomach, made her feel warm. Made her feel something other than the pain she'd been feeling for days now. He cared. Someone had reached out to tell her they cared, that they wanted her to feel better. Her drunk mind didn't question how he knew, all she could think about was how lonely she felt. How he could make her feel better without making her feel guilty. Before she could stop herself, she'd pressed the call button.

It barely rang once before he picked up. "Hey chiqui. How are you?"

Angela sucked in a shaky breath, trying not to cry. "Not so good."

"Yeah, I figured. Knew you don't got anyone out there, so I figured I'd reach out. Know I'm on the otherside of the country pero I'm here for you. You can talk to me. No judgement, chiqui."

She wondered how he knew just what to say to make her feel better. "Gracias," she managed to say, tears sliding down her cheeks. A soft sob escaped her lips. Once she started, she couldn't stop. He listened to her the whole time, whispering soothing words as he did. Showering her with his kindness. She finally managed to pull herself together and sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Shit. 'm sorry. 'm drunk 'n' it just hurts so badly. Everything hurts."

"Oh, chiqui. I'm so sorry. What can I do to help?"

There was nothing he could do short of flying across the country to be with her. She found herself wanting him to do just that. To be with her and hold her. Give her that kind of affection and love she so wanted and needed at that moment. She knew he would if he asked her to and that scared her. Things with Esai had been so rocky in the past, she wasn't sure she wanted to give him a second chance. She felt like laughing at the way her mind was bouncing around. She'd just lost Raj, and she was already thinking about getting back together with Esai. She felt like she was going insane. "I dunno, E. I don't...I gotta go. I can't...there's too much going on right now," she rambled, raking a hand through her hair. She made a face when she felt how greasy it was. It'd been awhile since she'd last showered. She sniffled a bit, wiping at her eyes. The idea of hanging up the phone, of letting go of such a familiar, loving voice suddenly made her feel even sadder. "I need to go, E. I need to just...go."

"Okay, mami. 'm here for you, chiqui. Anythin' you need, you call, okay? Still love you. Por vida." (For life)

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, E," she managed to get out, her voice cracking a bit. She hung up the phone and curled into a ball on the couch. Sobs wracked her body as she clutched the bottle of tequila in her arms. She cried until her chest hurt, until her whole body ached.

She took another swig of the tequila, coughing a little as she did so. It didn't do anything to numb her pain, though. If anything, it made her sick to her stomach. She needed to shower. Needed to eat. Yet she didn't want to do any of it. She didn't want to feel anymore. Didn't want to hurt anymore. She'd been drinking slowly to dull the pain, keep a steady buzz. Now, she put the bottle to her lips and started chugging. She wanted to be numb, to not feel a damn thing. She didn't want to see the apartment anymore. Didn't want to see all the books and memories Raj had left behind. Didn't want to think. Didn't want to eat. Didn't want to feel the pain and guilt she was feeling. Didn't want to breathe. She just wanted some peace, and she was going to try to find it at the bottom of that damn bottle even if it killed her.

Angela didn't know how long she'd been out for. She'd succeeded into drinking herself into a stupor. She was barely aware of Ham when he came in with a bag of fast food at some point. He'd set it on the counter, tried to take whatever bottle of alcohol she was drinking, and leave. She'd finished the tequila and had moved on to a bottle of bourbon Raj had bought awhile back. It was an expensive bottle, and the liquor slid down her throat a little too smoothly, which made it easier for her to drink until she blacked out. She was pretty sure she wouldn't have woken up if it weren't for the feel of a warm touch on her face, stroking her hair off her cheek and tucking it behind her ear.

That was not Ham. Ham didn't touch her at all. She was pretty sure he was scared to touch her for fear the Tacoma killer would appear out of nowhere and kill him for laying a hand on her. Still, it couldn't be anyone else. She swatted his hand away. "Leave me alone, Ham."

"Yeah, not Ham," a familiar voice replied. "Also not about to leave you alone."

Angela knew that voice. It couldn't be though. She must be crazy drunk if she was hearing voices. She opened her eyes, wincing as the bright light blinded her. It took a moment for his face to come into focus. "Lino?" she asked in disbelief.

He nodded slowly, watching with worried eyes as she sat up. "Heard what happened. Thought you might need a friend."

A lump formed in her throat as new tears formed in her eyes, spilling down her face. She didn't know what to say, how to tell him how grateful she was he was there. How much she'd needed someone to be there for her and hold her. Instead, she just threw her arms around him, burying her face into his neck as she broke down in sobs.

Lino held her close, rubbing his hand up and down her back as she cried. He didn't push her away. Didn't tell her to suck it up or stop crying, just held her tightly. "Let it all out, chiqui. I got you. You're going to be okay."

She cried harder then, clinging to him as though he was her only lifeline. And at the time, it felt like he was.

Hopefully y'all like Lino because he's definitely going to be a bigger part of this story.

Let me know what you think! Love hearing from you guys!

~Love Ink