Author's Note: So this chapter was fun for me to write. For those who haven't figured it out, I'm a full-blown New Yorker so this chapter is a bit of an ode to what I consider one of the best cities in the world. Tara in NYC. I am going to introduce a couple of new characters that are not part of SOA but again, like Katie, they will serve a purpose. This one is a light chapter because Chapter 18 will be slightly darker. Also, this chapter is long because I wanted to introduce Tara and a bit of her life in NYC because the meat of her story is coming and it won't be pretty. I know I keep saying that but I promise, I deliver.

Unfortunately for you who are anxious to know what will happen with Jax, you will have to wait one or two more chapters. I tried to make Chapter 17 about Jax but Tara organically came out instead.

As for the new characters, there is Mr. Diaz, Matt, whose inspiration is Anthony Marantino from Sex and the City, and Luis Mario, whose character I borrowed from a Spanish novela, my grandma use to watch. If you need a visual for Luis Mario, google Mario Cimarro. He is pure man candy in my book. I am also introducing Joey, Katie's boyfriend.

Ten or more reviews and new chapter will be posted :)

XOXO

Chapter 17

Friday, June 20th, 1997

In all honesty, she still wasn't used to it. All the noise.

She turned over in the sofa, hoping to drown out the noise of the music coming out of someone's car. It was Friday morning. Very early Friday morning, in fact, and all she wanted to was sleep some more.

She opened her eyes and focused on the small window in Katie's very small apartment. Although it was basically summer in the city, the morning was grey. One thing she learned about New York City in the month that she moved there was that the city's weather was bipolar in every sense of the word. One minute it could be shining and in the next it would be pouring. Very unlike Charming that was always sunny and hot.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. As much as she hated her small town, in the past month, she has missed Charming. Most of all, she misses him.

It took all her will power not to pack her shit and take the first Greyhound bus out of New York to California. A few times, she caught herself staring at her suitcase. Luckily, Katie was always there reminding her that she had a good thing going for her.

Within days of arriving, Tara had mailed out her applications to the colleges and universities in New York and enrolled in some community college to start taking some prerequisite biology courses. Katie even got the owner of her favorite coffee shop to hire Tara a couple of months earlier than expected. The money wasn't much but it helped Tara repay Katie some of the money she owed her, not that her cousin really wanted the money back.

The days were long but the nights were even longer. It was during the night that she missed him the most. She missed laying in his arms as they both drifted off to sleep.

The first couple of nights, Katie stayed in with her. Katie stroked Tara's hair as Tara cried herself to sleep over Jax. No words could soothe Tara's heartache and Katie soon realized that.

A week after her arrival, Katie tried to push Tara to go out with her and Joey for dinner but Tara refused. As much as Katie wanted Tara to meet her new boyfriend, Tara couldn't be around any couples anytime soon. The wound was still too fresh.

So instead, she stayed in and cried herself to sleep non-stop for the past couple of weeks.

She hugged the sheet closer to her chest as she felt the tears trickling down her cheeks.

In the distance, she heard the garage truck making its rounds. She heard the gates of the nearby bodega coming up.

Another day in New York City.

Another day without Jax.

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"¡Ah! ¡Buenos dias Tara!"

"Buenos dias, señor Diaz," she gave the old man a small smile.

"Coffee, light and sweet?" Mr. Diaz gave her a kind smile.

"Si, por favor," replied Tara.

Mr. Diaz went about to making Tara' s coffee. One of the amazing things about New York City was that every bodega served coffee. Coffee shops were just not the norm in New York, unlike California. It was something she has truly come to appreciate given that coffee could literally be found in every corner. No wonder they call it the city that never sleeps. People were too strung out on coffee.

Mr. Diaz placed the small cup in front of her.

"You know Tara, you got to learn how to drink coffee like a Latina! No milk, just black with two sugars," Mr. Diaz teased.

"I need a little milk in my coffee, señor Diaz. If I drink black coffee, I would never sleep at night," she teased back.

"You already don't sleep, mija." He points at her eyes. "These black circles under eyes... we call that ojeras. You always got them. Eyes swollen too. You cry at night, eh?"

"Señor Diaz..."

Mr. Diaz waved one of his hands, clearly dismissing what she was going to say next. "You listen, mija, no point in crying over spilled milk, like you, Americans say. Whatever that man did to you, no vale la pena... It's not worth it, mija. You, walk and continue. Life always continues. Tu tambien. Ok?"

"Me too?" she questioned.

"Si, tu tambien. Now go. You be late for job."

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"One would think that being located around NYU, we would get better pay. Or customers."

Tara rolled her eyes as her coworker, Gia, complained about their pay and their lack of customers once again.

"I mean, these kids must come from money. They go to NYU!"

"Maybe their trust funds haven't kicked in yet," responded Matt as he blew air to his newly manicured nails. "Or maybe, they are just snorting it." He puffed out more air. "Tara, what do you think of this color?" Matt wiggled his fingers.

"I think fuchsia is making a comeback," Tara sarcastically replied as she sat behind the counter, flipping thru Colombia's course catalogue.

Matt blew her a loud kiss. "Gia, you should go wipe the tables one more time."

"Why don't you go wipe them down, butterfly?"

"Honey, these nails are wet. Plus, Tara and I are tired of hearing you whine about how much we don't get paid, you miserable bitch."

Gia flipped them both off and went to wipe down the tables in the empty coffee shop.

"Ay, she is such a drag."

Tara smiled. "She is nice enough."

Matt snorted. "Ay, please. She puts the iotch in biotch. So, Tara..." Matt jumped on the stool right in front of where Tara was standing, "what's your story?"

Tara cleared her throat. "Not much to tell. Just a small town Californian girl making her way to the big city to fulfill her dreams."

"Then why you come all the way here?" Matt crossed one of his legs. "LA is a big city and its much closer to the hillbilly town you probably came from."

Tara threw one of the coffee straws at him. "What makes you think I come from a hillbilly town?"

Matt gave her a once over look. "Darling, you are wearing plaid. Maybe that is fashionable in the rest of the U.S of A., but here in the City," Matt shook his head, "huge no-no. And don't take advice from that movie with Alicia Silverstone cause the wardrobe person was truly clueless when she dress those bitches up. Plaid is not cool. Plus, you can't put on make-up for shit."

"Excuse me?" Tara was borderline offended. "Have you New Yorkers ever heard of manners?"

"Nah," Matt jumped off the stool. "It's a waste of fucking time. Now come on."

"Come where?"

"Honey, I am going to do you the biggest favor of your life," Matt went around and grabbed one of her hands. "If you going to live here, you better start integrating yourself in the lifestyle. That means no plaid, no bright colors..."

"Says the gay man with pink nail polish," she replies.

"AND absolutely no moping. I swear, you should be part of Snow White and the Seven fucking Dwarfs with all of your moping."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Matt winked. "Miserable bitch, we are leaving."

"Excuse me! You can't leave me alone here!" cried out Gia.

"Yea, cause its so fucking busy," replied Matt.

Tara glanced around the empty coffee shop and laughed.

"What if we get customers?" yelled Gia.

"People go to bodegas for their coffee..." yelled Tara.

"That's right!" agreed Matt as he slapped Tara's ass out of the coffee shop.

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"If I were a straight man, I would bend you over one of those couches and fuck you silly."

Tara blushed as the sales lady next to her looked at Matt with bored eyes.

"Matt!"

Matt walked over and fussed with her cleavage.

"Matt!" Tara tried to move his hands away, which he gleefully swatted.

"Now, a nice pair of heels and some loud make-up and you should be set!"

"Set for what exactly?"

"For your New York debut! Hellllo. Get up and smell the fucking coffee. You need black come-fuck-me heels."

"Matt, I can't wear this." Tara pulled the dress down to no avail-the dress ended right below her ass. "It's too much!"

"Too much what, exactly?" Matt put his hands on his hips.

"Too much everything!" Tara threw her hands in the air. "Its too short, too revealing and too expensive. I'm trying to save mon..."

"Oh shut up, Mopey. Jesus, with all of your whining, you are giving me agida!"

"Agida?"

"Agida. Another rule of New York City, learning your basic words in other languages!" Matt went back to fussing with the dress.

"I do practice the little bit of Spanish I learned in high school with the bodega owner near where I am living."

"Good. Spanish will get you far, here. Learn Italian words while you are at it. They are similar so it won't be too hard for that big ole brain of yours. You know, Mopey, you got fantastic skin. Good hair and ass too. You could get yourself a man or woman in no time here."

Tara tensed up.

"That's what I thought," Matt looked into her eyes.

"What you mean?"

"You can't put make-up for shit, Mopey. You can't conceal these babies," he placed both of his thumbs on the dark circles under her eyes. "Your eyes are real sad. Heartbroken type of sad."

Tara felt her eyes water as she bit her lower lip. She nodded instead of answering him.

"Ay amore..." Matt's hands moved to her shoulders. "No man is worth your tears. So suck those suckers up and get ready cause tonight we are lighting up this town! Have I mentioned that you have a fantastic rack?"

Tara laughed despite the tears that were threatening to spill.

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Friday, June 20th, 1997

"Matt, I am tired," Tara panted as she finished climbing the last steps of the subway.

"Shut it Mopey! Tonight we are fucking partying like you have never partied before. We got a long night ahead of us and we still got to prepare!" Matt looked around her neighborhood and frown. "I knew you lived in Spanish Harlem, but shit, this place is a dump. There is more dog shit on the ground than actual people."

Tara rolled her eyes. "And where is your castle, Cinderella? Plus, according to Katie, things have improved tremendously in the past five years over. The city is allocating more money to..."

"Yea, yea, who gives a shit? Am I meeting this cousin?" asked Matt as they walked from the train station to her block.

"I think she has rehearsals for this play she has landed a role on, so probably not." Tara bit her lips as they walked. "I hope she is not upset cause I spent so much money on clothes..."

"Jesus Tara. How old are you, again? You don't have to fucking answer to anyone."

Tara looked down. "Actually, tomorrow is my birthday. I will be officially nineteen."

Matt stopped and squealed. "Fucking fantastic. Now, we are truly fucking celebrating. Now come on. We got to get beautiful for tonight. These new jeans I bought make my ass look too good!"

Tara laughed. "Can we get a cup of coffee before we go up?"

"Sure, lead the way to the bodega you go to."

Tara and Matt chatted as they made their way to Mr. Diaz's bodega. Matt gave Tara tidbits of his crazy Italian family that had Tara laughing as she opened the door to the bodega. Making her way to the counter, she notice a young man standing behind it instead of Mr. Diaz.

"Oh Jesus," muttered Matt.

"Hello," smiled the man behind the counter, his eyes dark like coffee beans.

"Hi," Tara shyly smiled. She cleared her throat, "May I please have a small coffee, light and sweet?"

"Sure," the man smile. Tara watched as his very tall, muscular figure walked to the coffee machine.

"Can I have him light and sweet? Look at that tight ass," whispered Matt. Tara elbowed him earning her a small grunt.

The young man returned to the counter and placed the cup into of her.

Tara searched in her purse for lose change.

"Tara, amor!" she turned and saw Mr. Diaz walking from the back. "I see you have meet my grandson, Luis Mario." Mr. Diaz walked behind the counter.

"Well, we haven't officially been introduced but I am Matt," Matt stuck his hand out. "It's my great pleasure meeting you."

Luis Mario shook Matt's hand. "Nice to meet you too."

"Mr. Diaz, this is my co-worker, Matt. Matt, Mr. Diaz."

Matt shook Mr. Diaz's hand without removing his eyes from Luis Mario. "Pleasure, sir."

"Likewise, young man. Tara, Luis Mario. Luis Mario, Tara."

As soon as her hand touched his, she felt the spark. She quickly withdrew her hand and grabbed her coffee, an awkward silence following.

Mr. Diaz cleared his throat.

"Do you have plans for tonight?"

"Yes, Mr. Diaz. Matt is going to show me around."

Matt smiled. "It's Tara's birthday tomorrow. We are celebrating tonight. You should come, Luis Mario. We could use a stud like you, to dance with us, gals."

"Matt!" Tara blushed. "Sorry Mr. Diaz and Luis Mario. He is a bit forward."

Mr. Diaz looked like a deer caught in headlights and Luis Mario chuckled."Thanks for the offer, Matt but I'll take a raincheck." Luis Mario looked at Tara as he answered.

Tara felt the blush creeping to her cheeks. She inwardly cussed her paleness.

It was best if she hightailed out of there before something incredibly inappropriate came out of Matt's mouth. "Well, we should get going. Matt, let's go. Mr. Diaz see you soon. Thank you for the coffee, Luis Mario."

"Adios, Tara."

"Bye, Tara. I hope to see you soon. Matt," replied Luis Mario.

Tara grabbed Matt's hand and pulled him out of the bodega before he even thought of opening his mouth.

Tara heard the small slam of the door.

"OH MY GOD..." squealed Matt.

"Shhhh," insisted Tara. "They could still hear us," she whispered softly.

"Who fucking cares!? Did you see that man! Jesus Christ! He is hot! Hot in a way that makes anyone bend over and..."

"Don't finish that thought, please..." Tara turned the corner to her block.

"But, Tara," Matt jumped. "He is so delicious!"

Tara rolled her eyes and pulled Matt towards her building.

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"I have created a masterpiece!" Matt put down the brush. "If you don't at least get one number tonight, I am going to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge."

Tara turned to look at herself in the mirror.

Tara gasped. She looked nothing like she usually did. Matt had insisted that her usual wavy hair had to be styled in tight curls that framed her face. Her usual plain face was made-up in heavy eye-liner, mascara, blush and Russian red lipstick. The black dress Matt had insisted she buy hugged her curves perfectly making her silhouette model-like.

"Oh wow..." she whispered as she took one of the curls in her fingers and pulled lightly to see the curl bounce back in place.

"I know!" Matt clapped his hands excitedly, the towel wrapped his waist hanging dangerously low. "You look amazing, Mopey. Fucking amazing!" Matt turned around and grabbed the jeans that were still in the shopping bag.

"Omg! Matt." Tara closed her eyes as Matt untied the towel that he had wrapped around his waist.

"I'm gay! I don't care if you see my..."

The slam of the front door made Tara turned to see her cousin and a man slightly taller than Katie standing by the door.

"Ummm... why is there a naked man in my living room?" asked Katie an amused smile spreading across her face.

"This is Matt. He is my gay co-worker," explained Tara as she averted her eyes as Matt wiggled into his brand new jeans. "Matt, this is my cousin, Katie and..." Tara looked at the man standing next to Katie. His eyes blue and his black hair slicked back gave him an edgy look but something about him had the hairs standing in the back of her neck.

"Joey," replied Katie as she looked at her new boyfriend.

He smirked at Tara and Matt. "Nice to meet you."

Tara noticed the pipe in his hand and watched as he took a pull. His eyes travelled across her body, his smirk becoming a smile, making Tara feel uncomfortable. She crossed her arms across her very exposed chest.

"So what are your plans tonight?" asked Katie as she walked towards her kitchen, oblivious to her boyfriend's admiration of Tara's body.

"Um... Matt is going to show me around town. I don't know much from there."

"We are going to Limelight. Got to celebrate Mopey's NYC debut and her nineteenth birthday."

"Mopey. Cute," replied Katie as she handed Joey a glass of red wine. "Maybe, Joey and I could joy you two a little later."

Matt paused and looked at Joey. "Sure," he replied, a frown etched on his face. "Stop by whenever you want." Matt turned and put on a tight black shirt that he had bought with the jeans.

"I think I'll take a raincheck, actually," Joey took a sip of wine. "Plus, I should give you three a girls night out. What do you think, Katherine?"

"That sounds divine." Katie wrapped her arms around his waist, a content smile spread across her face.

"Well, if you are Mopey, she is Dopey," whispered Matt to Tara as Joey gave Katie a kiss.

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Tara raised her arms above her head as the thumping of the music roared in her ears. She swayed her hips and she closed her eyes as she fell into beat with the music. She felt the sweat dripping down her back and she smiled as she felt Matt and Katie wrap their arms around her, sandwiching her in-between them.

Maybe New York wouldn't be so bad after all...

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Saturday, June 21st, 1997-after midnight

She giggled into her hand as she walked into the bathroom with Katie and Matt in tow. She was tipsy and loving Limelight. All three talked incoherently to one another as they walked around couples making out. Tara even heard the rapidly thumping of fresh meeting flesh in one of the stalls, small moans adding to the thumping of Limelight's music.

She looked into the mirror and saw her reflection. The curls were wilder than before giving her a come-hither look. Her skin was flushed with heat making her ample cleavage look fantastic. This is life out of Charming, she thought, as she smiled broadly to herself.

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One hour later

Matt had somehow gotten them to a VIP section and she briefly watched as he made out with a cute Black man, both groping each other wildly. She took a sip of an unknown drink given to her by Matt and leaned over the balcony and watched everyone bounce to the beat. She quickly found Katie in the crowd dancing suggestively with another man.

Tara took another sip and swayed to the music.

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One hour later

Tara, Katie, Matt and guys 1 and 2 stumbled out of Limelight.

"Well, chicas, we are leaving..." Matt and guy 1 leaned against one another, both clearly very drunk.

"Use a fucking condom!" hollered Katie as Matt and guy 1 jumped into the nearest yellow cab.

Guy 2 and Tara laughed as they walked away from the crowd that hung around the front of Limelight. All three walked down the block, in hopes of finding any spot to get something quick to eat. Shamelessly, guy 2 flirted with both Katie and Tara in hopes of bagging one of the cousins. Tara giggled and conversed with guy 2 and Katie as they stopped in front of a hot dog vendor.

A few minutes passed by and Tara was actually enjoying herself. Letting herself relax, she didn't noticed a pair of blue eyes staring at them until it was a little too late.

Within minutes, she was pushed into the hot dog stand as Joey started beating the living days out of guy 2. In a haze, she heard Katie yelling at Joey as he kicked guy 2 in the gut over and over again. The hot dog vendor and a couple of people from the club ran over to the men and pulled Joey away from guy 2.

As people, including Katie, crouched down to see if guy 2 was ok, Tara looked over to a panting Joey and noticed the maniacal smile on his face.

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Twenty minutes later

"You are fucking lucky you didn't get arrested for assault!" yelled a seething Katie.

Tara walked behind the arguing couple, her feet aching more and more in the six inch heels Matt insisted she should wear. The alcohol buzz had quickly worn off and all she felt was dizziness and nausea.

Joey walked to a curb and hailed a cab, Katie not far behind him, yelling obscenities left and right.

Jumping into the cab, Katie and Joey continued to argue as they shut the door.

"Tara, get home safe..." she heard her cousin yell as the cab got swallowed by the city lights.

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Thirty minutes later

Tara closed her eyes and tried to get the nausea to go away to no avail.

"Ma'am, we are here," the cab driver said.

Tara opened her purse and took out her only ten dollar bill and handed it to the cab driver.

"Ma'am its twenty-two dollars."

Tara signed in frustration and started looking thru her small purse in hopes of finding more crash. Without success, Tara asked the cab driver if he was willing to wait while she went to the apartment to get more cash. Reluctantly, he agreed and Tara ran upstairs.

Five minutes later, Tara watched as the cab driver drove off and she groaned as she felt her stomach flip-flop.

Walking towards Mr. Diaz's bodega, Tara rubbed her stomach, trying to ease the uneasiness of her stomach.

Walking in, she noted Luis Mario, leaning against the clear counter as he flipped thru a book.

"Hey," she said as she approached the counter.

He gave her a gentle smile. "Hey," he replied as he put the book down.

Tara noted the cover and smiled. "That's one of my favorite books. I have read it a couple of times."

"This would be my fifth, I believe," he smiled. "You want a light and sweet?"

Tara smiled. "You remembered my coffee order?"

"It's kind of hard to forget anything that has to do with you, Tara."

Tara blushed. "Thanks," she muttered as she looked into his brown eyes. "Do you have anything that could easy a nauseous stomach?"

Luis Mario chuckled. "Had a little bit too much to drink?"

Tara nodded her head. "Just a little bit."

"Here, come around and take a seat behind the counter. I'll make you something to eat that will help soak up all the cosmos, Matt probably had you drinking."

Tara looked around the bodega. "Is that appropriate?"

"It's just you and me. Plus, if you don't tell, I won't."

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"This is probably the best sandwich I have ever had."

"It's from Cuba," teased Luis Mario before taking out a bite out of his. "How is the nausea?," he asked in between bites.

"Gone," replied Tara as she took a sip out of her ginger ale. "So, what's your story?"

Luis Mario took a sip of his beer and shrugged his shoulders. "Not much to tell. Born and raised for the first ten years of my life in Miami. Parents died in car crash when I was eleven. Moved here and was raised by my maternal grandparents. Just came back from trekking thru Latin America. And I am twenty-five. How about you?"

"Born and raised in Charming, California. Moved out here for a change of pace, last month. Alcoholic father and mother that committed suicide. No siblings."

"Lucky you. Lucky us." He raised his beer in the air. "Cheers to our fucked up childhood."

Tara clicked her ginger ale with his beer.

"But you are lucky to not have any siblings. I have two sisters. The youngest is sixteen and the oldest is thirty-two."

"Do you get along with them?"

"So-so. When my parents died, Eduarda, the eldest, was fifteen turning sixteen. She stayed in Miami in my parents home until she was old enough to run it. Jimena is a bit of an outcast. When Eduarda was eighteen, she took custody of Jimena from my grandparents. She has been her legal guardian since then. I barely see Jimena since she is lives down in Miami."

"That's nice of her."

Luis Mario scoffed. "Yea, all she wanted was accessed to Jimena's trust fund. As much as I love Eduarda, I have to admit that she is a bit of a control freak. Needs to be in control of everything and everyone at all times. Being of a nice background isn't enough. She always wants more money and more power."

"So you come from money?"

"My father comes from an old Cuban family. He inherited a ranch from his father. And my grandfather from his father, etc. I was suppose to take over the ranch when I turned eighteen but I couldn't leave my granpa to run the bodega on his own. He is all alone since my grandma died. I figured I owe it to him after all that he has done for me, you know?"

"So loyalty to your family has you remaining here in New York?"

"Pretty much."

Tara scoffed. "That story sounds familiar," she muttered.

Luis Mario gave her a look.

"Sorry, its just I knew someone who broke a lot of promises due to blind loyalty to family." Tara groaned as she felt another wave of nausea hit her. "I should get going. How much do I owe you?" she asked as she stood gripping the chair.

"I can't charge the birthday girl." Luis Mario stood. "And I can't let her walk home alone at this time in this neighborhood. Let me close up and I'll walked you over to your apartment."

"Oh you don't have to," Tara gripped the chair tighter as she felt the room starting to spin.

"I know I don't. I want to. Take a seat, you look like you are about to faint or puke or maybe both. Give me ten and we will be out of here. The bathroom is that way if you need to use it."

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"So, how does it feel being nineteen?" asked Luis Mario as he walked her to her building, his hands in his jean pockets.

"Same as eighteen, I guess. Except I wasn't living in the greatest city in the world," replied Tara as she slowly made her way to her building, taking deep breaths as she walked.

"Aww, so you are officially in love with New York?" teased Luis Mario.

"I wouldn't say love, but I do like it a lot. Especially after tonight. Plus, I don't tend to love many things or people."

"Maybe that'll change once you get into the groove of things. New York is great and so are some of the people. You'll never know what is waiting just around the corner."

Tara looked over to Luis Mario and saw he was looking at her as they walked. "Maybe," she responded.

They reached the front of the building. Tara walked up the front steps and innerly thanked herself of changing out of the short black dress when she went up to get more money for the cab. The old sweats and old t-shirt covered everything that was previous exposed.

She turned and look at Luis Mario. "Thanks for walking me home."

"I should walk you up to your..."

Tara shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. You have done enough. You made me dinner, walked me home..."

"Yea, some might consider that a first date..."

"Luis Mario..." began Tara.

"Please, don't ruin the moment. Let's just take it a day at a time. Ok?"

Tara nodded and walked up the remaining stairs. She looked back once as the doors to the building closed behind her and saw Luis Mario, standing there, with his hands in his pocket, the summer breeze making his hair flutter against his face.

Tara ran up the apartment building steps into her apartment, barely holding it together. Once the front door was secured properly, Tara ran to the bathroom where she puked her stomach's contents.

After a few minutes of dry heaving, Tara leaning against the wall closest to tub, closed her eyes and thought of the one that mattered the most. She drifted of to sleep dreaming of Harley's and sitting behind Jax as he rode into the darkness of the Mojave Desert.