Hi everyone!

Sorry for the long absence but unfortunately, one of the most important people in my life passed away suddenly, in early November. I was and still am grieving deeply thus resulting in me putting my family above everyone and anything else. For a while, I tried getting into updating but my soul was just not into it. I rather give you quality over some rushed story that doesn't make sense to my overall vision.

I will continue to write but like all mourning processes, some days are good, some days are bad, so bear with me.

This chapter was written mid-October but things got too chaotic in my life.

I'm hoping to have the next chapter up soon.

Thanks for all the love and support.

XOXO.

Chapter 22

Saturday, July 5th, 1997, 4:53pm

The sight that greeted her once she entered the apartment was not a pleasant one. Shutting the door, Tara dropped her small duffel bag near the entrance.

"What are you doing here?"

Joey crossed his legs and gave Tara a smile that sent chills down her spine. "I am visiting my girlfriend. She went out to the supermarket." He paused before continuing, "I thought you weren't going to be here for a couple of days."

"Well, there was a change in plans. How long has Katie been gone?" Tara looked around the apartment, hoping her voice didn't sound as nervous as she felt.

"You don't like me much, do you?" he asked, a teasing smile spreading across his lips, Tara's question remaining largely ignored.

"I tend not to like people who hurt the ones I love," Tara answered hotly. Putting her unease aside, she walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. "I am onto you, you piece of shit."

Joey smirked. "For someone so astoundingly beautiful, you have a disgusting mouth. I can't blame you, though. Katie told me where you are from—some hillbilly, backward town in California. Absolutely classless, except for a few of its citizens." He walked over to the kitchen where she stood with a glass of water in hand. "Maybe I should help you clean that mouth," he purred. "Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't have those type of words in her vocabulary."

Before she could even think of what she was doing, Tara threw the contents of the glass in his face. "Fuck you," she seethed. "Don't you ever talk to me that way and if you ever touch my cousin again, I will fucking gut you like the piece of shit you are."

Joey actually pulled a handkerchief from his shorts and wiped his wet face which made Tara want to punch the smug smile from his face.

"Do you honestly think that because you are related to Katherine that if given the choice, she would choose you over me?" Joey stepped closer to Tara making her bump into the front of the refrigerator. "Let me tell you something, Ms. Knowles, you are just a fucking charity case. Katherine took you in because she pitied your worthless, orphan ass. You don't mean anything to her. In fact, she has wanted you out of here for weeks. With your pathetic moping and crying over a man that didn't find you worthy of his time." He paused and looked deeply into her eyes. "Why else are you here alone?"

Tara flinched but didn't whimper to Joey's intimidation tactics.

"Katherine was just being a good Catholic, by letting you stay here. Her good act of charity for the year." Joey stepped closer to her until their noses were almost touching. "You'll be gone soon, Miss Charming," Joey ran one of his index fingers down her cheek. "You'll be gone," he whispered, "but not before I get my taste," he finished off by pinning her between the refrigerator and his body.

She felt his semi-erection on her stomach. One of his hands travelled to her breast and he palmed it, his smile growing more sinister as he did so.

She thought of her baby, which was just a small speck in her uterus. Mustering a courage she has never felt before, Tara pushed Joey with all her might, making him bump into the counter across the refrigerator.

"You fucking stay away from me," she said. "You come anywhere near me ever again, I'll fucking slit your throat." She was proud of how steady her voice sounded even though she was petrified of the man standing in front of her. Her father might have been verbally and sometimes physically abusive and Samcro might have been criminals in the eyes of many, but never had Tara felt any sort of sexual aggression from a man. Her fear for Joey increased as she saw the speck of anger cross his eyes before it was masked behind an eerie calm.

"You'll pay for that, you biker whore," Joey pointed his finger at her. "Know two things about me. I always get what I want and I believe me when I say—you'll regret coming here."

Tara was ready to respond when she heard the keys entering the locks of the apartment. She glared at Joey one last time before walking into the living and sitting on the couch that served as her bed.

Katie came in struggling with the numerous supermarket bags in her hands.

It disgusted Tara even more that Joey didn't move from his position in the kitchen to help Katie.

"Oh Tara," said Katie, surprised. "I thought you weren't going to be here."

"Change of plans," she muttered before lying down and grabbing her copy of The Awakening from the coffee table. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heartbeat.

"What happened here?" asked Katie as she walked into the kitchen and settled the bags on the counter. Tara looked over and saw Katie looking at Joey's wet shirt and the mess of water on the floor.

Tara noted Joey's smirk and her anger quadrupled.

"There was a little accident, babe. Don't worry too much about it," Joey responded sweetly before giving Katie a peck on the lips. "How about we get dinner started?"

Katie glared at Tara. "Sure, baby."

Joey hugged Katie's side and Tara had to withhold the bile that arose to her mouth.

"Katherine, Tara must stay and join us for dinner," said Joey with a smile. "I do want to get to know this enigmatic young woman better."

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Saturday, July 5th, 1997, 6:51pm

"Would care for some wine, Tara Grace?"

Tara dropped her fork and wiped her mouth with her Bounty napkin. "You could just call me Tara and no." She grabbed her plate and walked towards the kitchen.

She felt her cousins' heated glare as she turn on the faucet and proceeded to wash her dirty dishes.

"I would like some wine, baby," she heard Katie coo and her heart broke for her naive cousin.

To think that someone as beautiful as Katie was reduced to such humiliating relationship had Tara feeling hopeless.

Keeping the tears at bay, Tara finished up with the task in front of her and tried to ignore feelings of unease that settled in her stomach. Shutting off the water, Tara briefly closed her eyes and waited for waves of nausea to go away.

She knew that she couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret much longer given that she just started her third month. She didn't know how Katie would react to the sudden pregnancy but if true what Joey said, Tara's days in Katie's house were surely numbered. Feeling incredibly overwhelmed, Tara grabbed her keys from the nearby counter and muttered she was going for a walk before slamming the door shut to the apartment she shared with her newly hostile cousin.

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Saturday, July 5th, 10:31pm

Tara kept her head down as she walked past a few people who were clearly either too drunk or too high or maybe both. Unlike Charming, New York City's drug scene thrived. Many times she has walked past people who clearly had massive drug or alcohol problems. Many times, she had horrible flashbacks of her own father who struggled with his own demons and alcohol addiction. She remembered his verbal assaults and how much she feared going home at times. New York served as a reminder of those days, when she hid away from her own flesh and blood due to the curling fear of being abused. The first initial weeks, she struggled with New Yorkers blasé attitude towards those who had an addiction and part of her was ashamed how quickly she adopted the same view as them. Ignore them and walk on but be careful, had said Katie, the first week Tara had arrive.

She missed her funky and ballsy cousin dearly, thought Tara, as she wiped a few tears from her face.

"Tara..."

She turned and smiled as she watch Mr. Diaz walked towards her, slowly but determined, his cane making soft sounds in the pavement.

"Tara, gusto en verte," he said as he leaned over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"It's nice to see you too, Mr. Diaz," she answered.

"You crying again," he stated a sad look on his face.

"It's really nothing, Mr. Diaz, don't you worry about me," she replied trying to keep the smile on her face for his behalf. Damn pregnancy hormones.

"Sometimes the one who smile the brightest are the saddest, mi Tara," he smiled sadly at her. "You mind taking a walk with this old fellow?"

"There is nothing old about you Mr. Diaz," she replied as she bended one of her arms so Mr. Diaz could put his thru. "Plus, your company is a welcomed one," she said as they walked slowly for his behalf.

"Gracias, mi querida Tara." Mr. Diaz walked. "You remind me of my daughter, Luis Mario's mother, before she died."

Tara looked over and noticed the sadness in the old man's face, the dark shadows of New York, making him look ghostly and pale.

"Luis Mario told me she died when he was young."

Mr. Diaz sighed. "There is so much my grandson doesn't know about his parents." Mr. Diaz saw a bench in the nearly by park and pointed at it with his cane. "Let's sit and I will tell you a story."

They made their way slowly to the park bench and sat down. Tara turned to Mr. Diaz and waited patiently for him to begin.

"My grandson remembers his parents happy. They were very happy at first. You probably know, my daughter had three kids-Eduarda, Luis Mario and Jimena. She was happy when her babies were born..."

"But?" said Tara.

Mr. Diaz sighed. "Luis Mario's father, Enrique, came from old Cuban money. Very rich. So rich, that the running joke in Cuba was that his family was richer than the dictator that was in power before Fidel. They brought all the wealth to the United States when they fled Cuba. Made themselves richer once they reached Miami and expanded their wealth by doing business some say was illegal."

Mr. Diaz paused and looked over to Tara.

"Enrique and my daughter, Graciela, met when she went to visit some of my wife's cousins in Miami. Enrique was everything my daughter was not. She was from humble beginnings and he was rich. She was shy and didn't care for the glamour. He was all about appearances and status."

"Sounds like you didn't like him very much, Mr. Diaz."

"I didn't care for him, no, but he did love my daughter. As apparent as my dislike for him was, I knew he loved my daughter. Loved her deeply and without question."

"They married and moved to Miami, far away from my wife and me. We barely saw her and as time passed, it became harder and harder to reach her. He isolated her and each time we saw her, her shine had dimmed a bit more. The only thing that made her happy were the kids, but even they became a problem in the long run. Graciela wanted for the kids to understand the value of a dollar. Enrique wanted them to relish in the profits of the Arismendi money. Enrique won when it came to Eduarda, who, unfortunately, is just like her father-my granddaughter cares more about money than the happiness of her siblings but that's beside the point. The first two years of marriage were great, accordingly to Graciela, but, Enrique's world soon made my daughter incredibly unhappy. There was the lifestyle, the cheating, the lying..."

Tara nodded.

"As time went on, it was apparent, that Enrique didn't share the same luck or perhaps brain as the rest of his extended family, when it came to the family businesses. The profits and successes that followed the Arismendi family shortly after arriving from Cuba, ran out and by the time Jimena was born, Enrique was drowning in debt. This caused even more strain in the marriage. Months before the accident, Graciela came to visit, and made it clear that her marriage with Enrique was pretty much over. She wanted out. She didn't want her kids to grow up in the toxic world of the rich. We had a plan but before she was able to break free, Enrique found out."

Mr. Diaz wiped his tears and took a shaky breath, "according to the medical examiners' report, Enrique's alcohol level was three times that of the legal limit at the time. The car rolled over so many times, that he died right away. My, Graciela wasn't so lucky. She was in a coma for about two weeks, before she died from all the internal injuries."

Tara wiped her tears too.

"I tried to get Jimena but Eduarda was old enough to have custody plus the Arismendi family still had a lot of influence in Miami. I pleaded with the courts but they were fruitless. On the other hand, we were able to save Luis Mario and bring him here to New York. My wife and I tried our hardest to raise him in a way that would make our Graciela proud."

"Well, if she were alive, she would be content with the way Luis Mario turned out Mr. Diaz. You and Mrs. Diaz raised him to be an extraordinary man."

"Gracias, mi Tara." He took her hands in his. "You remind me so much of my late daughter. So much sadness in her eyes before she died. So much unhappiness. The only light came when she had her kids with her. Also, when she thought she could escape from the toxic love of Enrique, his family and money."

"That's why I came here," whispered Tara, feeling the tears dwelling in her eyes. "I loved him so much and I thought it would be enough."

"Y que paso?" asked Mr. Diaz gently.

Tara scoffed, "with reason why I remind you of your daughter. My ex-boyfriend was bounded by family and legacy. Couldn't escape the world he was born into."

"And now?"

"And now, I am here, with a cousin who might hate me and a baby on the way."

Mr. Diaz's eyebrows shot up. "Oi! You are having a baby?"

Tara nodded as Mr. Diaz broke out into a wide smile. "That's great news! New beginnings?"

"I guess," shrugged Tara. "There are just a lot of things going on, you know."

"Are you going to tell the father?"

"I don't know," Tara looks down at her hands. "He would love this baby. I know he would and I know he would be over the moon with the news but..." Tara looked at Mr. Diaz, "his world is too dangerous, Mr. Diaz. The lies increased over the years and we spent more time fighting than actually talking. His mother is a piece of work too. She would have never allowed for him to leave her behind. Every time I am tempted to return to California, I think of my baby, and what would happen if he or she is raised there. All the violence and all the lies."

"You still love him..."

"But sometimes, love isn't enough."

They both sat in silence for a while.

"What is going on with Katie?" Mr. Diaz asked.

"What makes you think something is going on with Katie?" Tara purposely avoided looking towards Mr. Diaz although she felt his eyes boring holes on the side of her face.

"She is not the same. Not happy. Her eyes are like yours...sad but a different kind of sad. Shoulders hunch and fake smile—all since she got the new boyfriend."

Tara hesitated before answering. "I don't like her new boyfriend," Tara said vaguely.

"I don't either. Do you feel safe in that house?" he asked.

Tara's eyes watered. "No."

Mr. Diaz stood. "Let's go sweetheart. Let's get your bags."

"Excuse me?" Tara asked from her place in the park bench.

"You shouldn't be in a place that doesn't make you feel safe, mi Tara. I have an extra room in my apartment. You come and stay with me until you could get your own apartment or until you have a clearer picture of what you want to do."

"Mr. Diaz, as much as I appreciate your offer, I can't inconvenience you that way," replied Tara firmly.

After a few moments of intense staring, Tara noted how Mr. Diaz's shoulders dropped.

"Escucha, mi Tara. Go and continue living with Katie. If, at any moment, you feel like you can't live there anymore, come to me. I have a room-Luis Mario's old room, actually. I bought the apartment decades ago with the Mrs., so you don't have to worry about rent, but if you want to help with utilities and groceries that is fine too. It will be a safe place for the little one, when it's born. That boyfriend is no good news. I feel it in the bones."

Tara stood, "I feel it too Mr. Diaz, but I cannot abandon Katie. Not now. I have to try and get Katie to see Joey for what he is."

"Which is?" asked Mr. Diaz as they started walking back to the direction of his apartment building.

"A dormant monster."

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Saturday, July 5th, 1997, 11:37pm

Tara quietly closed the door.

"You could have been nicer."

Tara jumped a bit. Turning around, she searched for the light switch on the wall.

"Don't," whispered Katie.

Tara stopped her search and walked towards the couches. Sitting across from her cousin, Tara waited for the other shoe to drop.

Katie took a swing from the bottle that was in one of her hands. Tara grimaced when she saw her cousin drink the liquid without even flinching. She waited for Katie to speak.

"I didn't get it at first, how can someone love someone else so deeply. So, wholeheartedly. I thought love was for the faint-hearted. For those who didn't have the guts to live independently. For those who couldn't stand in their own two feet. Fuck, I thought my mom was a fool for loving my dad so damn much it made her go crazy. She accepted my Dad for who he was... a fucking cheater, a gambler, wife-beater and rapist. Did you know, I had to watch my dad beat the shit out of my mom one day? She used his gambling money to buy me some cold medication or some shit like that—can't really remember. He came home looking for the money right before a night out about town. When he didn't find it, he put on every single ring he owned and repeatedly punched the shit out of my mom. I was too scared to even scream while my mom just took it. Like if it was the most normal thing in the world to do. After he was done, he told me not to move or scream, while he dragged her to the bedroom by the hair. Fuck, I don't even have to tell you what happened in that room but when he came out he was so fucking smug. He told me if I told anyone, he'll kill Mom, so I stayed quiet and obedient. Watched him fix himself a drink and enjoy it before he went out with this buddies. By the time, I grew enough balls to go see my mom in the bedroom, her right eye was so swollen she couldn't even open it. I remember her left eye was like a fucking river, tears non-stop. The right one? Dry like a fucking desert. That's how badly it was swollen shut. I told her to call 911 but she just shook her head and asked me to lay down next to her for a bit. That whole night I didn't sleep... I was so afraid my Mom wouldn't make it past the night. But she did. And when she woke up, she got up, covered up the mess my Dad made of her face as much as she could and cooked him breakfast. Can you fucking believe? By the time he rolled back into the house, his bed was made and meal cooked. Bacon, pancakes and a rum and coke on the side. It was that day that I swore I would never be my mother. A good old wife. When he died, she was so heartbroken. So devastated, even though, he was a fucking piece of shit that made her life a living hell. My mom was destroyed but do you know how I felt when my father's casket was lowered onto his grave?"

Tara shook her head as she remembered the day her uncle was buried.

"I'll tell you what I felt... an overwhelming feeling of relief. My father was dead and all I wanted was to dance out of pure joy. That's the day I decided love wasn't for me. I would had rather be alone than to be in the shackles of love. To be humiliated by it like my mother was. Then there was your mother."

Katie took a gulp of what Tara suspected was a bottle of Jameson.

"Aunt Addison was so beautiful. Long, red hair, green eyes, just like yours. So fucking brilliant in everything she did. Mom once told me that she envied Auntie for being everything she was not. What a fucking joke that turned out to be."

"If you are going to sit around and insult the memory of my mother..."

"Relax and let me finish," she took another sip from the bottle. "Addison loved your Dad so fucking much. Like, she was insanely in love with him or something. Mom told me that your Mom had men lining up for her. Like she could have had her picking but it was your father that won her over. Did you know your Mom was engaged to be married to her high school sweetheart?"

Tara shook her head and waited for her cousin to continue.

"Yep. She was supposed to marry some chump. Some football player. Met your Dad and eloped with him forgetting about her high school boo. Moved to Charming, had you, and rotted in the inside. Couldn't take the outcome of her life. Couldn't remain prisoner of the love she had for your father, so she did what she thought best. Before she succeeded in the suicide, she had cut her wrist a few years prior. You were probably too young to remember. I remember my Mom begging her to move to San Diego. Afterwards, Derek allowed Auntie Addy to move back to San Diego for a bit. Do you remember?"

Tara shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"But of course, Derek came back and swept her off her feet and took you both back to Charming. A few years later..." Katie took one of her forefingers and made a swift motion side to side in front of her neck. "Your momma ended it all."

"I loved Auntie Addy and to see her fall for the false promises of love and what happened afterwards," Katie paused. "I knew I couldn't be like our mothers. Weak and hopeless when it to the trial and tribulations of love. Fuck, I swore, I would be different. That, you would be different."

"But we aren't," whispered Tara.

"We aren't," agreed Katie. "You are in love with a future thug and I am in love with Joey."

"Jackson was more than a future thug."

Katie started laughing. "Yea, he is so much more than a thug..." she giggled. "If he so much more than a thug, where the fuck is he? I'll tell you where he is..."

Tara stood, "I don't have to listen to your shit," she turned to walk towards the door.

"No, darling but you will listen." Katie snatched the keys in Tara's hands and flung them across the room. Katie grabbed Tara and pinned her against a wall. Tara moved her face away when she smelled the alcohol.

"Do you know what your precious biker is doing? He is probably fucking one of those whores that hang around his precious club while you cry for him. You were nothing more than an afterthought for Mr. Jackson Teller."

"No, I wasn't," struggled Tara against Katie's grip. "He loved me. He loved us and what we were together. He didn't come to New York because he has a legacy to fulfill. Call him all you want-a thug, a liar or even a murderer. Your opinions of Jax won't change the fact that we love each other deeply. Let him fuck who he wants-I know I will always be in his heart. Too bad you can't say the same." Tara pushed against Katie to no avail.

"Joey loves me..." said Katie, her eyes watery from unshed tears.

"Joey doesn't even fucking respect you. You keep telling yourself that he loves you-one day you might even believe it."

Katie released Tara and backed away two steps. "You fucking ingrate."

Tara gasped when she felt Katie's hand connect with her cheek. Holding her face, Tara's eyes watered. "How dare you?" she whispered as Katie continued backing away, realization dawning across her face.

"Tara, I am..." pleaded her cousin.

"NO!" Tara screamed. She walked over to the small space that had been her home for nearly two months. She pulled her suitcase and duffle bag and threw in as many of her things in her bags as quickly as she could.

"Tara, I didn't..." started Katie, her voice wavering.

Tara zipped up her bags and turned to her cousin, tears streaming down her face. "How could you? You were the last person I expected to ever lay a hand on me. You were the one who pushed for me to come here. Who reiterate that I was worth more than what Charming could ever offer. And yet, you are throwing our relationship away for a man who doesn't even respect you enough to try and remain faithful. Joey told me today, in this same apartment, that I would be his, one way or another. If he loved you as much as you say he does, he wouldn't even be looking at another woman, least of all your own fucking cousin."

"Joey wouldn't ever do that to me," screamed Katie. "You just had to destroy the only good thing that I have going for me!"

Tara picked up her bags and walked towards the door. "I didn't have to destroy anything. You are doing a phenomenal job in destroying yourself by remaining with that asshole." Tara turned to her cousin. "You are just simply a sad, lonely person, who won't know what hit her until it's too damn late. Your mother would be disgusted. My mother would be disgusted in the person you are becoming."

"Look in a mirror, bitch," sneered Katie before slamming the door in Tara's face.

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Sunday, July 6th, 1997, 2:41am

Tara knocked softly, the tears long gone. All she felt was anxiety. She tried to control her heart rate by taking deep breaths knowing that the anxiety could do more harm than good for her baby.

She knocked again.

She heard the locks open and she prayed to a deity above that things work out ok.

"Tara?"

"I know it's late but I have nowhere else to go. Katie and I had the worst fight ever and I don't know where else to..."

He encompassed her in a hug before she even finished her sentence.

She let her bags fall to the floor and returned the hug. She sobbed into his shoulder and he just hug her tighter, letting her tears run freely.

"You could stay here as long as you like," he whispered.

"Thank you," she responded with immense gratitude.

He rubbed her back and broke away from her, wiping her tears with his thumbs. She gave him a watery smile as he stepped aside to let her in. She tried to grab her bags from the floor and he shook his head and leaned over and took them himself.

She heard the door shut and turned to look at him. "Again, a million thanks."

Luis Mario gave her a sad smile. "You never have to thank me for being there for you. I love you, Tara. And even if I have to wait for you, I will. I had time to think of everything and my Mom once told me that loving someone means accepting everything about that person. The good, the bad and the ugly." He stepped closer until they were inches apart. "I love you, Tara. I know you might think I am moving fast, but I know how I feel and I love you. And if loving you, means loving your child, then I am for it too."

"Luis Mario, my heart belongs to someone else," she said as she looked into his chocolate eyes.

He nodded. "I know. I know you love him but with time, maybe that love will change to some sort of deep affection. Just give us time. I am not saying we have to get married or anything of that sort, but don't box me out. Not just yet. Please Tara."

Tara sighed. "Honestly, I can't make you any promises. At least not right now. I only want to focus on what's in front of me..."

"I am in front of you..." he took a strand of her hair and put it behind her ear."I am right here."

"And I know that, Luis Mario, but I cannot focus on the possibility of you and me, when my heart is a thousand miles away from here. I cannot give you my word to maybe one day love you if I cannot even go one hour without thinking about Jackson. And 6 months from now, I am going to have a child, who will only serve as a constant reminder of the Earth shattering love Jax and I shared. I can't do that to you, Luis Mario. I can't stand here today and tell you that I might give this a shot a year from today. I'll be lying to you and that's something I simply refuse to do."

"But that doesn't mean that a year from today, your feelings won't change."

Tara looked into his eyes and waited a moment before responding. "All I could say is that Jackson Teller will always be present within me. He will always be here," Tara placed one of her hands above her heart. "Jax taught me more about myself than anyone else has in this world. He came into my life in the time I needed him the most and showed me what love is. I wouldn't be the person I am today, if it weren't for him. And now that I am having his child, there is a possibility that my love for him will increase tenfold. Although, he chose his club over me, he at least left me with the greatest gift he could ever provide me with." Tara placed the hand that was above her heart in her belly. "He put this life inside of me, Luis Mario, and for that I will be forever thankful."

Luis Mario remained silent as he took in her words.

"Will you ever tell him?"

"Perhaps, one day but for now, no. I have to stand on my own two feet before even thinking about returning to Charming. I cannot return without knowing that I have something more waiting for me if I decide to leave again."

Luis Mario walked over to his minibar and poured himself a drink, as Tara watched. She winced when she saw him take a generous gulp of Patron but otherwise remained silent.

"So where does this leave us?" he asked sourly.

Tara walked over to the bar and sat in one of the bar stools. "Can't we just be really good friends? Or at least cordial roommates?"

Luis Mario sighed. "I guess I like the good friends part—at least for now. And good friends let each other crash in each other's places."

"Absolutely not!" Tara protested. "Let's get something straight, I am not living off from you. I am going to pay rent just like any New Yorker living in this city."

Luis Mario took another gulp of the tequila and grimaced as the liquid went down his throat. "Tara, you are going to have a kid in a few months. You are going to need money to pay for the crib, diapers, clothing, etc. Plus, you are going to start school soon. This loft is already paid for. Save up the money for other things."

"Luis Mario, I am not..."

"Fine, pay for the groceries. Compromise?"

Tara weighed her options. "Groceries and utilities?"

"Nah, let Matt pay for that."

Tara almost choked on her own saliva. "Matt? What does he have to do with this arrangement?"

"Well, I know that once he finds out you are living here, he is going to stop by a lot. Those stopping by will turn to sleepovers. Sleepovers will then turn to him camping out in my living room. Might as well have him move in officially into the spare bedroom. Save ourselves the trouble. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he likes it here. Plus, you two have become inseparable. You are going to need the company when I am working late hours with my grandfather. Plus, he will be a good buffer."

Tara scoffed. "If it were up to Matt, you and I would be screwing each other senseless by now."

"If I would have it my way, I would be screwing you senseless right now."

Tara blushed and cleared her throat. "So which one is my room?"

"The one where Matt crashed is bigger. You might need the extra space once the baby is born."

"Can I stay in the one I slept on? The blue walls remind me of the beaches in California."

"As you wish," responded Luis Mario. "Should I move your bags to the room?"

Tara nodded.

She watched as Luis Mario picked up her bags and walked into the room that would be hers and her baby's. She took a deep breath and followed him inside.