Riley
I'm in the car and on my way to downtown New York so fast that it feels like a blur. Thankfully, the traffic isn't so bad tonight so it's a pretty quick ride to the city centre. I quickly find a parking space not too far from the alleyway then waste no time in heading that way on foot.
It's almost 9 pm and from what I've learned over the past few weeks of watching her, if she is out then she will be back soon. She doesn't seem to stay out late which makes me happy because I worry about her out there doing God knows what.
I stay in the dark and out of sight so as not to frighten her or anyone else who may come here and get impatient as the time goes by and she doesn't return. Maybe she's not out tonight? Maybe she's up the alleyway with her little girl. I decide to give it another ten minutes and if there's no sign of her then I'll head further up the alley to see if I can spot her there.
Another fifteen minutes go by with still no sight of her I finally lose it. "Fuck this!" I'm now losing all patience and hate the anxious feeling that's rolling through my chest. I turn to head up the alley when I hear a noise and what sounds like sniffling. I turn back around and there she is. She's just walking into the alleyway in her usual black attire only something seems off about her and I swear that she's crying.
"Gemma?" I call out her name as I'm still in the dark and I don't want to startle her by just stepping out. Unfortunately for me, my plan doesn't work as she lets out a startled cry and jumps backward away from me. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
I slowly step towards her and want to smile at the cute confused expression on her face. "If you didn't want to scare me then why are you hiding in the dark?" She's got a fair point. What am I supposed to say here? I take another step closer to her and instantly feel my veins burn with anger. "What the fuck happened to you?" I step forward and slip a finger under her chin then push her face up higher so I can get a better look at her.
She has a black eye and a split lip and I'm fucking furious. I take my eyes off her injury and look into her eyes and see sadness and fear. My anger is scaring her and that's the last thing that I want so I take a deep breath and slowly let it out and my anger with it. I keep my fingers on her chin but use all the strength I have to soften my words, not that I think it actually works.
"What happened, sweet girl? Who did this to you?" she looks at me for a few moments but doesn't say a word. "It... it doesn't matter." she tries to pull free from my hold but I'm not having any of that so instead I keep my hold firm and step forward pushing her up against the wall, or bodies are touching and it sends a shiver through my entire body. Fuck, I feel like a schoolboy here.
"Who hurt you, sweet girl?" she takes a deep breath as tears glisten in her eyes and I feel it in my gut. "I don't know who it was." clearly my confused face is enough to keep her talking without me asking anything. "I was... I was looking in the garbage bins at the back of Troy's Toy Store and got lucky with good presents but then these two guys came around the back and well... let's just say they made sure that I gave them up. I tried to fight them off but they were too big."
Her tears break free and roll down her cheeks making my heart clench. "It's ok, you're ok." I pull her into me and feel a strange sense of pride when she wraps her arms around my back and holds on to me tight. It's only now that I truly get to see how small she is. She's short and skinny, too skinny, and yet, I can only imagine how hot she would be with some curves on her.
I soothe her hair down with one hand and gently rub her back with my other hand. She feels so small, so frail, and yet it's clear to see that she's a tough cookie. I do all I can to help her calm herself down, I want her to feel better, and I don't want her upset but I also can't deny how much I love her against me or how angry I still am at the idea of anyone hurting her.
She pulls back a little but still holds on to my coat which makes me stupidly happy even if it shouldn't right now. "You don't understand, I needed those." she looks panicked and upset. "What were they? The presents that you got?" she looks down at her feet for a moment but then brings her eyes back up to mine. "They were for my daughter. They were her Christmas and birthday present plus her biggest wish... I was going to make her Christmas wish finally come true. AND NOW IT'S ALL RUINED!"
By the time she has finished talking, she has gone from sad to angry and it's a side that I like. I would much prefer her anger to her sadness and tears. "Well, there's still time until Christmas and when is her birthday?" she smiles, and for once, it's genuine and happy, and fuck she looks beautiful. "Her birthday is on Christmas day. She's a Christmas baby. A Christmas blessing." Now I can understand her smile because it makes me smile too.
"And this wish?" her smile suddenly fades and she almost looks ashamed but why? "Her wish is a Christmas tree... that's it. Just a simple Christmas tree. Obviously, I couldn't get a tree but I had found lights and baubles and I could have decorated one of the trees up the top of the lane but now... It's... it's all gone."
Julia
The embarrassment that I feel right now is out of this world. I've failed her. I'm a shit mother and a shit human! When I saw those new lights and baubles I was so excited, the lights even had batteries in them so they would work for a while and then if that wasn't amazing enough, I then went and found the perfect presents for Ninas birthday and Christmas and now they're all gone.
The moment I saw those two men come down the alleyway, I knew that there would be trouble. They were the Falco brothers, horrible shits that get way too much pleasure out of hurting others. Luckily for me, they only go as far as taunting or hitting which I'm insanely grateful for but now I have a split lip, and I'm pretty sure I have a black eye coming and I still don't know what I'm going to say to Nina. How do I explain this?"
As if the night wasn't hard enough I then came back home to find that guy hanging around by the alley. I was ready for more shit to start but he's been nothing but nice to me even if I don't understand why. I'm not used to the kindness of strangers. If a stranger is nice, it usually means that they want something but so far he's been nothing but nice to me without wanting anything in return.
Telling him what happened tonight and what I lost leaves me feeling heartbroken and ashamed. I was so happy to have achieved what I did but now, I'm back without a damn thing and in pain. "What's Your name?" for a moment I forgot that he was still here but he is, he's still here holding on to me while I cling to his coat, and as much as I know I shouldn't do it I just can't help it. It feels nice to lean on someone a little, even if it is just for a few minutes. "Gemma. Gemma Long-"
"Don't. Please, don't lie to me, not again." How does he know that I'm lying? I look at him and he doesn't seem pissed, if anything he just seems a little sad which is strange. It's a risk telling him my real name but he doesn't know anything else and he's been nothing but kind to me so the least I can do is give him this. "it's Julia." he looks unsure and I get that. "I promise, I'm telling the truth this time. My name is Julia, Julia Willow."
A gentle smile graces his face and gives me butterflies in my stomach. Jesus, what was that? "I believe you... Julia, that's a beautiful name. My name is Riley, Riley Carter." Riley Carter. Why does that sound familiar.
"Your name, it sounds familiar." A sharp ice cold breeze flies through the air and whips across my hair pulling some loose and he quickly tucks them behind my ears sending a shiver through my body. "You have properly heard of me. I own several businesses across town."
"Wait... you own that big nightclub, don't you? And the bakery over on 5th?" he seems impressed that I know this but now that I have realized who he is, it's impossible not to know this. Everyone knows who the Carters are, even the homeless. "I do."
"Wow!" of all the things that I could say, that's what I come out with. Wow? Jeez, I must sound like a dork but I can't help it. Here I am with literally no money to my name and here he is... The man who can buy anything he wants in this world. How could our worlds ever compare?
"Listen to me. I want you to go and get your little girl and I'll wait by here for you both."
"Hmm, why?" What the hell?
"You're both coming home with me. I can't leave you out here for one more night, either of you." Is this guy for real?