Present day,

The McCoy family neighbourhood

Toluclova, New York

I sat curled up next to Viktor in a booth of an old café I used to visit a lot years ago. Little Java was a good place. Small, homey and the owners were good friends of my mother's back in the day but they weren't around. I thanked God.

I was stalling taking Viktor to my house. I hadn't been there since Peirce left. I'd stayed with my neighbour, Mrs. C until the shock of the fact my brother had gone dulled enough for me to visit my dad and tell him before I went to my apartment and didn't move for a week. This place brought back good and bad memories, all of which had been swirling through my mind since Viktor and I left the warehouse panic rooms three days ago.

We'd been switching from train to car to get where I was now, the 'hood' of the little town Toluclova. There was a small business district that separated this place from the rich neighbourhood of celebrities who resided in New York but wanted the quiet of a little town. That place was locally known as Bling Empire. It was much like Mazadora town in Santa Pores where Miss Kay lived. There were rows and rows of mansions and the cars on the street were sleek, extravagant and slightly elegant.

"Hey," Viktor nudged me and I had to blink to get back my bearings. I was staring down in my coffee cup, my brows frowned and my lips pursed.

I put the cup down. "Sorry," I apologized. "Just a little bit distracted."

"You have to pay a little more attention to your surroundings. We are still legible to be in Brava territory," Viktor explained and bit into a slice of toast. While he'd gone for the full breakfast combo (toast, scrambled eggs, sausage and pancakes), I didn't have much appetite so I stuck with a coffee. He'd tried to persuade me to eat but I swore it would be his shoes I'd be throwing up on.

"I know. I'm attentive," I mumbled and rubbed a hand over my eyes. It felt good to have my bruises gone and no pain whenever I did that. I hadn't been getting any sleep and neither had Viktor but he didn't look as unkempt as I seemed to be.

His blond hair was still a shaggy golden mess and his baby blue eyes were surrounded by bags but unlike mine, they weren't dark and menacing. We hadn't talked about his uncle and I knew he wasn't handling it well. There were times when he just looked into space and got this expression that made my heart squeeze in my chest so I did for him what he did for me when I was almost lipping on the edge.

I kissed him and made him momentarily forget what we were doing, where we were, what had gotten us here, who we'd lost in the process and the danger we faced. I'd decided having the Don's lips on mine was one of the most exciting moments in my life. Each kiss was different, sometimes slow and soft others desperate and angry and my personal favourite were the sweet and lazy kisses that had my heart trying to pump out of my chest.

We hadn't gone into depth about the kissing either. We just did it an acted as though everything was normal which somehow, it was.

"You need to get some sleep," Viktor told me and I rolled my eyes.

"So do you," I pointed out. "And I promise we will. My house isn't far. We can ditch the car somewhere and walk the rest of the way. It's about an hour's trek. Help us stay awake and keep active."

At my last comment, I shifted from him and stretched a little, cracking my back. I dropped like a sack of potatoes though. Allowing my body to readjust to the new relief. I couldn't help the yawn that attacked me. My eyes were droopy and watery after it and Viktor chuckled next to me.

"I'm not sure if you're spacing out or falling asleep anymore," he commented.

"Probably both. I can't wait to get into a real bed again. I hate cars and trains. If it's possible for me to travel by air for the rest of my life, I'll take it."

I was officially tired of the vibrations made by a car as it run down a road. I hated the screeching of a train as it moved on a set of tracks. I wanted peace, quiet, sleep and probably more kisses from Viktor, in no specific order.

"Helicopters will probably make you more irritable," Viktor said.

"You could be right but I've never been in the air before," I tiredly stated.

"You haven't?" Viktor seemed almost surprised.

"Yeah. Where would I go?" I frowned.

"Wherever you want," Viktor pointed out for me and seeing as I was still confused, he looked me in the eye. "Where would you want to go?"

"Um..." I took a second to think. "Japan, Paris, Greece, Italy and Egypt."

"Why?"

"Many reasons but those countries have always stood out for different reasons. Technical advancements, history, culture... just broadening horizons."

Viktor hummed. "I'll take you."

Surprise and anticipation broke through the tired haze in my mind. "Really?!"

Viktor nodded. "As soon as this is all over, we'll visit all those places."

"I'm holding you to that Makarovich," I stated and leaned into him, placing my head on his shoulder. My eyes slowly dropped closed and I heard the faint jingle of the bell above Little Java's door before my name rung through the café.

"Peach? Is that you?"

I opened my eyes and tried to get them focused. Tall, dark skin, short buzz cut, bread.... Peirce? Adrenaline pushed all the sleep out of my eyes as I sat up and tried to focus but the face wasn't my brothers but it was still familiar. Though disappointed at the fact that it was not who I intended, the pleasantness of this interaction was not lost.

"Tye?" I asked confused. It looked like my ex except his cheeks weren't as round nor was he as lanky.

"Oh my God," he sighed out and I got up, leaving Viktor in the booth as I hugged him. "Hey girl."

I laughed a bit under my breath. This was so unexpected. "Tye what are you doing here?" I asked and pulled back, looking at him. "You've... filled out."

He chuckled. "Yeah. Boxing will do that to you."

I gasped. "You actually started doing it?"

"Yeah. Thanks to you. I got clean, found a coach, trained and got better."

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

Tye and I were together during my.... phase, dealing with Peirce's departure. On top of being my boyfriend, he had been my dealer. We'd always talked about what life would be like if we didn't live the lives we did. He wanted to be a professional boxer. His dad was on his way up the ladder when he died. Tye just wanted to make him proud. Do what he couldn't finish. But that was in Santa Pores, a place so far from here.

"I have a place here," He said with a big happy smile. "Bling Empire."

"Lounging with the big dogs I see," I said shaking my head. "That's so great man. I'm happy for you."

A throat cleared behind us and I turned to Viktor who was watching the interaction, leaning back with that cold expression on his face.

"Oh um... come," I said to Tye, holding his arm and bringing him close to my booth. "Viktor, this is Tye my old um... friend?" Way to be stubble Peach. "Tye this is Viktor."

I didn't add any title on there. It was best not to.

"Hey," Tye greeted and they shook hands.

"We're here to visit someone," I said casually, not mentioning it was Viktor's sister. That would start putting labels on things that weren't ready to be there.

"Mrs. C?" Tye asked directing the question to me. My brows shot up.

"You know her?"

"Yeah. She's like the town's grandmother. She was excited I knew you," he explained.

"You talk about me now?" I asked with a raised brow and he laughed warmly.

"I came here after...." he gave me a look that said it all. After we broke up when I was being a raging bitch as he tried to get me clean. Yeah... "I needed someone to talk to and she was there."

I opened my mouth and closed it. "Look, Tye about that..."

"It's all good," he smiled at me. "I get it and I don't blame you. I was of my rocker too when it was my turn. I know how hard it is."

Amongst the people in this world I was glad to meet, Tye was definitely one of them. We had had that stupid, gratifying and obsessive kind of love. It was sweet the three months it lasted. The longest relationship I had had. I dated or fun or didn't at all.

"I should be getting what I came for," he said. "Mind coming with?"

I looked down at Viktor who did not seem impressed and gave him an expression that said 'I'm sorry' and let Tye lead me to the counter up front where he ordered two lattes and a couple of muffins.

"So.... I see your taste in men hasn't changed," he stated and I snorted. It really hadn't. Bad boys, tattoos, danger. Then, I was thriving for something to feel other than numbing loss. Now... I was distracting myself. Wow. My redemption arc was looking like a simple semicircle. "He's not... a dealer is he?"

I sighed. "No. He isn't."

"But he's dangerous?"

"Not with me," I defended.

"He doesn't hurt you? You don't need help because... I can offer you aid Peach. After what you did for me, I owe you my life," he said low.

Tye got into some trouble when we were together, just a few days after our break-up. He'd been stealing pills from a local hospital for his mum but they were the nicotinic kind. I'd helped him clear his tracks when he told me someone might be onto him. After that, I said that I wouldn't help him again and if he wanted to survive, he had to get clean and figure his shit out. The same advice I'd given my brother. That was the last I'd seen of Tye.

"I know but I'm ok Tye. Really. And... I'm clean," I explained to him. "Have been for a few years now."

Tye smiled. "That's good. It feels like the world is lighter doesn't it?"

"Yeah. In some ways."

"Do you ever get the urge to relapse?"

"No. I don't think I can do that anymore. I had this godawful blackouts. Every time I try to go back or even think about it... I hated it really."

Sometimes I didn't want to believe my blackouts were caused by my addiction. I feared my mind, myself, wondering what kind of crazy lurked in my head, refusing to accept the fact that I needed help. I tried to pretend like there was nothing wrong with me but I knew there was. I was working on it though. Slowly. Viktor made things easier to bare. His love and presence was enough.

"Yeah we'll work on it," he told me and I smiled.

An idea came to mind. "Hey, Tye. You've been around a lot right? Between here and Las Pavita?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Have you ever heard of a Surf Lounge?"

"Uh..." Tye frowned. "...yeah. It's a library I think. And an internet café. My girlfriend talks about the place and visits it from time to time but I've never really been one to listen. Sorry."

"It's cool," I reassured him. "And girlfriend? Please tell me she is nothing like I was. I can be dating the same type of men but it would be sad if you dated the same type of woman."

Tye laughed. "She's nothing like you were. She's kind, nice and... I think I might marry her one day."

I winced. "That's big commitment."

"I know but I love her with everything that causes my heart to beat. She's my life and my world."

I smiled softly, a bit enviously. "That's so cute. I'm happy for you."

"And me you Peach," he sincerely stated and his coffee was brought. "I should be going but I hope I see you again. I'd like for us to catch up."

"Me too. Maybe someday," I promised, hoping I didn't die in the next few days.

I had got a piece of information though. Surf Lounge was in Taluclova. I just had to find it. I walked Tye as far out as I could until I had to return to the booth where Viktor was seated, eyes on his phone. I scanned him, thinking of what Tye had said.

I see your taste in men hasn't changed.

It hadn't but Viktor was different from the others I'd been with before and after Tye. Everyone just judged him by what they saw. I decided then that I wouldn't do that. I still wanted to know and understand Viktor. I was going to find the code to this Don's heart. Even if it took time.

"He seemed nice," Viktor stated.

"He is but we are on different planets now," I said remembering my days with him. I was young, he was too in a way. Though five years my senior he hadn't been able to grow.

"The one that got away?" Viktor stated and there was something in the way that he asked that made me think he was angry with me.

"No," I said simply, showing him how simple the answer was. I put my hand over his phone since he hadn't stopped looking at it when I sat and as he raised his head, I used that moment to bring my lips to his.

My body warmed, feeling him so closely bonded to me. I didn't make the kiss deep, trying not to bring attention to the two idiots and their PDA but I made it count, adding a little nibble to his lower lip. I pulled back, pecked his lips and then the corner of his mouth.

He didn't know he was the one that got away. I made a wish, somewhere deep in my heart that the beings in charge of the universe could give us a chance to meet like normal people do. Not now because that time had passed but somewhere in another life or another inter-dimensional plane, a boy with blonde hair will meet a girl with a fondness for computers and they will fall in love without the harsh complications of this world.

"Come on. I want us to reach my place before lunch, have time to settle in. Mrs. C my neighbour will probably swing by and make a fuss of things," I whispered.

Viktor's eyes opened and they gazed into mine softly.

In another life, I tried to reassure myself. In another life.