Page 55 of Chula
“Fuck that. There’s no way I’m coming back here.”
“I sure as hell hope not. What are you going to do once you get out?”
“You know I’ve been taking classes in here for art. I plan on pursuing that a little more. It’s something I’ve always been passionate about but never sat down and did it, you know? My brother helped me a lot before I was locked up,” I tell him.
“No shit. I’ve seen all the tats you’ve been running lately. You’re damn good at that, too.”
“It felt so easy to learn how to do. I was impressed with myself,” I admit to him.
“Well, it looks good. Jaime’s was badass. It’ll be awesome if you get to work some color too,” he says. I nod my head and take a drink of my water before setting it back in front of me.
“When you getting out, Pedro?”
“I don’t know, Marco. Maybe never. They added those new charges on me when I beat that guy’s ass. Just adds to the time.”
“You need to stay out of trouble and get the fuck out of here.”
“Shit, this is my fourth time in. This is just about all I know, Marco. I’m not good outside these walls. This is where I’ll call home the rest of my life or the majority of it.”
I shake my head. I know it’s true, but I also know it’s sad. I hate that for him, but he’s right. He’s told me the stories, and he can’t stay out of prison for nothing. He’s been in and out since he was eighteen.
“I hope you find your way, Pedro.”
“Maybe one day, kid. I’m just glad you’re leaving this hell behind, even though I’ve grown fond of you,” he tells me as I laugh.
“Don’t fucking get soft on me, Pedro.”
“Fuck that. There isn’t anything soft about me.” He shoves out of his chair and walks off while I remain contemplating shit. Mainly, what my life is going to look like once I get out. What will it be like? Will I be able to just slip back into the life Damion was setting up for me?
I won’t lie and say that the crew life hasn’t been calling to me. I’m basically in a crew in here, but that’s mainly for protection reasons. That’s not to say that I haven’t done things while I was in here, I have, I just wasn’t caught.
I lean back in my chair and glance around. There are men from all walks of life in here. All different cultures and ethnicities. Every single one of them has done something they aren’t proud of, or maybe they are. I’m not going to lie here and say that I’m not happy with what I did. I’m pissed I got caught, is all. I think about that night a lot. When I told her to run and she didn’t. Shewas in shock. I know she was, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have run. I don’t know what was going through her head, and maybe I should have left her there, but that didn’t seem like the right thing to do to her. She was my Chula. My everything. I couldn’t just walk away from her, and as I sit here thinking about her, I don’t know that I can do it now. Maybe she has a new man. Maybe she has a new life, but does that mean that she forgot me?
It’s possible. Anything is.
Chapter 25
Luna
You ever just sat around and contemplated life? Did you make the right decisions? Did you make a mistake? Is this the life you want?
That’s how I feel most days. Some, I just feel a lot. Other’s I’m happy. Some I’m sad.
Life has kicked my ass over the last four years. Marco was gone. I went to school. Davey was adopted. Everything just felt so rushed and out of control for me. Where did all that leave me? Alone. At least I was. I’ve made some good friends since then, and I feel like my life may be heading in the right direction now. I’m working, making good money as a nurse, and continuing with school. Everything I wanted has fallen into place, aside from Marco. He’s not here. And he’s not going to be.
“You ready?” Damion asks as I pack up my books and smile up at him.
“Yeah. Do we have time to run by the apartment?” I ask him.
“Yeah, we do. Is Justin meeting us there?” he asks. I smile bigger and nod my head. Justin has been a good friend of mine since I started school. He means a lot to me and has held my hand through a lot of hurt and heartache.
“He is. I can’t thank you enough for driving me around while my car is in the shop. I hated to ask,” I tell him as I heft the backpack over my shoulder and follow him out of the library.
“You know I don’t mind. Besides, I’m meeting Kira there anyway,” he tells me.
“Oh, so Kira got another date, huh?”
“Yeah, she asked me this time, and I couldn’t say no.”
