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WHEN LEILANI DIAZ was seven years old, as you know, she lit her house on fire accidentally. She had believed her father and mother were in the house, burning to their deaths as they slept peacefully; having no idea their daughter was screaming bloody murder on the front lawn.
That wasn't the truth. The man in the bed with her mother was not her father, but instead her ex husband. Her father was alive and well at the time the house burned to ashes, getting into trouble with his gang he was tied up in; he had no way out.
He had received the news from his partner, who showed him the news live stream the night it happened. He cried and cried as he looked at the footage, until he saw two adult bodies being dragged out the house on the stretcher; one that wasn't his.
After that night, Rio Diaz had to disappear. He had to leave the city, get the fuck out of dodge. He had fled to his hometown, a small town in Louisiana. He stayed there for the nine years that his daughter and son were growing up without him; trying his hardest to get in contact with them.
He tried his hardest, yes. But did he actually get into contact? Fuck no. He couldn't find a single thing on Alex nor Leilani, until he looked up the girls name says before he showed up on their front porch. He found her record, and her address.
Hopping on the next plane, he flew to California. He knew that he was risking his life going back, considering he murdered his gang leader. Back to the point! Rio arrived in East Highland the night before he showed up to Alex, Joseph and Leilani's home; making sure he had protection.
He bought a pistol from Fez, giving him all the money he had saved up from his job in Louisiana. Fez was nice to him, and the two got along that night. I just knew from that moment, they were going to be best friends.
Rolling over in her bed, Leilani groans as she fails to fall asleep. Looking at her small light blue alarm clock, it shows four in the morning. Rolling her eyes, she grabs the empty glass that previously held water and rolls out of the bed; shuffling out of her room.
Hushed voices echo through the house, Leilanis eyebrows furrowing as she listens to them. Standing at the top of the stairs hidden behind the wall, she looks over the edge and can see the side of a man's body; someone wearing a black sweater.
Shaking her head, she lightly jogs down the stairs, walking into the kitchen and pausing all movements when she finally sees the man her brother was talking to. The glass slips out of her hand as they begin to shake. The glass shatters all over the tile flooring, and she doesn't flinch like she usually does.
Both Alex and Rio turn around, facing the teenage girl as her teary eyes look at her father whom she believed was dead for nine consecutive years. Rio smiles slightly, looking at his now sixteen year old daughter. Leilani stutters, looking at Alex who's eyes are red-rimmed and puffy from previously crying.
"What-I thought you were dead? What the fuck!" Leilani gushes, still standing in the pile of broken glass; her feet bleeding but her body's too high with adrenaline to realize. Rio sniffs, nodding and walking toward his daughter.
"Uh-I can explain everything if you give me the chance to." Rio says cautiously, gently grabbing his daughters arm and bringing her away from the broken glass. Alex instantly grabs the first-aid kit from the cabinet; following after them.
"Explain, please because I feel like I'm seeing shit." Leilani cries, Rio gently sitting his daughter down on the couch and propping her bleeding feet up on the coffee table. Alex rushes over, unzipping the first-aid kit and tending to her injuries.
"In 2013, when you burned the house down, the man with your mother wasn't me. It was her first husband, Max. I was out and about." Rio explains, handing Alex the hydrogen peroxide so he can clean out Leilanis cuts. Leilani swallows harshly and nods, her eyes still wide as she listens.
"But that doesn't explain to me why the fuck you left us." Leilani cries, mascara running down her cheeks as she grits her teeth at the feeling of Alex tending to her injuries.
"That same night, I had murdered someone. Someone bad, who did bad things. I had to leave, because if I didn't they were going to kill me." He explains, and Alex shoots his head up; instantly looking at Leilani who clenches her jaw.
"Well, looks like you two have a lot in common." Joseph speaks up, startling the three as they all turn around to the man standing in the corner, a cupcake in his hand. Rio then looks to his daughter, his eyebrows raised as he waits for an explanation.
"Uh, I killed a dude that was going to send us all to jail. Not us necessarily, but my boyfriend and his brother." Leilani explains, and Rio chokes on the air as he looks at his daughter, then to Alex with wide eyes.
"Boyfriend?" He questions, narrowing his eyes as he looks at Leilani who sinks back into the couch. She gulps, looking up at the stairs.
"Uh, yeah. Boyfriend, he's a good guy. Explains why I stabbed someone in the throat for him, then held a gun to Brayden's head." Leilani shrugs, wiping her eyes and looking at her dad awaiting a response. Rio widens his eyes once again, his lips parted slightly.
"I'm sorry-the fucking throat?" Rio gawks, looking at Joseph and Alex who confirm. Joseph, who forms his hand into a fist; playfully stabbing his neck and sticking his tongue out.
"Uh yeah. I'm sorry, I was just like scared. Subject change! Why are you back now? You had nine years." Leilani changes the subject, watching as Alex wraps the bandage around her foot, making sure it's tight before standing up and sitting on the end of the couch next to Rio.
"I didn't know if it was safe. I still had people looking for me in Louisiana. Random fucks would show up to the store, asking for me specifically." He explains, his hands on his lap and intertwined as Leilani nods along with Alex.
"Well, if I knew nine years ago that this would be my life, I would call our life a Wattpad story." Joseph says from his corner, finishing his cupcake and walking into the kitchen to throw away the wrapper.
"The fuck is Wattpad?" Leilani questions, furrowing her eyebrows and shaking her head. Rio smiles at his daughter, patting her leg.
"You can stay here if you want. Uh, we have three extra rooms along with a studio. I know how you liked to record music so you can go do your shit in there." Alex says, standing off the couch and pointing to the hallway where all the rooms were located.
"How did you guys afford this?" Rio questions, looking around the house with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Leilani looks to Alex with a knowing look, who quickly comes up with the other reason how.
"I'm a singer. Guitarist, whatever the fuck." Alex shrugs, looking at his dad who nods with a small grin. Leilani sniffs, walking toward her dad and throwing her arms around his body.
Rio instantly returns the hug, resting his chin on top of his daughters head as she cried into his sweater. Her body shook as she stood on her left leg, her right foot still slightly bleeding from the glass.
"Goodnight. I missed you." Leilani sniffs, breaking apart from the hug and limping toward the stairs. Rio waves, smiling widely at his daughter and watching as she disappeared up the stairs.
This was a sweet moment. A girl who was so deprived of having a father, finally having one again. Leilani was different after this day, she was happier. More chipper, she went back to her old self.
She even grew her hair out, changed her style back to how it was. She hung out with Fez, Alo, Maddy and i more. She was affectionate, she was better. I was so happy for them, and then it all got ripped away from me in the blink of an eye.
