A year has passed. A year of heartbreak and healing for Livia. A year from Colby.
What happens when Corey shows up out of the blue and asks her something that'll pull her back into their lives? Will she accept, or put that life behind her and focus...
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~12~ *Colby's pov*
I walked down the streets of New York with my head down and my hands stuffed in the pockets of my black coat. I watched as boots and shoes passed me, dragging muddy snow along with them. Unable to see the faces of those people, and them not being able to see my own.
It was colder than what I was used to. Growing up in Kansas I saw snow and wet weather quite often. Enjoyed it a lot of the time. But La doesn't have that kind of weather, and after living there I lost my endurance towards it. So with every breath I took, cold air penetrated my lungs and burned my eyes, causing them to water. Then I released the air and repeated the cycle.
As I walked, studying shoes, a pair of black boots appeared by my side. I became aware of them immediately. Noticing how close they were to mine and the way they synced up with each of my steps.
Then a copycat appeared on my other side.
Still, I didn't look up directly. My chin raised the slightest to get a better look.
Both were of the same size, same height, same stance. Both wearing gold lions on their ring fingers.
These were them.
I finally lifted my head, keeping my brows furrowed and not daring to look either of them in the eyes. My skin must have been pale, blood fleeing from the weather and resting in my cheeks and nose and ears.
Discretely, they took hold of my arms, not pulling them from my pockets but keeping a firm grip just above my elbows.
I didn't react, just kept my chin up and my eyes forward.
It was only a few meters before they pulled me down an alleyway. A theme I've noticed in New York. Nothing good happens in alleyways.
Proof? The fist that came in contact with my gut. Causing me to sputter out a cough from my dry throat, saliva filling my mouth as I bit down on my tongue to prevent any more grunt of weakness to leave me.
I struggled to walk for only two seconds before they fixed my posture and pulled me deeper into the alley, approaching the back door to a basement of a hotel. I knew this was my destination even before my guests decided to grace my presence.
Maybe the boss wanted to make sure I got to him safely.
"I appreciate the escort guys but you didn't have to go to all this trouble for lil' old me." I chuckled, swallowing my own saliva.
"Shut it. Wait till you're spoken to." The guy on my left spat, releasing my arm and walking down two steps to open the door for me. Without saying anything more the two of them pulled me down and into the basement, shutting the doors behind me to leave us in total darkness.
Without my sense of sight, I relied on hearing and smelling alone. The scent of cigars was potent in here. Fresh from the smell of it. Alone with that, my left ear was picking up on a slight clinking noise, followed by a soft whimper. Then, the pouring of a glass.
