Julien

6. "One day I'll take you away from all this and show you how I really feel."

Marina

Age 13

I remember a time when I was truly, incorruptibly happy. Julien and I sat together, side by side on the grass staring out at the small lake. The summer sun was just beginning to set. I laid my head on Julien's shoulder as I spooned mint chocolate chip ice cream into my mouth. This was paradise. If I could stop time at a singular moment, this would be it. I would die happy if I could lean against Julien, eating ice cream forever. What a naive notion. He hummed a popular 80s song and we sat together, on the grass in contented silence for a while until Julien broke it.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

I look up at him and grin. The baby fat in his face was starting to fade. His straight nose and strong dimpled chin was becoming more pronounced. I blushed and quickly averted my eyes back to the pint of ice cream Julien brought me earlier like it's the most interesting thing in the world. "Is that all my thoughts are worth to you?" I teased, biting down on my lower lip, a habit I've yet to break.

I'm wasn't looking at him, but I could hear something in his tone, something far off that I wasn't ready to acknowledge yet. "Mari... they're worth more than you could imagine."

I had no choice but to look up at him. After he said something like that? How could I not? I smiled at him. "I was thinking about how... I'm happy."

He raised a brow and grinned. "Yeah? Why's that?"

I blushed again and playfully slapped his arm. "Because I'm here with you, silly!" I leaned against his chest and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer in a protective hold. Julien has always been my protector, like an older brother. Of course, the thoughts I had about him were in no way platonic. It isn't normal to want to kiss your brother. "You make me happy, Julien."

His eyes lit up and he smiled. "You make me happy too. One day, I'm gonna show you. One day I'll take you away from all this and show you how I really feel." I felt him press a kiss on top of my head and butterflies erupted in my stomach. "I'll get us a house by the ocean, away from all this."

I wanted nothing more than for Julien to take me away, to kiss me, to show me everything... once again, it was a naive notion and I should've known better but at the moment, I held on to the dream because I had nothing else.

...

Julien

Present

There she is. Parading around with her damn fiancé. Love in her ocean eyes. Eyes that once looked at me that way. Disgusting. Marina's always been good at that. She's always been good at stringing men along. I watch as she rests her arm on Giovanni Rossi and looks up at him with a wide smile. They're at a stupid fucking gala again. This one is masquerade themed and perfect for my intentions. Something to do with business, even though nothing the Rossis or the Vascottos do is even remotely legal. Prostitution. Drugs. Arm deals. Business that should land them in jail, not shaking the fucking Mayor of New York's hand.

The Mayor chortles on about the generous donation that Marina's father has made to the city hospital and congratulates them on their upcoming marriage. The whole dog and pony show disgusts me.

Of course, Marina and Giovanni look perfect together, the complete power couple. She's wearing a dark blue evening gown that matches with his stupid tie and pocket square. They're both dripping in wealth and dirty money and it makes me sick. She's got everything she's ever wanted.

"Is that her?" Blade, the closest thing I have to a friend asks. I've known him since I was eighteen. We haven't tried to kill each other yet so I guess we're friends. I know he's talking about Marina. Blade's a hungry motherfucker and he's clearly got his eyes set on my girl.