Nobody's Going To Love You Like I Do

Do you believe in Ghosts?

2 hours after Nora got shot

at the Hospital

I lean my shoulder against the wall, crossing my arms, staring at the double doors. I keep replaying everything in my head. Tia Nora dancing, laughing. The screams. The blood on my hands. Cesar places a hand on my mid back. I snap out of my thoughts.

"Maybe you should sit down for a bit" he suggests. I sigh, my backs now against the wall, facing Cesar. "I'm tired of sitting. Standing. Crying. I just I don't know what to do anymore" I reply defeated. I look at everyone sitting in the waiting room. Jamal was holding Virginia as she sobs on his shoulder. Ruby was pacing, talking on the phone. Rosemarie curled up in a chair drinking a soda.

I scanned the whole waiting room, "did you call Oscar?" I asked sadly. "You know I had to V" he explained. I smile at him, "I know. I was just hoping he'd come" I frown scratching my forehead. "You still want to be with him huh? even after everything?" Cesar asks confused.

I lean my head back against the wall, "I love him Cesar, I'm just waiting for him to remember he loves me too" I chuckle shaking my head, "you probably think I'm stupid huh?" He stands next to me leaning against the wall, "not more stupid than the person that's waiting for a response after being ghosted" I turn my face to him, "Monse ghosted you?" I asked. He nods, "why do you wait?" he asks meeting my gaze.

I look away staring into the waiting room. "When we are together we are so good Cesar, it's like living in black and white and finally seeing color. I feel so alive" I emphasize with my hands. "But he hurt you, physically and emotionally" I look at him, "he also makes me feel good physically and emotionally"

I sigh, "sometimes it feels like someone is purposely trying to seperate us" "What do you mean?" he asks confused. I stand infront of him, placing a hand on my hip and another near my mouth, I glance at the waiting room then at Cesar. "It's like we were doing so good, then Mando and I get kidnapped, we're good again, then the big fight, then I get drugged, and then Nora gets-" I cover my mouth with my hands and cry.

Cesar wraps his arms around my shoulder hugging me. I grab his back, my tears soaking his shirt. I stop crying abruptly, rest my head on his chest. "Sometimes I feel like Cuchillos, B and Leti are working together to break us up, everytime I turn around it feels like one of them is in his ear messing with his head."

I gently push him away from me, wiping my tears, "you should go home and get some rest" I say softly. Cesar furrows his brows, shaking his head. I grab his face in my hands, "go and come back in the morning, that way I can go home and titi doesn't stay alone" I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him. "Text me that Oscar's ok please" I whisper and kiss him on the cheek. He gives a small smile and walks away.

Meanwhile at Oscar's house

Oscar's POV

I'm in the backyard, under the hood of a 1980 Chevy El Camino. *snap* I hear twigs snapping under someone's footsteps. I reach for my gun, turn around, aiming it in the direction of the noise. I see a tall gentleman, hair gelled back, circled beard and a medium built. He smokes his cigarette, "put it down mi'jo" he says in a deep voice, "if I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now."

I glare at him, "well that's your mistake," I growl standing his ground, "who the hell are you?!" The mysterious gentleman stares at my arm tattoo, RIP LR, takes another drag and smiles, "you believe in ghosts Spooky?" He asks. I huff and take the safety off, "I don't have the patience for riddles homie" I bellow furrowing my brows. The gentleman chuckles, smoking. He drops the cigarette on the lawn and crushes it with his foot. "Galindo" he says calmly, "Ricardo Galindo."

"Galindo?" I think as I lower my gun, staring at him confused. "They buried you decades ago" I finally say. Ricardo smiles, "they buried a casket decades ago mi'jo" He pulls out another cigarette and lights it up. "Bullshit!" I yell pointing my gun at him again. "If you ARE Lil' Ricky and you got out, why risk coming back?!" He stares at me, takes a long drag, "I'm up at Bakersfield, watching over the convict reform program I started" he exhales the smoke, "less than 2 hours ago, I get a call from my hija, crying, that my cuñada got shot"

I stare at Ricardo dumbfounded, "V" I think tightening my grip on the gun. "Put the gun down mi'jo, I'm not here because Viviana is dating a Santos, I'm here for business" he says annoyed. He exhales the smoke and inhales it through his nose. "Santos business?" I ask squinting. "Unfinished business. With your boss." I lower my gun, "Cuchillos?" I say with a confused tone.

Ricardo nods taking a hit of his cigarette. "She was my ruka. After Rollerworld, when Benito and Frankie got sent to the pin, the block was hot. I had to get out or risk dying just like them. Plan was to head up north with my primo Ramiro to New York. But when I told Stacey, she said the only way I'm leaving is in a casket."

I put the gun at his waist, lean back against the grill of the El Camino and listen. Ricardo grunts as he sits on a crate, "before I knew it Prophets rolled up on us, wet up the whole house" Ricardo puts out the cigarette, "but they missed their mark" he looks at me leaning forward resting his arms on his legs. "lucky for me Ramiro was like my twin." "You swapped places" I connect.

He nods, "my primo Rudy had a hyna in the funeraria, she covered Ramiro's tattoos, did his makeup so he looked more like me. Either way nobody really looks like themselves once their dead. After the velorio, while they were lowering an empty casket in Freeridge, I took Ramiro's up to New York to descansar en paz."

I glance at my phone, ignoring a call and look back at Ricardo. "How does V end up near Freeridge?" He smirks, "I started a new life, had my wife and 3 beautiful kids." He looks down, "I've had to do some things I'm not proud of, caused my wife her life. My 2 hijos got sucked into the life I tried to leave from." He says in a sad tone looking at the grass.

"Then there's Viviana, mi princesa" his face lit up. "I'd die before I'd let anything happen to her, including sending her away, so I did. Sent her and my cuñada to Rudy's safe house in Oakley, figured if it's kept him safe all this time, why not them."

Ricardo stands up, "You know why I'm telling you this Spooky?" I shake my head, barely moving it. "I gave up Viviana to give her a better life" he pulls out a cigarette offering me one. "Now it's your turn" he says lighting his cigarette tossing the lighter to me. I sigh, as I place the cigarette to my lips, covering it with one hand and lighting it the other. "You know what you have to do?" Ricardo says dumping the ashes on the lawn.

I nod, "I'll make sure she lets me go, then we eliminate Cuchillos" I say tossing the lighter back. Ricardo chuckles and nods, "Seems we're on the same page, has paz con quien necesites, you might not come back" he turns around, "I'll see you tonight" he says as he disappears into the darkness.

I turn around close the hood of the El Camino. I take a last hit, flick the cigarette, and head towards the house.

***Ok, so this chapter plays with my theory on the show, in which I believe Lil Ricky is alive and is running an ex con program in Bakersfield. I just realized we can add music to this so I'm testing it out next chapter. Please listen to the song! It'll help with the vibe of the next chapter. I hope you're feeling it so far, I know it might be dragging but I promise it's all for a reason. Thank You!!!***