His Twisted Queen

Chapter 7

Alaina.

Time heals everything is a big fat lie. Years later and I still feel forloned. Even in this exact moment--approximately fifteen away--I feel lost..alone. I don't belong. I can never have a place at that table, not in a million years.

Nothing in this cozy, intimate diner registers to me--all I pay mind to is the table at the window. A table occupied by five individuals and only one of them actually know me.

The little girl uses her hands to properly explain something and retrieves genuine laughter from her parents. Only the two older kids--a boy and a girl--pay no attention, their sole focus are on their latest iphones. The sight seem so personal and I don't want to intrude.

A desire to slowly back away, leave the diner...forget that I decided to come take hold of me. I don't belong here, what even made me decide to come?

Eager to escape, I clench onto the sling of my bag and hastily spin around. The aim is to leave and go away, but the waitress shatter my hopes to make a clean get-away. She bumps into me with a tray of empty dishes and even though the objects didn't crash into million pieces like my hopes.

She still let out a yell that attained the attention of every present individual.

"Mind your steps, sweetie. I ain't gonna spend money on your damages." She leer, disapproving my innocent mistake.

"Sorry." I quietly say. Silently praying that uncle Dom and his family didn't pay heed to the tasteless situation. And if they did, I hope none of them recognised me.

The waitress give me a mean once-over before she rambles off. And I waste no time, I follow her example. I keep my head down as I start walking. It was dumb coming here, I should have known better.

"Is that Alaina? Alaina! Dad, it's Alaina?!" The little voice came so sudden that I stop in my tracks.

She...knows me. But how? I've met Aunt Viola, numerous times and occasionally, Nina and Noah but they were younger. I've never met Elle.

"Hey kid, you're five minutes late. Come sit your ass down." Uncle Dom's voice came, unsavoured and friendly. And I can only sadly realise that he recognised me too, but probably wanted to leave the decision to stay or go up to me.

And I wanted to take the easy way out, go.

I'm not brave enough to meet Uncle Dom's family.

"Waste two more minutes and you paying the bill." He warns, laughter in his voice.

"Gosh dad, be cool." Nina's unforgettable husky voice roots through.

I gulp. Ugh, I feel pathetic at this point. I turn around and saunter my pathetic ass over to the table.

I'm not able to miss the curious eyes on me as I come closer.

"My, my, my. Look at you, little Alaina." Aunt Viola or rather Aunt Vi rises and she stuns me when she pulls me in for a hug.

My arms hang awkwardly by my sides but my heart dance in...joy. I'm getting a hug. Wait, I'm actually getting...getting a hug.

Uncle Dom's wife hold me back in an arm's length and make a show of looking at me. And I feel damn stupid for suddenly wanting to cry.

My mind match the lady with the blue eyes to that calm, loving aunt that accompanied Uncle Dom on his visits to the rehab.

At one point in my life, I was an alcoholic. I was up at night, drinking liquor like it was water. I chased that feeling of forgetting everything. When I was drunk, I didn't think, I didn't feel.

One morning after yet anoter wasted night, Aunt Viola locked me up in her basement.

For two days straight, I was locked up. I was fresh out of lockup again and she thought locking me up in a dark basement was the ideal punishment. She had no idea that I relished in the silence, the darkness.

And when she lifted the punishment, I went right for the bottle again. Eventually, I had to accept that I have a serious problem. When I took the first step of pouring the alcohol down the drain and start the battle against the addiction, Aunt Vi took all the next steps with me.

"I knew you would turn out, beautiful." She says and I can almost swear I see tears blinking in her eyes.

"You mean, after all the s**t I did?" I ask, hoping I sound friendly.

She laughs. "After all the s**t you did, yes. It's so good to see you, Alaina." She gives me another tight hug.

I shallow hard. This is definitely not the welcome, I was expecting.

I turn focus to the others.

"Wow, you're gorgeous. I'm Elle." The youngest extends a little hand.

"Hi. You're cute." I repay her innocent compliment, folding her soft hand in mine.

She gives a big smile. Yep, her front teeth definitely said bye and hit the road.

"Nina." The eldest daughter wave her hand and I'm not entirely suprised that she doesn't remember me.

Purple highlights in her blonde hair, a fake butterly tattoo on her wrist, four pairs of earrings on both ears...either, she's trying to fit in or stand out.

"Sup. I'm Noah." He sounds older than he looks. I wonder if Uncle Dom knows his son smokes because his voice and fingertips says it all. I answer his fist-bump.

I finally sit down and I try to recollect myself cause the anxiety is like a brewing storm in my stomach.

The Romans went about a conversation and easily added me to it, but being here is strange...too soon.

Last night, I couldn't get myself to call Uncle Dom but this morning, I said: f**k it. I've always been impulsive and that's one of the attributes that made me such a messed-up person.

I called Jenna, told her that I'm taking the weekend off and she couldn't actually deny me because I've never taken days off, not even sick leaves. So yeah, I decided to tag along on the Roman's family trip.

How I'm going to survive is to be found out.

"So, is it true?" Elle suddenly look at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Shit. I didn't listen to one word of the conversation. "I don't um...what-what was the question?"

"Did you rob a bank when you were seventeen?!"

My blood ran cold and I shoot my gaze to Uncle Dom. The biggest smile drooling over his face.

He actually told his family that I was a criminal and he is smiling about it. My past was written in the shadows and I'm not ready to bring all that s**t into the light.

I look at Elle, wanting to lie to her. And believe me, I'm a good liar but she looks so invested, maybe even excited to know things about me. Bad things, but still.

"Um yeah." I respond, there's no need for further details. Especially the part where things almost didn't work out and I ended up, getting chased by the cops. I managed to get away with the help of a bicycle.

Elle's eyes get even bigger. And I realise that every Roman member got the gift of blue eyes, each one having a distinguished shade. Like it's an epitome of being family.

"Wow, you're so cool. Have you ever...killed someone?" Elle whisper, her excitement peaking higher.

I fidget with the napkin when I realise that Elle's innocent question called for everyone's attention. A kid, Elle's age shouldn't even be making this question part of her hundred questions a day.

The expectation on the faces are visible and a certain kind of dazed air enveloped us. Of course, I could lie or go for the truth. And anyway, Uncle Dom is kind of familiar with my take the first shot habit.

"Well," I sit forward, under the analysation of the Romans. "I actually um...shot and killed four men and wounded their boss for kidnapping a little boy."

Deeb inhalation of breaths and unimaginable tension rose to the air. I can almost swear I hear the rapid beating of their hearts. The shock run so deeb, none of them can get a word out.

I retrieve a smile. "I'm-I'm just messing with you."

It takes a second, but I have never seen people show so much relief at the same time. The Romans laugh but I'm ruefully reminded that I will never fit in with them.

They are good people and I can be good too. I'm a good person but, I have done bad things.

And someone like me can never hope for a permanent spot among good people.