Celia

The punch twists my dad and he falls on his face, a few feet before me.

He gets on his knees with a pained groan, but my vision gets blocked with a pair of legs.

"Celia..." Gio holds my shoulders and lifts me up. "Jesus Christ..." His voice is breathless and shocked as he scans my face. His eyes are wide, mouth open, chest heaving up and down.

I blink at him, confused that he's here. Is he here for me? What about Ari?

"Why are you here?" I ask but he doesn't wait. He puts his arm around my waist and turns me away.

"Stop! You have no right to come in here and take my daughter!" My dad barks behind us.

Gio slowly turns us around to face my dad who hobbles towards us, breathing heavily.

My dad points his finger at him and lowers his voice. "You should think about your daughter before you do something that you regret."

Gio's hand releases my waist as he calmly steps towards my dad. "My daughter?"

Suddenly he shoves my dad's chest, making him stumble back with a startled gasp.

"You're giving me advice about parenting?" Gio continues to pace and shoves him again.

My dad falls on his palms. Gio squats before him. His voice is low and I barely hear him.

"You know what men like you deserve?" he almost cooes. "Men who raise their hand on women and abuse their power? Hm?"

My dad lifts on his palms to get up, but Gio pushes his shoulder down with one hand.

"I'm holding myself back because Celia's your daughter," Gio says. "If she wasn't related to you, we wouldn't be having a conversation right now."

Before my dad can reply, Gio grabs the front of his shirt and pulls him up. My dad stumbles on his feet as Gio dusts his shirt for him.

"So keep your preaching for Sundays and don't talk about my daughter, hm?"

Then he turns his back on him, expression emotionless. He gets near me and puts his arm around my waist, leading me towards the gate.

"If you leave with him you'll never see Marilyn again!" My dad shouts, making me stop. "Are you ready to say goodbye to the woman who raised you? Because I'll never let you see her again."

"You don't own me!" I scream so loud it scrapes my throat. I glare at my dad, burning with fire from head to toe. "You don't... fucking... own me."

"What's going on here?" Aram comes out with Alex and Marilyn.

My grandma gasps at my beaten face. I worry that all this might be too much for her. I worry about her heart, but no one cares. Everyone's watching me and Gio.

"Aram, please stop this charade!" My dad chuckles and points at us. "He's taking her and she's letting him! I don't know how to talk sense into her!"

"Who's this?" Gio murmurs in my ear.

"Alex's dad," I mutter. "They came to ask for my hand in marriage."

Aram tilts his head at our quiet exchange. His eyes lower to Gio's hand around my waist. A slow smile stretches across his lips even though his blue eyes remain emotionless.

"Well, can you blame him, Stefan?" he says, not looking away from Gio. "A woman like her paying attention to him? He'd have to be an idiot to reject her."

"What are you—" my dad says, but Aram cuts him off.

"It's true, isn't it?" he smirks at Gio, creeping closer to us.

Gio's hand around my waist tightens protectively, Aram doesn't miss a beat.

"Of course" he grins like they're old time friends. "They drive us crazy, don't they? They make us do foolish, heroic things just to impress them."

He looks over his shoulder and opens his arm towards my dad. Then twist the other way and does the same to my grandma before turning to face Gio again.

"But are you really going to separate a young girl from her family for your own pleasure? Why lead her on like that? Why mess with her feelings? Is she really worth the shame?"

"One more word about her..." Gio says in a gravelly tone, "and you'll be done."

"Let my daughter go!" my dad yells in the back. "She doesn't need any more pain!"

Aram raises a single eyebrow. "Threatening a police officer?"

"I don't give a damn who you are. Your title doesn't threaten me," Gio says. "All I see is a coward who hides behind a badge to cover his crimes. In fact, I pity all of you."

Aram's jaw clenches, his nostrils flare. His head trembles briefly before he bursts out laughing.

"This isn't funny! All the neighbors will hear about it!" my dad snaps, turning red. "Aram, take control of the situation. Do something!"

"Let's see if you're as tough as you sound," Aram smirks and reaches behind his back.

Time slows down. Everything spins. Goosebumps terrorize my skin.

A gun appears in Aram's hands as he slowly lifts it towards Gio.

In a flash, Gio pulls me behind him and blocks me with his body. I fist his shirt as my knees give out and my vision turns black.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bad guy..." Aram's voice echoes from afar, calm and casual. "But I can't let some thug nobody separate a family."

"No..." I whimper, pressing my face against Gio's back. This can't be real.

"Just let her go," Aram says. "Don't be so selfish, look how scared she is."

"Celia, please..." my grandma sobs. "Please, baby..."

"Celia, listen to us. We want the best for you," my dad pleads.

"Decide, Gio." Aram says.

"Decide?" Gio's familiar voice makes me whimper. The depth and comfort in his voice as my body crumbles against his warm, unmoving frame. He's like a wall protecting me from them.

"This isn't my decision. It's Celia's," he says. "You can't put a price on her freedom. She was born free. She's not yours to control. Celia can do whatever she wants. I won't stop her."

"She's nineteen-years-old, she doesn't know better!" my dad yells.

"You're just using her!" Alex cries out.

I peek over Gio to see Aram's lip curled, gun still pointed at him.

"But if you shoot me, you'll separate a family too," Gio says to Aram. "The only difference between me and you is that I'm trying to stop a crime while you're committing it."

"Don't let him talk to you like that! You're a cop, for God's sake! Be a man!" my dad shouts.

"Do it, dad! Put him in his place!" Alex yells.

Every nightmare about my mom, real and imagined, unleash in my head. Whirl me like a hurricane, dragging me under. I can't feel my hands. Everything shakes. Everything's cold.

Aram snarls at Gio and adjusts his fingers around the trigger. "You piece of sh—"

I grab the gun tucked in Gio's jeans and get in front of him. I point the gun at Aram's face.

Outside, everything stops.

Nobody moves. Nobody breathes.

Inside, everything spirals.

Inside, my mom and I lie on the grass and look at the sky. We watch the soaring birds and she tells me the poem of 'Why The Caged Bird Sings.'

Inside, I rest my head on her chest and she wraps me in her arms. She tells me that we'll always be together. She tells me that it'll always be me and her against the world, no matter what.

"Celia..." Gio whispers behind me, terrified.

"Calm down..." Aram raises his palm.

"Think about what you're doing," my dad slowly warns. "You'll regret this."

"He's right..." Gio says, hands hovered over my waist. He lowers his head to the side of my face. "Celia, please... look at me."

I push my spine against his chest, never leaving my eyes from Aram.

"You don't need to protect me," Gio murmurs. "Go stand next to Marilyn, I'll be okay. I promise."

"Listen to him," Aram stares at Gio like I'm not even here. "Don't waste your life for nothing—"

"He's not nothing!" I cut him off with a blood-curdling scream, clenching my eyes shut.

"Celia." my dad gasps.

"Celia..." Gio's voice cracks, low and agonized.

Aram lowers his gaze from Gio to me, squinting his eyes. "You might not remember, but I held you in my arms when you were born. I've taken you and Alex to arcades. We've had many dinners and holidays together." He shakes his head with a small smile as he looks back at Gio. "Don't give that away over someone like him—"

"Someone like him?" I laugh breathlessly. "Do you know who he is to me?"

He scowls with confusion, looking between Gio and me. Alex lowers the towel from his face as he gapes at me. My grandma covers her mouth. My dad pales as he stands still.

"You're right, you've done all that," I say to Aram. "You're Alex's dad and my dad's best friend. And guess what?" I part my lips and smile. "I'll blow your brains out for him. That's who he is to me."

"Celia..." Gio tries to stop me.

"What are you saying—" my dad gapes.

"I'll burn this whole town for him, that's who he is to me!" I split my throat with my screams. "If you touch a single hair on Gio's head, I'll rip your heart out and skin you alive, that's who he is to me! So don't you dare ever call him a nobody!"

"Please, Celia..." Gio wraps his arms around my waist, hugging me against him.

The tension threatens to leave me from his touch and I whimper back the sobs, shaking my head.

"Lower the gun, Aram..." my dad says.

"Lower the gun, look at her! Look at what you're doing!" my grandma cries out. "Please, God..."

Inside, my mom stops the car as Aram blocks the road and opens his door. She looks at me with a half-hearted smile, trying to stay strong. I watch helplessly as he jerks her door open and pulls her out. I cry out and beg him to release her.

"No one will take me from you, I promise..." Gio murmurs in my ear. His fingers slowly brush down my arms as I break down. "Shh... I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere..."

Aram lowers the gun and my hands drop down. I collapse on the ground but Gio catches and scoops me in his arms.

"Hold on to me, hold on to me," he says and puts my arms around his neck. "I got you."

"This isn't over," I hear Aram say.

"I'm taking Celia with me," Gio says.

"She's not yours to take! She's not a part of your family," my dad barks.

"She's going with him, Stefan!" my grandma shouts, her voice nearer than before.

"Ma'am, if you feel comfortable, I'd like for you to visit," Gio says. "Please pack her things. I'll stop by for them later."

"I'm so sorry for everything..." my grandma sniffles. "I'm sorry..."

"You don't need to be sorry, thank you for your help," he says and turns us around.

"You've got to be kidding me!" My dad yells after us, but Gio doesn't stop.

I peek behind Gio as they shout after us. Gio walks out of the gate and approaches his truck. He opens the passenger seat, helping me inside.

"I'm sorry..." My voice breaks as Aram, my dad and Alex spew threats at Gio while he slides the seatbelt over me.

"Shh..." Gio hushes me softly. "Just close your eyes. I'll let you know when we get there."

~ A/N ~
Hope you guys liked the ending <3 I promise to make up for all the heaviness.