Jessa's POV
His amazing wife Lily had made it here life's mission to torment her husband and so far it was going well considering she won every argument that ensued between the two. 

Giovanni had cut his long hair. Cut isn't even the right term. A month ago Lily made him shave his head bald and for some reason it looked good.

I can still hear how she laughed when she dropped him off at the restaurant and the staff began snickering at their boss's new look. Weird enough, it looked good on him. I sighed, feeling a bit nostalgic.

" I guess this is it then." I said softly. My voice cracked as I feel unwanted tears spring into my eyes. Stop sweating eyes! You're embarrassing me! His smile doesn't quite reach his sad brown eyes. I preferred and would choose sadness over pity any day.

I'm not some helpless child. I can fend for myself. I'd done so singlehandedly for nine years.

Yet you couldn't even keep a job for nine months!

The thirty year old man wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a hug. I felt so good, yet so sad that the confused emotions broke my dam as I sobbed into his neck.

I read somewhere that hugs help to relieve tension. I didn't get many hugs, if none at all.

Yet Giovanni's hugs made me feel that it was okay. Even if it wasn't it would be. But once I left his arms I would come back. Broken tainted me.

The one with no hope and empty promises. He comforted me, no questions asked. So I took solace in him, even if it was for a short while.

"You're a strong woman. You'll find something better to do. I know you will. I wish it wasn't like this." He whispered in my ear softly.

He was the only person I had let in ever since I moved here, apart from my ex that is. My heart ached as he brushed my hair softly like a father would his daughter.

If only I hadn't been so foolish, then it wouldn't have come to this. What good am I? I ruined the one good thing I had going.

"I love you Gio." I said softly as I sniffed to keep snot from running down my nose.
He sighed and gave me a tight squeeze before pulling away to look me in the eyes.

"I love you too, kid. Don't ever forget it." My heart warmed at that. He knew this was the last time he'd see me. He knew I wouldn't come back to visit, that wasn't me. Never has been, never will be.

After signing my resignation letter, I changed out of my work clothes into a pair of washed out blue jeans, my while t-shirt and my old worn-out converse with holes in them.

Grabbing my bag, I glanced around the restaurant for the last time trying to reminisce all the good memories I had.

All the other waitors never liked me so I never made any friends.

Apparently I was a magnet for trouble. I stepped out of 'Giovanni's Delicacy' still thinking the name was weird. Beginning my journey home, I never looked back.

Present day....
I shoved the nametag into my pocket. I had nothing to do the whole day. I didn't wanna venture out of the apartment in fear of meeting Drey again.

I sat on the bed, aimlessly staring at the ceiling. A yell and the sound of a banging door caught my attention.

Hailey ran into the room, looking dishevelled and gasping for air. I got up immediately. Hailey was my roommate.

She was an illegal immigrant who worked for a drug Lord and as a part time prostitute at the brothel downtown.

I'd never seen Hailey without makeup or six inch stilettos, even when she was high as fuck. She stood hunched over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

Her short orange hair was standing up like barbed wire, the pink tips looking outrageous. She had piercings everywhere. All in all she was your typical high school cliché bad girl but worse.

 "Hailey? You alright? What's going on?" I asked, a bit hesitant. As creatively expressive as my roommate was, she didn't like me very much.

We'd been living together for a few years now and I didn't even know my Asian roommate's last name. That was how much she didn't like me.

    "He's.... he's coming...run!...get out..." She said gasping for air. Fear seized my heart as I tried to make sense of what she was saying.

She stood up, fear glowing deep in her irises. She was scared. Hailey never gets scared. Sure she's been a bitch to me since I met her but confidence was her thing.

"I made a mistake... something went wrong..the boss is coming... it's too late for me, you gotta get out of here. He'll kill you if he finds you here."she screamed, grabbing my arms as she looked me in the eyes.

I shook my head trying to make sense of what she was saying.What the heck was going on? "Listen, I know I haven't been the nicest person but it's all been for a reason. I had to protect you.

It's too late to run.When they come, you hide. You wait till the coast is clear. In my room there's a red suitcase under the bed. It has cash. You take the cash and your passport, set fire to this apartment and run.

Do you understand, Jessa? Do you?" She asked. I nodded timidly. "What about you? You can't just give up! We can both leave.

We can go far away... start over." I said, years falling down my face. She couldn't just give up. She had to fight back. I'd lost so many people and despite everything Hailey mattered.

She let go off me and wringed her hands together giving me a sad smile. "It's too late for me. I..." The loud bang of a door interrupted her. Her eyes widened in fear as she began to visibly tremble.

"Get under the bed, now! If they find you they'll take you and you'll end up like me... whatever you do, don't make a sound." She said. Upon hearing footsteps she shoved me towards the bed.

I dropped to the floor and slid across it on my belly, putting myself under the bed yet hiding my head behind the headboard so I could see everything.

Hailey faced me. She looked scared. I was probably mirroring the same look.

Before she could turn around a gunshot rang and she gasped, her mouth falling wide open while she grimaced in pain.

Another bang and another and another. I covered my mouth trying to cover my whimpers as tears rolled down my face.

A single tear dropped down her face as I watched the life drain from her eyes, she fell on her knees and fell straight down, face first.

I couldn't bear to watch. I coiled into a foetal position trying to calm myself. I was cold all of a sudden, so cold.

I stayed there, my eyes closed as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

I felt cold liquid slowly seep into my clothes. I could smell the metallic stench of it. It was blood. Hailey's blood.

 I don't know how long I stayed under the bed but when I came out, they were gone...and so was her body. All that was left of her were the blood trails on the floor.

They hadn't been bothered getting rid of the evidence.

The last thing I saw was my blood covered hands, then I was out.
I woke up with dried blood on me.

Remembering the past events I got off the floor. Hailey just died, her eyes haunting me as she took her last breath. I'd never forget those eyes, they'd haunt me for the rest of my life.

I'd been lucky. She'd told me they'd be back. I didn't have much time. I had to get out of here. Burn the house, leave New Orleans.

I had to get out. I run to my suitcase. No! Picking a suitcase would be too conspicuous in this neighborhood...word would spread.

I threw the suitcase on the floor and grabbed a backpack. I wanted to break down, to cry, to process her death or at least make sense of it but my body was in a flight or fright mode, adrenaline pumping.

The need to survive was dominant.

I stuffed in some clothes, underwear, toothbrush and toothpaste. Walking into Hailey's room I spotted the res suitcase but my foot froze before I could even take a step towards it.

The entire room was empty save for the picture on the wall right above the mattress she slept on.

    I'd literally never been in her room before. Tears swelled in my eyes as I walked closer.

I could see three people. A man and a woman, both Asian and in between stood a young Hailey, probably nine years old at that time.

She had a big smile which showed her braces and her eyes had a glow. She'd been happy.

    I didn't know her story and I never will bit she wouldn't just die and be forgotten. She would love on in my heart.

She saved my life. Wiping the tears, I ripped the picture off the wall and grabbed the red suitcase. I ran out of the room and into mine. Tossing the suitcase onto the bed, I unzipped it.

"Holy fuck!" I yelled in surprise. I had never seen so much money before. There has to be at least five hundred thousand dollars.

I couldn't carry it all. It felt wrong to take the money. It didn't belong to me. It wasn't mine. But I had no choice.

I shoved wads of money into the backpack. It was big enough because it was meant for camping, a souvenir from one of the sexual escapades Drey and I went on in the woods.

"Burn the house and get out. Burn the house and get out!" I chanted to myself like a mantra.

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Well...this story moves fast.
🤫😔 Let's have a moment of silence for Hailey. We will never know why she died but she did good.

😌Now back to business. If you really wanna connect with the book, listen to

This city by Sam Fischer as you read the scene where Jessa left Giovanni's restaurant. Don't blame the guy, he's got a family to fend for, he didn't have a choice.

I wonder where Jessa's gonna go? What if they come before she makes it out?😁😁
Vote, comment and share. Love y'all.

- Daisy