"First Impressions"

    Within the calm and all too blissful surroundings upon us, we eventually drifted off into step. Two distinct figures: a detective in her white sundress that fluxes with the warm wind every few minutes - and the tall and mysterious gang leader that only walks in all black with ink pervading across his tan skin.

I don't know what to say to him, from the terms that we left off on. Quite frankly, I don't even fully know him. Yet.

Walking amongst the cemented path that vastly curves around the pond, my blue-green eyes settle on Rio's. His hand's are planted in the pocket of his hoodie - his dark brown eyes not meeting mine.

"You're not hot?" I toss the question at him with disbelief, next to Rio.

Rio's dark irises remain serious, ahead. "Nope." He says, as the muscles of his jaw seem to faintly clench. I fixate my gaze ahead, too, before taking in a steady breath.

"How did you find me?" I ask quietly.

"I wanted to." He answers, and it's then when I feel his gaze finally drift towards me. I jolt my gaze onto him at his choice of words.

But I don't say anything. Instead, for some reason, I only hold my breath, and avert my gaze elsewhere again.

Between our distinct figures only stands silence again.

Soon, I clear my throat, choosing to break the momentary silence. "How long were you watching?" I adjust on his brown eyes again.

Though this time, I gather, they're deep with an unreadable glimmer within them. He looks at me, intently, before he speaks.

"Long enough." He states huskily, reverting his eyes back to the peaceful nature around him, and to the few kids that hand out the cups at the lemonade stand fifty feet or so ahead of us. "So this is what you do outside of that job of yours, huh?"

I then follow his gaze in return. "Somewhat. I read. I take the walks that I need, to clear my mind. Make jokes out of Callum's own ridiculous jokes. But this is my favorite." I gesture towards the lemonade stand, and Rio soon seems to observe it.

"I love getting together with the students at the youth group I use to attend myself, years ago." I feel a smile form on my face - feeling Rio's eyes fixate on me shortly after. "The lemonade stand was their idea. I just came to help." I briefly shrug. "They're awesome."

"I saw," Rio starts, next to me, and I shift my attention back onto him, as he glances down and clears his throat, "I also saw Carlos got a free drink. Do I get a cup, too?" He asks huskily, before meeting my eyes.

A soft laugh escapes my lips, as I shake my head. "Wow. You must've really been watching for a while..." I remark, when his brown irises portray something I can't quite grasp.

And a grin briefly tugs at his lips.

"Oh I was, Isabel." He says lowly.

I feel like my eyes are settled on his for too long enough, as I'm reminded that he's the leader of the gang my brother takes part in. I clear my throat, shooting my attention ahead.

"Anyway, that's too much about myself. What about you?" I say next to him. "What is it that you do, when you're not... taking care of business?"

On the side of my eye I notice Rio glance in the opposite direction of me, in the direction of his other side, as he allows for silence to linger again, for another moment longer.

"It's simple, Isabel. As you're reading, I'm watchin' my boys count counterfeit bills. And when you take those walks to clear your mind from the craziness happening around you, I try coming up with a plan on how we're gonna get by with our mommy dearest;" he pauses, seeming to search my blue-green eyes as he watches me, "crime." he finishes solemnly.

I don't remove my furrowed gaze from his.

I swallow, next to Rio. And my pink lips part.

"And how do you feel about that?" I ask. "Is that what you want?"

Rio meets my gaze again. The sudden glint within his eyes are almost unrecognizable on him.

As if no one had ever asked him such a question.

Rio's jaw merely clenches, as his blazing brown eyes pierce mine.

"I never came across something I really wanted, or something I know I'll need day by day." He states, lowly. "So I chose this."

I silently take in a deep breath, processing his words before I exhale. I then nod. "Good." Rio's gaze jolts towards mine in confusion at my response.

And I then shrug; never tearing off his eyes. "I'm just glad you know that you chose crime, and that crime didn't choose you." I state. I watch a furrow then loom over his brows in turn.

"You know what that means?" I ask, earning for him to escalate his brows in wait.

I glimpse ahead, feeling the radiant sun beam down on me. "It means you can always choose something else. If you wanted to, of course."

Beside me, I feel Rio's burning gaze remain locked on me.

"Like I said," he speaks, "nothing's ever came my way that I wanted. At least not in the way I wanted it to anyway, for me to choose."

"It's not about what you want." I say, finally meeting his dark gaze. "It's about what you need."

Rio seems to shelter in a low breath, whilst facing ahead. And after he slightly licks his lips, he goes to pull off his hoodie.

I feel a small smile form. I was wondering when he wouldn't be able to take any more heat in that thing. Now in a short sleeve black t-shirt, Rio tosses his hoodie down onto the back of a bench we come up to.

And when he does I notice the few tattoos on his arms that I haven't before. I proceed in the conversation - redirecting my focus ahead.

"And I can't tell you what it is you need, of course." I shrug. "So if you're gonna keep making these surprise visits to chat, you can tell me about it when you find out. Maybe I could help."

In his black short sleeve t-shirt, Rio stares at me. As I note we're coming up to the lemonade stand, after a few silent seconds, another question builds up inside me - one that I can't believe I haven't asked yet.

But as I glance over with furrowed brows in curiosity, to question Rio, I notice him slickly toss in some money in the donation jar we pass by upon the stand. He doesn't see me looking, when he then plants his hands into the pockets of his dark jeans while continuing in his steps next to me.

I glance down a moment, afterwards, pulling back a few blonde strands of my hair behind an ear before my lips begin to twitch.
And I attempt to start again.

"So why'd you come?" I ask, glancing at the gang leader once again.

Beside me, Rio only smoothly chuckles in turn, while his gaze is fixated on the ground below.

His smile is wide and bright, I gather for the first time.

"I told you I'll thank you for what you did for me and my boys, ma. Remember?" He latches onto my eyes again, and though his lips are now pursed into a thin line, a smirk still plasters as his eyes glimmer.

I release a soft breath, when my gaze falls to the ground. And just like that, flashes of what went down yesterday come flooding into mind, and a coldness begins to run through my veins.

"I don't know, Rio. I know what I did, and I could see why it deserves your gratitude, but,"

"But what?" Rio interjects, huskily, as we make our way onto the dock that leads into the center of the still pond.

My eyes adjust on his. "I thought about it, afterwards, and after the risk I took of leading my team away from your people..."

Rio's deep brown eyes are searching mine in wait for me to proceed with some explanation, and it only results in mere pressure, as a soft scoff escapes me.

"Seven years, Rio. Seven years worth of progress and for what? For this?" I gesture towards him. "I'm risking it all."

"Oh but you're hiding it." He remarks lowly, in quick interjection. "Those skills back there, what you did, you've gotta be proud of it." Rio shakes his head, sweeping his tongue briefly across his lips, smirking.

I didn't notice that we finally approached the vacant canopy in the center of the calm pond's surface, when Rio comes to a stop to keep his latched gaze on my own.

Before my still frame, Rio sounds a low chuckle; revealing his white teeth again.

"You even impressed me." He tells me. "And the risk..." I watch his grin then slightly falter. "Trust me it'll be worth it." He concludes huskily - infallibly.

Then, Rio goes to walk past me in dismissal, only leaving me with those final words.

Then, I stand feeling frozen under the wooden canopy; seeing Rio no longer stand in front of me. I softly diffuse a breath I didn't realize I had held.

And choosing to glance over my shoulder, as my heart inevitably hammers against my chest now, I watch Rio walk down the dock in the opposite direction of where I'm left standing - showing himself out of the park.

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