4. HALCYON

~ Violet ~

“I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom but I taught her never to dishonor her family…”

Violet sat quietly next to Lucas in his convertible as they stared at the screen projecting The Godfather. Lucas was totally engrossed with the film, his eyes lit up with excitement as Marlon Brando appeared. Violet, on the other hand, couldn’t be less enthused. Even though she knew this was only a movie—a fictional story— every scene and word that these characters said reminded her of him.

“So, what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?”

Violet recalled the night when she first met Damon, the mafia boss of the Van Zandt family. She was working the late shift at The Union when Dylan told her to leave. But on her way out, he stopped her.

“A girl like me?” she asked.

Violet could remember that night like it was yesterday. His dark piercing eyes were full of mystery and wonder. He could stop her heartbeat just by the way he was looking at her.

“Beautiful, smart, and… clearly inexperienced,”

Violet couldn’t help but scoff when she remembered just how inexperienced she was. She was so naïve, thinking that she could take on the most powerful man in the nation and play his games.

“I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse,” Marlon Brando, the Godfather himself, spoke on the big screen and it reminded Violet of the deal she made with Damon.

“So, you decided to come,” Damon’s low and husky voice made her shudder. Violet had just entered his study, coming to see him about the deal he offered her.

“Y-you didn’t seem surprised,” she replied. She was trying to act cool and calm, but she was shaking on the inside.

“No, I had a feeling you’d make the right choice,” Damon said. And with that, he turned his chair around in one swift move. He stared her down from head to toe and Violet felt like a prey being stalked by a lion.

That night. That moment right there. That was the night that changed everything for her. She made a deal with the devil and fell head over heels for him. They had been through so many things together from kidnappings to nightmares and planning for a future together. For a moment, he made her forget who he was. He made her forget that their love was based on a lie.

For a moment, I forgot who I was. I forgot that I was just a naïve little girl bound to him by a contract. He never really loved me from the start. He only loved the idea of me…

“Hey, are you okay?” Suddenly, Lucas’s voice broke through her daydreaming. “Are you crying?”

Violet didn’t realize that her eyes were glassy and she quickly wiped them away. Lucas thought it was because she was so focused on the movie, but Violet was watching another story unfolding in her head.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” she muttered, trying to act calm and collected.

Lucas stared at her with a confused look. He didn't know why she was suddenly crying. It couldn’t be because of The Godfather, could it?

“Um, do you need any more drinks?” he asked cautiously.

“Nah, I’m good,” she replied.

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” she said reassuringly. “Absolutely,”

Violet flashed him a quick smile before turning her eyes to the front again. Ignoring Lucas’s worried look, she stared at the screen and focused her attention on the movie. Lucas took one last look at her before turning his eyes to the front also.

“Actually, Luke…” she said after a beat of silence. “Do you mind if we just get out of here?”

---

Lucas was an absolute angel. He didn't ask annoying questions or say no. When Violet asked him to go, he immediately put the car in gear and pulled out of the drive-in theater. Even though it was his favorite movie and they were getting into the good part, Lucas left without protesting.

“Where do you wanna go?” he asked as they were driving down the highway.

“I… don't know…”

“You wanna go home?”

“…Not really,”

Lucas thought for a moment and an idea crossed his head.

“Oh, okay,” he said. “I know just the place,”

Violet didn't ask questions. She trusted Lucas completely as he took the nearest exit and speeded down the road. He made a quick pit stop at the gas station and bought a six-pack of beer and some snacks. Then he was on the road and the car sped past the city limits.

After about twenty minutes of driving, the car reached a hill overlooking the city of Austin. It was a secluded spot, somewhere only the locals would know about. Lucas parked the car and turned off the engine, but he left the radio on so the music was still playing.

“Pretty good spot, huh?” he beamed proudly. In front of them were the city skyline and stars that littered the night sky.

“It’s amazing,” Violet gasped in awe. She’d never seen this many stars before. “What is this place?”

“It’s my favorite spot in all of Austin. My friends and I found this place when were in high school,” Lucas said as he opened a can of beer and handed it to Violet. “Hey, don’t you dare tell nobody about this place, this here is a national secret,”

“Cross my heart and hope to die” Violet laughed and took the beer. Lucas then opened one for himself and they did a toast before drinking.

Hmm. Alcohol. This is just what I need.

Lucas only took a sip of his beer but Violet was chugging the whole can down. The bubbly drink gave her a boost of energy and she didn’t feel as melancholic anymore.

“Whoa, slow your horses there,” Lucas chuckled.

“I’m thirsty,” she shrugged innocently.

“Yeah, I see that,”

The night air was breezy and The Strokes were playing on the radio. Bobbing her head to the music, Violet put away the empty can of beer and reached for another one. Lucas could only stare in awe as he shook his head in disbelief.

“Hey,” Violet said after another gulp of beer. “I’m sorry you had to miss the movie because of me,”

“Ah, don't sweat it, I’ve watched it a million times already,” he said. Then he put his beer down and did his best Marlon Brando impersonation. “You talk about vengeance. Is vengeance going to bring your son back to you? Or my boy to me?”

Violet burst out laughing at Lucas’s sad attempt. She was laughing so hard, she was spurting out beer from her mouth. Lucas was clearly embarrassed by his performance, but he saw how happy it made Violet and he was fine with that.

“So, uh,” he said after Violet’s laugh died down. “Do you wanna tell me what happened? Was it the movie that got you upset or was it me…?”

“No, it’s definitely not you,” she said.

“Phew, thank God,” he swiped a fake sweat away from his forehead. “Thought I smelled or something,”

“No, it’s definitely not that,” she laughed. “You’ve been such a wonderful friend to me, Luke. I wouldn’t know how to make it in Austin without you,”

“Well, you’re not so bad yourself, Miss Carvey,” Luke replied in his exaggerated, deep southern accent.

Violet laughed again as that was always the case whenever he used this voice. She really was grateful to have him. After everything that happened to her, Violet became closed off and it was hard for her to trust new people. Luke was her best and only friend. He always knew just how to make her feel better. If she were ever going to trust other people again, it would have to be with Luke.

“Hey, Luke,” she said.

“Yeah?”

“If I tell you this, do you promise not to tell anybody?”

Luke narrowed his eyes and made a promise sign with his finger.

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” he said.

Violet took a deep breath and released a sigh.

“So, that movie… it kinda reminded me of someone I once knew,”

“Who?”

“An ex,”

“Oh,” Lucas tilted his head to the side and said, “That’s interesting,”

“How come?”

“In all the years that I’ve known you, you never once talked about your ex,”

Lucas made a great point. They’d been friends for three years but she never spoke about anything related to her love life. Violet always avoided the topic or gave vague answers every time people asked her about it. She wasn’t comfortable with sharing the story, and it was still painful for her to remember him.

“Yeah, well, it’s not a great story,” she sighed.

“Why’d you guys break up?”

Well, he’s a mafia lord, for one. We were having an argument and I got scared of him, and I shot him…

“I wasn’t sure about him,” she said instead. “The nature of our relationship was… complicated,”

“Complicated how?”

“We started out as like… two people in a business arrangement. Love was never supposed to be involved. But then I don’t know how, I started falling for him, which I now realized was terribly stupid of me,” Violet stifled a dry laugh before continuing, “Anyway, we almost got married, but long story short, I found out that he’s been hiding a lot of secrets from me. I couldn’t trust him and I… ended things,”

Lucas listened patiently as Violet tried her best to suppress her tears. She didn’t go into too many details, but it was still painful to admit these things.

“Do you regret it?” he asked after a beat of silence.

“Sometimes,”

Most times.

“Do you ever talk to him?”

“Not since… we broke up,”

“Do you want to talk to him?”

Violet thought for a moment before answering, “No,”

“Why not?” he asked.

Because I know I’d fall for him all over again. He has that power over me. He still does.

“Because… that chapter of my life is over, Luke,” she said. “I need to move on and be my own person…”

Violet really didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t stop the tears that were falling. Honestly, she thought about calling him or seeing him again. She replayed that fantasy in her head many times. What she would say to him or how they’d get back together. Those thoughts were very tempting, but they were also wrong.

“…I know it’s gonna take some time, but it’s been three years already and I feel like I’m still in square one. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever get over him…”

Lucas let out a sigh and pulled Violet into a hug. She then cried onto his shoulder and he stroked her hair gently. Violet couldn’t explain much, but Lucas understood. This ‘ex’ was a very important person in her life and she was having a hard time letting go of that.

“Hey, listen, time heals everything,” he cooed her. “It took you three years to open up to me about him and hell, maybe it’ll take three more before you can talk about him without crying, but it doesn’t matter. It’s not a race. You can take your time about it,”

Violet only cried harder after she heard Lucas’s words. They were such true words and it hit her in the feels.

“Besides, I don’t care how long it takes, I’m always gonna be here for you,”

Violet stopped crying instinctively and pulled away slightly. She looked up to see Lucas’s blue eyes boring into hers. His gaze was soft and gentle, and it made her feel understood.

“Aw, Luke,” she said as she linked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. “What did I do to deserve you?”

“Oh, please,” Lucas stifled a laugh, acting all cool, but he let out a small smile, happy that she was hugging him back.

Lucas and Violet hugged each other for a while as Violet steadied her breathing. She had stopped crying, but it still took her a moment to recover. Meanwhile, Lucas was getting comfortable. He delved his nose to the crook of her neck, smelling her rosy hair.

“Hey!” Suddenly, Violet let out a gasp and it made Lucas pull away abruptly.

“What?” he asked.

“No, I… I could’ve sworn I’ve seen like a car or something,”

Lucas turned his head from side to side, studying the dark area.

“Where?”

Violet pointed her finger to the empty forest.

“Over there, just now… but it was gone,”

“There’s no way!” Lucas stifled a laugh and waved his hand carelessly. “Nobody knows about this place,”

“But I swear, I saw—”

“Relax, it’s probably just in your head,” he cut her off and grabbed his beer. “Geez, maybe you’re a lot drunker than I thought, Miss Carvey,”

Lucas was laughing away. He kicked his feet up on the dash, blasted the volume on the radio, and enjoyed his beer as he stared at the night sky. Violet tried to follow his lead and relax, but every so often, she found herself looking back to the dark forest, wondering if what she saw was real.

• • • • • To Be Continued - - - - -