where the heart is

 

Rico didn't know what was going on. He hadn't even noticed Tristan. But he knew the day would come. Although, as the weeks and months wore on, he didn't think about it anymore. Sure, he'd seen what Tristan had done to Mona that night at the skating place, but he thought for sure Tristan wouldn't start anything at the grocery store. Not at four in the afternoon. 

He felt Liv's pain. Why didn't he know? Why couldn't she tell him? His eyes filled up with tears. Why was Tristan like this? Why couldn't he stop him?

Rico followed, but it didn't do much good. He got on his phone too. Thankfully, a cop car pulled up and they met Tristan at the outside door to the parking lot. Things went down quickly after that. No threats. No one really got hurt. They separated them and handcuffed him.

Bren went to Liv who said nothing. It was as if she was waiting to be handcuffed too. Rico still heard his heartbeat rage. He reached for her and hugged her.

"Do you think they'll let me work here?" She asked through tears. Bren cried with her.  

They had Liv'a brother in the cop car and asked her to come to police station. 

"I'll take her," Rico said. It didn't matter to him if he got in trouble with the grocery store. Didn't they need his witness too?  Of course, Liv was so distraught that Bren had to go with them. Were they all going to be in trouble?

When they got to the police station, Rico phoned his brother to tell him about the strange ordeal. He stayed in the parking lot feeling he shouldn't go in, but what if he was supposed to.  Of course, he was shell-shocked about what he'd seen. Watching Tristan carry Liv away.

Rico felt as if his heart couldn't settle. What could he do for Liv now?

"It was the strangest thing," Rico said now. "I..I still don't know what to do." It might as well have been an out-of-body experience. If only he could have tripped Tristan or hit him somehow. Yet, he wasn't raised to fight like that. You weren't supposed to do things like that.

"I'm sure Liv needs you," Mario told him. "I'm on my way." At least, he could be there for Bren who was an eyewitness.

Rico was consumed with tears then. It could have been so much worse. Even more so, what if it had been worse in the past but Liv never told anyone.