CARDIA: The Mafia's Heart✓

sixteen

"Why didn't you dance with me?" He asked and I shook my head. He placed his hand on my cheek. I understood his gesture, "I think I like you more than I should" he said and I froze. I didn't know what to say he came closer to me.

Elijah Woods wants to kiss me?!. He got even closer that it only a hair line that separated our lips, that was when I pushed him away. "Why?" He asked and I turned my head to the side. "Look at me" he said softly. "It's wrong" I said and he sighed, "It just a kiss... Everyone is doing it" he said and took my face in his hand.

"I'm not everyone" I whispered, "and..." I trailed off. "But I like you" he said and I nodded, "and I like you too" I said honestly. "You don't learn do you?" Dylan's voice came from the door and I turned to look at her. "Dylan..." I said and she walked towards me with full speed. She slapped me across the face twice and I could only blink.

"You're just like the rest of us" she said and took Elijah's hand, leading him away. He looked back at me with 'sorry' eyes. I gave him my best smile, showing that I wasn't mad at him for not defending me. Maybe he didn't want to hurt Dylan's feeling... After all Dylan was his twin. I rubbed my cheek and Chelsea entered the room.

"I just saw Dylan and Elijah.... did that...she slapped you!" She exclaimed when she saw the redness in my cheek. "Jesus said..." I started to talk, "Jesus said what? Let me loose on that girl" she ran towards the door and I grabbed her arm to stop her. "Easy tiger" I laughed. "How can you keep letting them do that to you?" She asked and I sighed. " I just freeze when I'm scared" I said. Ever since Maxwell started hurting me, when I retaliate or fight back, he inflict more pain than the previous one. Since then, I just freeze when I experience pain.

"Let's just enjoy each other's company. Tomorrow is Saturday and we won't see each other till Monday" I said and she nodded. Still angry about Dylan. "Chelsea please don't do anything" I said to her and she groaned. "I was going to add vanilla to Dylan's cup, she's allergic" she confessed. "you won't really do that!" I exclaimed. "I would" she said, "would what?" Emma joined us from. "Add vanilla to Dylan's cup for slapping Cardia" Chelsea said and Emma gasped, "she has gone too far!" Emma raised her voice. "Guys please, let it go. Please" I said to both of them and they agreed reluctantly after much begging. "Now let's go to the next class" I said and linked my hand with the both of them to drag them to class.

I went home from school feeling glad that someone else wanted to defend me from my bullies. I'm glad I had Emmaleigh and Chelsea. Getting home, I found Juanita. This time around, I didn't wait for her to drag me to sit. I sat myself. "What a good girl!" She said in Spanish and served me lunch. "Juanita don't you think I'm being overfed" I said and she turned to glare at me, "says who? You're all sticks and bones" she said and added more food to my place. I sighed painfully as I ate. Juanita sees me as skinny when I'm actually not!. But who am I to argue?.

"Where's Alex?" I asked and she sighed, "he's at the back on the house. There's a hill at the back, he goes there when she's upset" she said and I stood up. "You're not going there are you?" She asked with shock, "why shouldn't I go there?" I asked with a smile and went ahead to find my dad. I climbed up the hill. The back of the house looked like a mountain with trees scattered around on the little hill.

"Alex?" I called out and got no response. "Alex!!" I shouted and kept searching till I found him at the edge of the little cliff. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you" I said when I saw him. He looked at me with red rimmed eyes. "Alex..." I said, he held a wrap of weed in his hand. I collected the weed from him and toss it down the hill. "What are you doing?" He shouted at me. It was like the first time I came to him, it was like he wanted me gone just like that first time. "Smoking kills" I said boldly, "so?" He hissed, "so I don't want to loose you" I said and he softened. "go home" he said and gently nudged me. I stood my ground and looked him in the eyes. I knew that he didn't want to do this, whatever this is but he doesn't have a choice. "We had a good time yesterday why are you locking me out again? You promised me you will come to me when you have a bad day too. Why are you kicking me out again?" I asked.

"Because I'm bad for you Storm" he said and pushed his curly hair back. "No, Alexander. You're perfect for me, I couldn't have wanted a better father" I said and held his hand in my hands. I wanted him to look at me but he wouldn't. "Please look at me" I pleaded and he did. When he did, I could see the pain in his eyes. "Who hurt you?" I asked and hugged him. I pressed my ear against his chest.

"You've broken my defense and I want you in but my world is not safe for you. I know you're smart and you know I'm in the mafia" he said and only hugged him tighter, showing him that I cared for him. "If you don't want me in your world come to mine" I said and he pulled me away to look me in the eye. "Your world is too delicate for me. And mine is too tough for you. Go home Stormy" he said and I hugged him again.

"Let both of us try harder, don't lock me out. Be my father and lets see how far we can fall" I pleaded with him. "If I fail, don't hesitate to leave. I would rather get killed than watch you get hurt" he said and I shook my head. "I know you won't fail" he said and I smiled up at him. Both of us sat down on the floor and watched the sunset.

"What made you change your mind about staying with me?" I asked and he sighed. "I don't think you're ready to hear something that heavy" he said and I laughed, "I've seen AND experienced a lot of heavy things" I said and he laughed. "Okay. It was my mother" he said and I nodded, "how is she?" I asked and he sighed.

Alexander's POV

"My mother is Korean" I started and she smiled, "that explains my pretty eyes" she said and I couldn't help but smile back. She did have very pretty eyes. "She and my dad had me out of wedlock. Mom is from a prominent family. I was a big mistake. one, a child born out wedlock. Two, the son of an African American man. She couldn't stand me" I paused and exhaled, I looked at her face.

"Dad had to take me away because she wasn't giving me the affection a mother would give her child. He raised me in America and when I was twelve. I went looking for my mother" I said, remembering how I had to sneak around to get details about her and contacting her. "When I met her, she wasn't what I expected. She was acting like a beast but my young heart couldn't walk away. I did everything and anything to please her...she made me leader of the American mafia" I said and told her the gruesome details of mom's baby making plans and my foolishness of today. "I couldn't handle the idea of putting any of my children through what I went through as a kid..." I said and a tear slipped down her cheek.

"If you want to go away any time, I'll take you" I said and she shook her head. She looked up at me with a kind of admiration that I couldn't describe. "I don't want to go" she said. I hoped she would understand how weighty the situation was. "She's dangerous and she is capable of anything....even of taking you away from me" I said. I expected her to get scared but her smile only grew bigger. "I'm not afraid. I prayed to God to let me find you. He answered my prayer. I'm going to pray for him to keep us together" she said and I shook my head, "how are you so sure he'll listen to your prayers for me?" I asked and she smiled in return, "because he loves you" was her response
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Hi guys💓💓💓
I'm so glad to be updating for the first time in a long time, I reread the book and I realized that there were lots of errors please bear with me
Sorry for coming late🌟🌟 my phone has been faulty so I could not update but I'm partially back now thank you for supporting me and for reading and voting you guys are the best especially
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