The Gang Leader

||Chapter 20||

Cecilia's Pov

It's been two days.

Two long days.

Reece hasn't answered any of my phone calls or texts ever since the day that he abruptly left my apartment. I felt as if I had done something wrong. Maybe I made him feel uncomfortable when I picked him over my family, that could be the reason for his absence.

I picked him over my family. I was a stupid naive. Over the past few days I had done a lot of thinking and had realised how idiotic I was to pick him over my family. I had only known him for a few months. I knew that everything my family did was to protect me and the way I acted with them was completely wrong. They did this all to protects me. Protect me from people like Reece.

Friends come and go. Boyfriends and girlfriends come and go but family... family was forever. I was ignorant that day, I told my mum and Calvin to leave that day and although it felt right at the time, I've come to the realisation on how important family are. All these years I was naive and thought my family were trying to ruin my life but they just wanted what was best for me.

I needed to go see them and apologise to them. I just wanted my family back even if they were annoying as hell. I just wanted them back.

Grabbing my coat and boots and put them on. I was going to fix our relationship and make this all right. Family should always come first and it took a boy not replying to my calls to finally come to that realisation.

I want to go speak to them and apologise for what I've done but what they need to understand is this was my life and I should also get a say in it.

I grab my keys and run out of my apartment. Making my way down the stairs I go into the taxi app and order one too my apartment. I walk out of the doors of the apartment block and in to the car park.

I giggle thinking about how happy my mum would be to see me back home and I was going to do everything and anything I possibly could to make her happy. Even if it meant going shopping for dresses which I knew she would want to do.

Hearing a car engine I look up to see the taxi has arrived. I slide in to the back seat of the taxi and give the address to my- their home.

I lean back and close my eyes. It seemed like over the past few days I had been doing more sleeping then thinking.

||||

"Miss we're here" says the grumpy old taxi driver in a gruff tone. Unfortunately I didn't get a single wink of sleep due to the taxi driver arguing over the phone with someone the whole way.

I'm sure it's illegal to speak on the phone while driving but who am I to speak. I'm dating a gang leader who's probably taking part in hundreds- if not more crimes. Well I say dating a gang leader but who knows I might not be dating him anymore. Maybe him ignoring me was his way of saying we were done. It's happened to other girls so egos to say that it couldn't happen to me.

I give the man a £40 note before exiting the car. I slide out of the car while fiddling with my bag, trying g to open it to put my purse inside. Once I'm out of the car I turn to slowly look at the house I once called and would hopefully call home again soon. That was if my family even wanted to see me.

Once my head is fully turned toward where my families home was a shocked gasp escapes past my lips. My purse drops on to the pavement with a small thud by my feet.

There was a ambulance and a two fire engines out side the house. Well what used to be the house, it was practically burnt to the ground. Only a few black sut covered walls remained but they too looked as if they were going to fall soon. I turn away no longer wanting to look at sight in front of me

I see to hunched over figures hugging and crying. Squinting my eyes I see its my auntie and uncle. Their faces were tear stained and my aunt looked like she could fall over at any second. I sprint over to them as fast as my legs could go.

They both look up at me as I reach them but stay silent.

"What's going on?" I say to them, now out of breath after the long sprint.

My auntie is weeping hysterically.

"Where is everyone" I say now panicking. What if something happened to them? No nothing happened they were fine. They were okay they were probably out eating at a fancy restaurant for all I knew.

As if on cue the paramedics came out of the house carrying 3 body bags. I still. I think I even stopped breathing for a second. I couldn't bring myself to move or even cry, evenjhough I wanted too. I wanted to run toward the bodies, I wanted to hold my mums hand one last time, I wanted tell my dad he did a good job protecting me, I wanted to tell Calvin that the masked stranger was an awesome name. Most of all I wanted to tell them I was sorry. I was so so sorry.

"Their gone. Dead" my aunt says like a robot. Confirming my suspicions. I don't reply I just carry on staring at the bodies.

"Cecilia Roberts" says a fireman walking towards me.

I turn and look at him, unable to answer. It felt though someone had ripped my vocal cords out. The fire man looks at me straight face, not a single emotion.

"Could you come with me please" he says in a tone that says your coming whether you like it or not.

He turns around and starts to walk in to the house.

I nod my head and follow behind him.

"The fire was caused by a gas leak" he says.

I just nod my head.

"Is there anything you want to take or look at before you leave? The walls are falling apart. It would be a major safety hazard if we kept them here. They will be getting knocked down" he says in a monotone voice.

"Give me a minute" I say and I start to walk toward one of the standing walls.

I open the door to my room which was surprising still intact. It looked exactly the same as it did 2 years ago.

There wasn't a thing out of place and it was the only room in the house that wasn't completely destroyed. There were some ashes here and there but it looked the same just a little dirty. My room was located on the ground floor of the house because I loved the out doors and there was a door that led into the garden in my room. It was my favourite thing whenever I was upset or stressed I would go to the garden and I would instantly feel calm.

I just turn around using the heel of my foot and walk out of the room and back down the hallway- what was left of the hallway and out of the house.

I walk out door giving the fire man a nod.

They're gone.

My family are dead.

Take this as a lesson. Keep your family close because one day they might not be there. You'll only realise what you had once you lose them and you'll regret not being with them and spending time with them... take this lesson because I was now suffering the consequences.