Shhh...

010

"Stupid girl!" Yana chastised herself while walking towards the kitchen to get a glass of water. "Why would you let yourself get lost in those beautiful brown eyes, chiselled cheekbones with that to die for jaw and pink soft lips not forgetting that dimple ugh!" Yana looked around not realising what she just said out loud. Luckily, she was the only one in the kitchen. Sighing she filled her glass of water, and stood watching the children playing out in the backyard. 

Catching a glimpse of CJ running around with his cousins she smiled to herself feeling proud of her baby for getting out there and making the most of his time with his Dad's family. Looking around at all the little boys and girls running around with CJ, Yana chuckled at the uncanny resemblance they all had with each other. To say Yuri's family genes were strong was an understatement because looking around now could get some getting used to seeing all these light brights walking and running around. Now add her son to the mix. Yana was surely grateful that her son now had more family to hang out with and seeing his face with a big smile on it warmed her heart.

The afternoon had now turned into evening and the get together at Mama's place was getting lively. More family members arrived and more people for Yana and CJ to meet. It was good to put faces to people's names finally and everyone was excited to meet Yana and CJ but more so for CJ. The compliments of Yana's beauty and CJ's splitting image of his father was the talk of the afternoon. CJ was enjoying his time meeting and spending time with cousins he hadn't met before. Yana on the other hand stood back and took in her surroundings. She didn't have this feeling of togetherness amongst family because it had always been her mother and brother. She didn't have family nearby and right now being in the presence of Yuri's family she felt loved and sheltered.

Yana thought back to growing up in a new city, she only had her mother when her brother wasn't around but when he was, she would always look forward to hanging out with him because she felt safer being with him. She didn't feel the need to make new friends. The friends she thought she had in high school was not who they deemed to be and she was more cautious now of any new associates. She seldom went out. It was only school, her part time job and home. Not many people knew other than her mother and brother but after moving to New York Yana had completely shut down.

Being in a relationship at a young age both Yuri and Yana fell hard for each other. Wherever you see Yuri, you would see Yana. He was everything she needed in a boyfriend. Yes, they were young but they found earlier on in their relationship that they loved each other. They didn't need to prove it to anyone because they both knew what they had. Yana felt that it was fate that brought them together and she wasn't going to question their path. It took Yana's mother and brother admitting her into a clinic for an intervention to help Yana cope with what she had went through. Yana was going through something that only she could come out of. Her mother found it hard to watch her only daughter become a shadow of herself. It was like Yana had shut down completely. No one knew how deeply in love she was. Yuri was her first boyfriend, first love, first everything and what she witnessed those years ago had a detrimental effect on her emotionally, physically and mentally.

Gone was the shy yet happy girl that was always friendly and respectful and in came someone who didn't know how to live. She was dark and gloomy. Her attitude was terrifying and she no longer had that beautiful smile those around her were used to. She didn't trust many people and those she did come in contact with was kept at an arms' length. Some may call it puppy love or that she was too young to know what real love was but for Yana it was a love so strong for her that she didn't know how to cope not being with Yuri.

To Yana no one knew what she was going through. No one should know what she was going through and she'll be damned if she was made out to think that what she and Yuri had was just some young love that had no meaning or no long-term purpose. If you know, you know and she certainly did. Yana remembered her mother and brother had visited her at the clinic and they were scared to approach her because it had got so bad that Yana would lash out without an explanation. She had let herself go. She was angry with the world and her situation. She couldn't forgive him for what he did, what he put her through but she somehow had it in her head that it was her fault he did what he did. It was her fault that she wasn't a good girlfriend. It was her fault that she couldn't keep him near. It was her fault for trusting his friends. It was her fault and no one else's.

Yana didn't know how long she stood in the kitchen until she felt an uneasy feeling surrounding her, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She looked around and didn't see anyone. She felt it strange that it was the first time she had got this feeling. It wasn't often she would get this feeling but when it does, she always listened to her inner voice. It only lingered for a few minutes until she heard her name being called. Mama walked into the kitchen calling her name. Behind her stood a tall guy who looked exactly like Yuri but had dark skin. Yuri appeared and followed them into the kitchen.

"There you are love, I was looking for you, there's someone I want you to meet."

Yana walked towards Mama who automatically gave her a hug. She saw Yana's eyes and noticed she looked spooked but she didn't say anything. They were going to have a conversation after the get together.

"Darling, this is my eldest son Romeo. You never got to meet him when you were last in LA as he was overseas on army duties. Romeo, this is Yana, my gorgeous grandson's mother."

Yana smiled and said hello to Romeo, he walked towards her and engulfed her into a hug. "It's a pleasure to meet you sis, I hope you don't mind me calling you sis?" Yana giggled and nodded that she was fine with it. Romeo looked to the side seeing Yuri mugging him. He chuckled to himself while ignoring Yuri's ugliness.

"So you're the girl who left this sorry ass nigga those years ago? I didn't believe it until Mama told me but let me apologise for my brother's fucked up ways. I'm glad you did break up with him because what he did was fucked up." Mama looked over at Romeo sternly "Romeo, language. You're never too old to get a whooping."

Romeo kept a straight face while looking at Yana "sorry Mama, but I don't care if it's my brother or not you just don't do that to someone you claim to love and been with for some years. Fuck outta here!" 

This time it was Romeo who mugged Yuri, "How you fuck up and lose this beautiful woman over some hoe. You are so dumb little bro.  I won't feel sorry for you when another nigga's gonna come in and treat her well and show her how a real man treats a woman and you'll be standing there thinking what if.  If you say you love her then you better get your shit together before you really lose her for good." 

Romeo shook his head and hugged Yana again and told her he's going to set up a lunch date for Yana to meet his fiancé and his daughter. Yana liked him. She smiled and confirmed that it was a good idea. She looked over at Yuri standing there with a scowl. She shook her head while walking past him following Mama and Romeo to the front. Before she could leave the kitchen, she felt a hand hold onto her wrist, she looked up to pleading eyes reflecting off hers.

Yuri rubbed the back of his neck while looking down at Yana "Uhm...c-can I take you out tomorrow, just the two of us to talk? We haven't talked much since the night of the dinner...and...I just want the opportunity to have my say. Can I take you out? Are you okay with that?"

He was still holding onto her hand without realising his thumb caressing her skin. They both stood there just staring and getting lost in each other's eyes with not one word being spoken. Yana bit her lip, slowly nodding her head, quietly responded "yes." 

A small smile appeared on his face whilst thinking how he was going to make it up to her. The more he was reminded by others of what an asshole he was and how he had treated Yana the more he felt utterly disgusted with himself. He was never brought up to act the way he did and yet he did what his mother had always warned him and his brother not to do. Don't hurt the one you love because once you do there's no getting your love back. Yuri needed to find a way to show Yana just how much he had changed and how he wasn't going to let her go ever again.