Short Stories Collection

A chance

I met Alex last year. Introduced to each other through friends. We've had the same group of friends but never knew each other.

He's met my family but I haven't met his. We're not a couple but my parents and siblings tease me about him all the time

"You know that white boy has the hots for you right?"

We're not exactly dark skinned, I'm a tanned skinned girl and Alex isn't exactly a white boy either, he's part Russian yet my brother and his friends still call him the white boy to me even when he has other white boy friends

"Look bro, he's nice and all but I'm not interested" I say walking into the kitchen

"Yeah right" I hear my mum yell out "That's not what you said to me this morning"

"Mum!" I start blushing

"Is he part of some mafia or something? He's always rushing off" My sister Lana asks "Let's be honest, it's pretty hot if he is a bad boy"

I shake my head walking away from them

"Leila?" I turn seeing my brother following me

"What is it Tommy?"

"I just want you to be careful around Alex is all, he does think you are very beautiful and I don't care about that seeing my sister code because you both can handle yourselves" He was rambling which was making me frown "Sorry I'm just trying to say is be careful"

•••••

I wasn't ignoring Alex, I just didn't know what to say or feel around him whenever he is around. After what had happened a few days ago, I didn't really want to be around anyone.

Because my brother and I are twins, we had the same group of friends and then we had a few that neither of us knew, like Alex and my brothers girlfriend Steph. Steph is my work friend who I introduced Tommy to at our 21st birthday and they've been together for 4 years now

"He can tell you're not talking to him, you always talk to him" Steph says sitting next to me at the bar "He keeps asking Tommy if he's done something wrong"

I shake my head, I wanted to tell her but right now I wanted to go home. She dragged me out tonight because everyone was going to be here and they knew I was faking being sick

"Oh he's coming over" I look up at her wide eyed as she takes off. I pick up my bag to walk away when I feel a hand take my elbow

"Leila" A shiver runs down my spine as my name leaves his lips "Talk to me please"

I shake my head "I'm not sorry about kissing you last week but I didn't think you'd shut me out, I thought you felt the same way" I close my eyes and sigh. I want to scream at him saying I do feel the same way but there was something else screaming at me to stay the hell away from him

"I'm sorry Alex, I can't be near you" I say opening my eyes to see the hurt in his, break me completely

"You don't mean that" He pulls me close. I can smell his cologne and the scent of his skin. I inhale and breathe out and watch the goosebumps form on the little skin exposed on his chest "You were happy when we went out for dinner, you were happy when I told you how I felt, even texting and our phone calls" He leans his head down to mine, pressing his forehead against mine "What's changed?"

His lips feel so soft on the tip of my nose, I try to hold back a tear but I can't as it falls slowly down my face

"Give us a chance, don't let it go before it can be something great"

I'm more scared at this point and that emotion overshadows the love and feelings I have developed for this man over the time I've known him

I look around the bar to see our friends smiling at us but what stops me is the 3 men standing near them watching the two of us, slowly showing their guns off to me. Their glances at us then them and giving me the glare I have been dreaming about the last few nights, I knew to step away

"We're warning you, he needs to reach his potential with us little girl and you are what is stopping him, he's put us off for a year and a half now for you"

They had me strapped to a chair, gagged, bawling my eyes out with guns and knives pointed at me. I did put up a fight but as soon as one cut me and another had a gun pointed at me, threatening to kill my family if I continued on this path with Alex, I stopped.

Snapping my thoughts back to what is right in front of me, I look at the men one more time before turning back to Alex

"I don't feel the same Alex, I lied to you and I'm sorry" I push him away when he grabs me "Alex don't" He glances around the room before he stops suddenly and swears in his native tongue "I'm sorry if I led you on" He turns back to look at me and I'm not surprised to see the anger in his eyes

"We're not done" He says and storms off

I quickly leave the club waving goodbye to my brother who tries to stop me from leaving and to go back inside but I'm suddenly screaming at the top of my lungs when I'm dragged away from him and he's running after me

"We told you to push him away but you know what he does, he comes straight over to us and tells us to stay out of it, he's our bosses son and the boss wants his son to take over without a distraction"

I kick one guy in the balls as I'm thrown into a car, another tries to grab me by my hair but I grab his hand and twist it. Yet that wasn't enough because I'm struck in the head and slowly blacking out

"You should've listened little girl" I can hear my name being called but it's faint "Oh look baby, he's coming for you and by the time he does find you, you may already be broken and beyond repair"