The Mafia's Flower ( #2 in the Mafia Series )

twenty two

< picture of teen Reia above >
< warning! ⚠️ this chapter is a flashback >
{ FLASH BACK in Third Person POV }

Reia is now twelve and almost every month since her seventh birthday her mother or grandfather would bring Cristian, Annika, and sometimes even Vera to visit from Russia.

Sometimes Cristian's best friends Andrei and Dimitri would come with them. Reia got along with both of them, and liked having their company.

<{🥀}>

Today is the day that Cristian and Annika are coming to visit again, but Tori keeps telling Reia to soak up the time that she spends with Cristian and Annika. Almost as if she knows something that Reia has no idea about.

Or at least Reia didn't know what she meant until she overheard her grandfather Val, and father arguing. She heard her father say that it was for the best that they didn't visit anymore anyway because Cristian needed to focus on training without any distractions.

Reia cried the whole night after hearing that because it felt like her heartbroke for different reasons. She would never see her closest friends again including Andrei and Dimitri who she had grown close too....but she also realized that despite her crush that Cristian would have to grow up without her, and more than likely end up with someone from Russia. Who would likely be prettier and better for him than she ever could be. Or that's at least what she thought.

<{🥀}>

Cristian, Annika, Andrei, and Dimitri arrived for their last visit—- m only in Reia's head if she didn't see them then she wouldn't have to say goodbye. So she hid in the garden behind a tree, while laying in a patch of flowers. It was one of her favorite spots after all.

Only her plan didn't work out too well because Cristian knew exactly where to find her.

Cristian sits down beside Reia and asks
"Why are you hiding?"

"It doesn't matter, it didn't work anyway."
Reia quietly speaks trying not to cry again

"It matters to me." Cristian says while grabbing Reia's hand and holding it

"I didn't want to have to say goodbye to all of you.." Reia says even quieter but he hears it

"It isn't goodbye, God himself couldn't keep me from you. I promise one day I'll find you like I did today." Cristian promises

"You can't make promises, that you can't keep." Reia replies

"I'm not. Once I become the mafia boss, I'll be able to see you anytime I want." Cristian says

"And what if you don't want to see me then?"
Reia questions but fears the answer

"I'll always want to see you Rei."
Cristian says confidently

"You don't know that...you could forget about me." Reia keeps trying to prove her point

"I could never forget you...and whoever does is just a fool." He replies

Reia looks into Cristian's eyes and she saw nothing but honesty in them but she couldn't help how she felt.

"Let's make a bet." Cristian says trying to lift Reia's mood even though he was angry about having to leave her behind as well.

"What kind of bet?"
Reia asks sounding curious

"If I don't see you again by your twenty first birthday, or if you find me first then I'll dance with you.." Cristian says

Reia was surprised for a second knowing Cristian's hate for dancing, meanwhile she loved it.

"You'd have to dance with me?" Reia questions making sure she heard him right.

"No I'd get to dance with you. There's a difference." Cristian replies

That warmed Reia's heart.

"Is it a deal?" Cristian asks

Reia nods but then asks  "But what if you do come back before my twenty first birthday and find me first?"

"Then you'll just be stuck with me till the day we die." Cristian says seriously

Most people would've thought he was joking but Reia knew him better than that.
Reia thought about it for a moment.

"Okay." Reia replies in agreement

"Now let's seal the deal.." Cristian says

"With what?" Reia asks carefully

"A kiss." Cristian says

"A kiss?!" Reia nearly freaks

"It's what all romantic people do." Cristian tries to point out

"We aren't romantic people.." Reia replies

Cristian smiles and shakes his head.

"No but we have to start somewhere..so what do you say?" Cristian questions

"Fine but you can't ever tell anyone about it."
Reia says quieter

"Not even in my dreams. It'll be our secret." Cristian replies in honesty

Reia hesitantly nods in agreement.
Cristian gently leans in ; Reia closes her eyes and then she feels Cristian's warm lips against her soft ones.

Reia realized it was her first kiss, and it was with one of her best friends, who she also had a pretty big crush on.

It was a dream come true.

But then the kiss ended—-and a few days later Cristian, Annika, Dimitri, and Andrei left Italy and returned to Russia...it would be years before Reia saw them again.

That crushed her.

<{🥀}>

It broke her losing them.

It broke her even more when her grandfather Francesco and grandmother Elena were killed in a car crash a week later.

There was no one to hold Reia's hand everyone was to busy preparing for their funeral and keeping the mafia straight.

That's when Reia really began to lose everything that she was...but she never lost her grace and compassion for others.