IV.Gia and Riley

Cafe Rum was located in the part of the city were tourists littered everywhere but rarely walked in because of how rustic looking it appeared from the outside.Unlike other cafes around the city it didn't boast of just cleaned see through window walls or adverts popping up on internet.

Instead from the outside it looked like a cottage smack in the middle of civilization with dark wood painted a boring maroon to match the large wooden barrel that had imaginative rum in it but the inside was breathtaking.

Not breathtaking in the elegant restaurants I was conversant with but in that way where you immediately felt at home and believed in not judging a book by it's cover.

I chewed my bottom lip,twiddling with my fingers,my eyes darted to the door anytime the jingling bell above signified a newcomer.

Suddenly some waitresses dressed in a maroon shirt and trousers with the cafe's logo and name walked out jubilantly all smiles and cheers as the one in front held a pink cake.Their target was a young girl sitting on the table beside me surrounded by who I could safely assume were her family because strangers didn't look that alike.

She squealed in surprise clapping her hands together,she had interesting hair,layered braids to be exact.Blonde front and blondish grey at the bottom,her light skin glowed under the homely yellow lights.Her pink coated glossed lips pulled into a large smile,her little black dress fitted to her thick curves.

Her cake was placed in-front of her,the words nineteen scrawled in icing on it.It's weird how complex the world was,how different things were happening at the same time,on august seventh that pretty girl was grinning over a cake at a new age with family while I was willing myself not to cry while I waited for my friends company just so I could distract myself from my impending doom.

The bell chimed,I didn't bother looking up instead I gawked at the family as her brothers teased her while she rolled her eyes.Again that desire to be a normal person creeped in.

"You want a cake or what?"

I rolled my eyes recognizing the voice in an instant,Gia never said hey the normal way instead she'd just announce her presence.

"Sorry about showing up late Mira,someone had to stop for milkshakes"Riley said sitting on the free chair after Gia took the other two,one for herself,the other for the yellow birkin bag larger than her freaking head.

"Hey,you guys know I can't function without my trusty shakes"Gia retorted shaking the extra shakes in front of my face"Here,take this as a sorry gift"

I took the milkshake with a grin and slurped it,hmm strawberry

"We should have gotten milkshakes"I heard a deep voice whisper from the birthday table

"I'm fucking lactose intolerant,fish!"

"As if that's stopped you before"He retorted.

I giggled while Gia snorted in amusement her blue eyes twinkling.

"and I thought my brother was annoying"Gia Barinov was what you called exotic beauty,her Russian and Arabic genes made her look like a freaking goddess with those full lips,beautiful beautiful eyes and flourishing jet black hair.

Her skin glowed,clear and olive matching the dark blue dress she wore,it was short showing off her long slender legs in strapped heels.

I would tell my kids she was Wonder Woman

"Gio isn't annoying"Riley mumbled clutching the wooden handle of her Gucci bag on her lap,her cheeks heated up,it seemed her crush on Gia's twin hadn't disappeared but merely diluted throughout the years.

Riley had this angelic beauty and charisma about her,her words were always polite and soft spoken like a well trained princess,her hair fell down her back in hazel brown glossy waves,her eyes a pretty hazel that almost looked gold under the sun,her berating lips were covered in baby pink gloss unlike Gia's blood red.

"Yeah how is Gio anyway?"I asked Gia my gut twisted in shame.In our trio,I was closer to Riley,we were both calm and shy while I put up a false bravado,Riley never did but Gia was like a firecracker,ready to explode the world rather than light it up.

Riley and I also knew what it meant to pine over someone unattainable,well kinda.Considering the fact that my name was scrawled on that contract I guess my teen wishes to spend the rest of my life with Luca did come true.

If only young me knew she'll grow to hate him.

"Somewhere in London ruling his firm with an iron fist.I swear he literally barks orders to his staff"She rolled her eyes then scrunched her eyebrow when empty slurpy sounds came out of her milkshake,she shook the pink and brown takeaway cup and groaned only to realize it was empty.

"I saw another article about him today"Riley smiled slyly"Top 5 youngest handsome CEO's"

"Ugh another one,I don't even see those articles anymore"Gia groaned tapping her red nails on the table,I perked a brow at Riley she caught my knowing eyes and looked away her blush intensifying,it was obvious to me she was cyber stalking him on purpose because articles like that never make headlines.

"You don't even see on a normal basis"I snorted,Riley giggled and Gia glared at me

"Hey,glasses make me ugly!"

At that moment I almost forgot my predicament and the betrayal I felt as i joked around with Gia.

We'd all been friends for a really long time and although I wasn't that intimate with Gia because she was the daughter of the Pakhan,she wasn't proud or anything but I always saw her through alienated lenses,like an artwork that wasn't meant to be touched but Gia liked me,she didn't care that she was the princess of the Bratva,she wanted real friends like Riley.

I didn't deserve to be in that category,not when I knew about the incoming war yet did not warn her

"Hey by the way you said you wanted to tell us something?"Riley piped up looking up from her phone.

"Oh yeah…"I trailed off shifting in my chair with a shaky voice "Uh…I just wanted to tell you guys that I'm going away for sometime"

"How long?"Oh I don't know Gia,let's see how long the war lasts

"To where?"Just the house of our sworn enemy Riley,no biggie

"To Estonia"I blurted out internally groaning when their faces scrunch up in confusion"I don't know how long,I just wanted to go somewhere and think you know?I really want to work on my book and I think I need a new environment"

"Estonia though?"Gia guffawed flicking the paper towels in the middle of the table"Where even is that?Why not go to Paris or something?"

"Paris isn't serene and peaceful Gia!"Riley whisper scolded her with a glare then turned to me and placed her warm palm on my hands"I think that's lovely Mira.Estonia is really nice this time of the year and you'll like it's serenity"She smiled that soft motherly smile of hers that used to encourage me when I freaked out about exams or pop quizzes

"Thanks Rils"I mumbled with a small smile

"Look Mira,i don't care where you go just make sure you're safe okay?The last thing I want to hear is one of my loved ones dying,so promise me that"Gia really meant what she said,as brash as she was,she cared deeply

I winced at that statement,my throat clogged up as tears welled up in my eyes"Yeah…I'll be safe"

Too safe

"Promise you guys will stay safe too"I looked between the both of them hoping I could convey my plea through my eyes"You guys can travel too you know,just get away for some time"

Gia snickered flipping her hair over her shoulder"Yeah no,I still have some work undone"

"Yeah me too"Riley mumbled

"So?Its not like you can't pick up where you left off later,I heard Miami has nice summers"

"Maybe later"Gia said signaling the waiter over"Hey you guys want anything?"

I sighed turning lax in my chair,if anyone deserved to go to hell,it was me.

That night when I got home I saw my packed bags being carted into a Range Rover.It was to drop my things at the Vitelli Residence and then the next day I would leave the home I had known since forever.