The lost Mafia prince

35

4 years later

I chose. I freaking chose to go to Australia and leave my family behind. I honestly did not see a need to stay. I had not travelled home for four years. Studies were killing me and I honestly just wanted to go to my dorm room and sleep.

"Hey Arn! Wanna go out with us today? Hang out at the bar downtown? Prolly catch yourself a girl for the night?" Asked Barney, my closest friend in campus. See that is the worst part about my life in Australia. No one knew I was gay. I sighed and kept walking towards the exit of the building.

"Na ah! I think I'll stay in tonight. Am feeling a bit sick with all the assignments." I lied. He chuckled.

"Oh come on! That's exactly why we are going out! Japheth is killing us with all the philosophy shit." He countered. I tried to think of a better excuse of why I should not go. I shook my head no.

"Mahn am really not in the mood." I told him. I couldn't tell him I could not go out with them because I had a boyfriend in Italy who had not contacted me for four years and was probably still mad at me for moving away from him just to study a course I would definitely have done in Italy.

"Well, if you insist. By the way mehn, you never talk about family, why?" He smoothly changed the topic but to an even worse one. I sighed and pulled the strap to my bag.

"How about this, I will go out with you guys today and you stop prying my life." I said opening my car door. As much as My family was mad at me for moving too, they still sent me finances whenever I need them and they bought me a car on my first day at campus. Barney shrugged and nodded passing by my car to get to his.

"Pick me up at seven don't you dare stand me off!" He shouted entering his car. I let out a loud groan of exhaustion and started my engine. I wished I was back home in Italy. After I got to my room, I took a shower,dressed up and tried to finish some project for my psychology class. At six thirty, I left on the twenty minute drive to Barney's apartment complex to pick him up. Thankfully, he was waiting outside and I didn't have to take the stairs to the sixth floor. He seemed oddly enthusiastic unlike me who just wanted to fall asleep and forget about all my problems. The club was already at full swing by the time we got there and our friends seemed to have already helped themselves to drinks. Philly seemed already tipsy, I just scoffed he was always a lightweight. To forget everything, I walked to the counter and sat at a bar stool away from my friends. I needed to be alone. I ordered the strongest drink there was which apparently was called a Cinderella Titanic. I lost count of the shots I had by the time a blonde woman walked over to me. I couldn't spot any of my friends and she seemed determined to get me. She looked about 21 or a year more. She was pretty, I would give her that but I was not attracted to her. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, her full plumb lips were on mine. My eyes widened but soon enough I kissed her back. I did not know why because I was definitely not attracted to her. I just wanted to let out every thing that was bothering me and one of them was that Clarence had moved on from me. After all he had gone MIA for the past four years, I never got contact of him,my family did not talk of him even when I asked about him. I was frustrated, my studies weren't doing too well since I started going out partying and worrying. The kiss deepened and I wanted to push the girl of me I really did but then she let out a throaty moan and for a while I did not see a blonde girl before me,I saw Clarence, I wanted to imagine it was him, I needed to,otherwise I would go insane. The girl did not seem like she wanted to stop anytime soon so I realized I had to push her off. I did, with a bit of resistance, she stopped kissing me and looked up at me with what I could only assume was lust. I wiped my mouth which now smelled and tasted like the alcohol she had had for the good part of the night. I honestly felt disgusted by myself,what would Clarence say? What would he do if he found out, I sighed and pushed the girl away, trying to regain my breathe, I supported myself on the counter and took a sharp intake of breathe. I looked at the table where my friends sat and saw them throwing winks at me,I felt like throwing up. My head was spinning and I couldn't think. I felt the girls hands on me and it took everything in me not to punch her, instead, I softly pushed her away to show her I was not interested.

She gave me a glare as if telling me I had just used her,I rolled my eyes,she had literally thrown herself at me. I needed to leave that place or I would pass out. I did not want to walk to my friends so I took my phone out and sent a quick text to Barney telling him I was leaving early cause I wasn't feeling well. I think he sensed my discomfort because he responded and told me to text him when I got home. I sighed and rushed to the exit, as tipsy I was. I was walking to my car when I froze. Was the alcohol playing with my mind? Clarence stood next to a sleek black car. I stumbled towards him and held his cheek.

"Baby? Is it you?" Clarence looked at my arm on his cheek then back at me. He did not speak. He removed my arm calmly and place something in it before opening the driver's seat of the car. He entered and started the engine before turning back to me.

"Have fun with the girl you were kissing Arnold Miguel." He said and drove off. Shit! I opened my palm to see the promise ring I had given Clarence years before. Tears fell from my eyes uncontrollably as I stared at the black car leave the club.