I can't stop looking at Sammy's small bump. She looks absolutely radiant. It seems as if her face and hair are glowing like an angel touched her. Why the hell can't I look like that? I had to wear make-up to cover up the dark circles under my eyes, and even though I've been eating as healthy as ever, it still seems like I'm losing weight instead of gaining. "Do you want a glass of wine?" Trey asks me, the bottle hovering over my glass and I gulp. Shit. "No thanks, Sammy's not drinking, so I'll join her." How much longer will I be able to think of all these damn lies. "Oh, I really don't mind." Sammy smiles, and I wished I could kick her underneath the table. "I'm fine with water, really." I hope my smile comes out genuine and not suspicious looking. "Are you still going to school?"Alessandro's hand tightens on my thigh. I don't want him feeling guilty that I'm not in school right now. The university isn't going anywhere, and I do well enough that there's no way they won't acce
I stay standing in the doorway of the bedroom as the nursing staff make sure that Gabby is comfortable. I don't want to be here, seeing her like that. But I have to support Alessandro, who is currently hugging Dario. My heart bleeds as I watch the two grown men cry over the father that they lost and their injured mother. She's sedated right now, and she still doesn't know about Antonio. I know that the two of them loved each other very much, so how is she going to react when she finds out her husband is dead? I hate this for Alessandro. And I fucking want him out of the mob business. Antonio is no longer alive, so this is the perfect moment to get out. If something happens to Alessandro... I don't even want to think about it. I can't. One of the nurses touches Alessandro's arm, and he breaks apart from Dario. He listens to what se says, then he nods and go over to kiss Gabby softly on the forehead. Another stab of pain moves through me. Her nose was broken, both her eyes are sw
I discreetly wipe the sweat from my brow so nobody notices. I'm feeling like shit, nausea rolling in my stomach. So far, I have been lucky not to have any morning sickness, but today of all days, it feels like everything I've eaten for the last week threatens to spill out of my throat. Typically, after a funeral, people would visit the deceased's house, but neither Alessandro nor Dario wanted people in their parent's house. So now we're at a fancy hotel's event hall with people who can't wait to steal Alessandro's time. Some of the attendees look like they are from the mafia, and some look like respected businessmen. Much like Alessandro's split focus in his own business. Dario is mostly looking after Gabby, who is in a wheelchair with one of the nurses close by. She didn't want to miss the funeral, but she must be tired right now. Hell, I'm tired right now. It's been a long day. Thomas hands me a cold bottle of water, and I gratefully open it and drink almost the whole bottle i
I can vaguely hear panicked voices around me, and I try my best to open my eyes, but the lids are too heavy, and they fail. I distinctively hear Alessandro's outraged voice, and my eyes succeed in opening to a tiny slit. "What is wrong with her!" He's shouting at someone, and then he lays his hand on my forehead. "Baby, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" "I..." My voice croaks, and I just don't have the energy to say anything, and my eyes flutter closed again. Someone picks up my hand and holds my wrist. "Her pulse is a bit weak, I think it's best we get her to a hospital." It's Thomas. " I'll call her doctor to meet us there." "Her doctor? What fucking doctor!" Alessandro shouts, but I can hear the fear in his voice. I want to tell him I'm fine, that everything is going to be okay, but I can feel myself slipping back into the darkness again. I don't know how long it is until I open my eyes, and I realize I'm no longer at the hotel where everyone gathered after the funeral.
The door bursts open, shaking both me and Alessandro from the stupor we've been in ever since the doctor dropped the bombshell on us. Phoebe halts, her gaze cautiously moving from me to Alessandro. "What's going on?" She asks carefully. "I brought you a change of clothes, I thought maybe you wouldn't want to get into a tight dress and heels again." Yeah, definitely no tight dresses for me anymore. "Is everything okay?" She asks when neither one of us answers us. "Is there something wrong with the baby? For fucks sake, please don't tell me there's something wrong with the baby!" Alessandro shakes his head and wordlessly holds the sonogram pictures out for her to take. She looks as scared as I'm feeling as she drops the bag on the chest of drawers and walks over to take it from him. "What the hell is this? There are three numbers on here." She frowns down at the picture, trying to make out what it is. Alessandro clears his throat. "There isn't a baby, Phoebe." For the life of me
There' s a persistent soft tickle on my cheek, and I groan as I open one eye, and T.J.'s toothless grin meets me. "What are you doing here, my knight?" I groan as I close my eye again. "It's time to get up and eat, sleepyhead!" He exclaims. "Mama is making you breakfast. " My eyes fly open now, and I groggily sit up in bed. I reach for my phone to check the time. It's already almost half past ten, and Alessandro must have woken up hours ago."Wait, what are your mom and you doing here?" I frown at my knight's cute face, but he just shrugs and then runs out the door. I feel much better than I did yesterday with whatever they gave me at the hospital, but I'm still feeling more tired than usual. I brush my teeth and wash my face before I go to the kitchen, where I find Alma cooking up a storm. "Good morning!" She greets cheerfully. "Sorry about T.J. It's Sunday, so I had to bring him with me." I frown. Am I missing something? Did we maybe make plans that I forgot about? "T.J. is
My heart is pounding as Phoebe and I get into the back of the SUV with Enzo behind the wheel. Apparently, Thomas was with Alessandro when he left to go to his mother's. The drive out of the city feels longer as usual, and I'm so grateful for Phoebe clutching my hand. I don't know what the hell I would have done without her this last month. She has been my rock and anchor, especially when I had to be a rock for Alessandro. I will never be able to repay her for this. I should actually thank her douche of an ex-boyfriend. If he didn't play a hand in this, she might have never moved to the city. Maybe he deserved to keep his hands after all. A nurse opens the door when we arrive at the Moretti house, and the first thing I hear is a heartbreaking wail. I immediately rush up the stairs and barge into Gabby's room. My feet still as I take in the absolutely agonizing site in front of me. A sob rips from my throat as my eyes land on Alessandro, who is kneeling by the side of his mother's
The back of Alessandro's hand sweeps across my cheek. My eyes flutter open, and he smiles sadly down at me where I'm sprawled on the couch. "Go home, baby, you're tired." He whispers. "Are you not coming?" I frown. I still have a thousand questions for him, but he became so busy fielding phone calls and looking after Dario that we never got a proper chance to talk."No, I need to be here for Dario." Dario is understandably a mess. He loved his mother, and they were close, so her death is devastating. I remember falling asleep watching him and Phoebe slow dance to Gabby's favorite songs. "I can just stay here with you." I sit up and rub my tired eyes. "I'll go sleep in one of the guestrooms." "I don't want you here." He says curtly and a hurt like no other shoots through my chest. He must see the expression on my face because he swears and then drops down next to me. "This house just has bad memories for me right now." He kisses the top of my head. "I don't want you and the ba