AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How am I acting?”
“Come on, Dante. I met Georgia. I saw the two of you together. Not only does she clearly adore you, I think it’s mutual. You guys move like you’re a ballet. You zip, she zaps. You’re so great together. It doesn’t mean you don’t love Bianca. Or that you don’t miss her. It just means you’re living your life.”
“Without Bianca in it,” he said softly. “And might I point out, Bianca doesn’t have that chance. How can I live my life when she lost hers?”
“So you’re just going to shut down any avenue that might lead to happiness because Bianca died?”
“Stop getting in my head,” Dante snapped. “I’ll do whatever the hell I want.”
“Okay. Let’s try this another way. Georgia is a very beautiful young woman. True?”
Dante scowled.
“I don’t just mean beautiful, I mean, like, punch you in the gut stunning.”
Anger flared inside Dante and, unmistakably, jealousy.
“How long do you think she’ll be single for?” Rocco pushed. “You think she’ll sit around waiting for you to wake up and smell the roses? Of course she won’t. She’s going to be a single mum, and sooner or later, some guy’s going to fall head over heels in love with her and offer her a place in his heart, and she’s going to run into his open arms because he’ll offer her a family, and love, and all the things you’re holding out on her. Can you blame her?”
He compressed his lips. “I want nothing but Georgia’s happiness.”
“Bullshit. If you wanted her to be happy, you’d be married to her by now.”
“That’s not happening.”
“So you’re fine with her dating some other guy?”
Dante opened his mouth to confirm it, then shut it again. “I’m not saying I wouldn’t be jealous. We were sleeping together. I’m attracted to her.”
“Right. So that’s all she is to you? Sex?”
Dante’s gut twisted. He downed his beer, stood up. “I don’t have to listen to this.”
“You think? You need to hear it, Dante. You’re being a bastard and not only are you ruining your life, you’re ruining hers too. Fine. You want to be that guy? Fine. But don’t do it in Bianca’s name. You and I know how furious she would be with you right now. We know that. We know what she’d say because we knew her better than she knew herself.” Rocco’s face had the appearance of calm but his obsidian eyes were filled with anger. “If you’re going to destroy your chances of happiness, and Georgia’s, then be honest with yourself, and the world: you’re doing it for yourself, not Bee.” Rocco stood, his own beer barely touched. “I’ll let you know when the contracts are signed. See you in a couple of weeks.”
He strode off, confident he’d said his piece. Whether or not it would achieve anything, only time would tell.
Georgia had prevaricated about sending the message for several hours but in the end, she knew she had to do it. This wasn’t about her, it was about their son. Dante deserved to know.
Hi. Just FYI, I have a scan this afternoon. It’s routine. I’ll let you know how it goes afterwards.
Dante’s text came through almost immediately.
Where?
Georgia ignored the question. The last thing she wanted was for Dante to show up. She started typing words to that effect, then stopped, sighed. She just wouldn’t reply. He didn’t need to know. And she didn’t need him. At least, that was what she told herself.
Tears flooded her eyes as she stared at the image on screen of their dear little boy floating about inside of her. Love stretched and swelled her heart. She smiled at the screen, every cell in her body bursting with pleasure. What a joy it was to see their baby, to know that he was growing well, and doing everything babies were supposed to do.
The appointment was straightforward enough. She took the print outs of the screen, slid them into her handbag, and left the clinic with a lightness in her step that didn’t last long.
Waiting on the footpath out the front of the building, staring straight ahead, was Dante.
It was such a surprise, she half thought she might have conjured him up out of nowhere. But then he looked at her and Georgia’s insides squeezed and tightened in a way that was now utterly familiar, so she stopped walking and gasped.
“What are you doing here?”
His throat shifted as he swallowed. He wore dark sunglasses, so she couldn’t tell where he was looking, but her skin lifted in goosebumps and she just knew his eyes were raking over her, like they used to, as if by looking he could feel, as if he needed to feel with every fibre of his being.
