Page 13 of Taking His Heart

“You might love them, but I also know you could survive without being in the same town.”

“Are you trying to tell me to move to Vegas, Aurelio?”

“Not at all. I fucking hate this city, and if you live here, that just means I’d have to come here more often than I’d want to.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry because I have no intention of moving here,” I assure my brother.

“Why? If you proclaim to love him, why don’t you want to be with him?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I can’t be.”

“Look, don’t get me wrong. I’d prefer you never dated anyone. Stay a spinster forever. But… I also want you to be happy. And it fucking pains me to ask this because I don’t actually want you with that ass, but why can’t you be with him?”

“That ass is your mate.” I laugh.

“Which is why I know he’s not good enough for my little sister,” Aurelio says. “Why can’t you choose him?”

I shake my head. “I can’t tell you.”

“Has he hurt you, Daniella?” Aurelio’s back straightens.

“No. He would never hurt me. I’m the one who hurt him. I left.” I shrug as if it’s not a big deal, when in fact it is a very big deal.

“Okay, if you can’t tell me, you need to talk to someone else about it. Otherwise it’s going to eat you alive and I’m not going to sit back and watch you torture yourself like this. So it’s either me or someone else. You choose.”

I blink. I love and hate my brother right now. “I... I can’t have children.” My words are barely a whisper but I know by the shocked look on Aurelio’s face that he hears me.

“You can’t have children? What do you mean?”

“I had some issues when I was nineteen, went to the doctor, and I had to have a surgery. A hysterectomy. I told everyone I was going on holiday with girlfriends. Because I didn’t want anyone to know.” I’ve never told anyone this. “You have to swear to me right now you won’t tell anyone, Aurelio.”

“I would never betray you, Daniella. You know that. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped you. But also, what does having children have to do with the jackass in there?” He hikes his thumb towards the house.

“It’s not fair of me to take that away from him. I won’t.”

“Did you ask him if he even wanted kids, Daniella?”

“I can’t. Because I know he’ll choose me, Aurelio. But eventually, he’ll hate me, resent me for not being able to give him something he wants. And I’m not going to be the reason he doesn’t have a family of his own.”

“Do you think Uncle Marcel hates Aunt Zoe? They don’t have kids and that was her choice.”

“No, he loves her.”

“Exactly. Not everyone desires offspring.”

“It’s human nature.” I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter. You asked and now you know. It was my choice and I made it. I’m not changing my mind. And he cannot find out the real reason I left.”

“He won’t hear it from me. But you really should talk to someone about this, Daniella. Maybe Aunt Daisy? Mom?”

“I don’t want people to look at me like that.” I point to my brother’s face.

“Like what?”

“Pity. You’re pitying me now, and every time you look at me, I’m going to be the poor girl who can’t bear children.”

“No, every time I look at you, I’m thinking that you’re my annoying little sister. And that you’re the person I love the most in the world.”

“Even more than Rosie?” I raise a brow.