Her grandfather called her an abomination, telling her she should have never been born. Told her she was a disgrace to their family. Her mother often told her she should have never had her and that she was her biggest regret. That she was a mistake.
According to Gia, Kyle and Erin were no better. Repeating the things her family and everybody else in that shithole town would say to taunt and try to break her by calling her names I’ll never repeat.
She was born into a family of racists. And instead of giving her up to people who would have loved her, they kept her there to torment her. Mentally, they tried to destroy her. If she hadn’t run away surely, they would have succeeded. According to her, they almost did.
Her mother hit her when she’d get trashed, treating her like a punching bag instead of her daughter. Gia recants a situation where she actually spat on her. Nobody ever tried to step in and stop her. Instead, they’d laugh.
Even still, that was not the worst of it. She suffered through verbal abuse and physical abuse. Then, when she was seven years old, her piece of shit uncle started touching her in ways you should never even think to touch a child, making her a victim of sexual abuse.
She confirms that he started raping her when she was twelve years old, just as he’d implied to me. Twelve years old. She was just a baby! His flesh and blood niece.
She said that he would beat her when she resisted. Which she did for years until she realized that’s what he wanted. That he thrived off of it. Finally, she just accepted it and would lay there in tears trying to escape in her mind while he took from her what was never his to take.
Listening to this makes me nauseous. I should have killed him. I still might.
At thirteen, her uncle got her pregnant, and her mother never questioned it since she knew who and how. She just called her more names and took her to get an abortion. After which, she took her home and allowed the abuse of her daughter at the hands of her brother to continue.
Fast forward to age seventeen where she decided she couldn’t take anymore and fought him off once and for all. She took off and never looked back.
She told me that when she turned eighteen, she finally visited a doctor to get checked out and they told her she’d be lucky to ever get pregnant again due to the damage done over the years; from the brutal ways she was violated at such a young age. Something about extensive scarring. I don’t know, but it’s heartbreaking.
That entire family stripped everything from her. Her dignity, her innocence, sense of love and belonging, and possibly the ability to carry a child someday.
Even though I can sense the remorse from Kyle, as well as the desperation to make amends, I decide I’m not telling him I know where she is. Not unless she mentions ever wanting to find him. I don’t imagine that ever happening though.
I just have to find a way to tell her I know Kyle though. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. I just hope she doesn’t run from me when I tell her. She doesn’t want to be tied to them in anyway. Being Kyle’s old college roommate, that may include me.
I hate making her rehash all that pain now. She can’t stop crying, and I feel guilty. She’s curled in my arms falling apart, and I feel helpless. I want to make it better. So I do the only thing I can. Something I know will speak to her because I’m at a loss for what else to say except I’m sorry.
I carry her to her room, placing her gently on the bed. Then I pull out my phone and put on Al Green’s ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.’
When she hears the first note, she smiles lightly through the tears that have started to slow. I climb in the bed next to her, wrapping my arms around her. She turns to face me. “What you know about Al Green?” she playfully asks through her sniffles.
I smile down at her thinking back to when my sister and I were little. “My dad used to play this for my overly dramatic sister when she was little. She’d make the biggest fuss over every scratch or mean thing a boy…or me said to her. So he’d dance with her to this song to calm the madness. It’s still one of her favorites.”
“Well, good choice. I love this song. Sam loved it too.” She rewards me with a sweet kiss to my lips before I can ask her who Sam is. She deepens the kiss, sweeping her tongue across mine making me moan out.
The song plays as we quickly become lost in one another. If this is all I can do for her right now, I’ll gladly give her all I have.
“I love kissing you,” I tell her when we break apart breathlessly.
“Me too. But…” she stops reaching for my phone just as the songs ends, searching for her song of choice. “But what?” I ask eagerly, squeezing her hip.
“But,” she starts again with a look of passion igniting in her tear stained eyes. “I want more.”
Silk’s ‘More’ starts to play as she snuggles in closer. I’d never heard it before, so I listen to the lyrics intently while kissing her deeply and running my hands up and down her body.
The song talks about making love and wanting more and more of each other. It pretty well sums up my feelings about being with Gia. No matter how many times I have her, it’s never enough. I always want more.
Her tears return invading our kiss, but we don’t stop. The song repeats as I settle between her legs to offer her everything I have to give in this moment.
I tenderly remove her clothes, leaving her bare beneath me. I kiss her lips again before making my way down her body.
I lick her wet slit tasting her arousal. When I spread her lips, I swipe my tongue across her clit before sucking it in my mouth. Her garbled moans fuel me as I devour her pussy until her body starts to shake uncontrollably and my name is falling from her lips reverently.
We make love over and over throughout the night until she has no more tears left to cry and her body is begging for reprieve.
She falls asleep on my chest around two o’clock in the morning, but I still can’t sleep. I think about all she’s endured. All she’s overcome. I silently cry a few tears of my own thinking over everything she told me, wishing I could rewind time and save her.
I can understand her initial reservations about me now. But I’m not like that. Never have been. I’ve never heard either of my parents say anything remotely racist or derogatory in my entire life, so nothing this extreme ever occurred to me when I’d challenge about her background until the night she blew up on me. Which I guess makes me a bit naïve. My parents taught my sister and I to love and respect everyone. We never saw color or race in that way. Only people.
All I know for sure is that Gia’s mine now. I plan to make her happy in every way, and I’ll never do anything to hurt her intentionally.
Chapter 16
Nathan
It’s been three weeks since my trip to Hamilton, and I still have not managed to tell Gia about Kyle. I haven’t spoken to Kyle either. He’s called numerous times, but I’ve yet to return one.
Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel towards him now. Kyle should have been straight with me from the beginning. Not that it would have made this any easier, but maybe I would better know how to handle all this, although that’s doubtful.
The only reason I can think of as to why he lied is that he’s ashamed. As he should be, but he’s evidently changed. He’s not a bad person. I know for a fact he’s not the same person he must have been back then, but he hurt the woman I love in bad way. Watching her break down the way she did was devastating. No matter how this goes down, I’m not sure that Kyle and I will continue to have a friendship. I’m almost certain we won’t.
This whole situation is some weird twist of fate. I’m happy I found Gia, and I’m selfishly glad I didn’t piece this whole thing together sooner because we probably wouldn’t be here now. But I know I have to find a way to tell her the truth about knowing Kyle and my visit to Hamilton. I plan to do just that tonight after work.
However, I won’t get the chance to.
After spending the night at my place, like she’s been doing mo
st nights over the last few weeks, Gia’s up early getting ready to go to work. And like most mornings, when she’s working, I plan to eat breakfast at the diner before heading to the office.
I’m pulling on my shirt when I catch her ogling me…not that I’m complaining. “You better stop looking at me like that, or you won’t be going to work today woman.”
She giggles at that before saying, “I have to. Poor Trish will drown without me.”
Leaning down, I plant a kiss to the top of her curly head. “So you and Quinn are close to graduation. Anymore thought as to what you want to do when you’re done?” I inquire, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
I totally think she needs to make some kind of career out of music. She loves it. Lives and breathes it. A songwriter maybe? After seeing all those notebooks I’m sure she has a ton of material. Music is a part of her. It’s what kept her from succumbing to the darkness.
She has to choose it on her own though, I don’t want her ever thinking she was swayed one way or the other by anyone…including me.
“Um…yeah I’ve thought about it some. I still haven’t really made any decisions. I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m beginning to worry I’ll never figure it out and end up a career waitress,” she sighs.
“You should make a list of the things you love to do and start there. If you want you can bounce some ideas off me.”
The doorbell rings before she can say anything else about it. “You get that. I’m going to finish getting ready,” she says pulling away to finish dressing.
“Okay baby,” I give her a peck on the lips and a swat on her ass on my way to see who the intruder is.
I regret immediately not checking before opening the door.
Kyle barges in, not waiting for an invitation.
“You’re alive. That’s great, but where the hell have you been?” he says a little worriedly.
“Hello to you too,” I say with my discomfort level rising by the millisecond. I can’t let him find Gia here.
“Your assistant said you were out of town a couple of days, a few weeks ago. You haven’t returned my calls which is unusual. What’s up? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’ve been busy. Everything’s cool, but right now really is not a good time,” I whisper.
“Oh, sorry. Is your girl here?”
“Something like that,” I say.
“Ah! So that’s where you’ve been. Say no more. I’m glad you’re okay, but call me man, we need to catch up.”
“Will do,” I tell him knowing it won’t be anytime soon.
I finally get him to the door and relief starts to wash over me. But when he steps over the threshold and turns to face me again, he looks over my shoulder at something that’s caught his attention. His eyebrows furrow and my eyes close as my head fall back because I know exactly what he’s staring at. It’s too late now. He’s seen her.
I look over my shoulder to take in her reaction, but she hasn’t noticed him yet.
“Baby, I’m going to ride with Quinn to class tonight, she says moving about, collecting the stuff she needs for the day. Still oblivious to what’s about to play out.
Kyle’s chest starts rising and falling rapidly, and his breaths are becoming raspy as he takes a step forward, re-entering my apartment. Tears fill his eyes immediately while taking her in. “Georgia?” he croaks out.
Her head snaps in his direction. A look of horror and confusion cover her face. Her head tilts to the side gaging him. “Ky?” She takes a step back, shaking her head. She looks like she’s seen a ghost.
He starts to take another step toward her before thinking better of it, stopping himself. “I… can’t believe it’s you. How did…what…when…” Kyle fumbles and stutters. He can’t seem to form a complete sentence. He’s just lost in his disbelief. The look of surprise remains plastered on his face, while Gia’s shifts to anger.
“What are you doing here?” she asks him, sounding much stronger than her brother does now that the shock is wearing off.
“I…I’ve…I’ve been looking for you. Now, here you are. I can’t believe it. You’re so pretty,” he chokes out covering his mouth with his hand.
A single tear falls down Gia’s cheek. She doesn’t wipe it. She lets it fall.
“Nathan, I can’t believe you finally found her.”
Her eyes quickly cut to mine. “You know him?” she asks.
“Gia listen-”
“Gia? Wait. As in your girlfriend Gia?” Kyle asks turning his attention to me.
“I’m out of here,” she says moving past both Kyle and I.
“Baby wait,” I move to stop her, but Kyle steps in front of me.
“What’s going on Nate?”
“Not now!” I yell, louder than I mean to.
“Have you been with my sister this whole time?” he asks angrily to my back.
I briefly stop to face him. “You do not want to do this with me right now. Back off,” I tell him, as my anger begins to surface. I walk around him to Gia, catching her by the elbow just as she reaches the door.
She spins around jerking her arm out of my grasp. When her eyes meet mine, she damn near levels me with her glare. There’s a massive storm brewing behind those stormy grey eyes, and I don’t know if I’ll survive it.
“Baby. Let me explain-”
“So what did he paid you to find me? Is that what all of this was about?” She yells throwing her hands up in the air.
“Gia listen. I didn’t know who you were when we met. I promise. Meeting you was a pure, albeit freaky coincidence.”
“Yeah, like I’m supposed to believe that,” she hisses.
“Yes, you are. I swear I didn’t know. I didn’t even know what you looked like. He doesn’t even have a picture of you nor did he tell me what you looked like. Not until I asked him, after I suspected you could be his sister. Before that, I’d always assumed she, or you rather, looked like him and Erin.”
“But you figured it out?”
“Eventually, yes,” I admit. “After you and I started dating. I pieced it together the day before I left town. That’s why I left. I went to confirm that it was true.”
“What do you mean you went to confirm?” she asks through gritted teeth. She’s seething at this point and I’m dreading what’s about to happen.
I take a deep breath and reluctantly tell her, “I went to Hamilton.”
“Oh my god,” she says shaking her head in disbelief.
“You did what?!” Kyle exclaims. “After I told you not to go there?!”
“It wasn’t about you anymore man,” I tell him, trying my best not to pummel him. I haven’t forgotten his part in all this. My focus right now is Gia, though. I’ll deal with the fall out with him later.
“So when you came home to “talk,” you already knew about my past?”
“I discovered some things while I was there, yes,” I confess. “But I didn’t know details about what happened to you.”
“So for three weeks, you’ve been lying to me? All that ‘it’s in your eyes’ bullshit was trash. You knew!”
“I never lied to you. And I was going to tell you about knowing Kyle, I just didn’t know how to.”
“So this whole time you were working for him? Would you have told him about me,” she asks as tears start to fill her eyes again.
“I wasn’t working for him. I was helping him. I didn’t know you when I agreed to help him. And I damn sure didn’t know what you had been through. When I went to Hamilton, I was still conflicted. I didn’t know what to do until then. That’s why I asked you to open up to me. But immediately after what you told me, I knew I was not going to tell him. Ever.”
“Oh, so you were just going to lie to me while knowing you were with my sister?” Kyle butts in.
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “I wouldn’t have said a word to you about her unless she wanted to see you.”
“I’m not your sister so you ca
n stop with the protective brother bit. The time for that has passed,” she spits out at Kyle.
“Georgie, please just listen to what I have to say,” Kyle pleads. The angry expression he had when he was addressing me melts away when he’s talking to her.
“This is a lot for her to take in, maybe give her a minute to digest,” I suggest, but she shuts that down.
“I don’t need a fucking minute to digest shit! You are not my brother, and you never will be. You walked in on that monster raping me! Saw it with your own eyes! And what did you do? Not a damn thing! You just walked away like a pathetic coward. To hell with you Ky, there is no redemption for you here. You stay the fuck away from me!” She spins around headed for the door again.
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