“You mean the last night?”
I nodded once.
“Yeah, which is weird because he and I weren’t what you’d call close.”
“Weren’t?”
“Yeah. Losing you can sure bring people together.”
Not going to let that affect me either.
“Well, what I wanted to know is…did he say why? Gramps said he was there that night and still there the next morning.”
Tears filled her eyes again. I had to give her credit. She didn’t let those things drop as a way to try to get me to cave. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to say the same thing about myself depending on her answer but she didn’t seem to be manipulating me. As much as I tried to tell myself I could move on, but I wasn’t. My heart was stuck.
“He said…he said he didn’t want you to be alone. Even if he couldn’t be with you, he didn’t want you to be alone.”
Fuck. I’d been hoping for a completely different answer because this one…this one made the burn come back to my eyes. After that, with a weak smile, Gemma left and I had a feeling that if I wanted anything to do with any member of the Diamati family it was my move. Gio wouldn’t continue to hurt me by coming around, he’d made it pretty clear he didn’t want to hurt me. Gemma only intended to apologize in person, not torture me.
Chapter Nineteen
I could only focus on work and getting out of town with Bailey. Grace’s wedding in Chicago could be exactly what I needed. We thought about making the drive but in the end, a bunch of hours in the car instead of two in a plane didn’t make any sense. We could get there and shop. The Magnificent Mile called our name. A few days of retail therapy, spending without regret, was exactly what the doctor ordered. Reservations were made. Bailey took care of everything for us. Gramps would fly in the morning of the wedding and then back out the next morning. He didn’t like being away from the restaurant any longer than that. Bailey and I landed on Thursday morning and were leaving Sunday night. We wanted to squeeze every moment we could.
Packing needed to be done smartly. I had to take everything I’d need but also leave room for everything I didn’t know I was going to buy. I planned to make my credit card weep by the time I was done. Of course, Bailey’s suggestions were less than helpful. She wanted me to pack something sexy for the wedding, lamenting about all the eligible bachelors that would be there. Laughing it off, I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t ready. Even though it’d been almost a month, the fist-sized hole still consumed my chest every time I thought about Gio or about someone else’s hands on me. Not ready.
I decided that Chicago in the summer was my favorite place in the world after The Point. Of course, I hadn’t been to many other big cities but I couldn’t imagine any of them comparing to Chicago. It had the hustle of New York (been there twice, not my cup of tea) coupled with a more laid back feeling. Even if the cabbies didn’t hesitate to use their horn while you crossed the street. I had the white walk sign on my side.
Our hotel sat about three miles from The Magnificent one. It wasn’t anything too lush but perfect for us, clean and it had two beds. Don’t get me wrong, I’d cuddle right up next to my best friend if I had to, but having my own was better. I’d gotten accustomed to sleeping alone again.
“That isn’t nearly sexy enough.” Bailey leaned against the wall near the closet while I hung up a somewhat sedated blue dress I brought with me for the wedding. While beautiful even I had to admit I picked it because it fit the description of a semi-formal summer dress that also complimented my body but not call any attention to it.
“It’s pretty,” I said defensively.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t, but if you want to get laid you should put it out there.” She said while gesturing at her breasts it as if I was stupid for needing an explanation.
“Well, I don’t want to get laid.”
“Everyone wants to get laid.”
Instead of answering, I shook my head. Guess I knew what her plans were.
Our day consisted of all the tourist spots we could handle. We ended up back at the hotel exhausted and each of us fell into a stupor that we didn’t wake from until the next morning.
After an early lunch in the hotel restaurant, we headed out for our first day of shopping. We hit H&M first and spent over an hour browsing the racks before making a purchase. I had a pretty blue sweater draped over my arm then moved on to zip up sweatshirts. Winter would come eventually and while it didn’t get frigid in Harbor Point, I wasn’t in the mood to buy anything sexy or cute for the rest of the summer.
“Ah, checking into the nunnery there, Bianca?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mostly I bought a few things to get me through the winter while Bailey’s items said she didn’t care how cold it got; she’d be rocking cute outfits.
“You seem to want to be really well covered. I mean, I’m sure they sell burkas around here somewhere.”
“Oooh, let’s find that store.” I sighed as our walking slowed. Everyone around us kept moving. “Hay bale, I’m … I don’t want a guy right now. I don’t. Not even for fun.”
“I’ll just have to change your mind then.”
She’d try. I knew she would, but I also knew she’d be unsuccessful.
We made one of our last stops Victoria’s Secret. Bailey pushed lingerie after lingerie at me, all of which I passed on. She could be tenacious, I’d give her that. It was actually sad for me to be there because I realized I never even had the chance to wear anything super sexy for Gio. When we were together, things weren’t planned. Sex was always something we needed immediately; the attraction too strong to stop and put on something lacy and see-through or black and sassy.
Putting on a happy face, I hailed a cab back to the hotel to drop off our packages so we could hit up some of the sites. Navy Pier was a must. Although it ended with a little more shopping. There were things I had no power to resist. And the shops inside were cute. Then after a few more stops, dinner became the priority.
Once we got back to Michigan Avenue, we walked in circles until deciding to head down to the California Pizza Kitchen. I sort of felt like I’d cheated, but they do it completely differently than we do, I chalked it up to research and agreed.
“Shit!” Bailey exclaimed out of nowhere. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
“Why would I do—” My words were lost once I could see what she did. Or rather who she did. He was there…in Chicago…coming up the block toward us. Gio, wearing dress pants. I’d never seen him in dress pants, with a button-down dress shirt. The top button undone and the sleeves rolled a couple of times. He looked good. He shouldn’t have looked that good. My mind quickly flit over what I’d put on that morning. A dress and comfortable sandals for all the walking. With my hair down and wavy, I decided I didn’t look like an ogre if he happened to see me. Oh god! I wasn’t going to be able to hide from him. He’d see me either way. As if my thoughts were a beacon, his eyes glossed over my face before he stopped in his tracks and stared.
“Come on.” Bailey pulled on my arm. “Let’s go around the block.” Another firm tug got me moving, made me realize I couldn’t stand there with my mouth hanging open letting him know he still affected me.
“He looks good, Bailey.” The words strangled out of my mouth as we walked as fast as we could without full out running.
“Yeah, yeah. Asshole should at least look tired. Have the dark mark or something.” Even though I didn’t want to, I giggled a little. Then a familiar, strong hand grabbed my bicep, turning me sharp enough I almost knocked Bailey over.
“Bianca.” His voice sounded like home. Comfortable, warm, the place a girl wants to curl into.
“No way, asshat,” Bailey pulled his hand off me. I should’ve done that. The electricity from his touch soldered us together in my mind. “You don’t get to talk to her.”
“Bianca, please…let me talk to you…to explain…”
“I…uh…” This new stammering person, I didn’t like her. She w
asn’t me. “I think you explained everything quite nicely before you left.” That sounded more like me. Of all the times I imagined what it would be like to see him; I gave myself a silent pat on the back for being able to put words together. “Get out of our way, Gio.” I moved to the left to go around him. He blocked my way.
“I love you, Bianca.”
My adrenaline spiked causing my muscles to vibrate, my mouth to dry out and my blood to heat up. The weight that settled in the middle of my chest pissed me off more than anything else. I wanted to be past this part of the breakup. The part where I still cared enough for his words to matter to me. The part where just seeing him hurt.
“You don’t get to say that to me, Gio. You don’t.”
Since he continued to stand too close, invading my personal bubble in a way he was no longer allowed, I put my hands on his chest and pushed. Gio towered over me and outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. He only moved because he let me move him And I couldn’t have cared less about the people walking by, seeing us, gawking at the train wreck taking place within blocks of The Magnificent Mile. I wasn’t ready to see him again. I wasn’t ready, but in reality, this could be the only chance there was. I swallowed hard and let out a sigh.
“Over here.”
I pointed a finger closer to the building. If he insisted on talking to me then we were going to have as much privacy as we could get in such a public arena. I gave Bailey a look. It was all she needed to know that I wanted a second with Gio. But she moved with us and stood a few feet behind me, leaning against the wall pretending to pick at her fingernails.
When Gio didn’t respond, I raised an eyebrow. He was wasting my time here.
“Sorry. I didn’t think you’d say yes.” He didn’t take his eyes off me. Didn’t blink. “Now I don’t know what to say.”
“Well, you better come up with something because the clock is ticking.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Yeah.” This time he swallowed hard. “Bianca, if you don’t believe a word out of my fucking mouth, and can’t trust me, I get it. But I need to know you know, deep down, that my feelings are real. I fucking love you and I’ve never felt this way about anyone. And I’m trying so fucking hard here to make things right.”
“Right with me?” Because that’s not what it sounded like he was saying.
“I’m not sure I can ever make it right with you, but yeah, I’m going to keep trying until the day I die. I’m talking about the company, my parents.” His jaw tightened. “There are things you don’t know and I’m not going to waste this time with you trying to explain but Sal, Gemma and I are putting some things in motion… Bianca, you were different. I know that sounds like bullshit, but you were. I liked you, genuinely liked you from the first time we talked. But I fucking fell in love with you which is why I couldn’t do what they wanted. All I wanted, still want, is you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me they sent you?”
Gio’s eyes flitted away then landed back on me. “I knew you’d look at me the way you are right now. And it was my way of life. I didn’t know what to do.”
He crossed his arms over his chest looking more vulnerable than I’d ever seen him. Then I think I’d ever seen any guy. And it was too much.
“I have to go.”
“Nick’s sister’s wedding, right? That’s why you’re here?” Neither of us confirmed that however, the fact that Bailey and I glanced at each other did it for us. “I was invited once, remember? I’ve been looking for you on the street this weekend. I…I didn’t think I’d actually see you.”
He tried to keep me talking. Like if he stopped he’d have to let me go. But I had to get out of there and think.
The familiar lump rose in my throat and tears started burning at the back of my eyes again. I was about to lose my shit in the middle of rush hour on the streets of Chicago. My eyes begged with Bailey to help me.
“Gio!” A man bellowed from up the street.
Gio’s eyes closed and his jaw tightened. I leaned around him to get a look at who was coming our way. The man, at least two inches shorter than Gio, looked a hell of a lot like him. No, no no no no no. This wasn’t happening. The similarities were too much.
“You don’t get to come into my office the way you did then just walk out like you own the fucking place.” Gio’s father stopped right behind Gio.
“Go away,” Gio growled. Of course, the asshole didn’t listen and Gio moved his body away from the building trying to shield me from his father. It didn’t work. He still saw me.
“Who do we have…” He took in my face and recognition hit. He’d probably seen pictures of me. Of course, he had. He’d sent Gio to Harbor Point in the first place and I’d been the target. I assumed research went into the decision. “Ah, the girl you think you can sink a company for.” Gio turned, his hands fisting beside him. “Trust me, son, the piece of ass isn’t worth it. There will be others. This will pass.”
Gio drew back. He was definitely about to hit his own father. I acted instead. It wasn’t planned. I didn’t even think twice about it. But I took a couple of giant steps forward placing myself in front of Gio before he could pull me back, I lunged, lifting my knee hard into Mr. Diamati’s nuts. He huffed out a breath and cupped himself.
“That’s for me.” Then my fist went flying through the air to make contact with his jaw. Shit that hurt. But it hurt him too which made it totally worth it. “And that’s for everyone else you’ve done this to.”
“Fuck,” Gio muttered behind me. Bailey shouted a “yes” and while I wasn’t looking at her, I imagined she did the fist-pumping to go with it.
We all watched in shock, me included. I’d never punched someone and had planned to go my whole life with punching someone but I couldn’t help it. The man tried to ruin my life, ruin my Gramps business and made Gio do unspeakable things to unsuspecting women. Fuck him. While I was left breathing through the crushing pain in my knuckles, Gio’s father limped his sorry ass down the street.
“Are you ok?” Gio asked, suddenly far too close.
“I’m fine.”
Still, he grabbed my hand to inspect the damage. He tried to be careful, but the feeling of his skin on mine became almost painful. It’d been too long since I’d felt anything remotely similar and somehow not long enough at the same time. I stood rigidly, wishing I could tell him to step back, but I no longer had a voice.
“Gio,” Bailey cut in sounding much less harsh, but just as firm as she had moments before. That girl always and would always have my back. “You need to let us go.”
“At least put some ice on this,” he said softly. I did my best not to look up at him but nodded just the same.
“I’ll make sure she does,” Bailey assured him. “I’ll take care of her.” It sounded like she was talking about more than my hand.
His jaw tensed, his head dropped to his chest and the look in his eyes slayed me. Dark. Defeated. Plain sad. And his shoulders slumped slightly before pulling back up to normal posture. This was it. My breath caught in my throat. I’d allowed myself to love this guy. Thought he could be “the one” and all the other sappy crap. In another world I’d have felt sorry for him—want to do anything I could to comfort him. But it wasn’t the world I lived in anymore. Although I did feel terrible about the life he’d led, the things I imagined he did to get the company ahead and the fact that I could clearly see he felt guilty about it—it wasn’t enough.
“Fine but I’m not done, Bianca.” The sound of my name made me lock eyes with him. “I’m working on making this right and I’m not going to let you keep me away. You better fucking believe that.”
Then he turned and disappeared back around the corner.
“Ok, that sounded a little stalkery.” Bailey threaded her arm through mine and got me moving.
“He didn’t mean it like that.”
She searched my face before continuing. “I know. He sounded pretty determined, I guess.”
***
The mornin
g of the wedding, Bailey and I decided to go all out. After getting the concierge to call in a few favors, we were able to score appointments at a salon we’d both heard about but never thought we’d get the chance to use. She actually had all the crazy color removed in favor of the golden blonde I remembered from when we met. It was still a lot shorter than mine and choppy but in a much more intentional disorder. I had them style my hair for the wedding. Paul, the stylist, created the most beautiful loose curls I prayed I’d be able to recreate because my hair looked soft and satiny hanging against my skin.
Gramps flew in that morning. I didn’t see the point in telling him about my run-in with Gio, at least not right away. When Gramps came out of his room in the late afternoon wearing a dark suit and tie all I could think about was the picture of him and my grandma on their wedding day. He sure cleans up well. He looked older, but I could see the young guy in the old one before me.
Looping each of his arms, he allowed me and Bailey to thread ours through to play escort. I knew Bailey would be prowling through the eligible bachelors at the reception, but for the wedding, we went with respectable.
Chapter Twenty
The wedding was beautiful. Really. A vision so sweet that if I hadn’t turned into a hardened skeptic I would’ve been a ball of raw emotion and tears. Nick stood at the front with Grace’s fiancé, Logan waiting for Grace to come down on her mother’s arm. Since their dad had been gone a while, Grace insisted her mother give her away. And I couldn’t have been happier for them when they were announced as husband and wife. Grace deserved to be happy because while Nick tried to take the brunt of whatever their father dished out, she still witnessed it and didn’t come out unscathed.
Due to the height of our heels, Gramps insisted we take a cab the six blocks to the reception. Dinner was delicious and once the party started…it was on. Not a single person remained seated. The music thumped and we tried to keep the rhythm. One of the other singles, Calvin, kept right with me and asked me to dance the minute the music slowed. I hesitated. On instinct, I wanted to say no. But seeing Gio yesterday had me feeling like I needed to move on. I couldn’t let him affect me like he did if I saw him again. And I prayed I wouldn’t see him again. So, against my inner voice saying ‘no’ my mouth said yes.
Love by the Slice Page 15