“Thank you,” I tell Luca once we’re alone again. “For that. For giving him a chance.”
“I didn’t do it for him.” Luca pulls me close. “I did it for you. Family matters, Gigi. Even broken, fucked-up families. I learned that from Marco.”
I kiss him, pouring everything I feel into it—gratitude, love, and hope for the future.
We sit there in comfortable silence for a while, just existing together. But then my stomach does this weird flip-flop thing, and suddenly I feel nauseous.Reallynauseous.
“Gigi?” Luca’s voice is sharp with concern. “What’s wrong? You just went pale.”
“I’m fine, I just—” Another wave of nausea hits me, and I press my hand to my mouth. “Oh god.”
“You’renotfine.” He’s trying to sit up, wincing with the effort but his concern for me is overriding his need to lay the fuck back down. “What’s happening? Are you in pain? Is it your wound?” he demands.
“No, I’m—” I scramble for the small trash can beside the bed, just in case. The nausea is overwhelming, making the room spin. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
“Danny!” Luca’s shouting now, panic edging his voice. “Danny, get a doctor in here!”
“Luca, stop!” I manage between deep breaths, trying to fight down the nausea. “It’s not—I’m seriously okay?—”
Danny bursts through the door, followed by a nurse. “What’s wrong?” he asks, eyes darting to me and Luca, trying to find any visible injuries.
“Something’s wrong with Gigi,” Luca says, grabbing my hand. “She’s sick, she’s pale, she won’t tell me what’s happening?—”
“It’s morning sickness!” The words burst out of me, probably louder than necessary. “Luca, this is completely normal. I’m not really sick.”
The room goes completely silent.
Luca stares at me, his mouth slightly open. “Morning sickness?” he rasps.
Oh. Oh no.
“Y-you don’t know,” I say slowly, realization dawning. “In the warehouse, when I was trying to tell you—you didn’t hear me.”
“I—” He’s still staring, his face pale, his mouth working but no words coming out. “What?”
“Giuliana, I don’t think Luca heard you,” Danny says quietly from the doorway. “He was too far gone from the pain.”
I turn to Luca fully, taking both his hands in mine. My heart is beating a thousand miles per minute. There’s no going back now.
“Luca,” I tell him, faintly hearing Danny and the nurse rushing out of the room to give us privacy. “I’m pregnant. Seven weeks along.”
Luca continues to stare at me, brown eyes wide.
“The baby is fine,” I continue on, my mouth dry. “The—the heartbeat is strong. No complications despite everything that happened. I thought you already knew and just weren’t saying anything I thought you’d heard me?—”
“Pregnant,” he repeats, mouthing the words even after he verbalized it. “You’re pregnant. With my baby.”
“Yes.” I laugh wetly, feeling tears well up in my eyes. “We’re going to have a baby, Luca. You’re going to be a father.”
30
LUCA
A baby.
The words echo in my head, bouncing around like they can’t quite find a place to land. Gigi is pregnant. Withmybaby.Ourbaby. A tiny little baby and I can’t—I can’t fucking breathe.
“Luca?” Her voice is uncertain, worried. “Say something. Please.”
