“Thank you,” she whispers. Tears well in her eyes. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Lise.” Gia elbows me as Caleb helps Elisa out of the booth. I stand and let her pass. The girls hug and Gia whispers something to her friend as Caleb watches with concern written all over his face.
“Let’s go, Lili,” he says, a few beats later, taking her hand and pulling her away from Gia. Caleb wraps his arm around her. “I’ve got her.”
“Guard her with your life, and message me when she’s home safely.”
They walk off as I throw a few bills down on the table. “Grab your things. We’re leaving.”
“You’re such an asshole.” Anger paints her beautiful face as she grabs her purse and her coat and a couple of shopping bags. “And I’m not telling you why she was crying, so don’t waste your breath asking.”
“Wasn’t planning to,” I truthfully admit. “Elisa Salerno is not my concern.”
“You really are a cold prick. Do you care about anyone but yourself?”
My sharp gaze pins her in place. “You already know the answer.”
She nibbles on the corner of her mouth but doesn’t reply.
I take the bags while she puts her coat on, shaking my head when she tries to take them back. “Let’s go.” I gesture for her to go ahead of me, and I follow, ignoring the heated looks sent my way as we pass a few tables of giggling women.
I stop her outside the door, checking left and right to see which way Caleb went with Elisa, and then I steer Gia in the opposite direction. We head down to the lower level where the food market is. “Don’t manhandle me.” She shoves my hand away as we walk past the butcher shop. “It’s bad enough I’ve got to walk beside you and endure your little groupies,” she adds as a gaggle of college-age girls scream at me, trying to catch my attention.
“Jealous much, Gia.” I smother a grin.
“Don’t start with me.” She grips the strap of her purse more tightly. “Oh, I want to pop in here to buy sauce for Saturday’s dinner.” She races into the hot sauce store like she’s got a rocket up her butt.
I trail her inside the store, wondering at the viability of such an offering. But it must work because the place is crawling with people, and the till is ringing with purchase after purchase. I watch her inspect every bottle like it’s life or death. “Buy the hottest. With any luck, he’ll drop dead, and problem solved.”
“You can’t die from too much chili,” she says, handing two bottles to the man behind the counter. “You’d have to ingest it in massive doses, but it can make you sick.”
“Good, sprinkle his portion liberally.” I swipe my card before Gia has even removed her wallet from her purse.
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe if he’s sick, he’ll let me stay over to nurse him, and I can snoop while I’m there.”
“Second thoughts,” I say, swiping the bag and gripping her elbow. “Go easy on the prick. We might need to interrogate him.” I open the door for her, and we step outside.
A laugh bursts from her lips, lighting up her entire face, and it’s like being sucker punched in the nuts. “You’re too fucking easy to wind up.”
“And you’re beautiful,” I blurt, like a teenager with zero game.
Her eyes widen as she stares up at me, and our surroundings fade into the background. My eyes drop to her plump lips, and I’m contemplating planting one on her when reality returns with a cruel slap to the face.
“Josh. Is that you?” an unfortunately familiar woman asks from behind me.
My heart slams against my chest as ice drips through my veins. Gia glances over my shoulder, her mouth forming an O shape. She doesn’t fight me when I wrap my arm around her and turn us to face the woman who single-handedly decimated my heart.
I fight to maintain a disinterested look when my eyes instantly roam her rounded stomach. Bettina’s smile is brittleas she glances between me and Gia. Her hands gravitate to her bump, and I don’t see any rings on her fingers.
Of course not.
While this could be any man’s baby, I know exactly who got her pregnant. I have known she’s been with him all this time, so it doesn’t take much to connect the dots.
Rage surges forward from where it’s buried in a lockbox marked with my ex’s name. “Wow. You let him knock you up? Is there no end to your foolishness, you stupid bitch?”
“Joshua!” Gia attempts to pull me back when I put my face all up in Bettina’s, but I’m an immovable force.
I shuck her off and glare at my ex. I’ve waited years to say this to her face. “Was the thought of being my wife so abhorrent you’d throw it all away to be his whore?”
