“No, Terza. It’s okay. Let her get it all out,” I interrupted, even though I knew I was just lining myself up for more body blows with every word Gia spoke.
“I never even knew my Mum, and because of you, I never will now. Then you come intomyhome and you bring all of your trouble with you. You endangermyfamily – people I grew up with and care about. You get me kidnapped. But that’s not enough, is it? You have to take everything from me! You take my family! You make Rafe hate me, and tell him to punish me, when you don’t know a single thing about me! You’re taking everything from me!” she shrieked hatefully.
“I’m sorry if my being here has made you feel that way,” I said as steadily as I could. But her anger and her words had hit me hard, and I was beginning to tremble, my resolve slipping as my emotions took blow after blow. My little sister hated me, and I didn’t know where to even begin repairing it all.
“Stop that!” she yelled as she shot to her feet and rounded Rafe, getting closer to me.
I fought not to flinch or move away, but something about the yelling and the way she moved, reminded me of my Mum coming at me. It didn’t help that Gia had her father’s eyes, andwhen she looked at me the way she did in that moment, I felt like the terrorised kid, that Marcello De Santis had shaped me into, all over again.
“Stop being so fucking nice!” She slammed a fist on the counter in front of me viciously, and I found myself swallowing back a wave of instinctual fear. “It’s fake! Everything about you is so fake! You don’t care about me or Rafe. You see the nice house and plenty of money. That’s what you want. That’s why you’re screwing anything with a dick, hoping it will get you closer to us all, just so they can’t throw you out when they see you for what you really are!”
“What am I really?” I forced myself to ask.
“Scum! A fucking leech! You don’t belong here, and spreading your legs will only fool these idiots for so long!” She leaned over me and I found myself instantly recoiling, so sure she was going to hit me. My body told me to defend myself, but I couldn’t. I wouldn’t hurt Gia, no matter how much she despised me or how much she intimidated me right then. “You don’t belong here,” she hissed at me, so close I felt her breath across my face.
“Gianna!” Rafe barked, then he stood and wrenched her away from me, pushing her into the seat he just got out of. He was breathing hard and the look on his face earlier was nothing to the anger I saw there now.
“Go on then. Take her side! Tell me how she’s innocent in all of this and I’m being a bitch. Tell me how disappointed you are in me!” Gia hissed at Rafe, almost taunting him.
“I can barely even look at you right now,” Rafe ground out. “How can you say such bullshit to your sister? She’s your blood! She’s done nothing but try to get close to you since she arrived here.”
“That’s crap!” Gia threw back. “The only one’s she’s tried to get close to are you lot, the ones with healthy bank balances!”
“Gia,” I said. I couldn’t hide the tremble in my voice now, but it didn’t matter. “I never meant to bring trouble with me, and I don’t even know how that happened, but if it has, then I’m sorry for it,” I began. “And I’m not trying to take anyone from you. I just wanted to make friends with the people who live here, and yes, maybe I am kind of clingy, but I was on my own for a long time before I came here, and I was relishing the contact I get from everyone. I didn’t mean to make you feel left out. I’m not sleeping with anyone. In my whole life I have only ever willingly slept with two guys, and both were a mistake and over fast. I’m not here for money, or sex, or whatever nefarious plan you suspect me of.
“Believe it or not, the only reason I agreed to come back here at all, was because of you. Because I missed you and wanted to see for myself that you were happy and safe.” I dared to glance up at her, but she was still watching me like she wanted to claw my eyes out.
“And Mum…I’m sorry you feel robbed of the chance to know her, but I believe it was better that way for you. Our mother was not a warm, or loving person. She was an addict, and it made her selfish, negligent, and violent at times. I know you won’t like this, but I’m glad you never had to face her. It would not have been whatever fairy tale ending you were hoping for.”
“You don’t know that. Maybe she would have loved me. Maybe she just couldn’t loveyou.”
“Maybe,” I nodded. “But I doubt it. I don’t think that woman was capable of love.”
“I’ll never know, will I?” she growled.
“Can’t we just start over? I promise I’ll try to stay out of the way more and give you time with your family. I won’t get in your way, and you’re right. Rafe should be the only one who can tell you what to do. I’ll keep my nose out of your business,” I offered.
“No,” she shook her head. “I don’t want that. You said you only came here to check on me. You’ve done that. I’m fine. I think you should just go back to wherever you came from now. I want you out of this house, and preferably out of this country too.”
Just because her words were calmer, didn’t make them any easier to hear. But she had been clear at least.
“Okay,” I nodded.
“Absolutely not!” Dante bit out as he rose to his feet and leaned over the counter towards me with anger. “You’re not leaving. It’s not safe!”
“He’s right,” Rafe agreed. “Cara is not leaving this house just because you threw a tantrum, Gia. This is her home as much as it is yours or mine.”
“No it’s not! Dad paid for this house and everything we have.OurDad! Not hers!”
“Ipaid for everything we have, Gia. This house, the business, everything you own, and every penny you spend,Iprovide! Not one penny of the blood money Marcello De Santis built, exists in this family any longer. I made sure of that!Irun this family now, and you would do well to remember that, and your place in it!” Rafe raged as he leaned in over Gia threateningly.
“Oh, I know my place, Rafe. Right at the bottom of the pile with the rest of the bullshit you tossed aside!” Gia cried, but she was sniffling now.
“Enough of your drama!” Rafe told her more calmly as he stood. “I don’t want to hear this crap. You know I love you, and you know that you are now, and have always been, at the very top of my list of priorities. The only reason you’re behaving like this now is because you suddenly have to share that position with Cara, because I love her too, as should you! You’re spoiled and jealous and I am sick of it impacting Cara when she has done not a bloody thing wrong! It’s time you actually grew up!”
“I don’t have to put up with this!” Gia yelled as she shot to her feet and backed towards the door. “Get me a car! I’m leaving!”
“Get you a car?” Rafe scoffed. “Where exactly do you think you’re going? You don’t have a penny to your name without my bank account and credit cards.”
