Chapter Six
Giovanni was not goingto have this conversation at her parents’ house.After making their excuses, he left, driving the short distance home.It was then he realized Mia’s mother had never visited her.None of Mia’s family had visited her.
“You know, if you wanted to, you could invite your family over,” he said.He didn’t know if she would need him to extend an invitation to bring her family here.
“That’s fine,” she said.
He glanced over toward her, to see if she was happy.Mia still wasn’t.
“You’re not close?”
“No,” Mia said.“The only people I’m close to are my friends.”
Liana, Clarissa, and Tatiana.He gripped the steering wheel tightly.They were already close, and he had to admit he was a little jealous of the relationship she had with her friends.He didn’t like it.Actually, that was a lie.He knew her friends had her back, unlike some people in the Colombo Mafia, who only liked to stir shit.
He arrived back home, parked the car, got out and moved around to her side to open the door.She climbed out, and he fucking hated the outfit she wore.
The moment he realized her style had changed, he’d gone hunting through the wardrobes to see if he could see any sign of the old Mia, and there was none.He liked the way Mia dressed.He had no problem coming home to find his wife with her hair tied in a messy bun, in dungarees and covered in mud.Mia liked to get her hands dirty.That was why his staff adored her.They had also been a little terrified, because she did seem to get stuck in absolutely everything.
Rather than have this conversation in his office, he took her hand and led her upstairs.They never seemed to have too many troubles upstairs, apart from the fear of what he had done.He didn’t like the thought of taking advantage of her.
“Seriously, Giovanni, why do we have to come to our room to have this conversation?”Mia asked.
Giovanni made her sit on the edge of the bed, and then he couldn’t help it as he paced, glanced over to her, and then started to pace once again.
“Look, I know you heard that shit I said about you, and no, I never meant for you to hear it.”
He watched her shoulders slump.“It’s fine.I mean, I’m used to it.My parents tell me all the time that I’m a child and need to grow up.”Again, she shrugged.“I guess I should be used to that now.”
He didn’t like how dejected she looked.He ran fingers through his hair.
“I don’t consider you a child,” he said, and then stopped in front of her, crouching down, so they were at eye level.“Fuck me, I was the one having a temper tantrum that night.”
He saw the frown cross over her face.He smiled, reached up, and touched her forehead.
“Yeah, I know, it’s hard to believe.Me having a temper tantrum.”
“Why?”Mia asked.
“Because you looked so amazing in your dress, and we had all these fucking guests, that, to be honest, were pissing me off.I didn’t even want my friends there.”
“Why not?”
“Because I wanted to be alone with you, Mia.I happen to like you very much, and I don’t think you’re childish.I love how you’ve not been tainted by the hard shit that goes on in this world.I love that you’re excited about each new part of the year.Do I always get it?Fuck, no, but I love it, because you do.I love seeing how happy it makes you.To me, you’re not a child.”
He saw the tears in her eyes.
“It’s all my parents ever called me,” she said.“It was always like some kind of dirty insult.I was never good enough because I didn’t behave like them.Men wouldn’t find excited children attractive.”
He saw her chin wobble.“You’re not a child, and I don’t think of you like that.”
The tears started to fall, and it was breaking his fucking heart.
“But you said it, so you must have thought it!”
He shook his head.“No, I didn’t.It’s fucked up, right?”
