Fuck, I hate myself.
“He only heard me.” My assurance is a lie, but I can’t bring myself to tell her the truth. As it is, she’s already shrunken in on herself, her shoulders curved and arms wrapped protectively around her middle.
I swear, I will cut myself wide open before I hurt her like this again. It goes against everything I stand for. As a man, my sole responsibility is to protect my partner. To be trustworthy and safe.
I failed.
Epically.
I sit in silence with that truth the rest of the way to the hospital. By the time we arrive, Terina has rallied. Shoulders squared, she summons a ready smile for her family.
“Can you believe the time is finally here?”Azzurra cries excitedly before hugging her daughter. “I feel like we’ve been waiting forever.”
“I know! And we’ll finally get to find out if it’s a boy or a girl. I’m so excited.” Terina is a perfect reflection of her mother’s energy. If I didn’t know better, I’d have no idea she’d been achingly upset minutes earlier. The girl is damn good at covering up her pain. It makes me wonder what else she could be hiding. Someone so skilled in masking surely has extensive experience in the art. It’s an observation I stash away for future evaluation.
Mrs. Donati ushers us into an interior waiting room in the Labor and Delivery area. “Renzo swears it’s a boy. We need to all place our bets.”
“Shae still refusing to guess?”
“Yup.”
We pick a couple of seats—the room is nearly filled with Renzo and Shae’s family members. Two large Catholic families, one Irish and the other Italian, which amounts to a small army of people.
A few minutes after we settle in, Renzo appears. He’s got a hospital band on his wrist and a touch of mania in his eyes. I don’t blame him. I can’t imagine anything more stressful than standing on the sidelines while your wife is in labor.
“They finally got Shae in a room and assessed her. She’s 4 to 5 centimeters dilated, so we still have a ways to go. We’re happy for you guys to stay or we can text updates. Totally up to you.”
“I’d like to see you try to drag me out of here,” Azzurra jabs playfully.
Everyone laughs and sits back in their seats, clearly in for the long haul. Not how I planned to spend my day and night, but so long as we’re all here together, I feel decent about Terina’s safety. That’s the most important part.
Well, that’s not true. I have one other concern.
From what I’ve observed, I don’t think Tommy has told anyone about what he overheard. I steal a glance at his wife, Danika, and the sudden bloom of crimson across her cheeks tells me I may have been mistaken.
Shit.
Tommy isn’t one to blabber, but I have no clue about Danika. I certainly don’t want to think about how Renzo would react if he got word. Fortunately, he has bigger things on his mind right now.
After an hour, I decide to grab a soda from a vending machine. “You want anything to drink?” I ask Terina.
“A bottle of water would be great, thank you.” That same energy she shows the others isn’t present when she answers me. I don’t like it.
“No bathroom breaks or wandering while I’m gone, okay?” A note of contrition finds its way into my voice. Walking this damn line between duty and desire is hard. At the end of the day, the most important part is not hurting her.
I weave my way toward the elevators, which is where I’m told the vending machines can be found. I stare at my options once I locate the machines, only for awareness to prick that someone has approached me from behind in an unusual way. I peer back and see Tommy glaring at me, daggers in his eyes.
“Don’t you fucking dare think you can treat my sister like one of your whores.” The man is livid. He’s raring for a fight.
Thank God.
I’m more than happy to oblige.
CHAPTER 32
TERINA
Present
