REINA
The afternoon sun hit my face the mont I stepped outside. It felt too bright and too normal for the storm that was raging inside . I walked down the path toward the car on pure autopilot. Each step felt heavier than the one before it. Tessa’s words kept replaying in my mind on an endless, sickening loop.
Calestino was already watching when I reached the car. His massive fra filled the driver’s seat. His eyes were sharp and unreadable behind those dark sunglasses. He did not ask any questions as I slid into the passenger seat and slamd the door harder than I ant to. The engine purred to life, and we pulled away from Tessa’s lodge in complete silence.
The anger inside kept growing with every mile we drove. It burned hotter and uglier, twisting deep in my gut like a live wire that refused to die. Tessa had ruined my prom night on purpose. She had watched shatter into pieces for months afterward and held through every sob while knowing she was the reason for all of it.
She had smiled at . She had hugged . She had bought gifts and called her best friend while secretly hating for not seeing how much she loved . Was that even love?
The betrayal felt like acid pouring through my veins. I hated her with every fiber of my being. I hated myself for trusting her so completely and so blindly all these years. And worst of all, a tiny, pathetic part of still ached to hear her side of the story. That small weakness only made hate myself even more.
When we stopped at a red light, I finally spoke. My voice ca out flat and completely lifeless.
"Stop at the pharmacy up ahead."
Calestino glanced over at . His brow furrowed just slightly. "I can go in for you. Tell what you need."
"No," I said quickly, my tone sharper than I intended. "I will get it myself."
He frowned but did not push the issue. He pulled smoothly into the parking lot and waited with the engine running while I walked inside on legs that still felt unsteady.
The fluorescent lights inside the pharmacy buzzed overhead like angry insects. I picked up the pregnancy test kit with hands that would not stop shaking. The small box felt impossibly heavy in my grip. The cashier gave a soft, sympathetic look, but I ignored her completely.
I shoved the kit deep into my bag like it was dangerous evidence and hurried back out to the car as fast as I could.
Calestino looked at the second I climbed back into the passenger seat. His eyes searched my face carefully, looking for answers I was nowhere near ready to give.
"Everything okay?" he asked. His voice was low and cautious.
"Nothing is wrong," I lied. The words tasted bitter on my tongue.
He did not believe for even a second. I could see the doubt clear as day in his expression. But he started driving again without pressing for more.
I was grateful for the silence because my mind refused to stop racing. What if the test ca back positive? What if I was carrying Donico’s child right now? What if I had to look Paolo in the eyes and confess that while he was away trying to fix our whatever he could to protect the family, his family, I had let his own father get pregnant?
The guilt pressed down on my chest like a massive boulder. It made every breath feel difficult. I kept picturing that little plus sign on the test stick and felt my entire world tilt dangerously sideways. I was not ready for any of this. I was not ready for the consequences that might be growing inside right now.
I only wanted sex, only wanted his dick not his baby. What the fuck was I supposed to do with the possibility of my father-in-law’s baby growing in my belly?
The entire ride ho stretched on forever. I stared out the window at the passing streets, but all I could see were flashes of Tessa’s jealous face, Andrew’s desperate eyes in the parking lot, and the ghost of Donico’s touch still burning on my skin.
By the ti we finally pulled up in front of my apartnt building, a fresh wave of dread had settled over like a thick, suffocating blanket. The front door looked perfectly normal from the outside. But sothing felt terribly wrong.
The air was too still. Too quiet. Calestino noticed it at the exact sa mont I did. His entire body tensed like a predator ready to strike. He reached under his jacket and pulled out his gun in one smooth, practiced motion before we even stepped out of the car.
"Stay behind ," he ordered. His voice was hard as steel and left no room for argunt.
I obeyed without saying a word.
He approached the door slowly, gun raised and ready. Every muscle in his powerful fra was alert and dangerous. The handle turned easily under his hand. It was unlocked. My stomach dropped straight through the floor like a stone. Calestino pushed the door open with his shoulder, gun sweeping across the room in a precise arc.
The apartnt was not empty.
Paolo stood right in the middle of the living room. He looked exactly like the man I had married, but sohow more tired and worn around the edges, like the weight of the world had finally started to crush him.
His sister, Elisa, whom I had only saw once since I had married him, stood right beside him, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her sharp eyes flicked toward us the instant the door opened.
Both of them turned at the sa ti.
Paolo’s gaze locked straight onto mine.
For one terrifying heartbeat, the entire world stopped spinning.
Then his eyes widened with sothing that looked like a mixture of shock, pain, and raw desperation. His mouth opened slightly, but no words ca out at first.
"Baby..." Paolo finally whispered. His voice cracked on my na like it had been torn from sowhere deep and broken inside him. The corner of his lips curved into a small smile, a faint dimple forming on his left cheek as he spread his arms wide. "I’m back, baby. Would you mind giving a hug?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers