Chapter 20
CIRO
Why had I thought she’d make it easy for me? After all, she was the one who had betrayed me. I felt like a goddamn idiot for giving her the benefit of the doubt. Isla had been the sweetest, most caring and supportive woman. She’d literally do anything I asked without questioning me.
But I could tell motherhood and being a single mom had changed her. She gave off mama bear vibes. I couldn’t deny it was hot as fuck, and I admired her more than ever before.
If I didn’t pull myself together, I’d lose her for good, along with my daughter. I wouldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t lose them. If I had to force her to be with me, I would.
I took out my phone from my pocket. I’d felt it vibrate twice while Isla and I had our heated discussion. It was probably Paolo wanting to know the plan for today. Knowing him, he had slept in the car instead of returning to the hotel. He’d never leave me unprotected.
Opening my messages, I hadn’t expected to see a message from Courtney. Jesus, what were the chances she’d pop up at the worst fucking time? It’d been months since I heard from her. The second text was from Roman.
I opened my brother’s…
Roman: Did you see her? Rosa heard you’re in SF again. Did you tell her about Isla?
Ciro: I’m at Isla’s now. I meant to tell Rosa but forgot.
A small lie. I didn’t forget, I avoided the topic.
After finding out my father’s former lover was to blame for my mother’s murder, I spent a few days obsessing over it and talked about it non-stop.
My family knew I was searching for information about Cara Clemente.
Discovering I might have a daughter had been easy to hide.
Roman: What am I supposed to say when she questions me?
Ciro: Say nothing or tell her I’m following up on a lead.
Roman: Yeah, ok. Stay calm. Don’t fuck up again.
Ciro: Don’t plan to.
The nosy bastard was fishing for information. I wanted to tell him and my family about Pippa but decided to keep it to myself, especially after Padre’s heart attack. I didn’t want to get his hopes up. He needed to focus on recovering and I didn’t want my drama to distract him.
I hesitated a second before opening Courtney’s text…
Courtney: Ciro, baby! I miss you! How are you?
Should I or should I not reply? I was dealing with a delicate situation, one that Courtney unknowingly played a part in, and could potentially make worse. Hedging on the side of caution, I ignored the text and put my phone back into my pocket.
I met Courtney the year before Isla and I got together. We had a good time, but I knew from the get-go the only thing keeping us together was booze and sex. She liked to party and partied hard with drugs, something I didn’t like. When she found out about Isla, she went off the rails.
We had a friends-with- benefits arrangement, and it suited both of us for a while. Or so I’d thought.
Isla entered my life when Courtney was out of the country on a six-month modeling tour. She didn’t take the news of Isla well. Apparently, she was in love with me and tried to make me choose between her and Isla. It was fucked up.
The choice had been easy.
I’d choose Isla every single time.
When I’d told Courtney as much, she stopped talking to me. I was okay with it. My relationship with Isla was my priority. However, that didn’t mean I stopped caring about Courtney.
The last time I’d seen Courtney was the day Isla had gone to my Los Angeles estate and saw the redhead on my lap. I didn’t have sex with Courtney in her blitzed-out state, but I did spend the night with her in the emergency room. She’d lost her mind and needed her wrists to be cuffed to the bed.
That night, I managed to convince her to go into rehab. She lasted two weeks. I hadn’t heard from her until now. Maybe she was in trouble and needed help. I glanced down the hallway where Isla had gone and decided to reply to Courtney’s text.
Ciro: I’m good. How are you?
Courtney: Alive. Can I come over?
Ciro: Sorry. I’m out of town. Are you okay?
Courtney: Aww, you do care.
Ciro: Don’t be like that. You’re my friend.
Courtney: Friend? Guess that means you’re still hung up on her.
Ciro: I’ll always be hung up on Isla.
I waited for a reply. A few seconds passed and I knew there wouldn’t be another text. I didn’t want to hurt Courtney, but I had to be straight with her. No matter what Isla and I were going through right now or in the future, Isla would always be the only woman I loved. Speaking of…
Isla appeared and eyed my phone. “Everything okay?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you texting?”
“Paolo.” So I wasn’t outright lying, I shot him a quick text.
Ciro: Are you here?
Paolo: Yes
Eccellente. I knew he wouldn’t leave me in a sketchy part of town. I bit my tongue, so I didn’t unload on Isla about the dumpy area she lived in, while she watched me with a suspicious gaze.
“Let’s go.” I opened the door, drinking her in. Even in plain black pants and a T-shirt, she was the most beautiful woman to me. “We’re taking my car.”
“Nuh-uh. My car.” She exited out of the apartment.
“That deathtrap? No way. That’s another thing we need to discuss.” I closed the door and twisted the knob to make sure it was locked. It was thanks to the automatic lock with a keypad. At least there was something high tech in this place.
“My car isn’t up for discussion. You can’t control me, Ciro,” she said over her shoulder, leading the way down the hallway.
“Pippa deserves to be in a safe, reliable car. I won’t have you driving her around in that piece of shit.”
She stopped suddenly. “You’re nothing but insults today, aren’t you?”
I grabbed her arm and tugged her toward me. “I like your short hairstyle.” I slowly ran my nose along the side of her head and down behind her ear. “And you smell delectable.”
She trembled against me. “Stop it. Play fair, Ciro.” She pulled her arm away and left the building.
“Never,” I hollered as I watched her trot toward my car and get into the back seat. I grinned smugly… I still affected her and she still knew how to obey me. And I’d seen her cheeks turn pink…
I got into the back seat on the opposite side of her. “In a hurry, My-la?”
“Yes, and you should be too. Unless meeting your daughter for the first time isn’t important to you.” She turned her head toward the window.
Damn, her dig at me hurt. She cut the fun out of our playful sparring and made it a serious game.
“Oh, it’s important to me.” I slammed my door shut. “Let’s go,” I barked at Paolo.
Isla could try to push me away, but I would never stop pursuing her. She was mine, and I wasn’t going to lose her or my baby.
No matter what she thought, I was furious. It took everything in me to not drag her out of her dumpy apartment, collect my child, and throw them on my private jet to fly them to Canada.
But, like Roman and Fabio had said, I needed to stay calm. If Isla kept putting up a fight, I would fight back to get what I wanted. Although, I had a feeling it wouldn’t come to all that.
Isla still loved me. I felt it last night while I’d spooned her. Her tense muscles had relaxed against my chest, her breathing deepened and she mumbled my name in her sleep.
I was pissed at myself for hurting her. Hated how she left and stayed away because of me. Worse yet, she didn’t come to me when she was pregnant after seeing me with Courtney. It was because of me she’d been carrying the load of raising our daughter alone.
I needed to make this right. I needed my My-la back.
We needed to talk more but there wasn’t enough time to talk about anything on the drive to Alba’s house. And… My nerves were freaking out. I had a daughter, and I was about to see her for the first time.
Would she look like me?
Would she cry if I touched her?
Would she hate me for being absent from her life?
“What are you doing?” I cut my gaze to Isla tapping on her cell phone quickly.
“Letting Alba know we’re on our way.”
“Letting her know your douchebag of an ex is with you?” I bit down on my back molars. Maybe I should’ve sat in front with Paolo, instead of in the back with Isla. I couldn’t stop looking at her and wanting to touch her.
She adjusted herself in her seat, putting her back against the door, and stared at me.
“What?” I smirked to hide the anxiety I felt.
“I don’t hate you.”
I hiked my eyebrows. “But?”
“But nothing. I don’t hate you. You’re Pippa’s father. I would never call you a douchebag or any other derogatory name.”
Fuck me. This was why I loved her. She was the kindest, most caring woman I’d ever known… next to my mom and sister. She may not hate me and might still love me, but it didn’t mean she wanted to be with me.
“I appreciate it. I’ll make it up to you for all of this.” And I meant it. I would make up for the time lost between us.
“You don’t need to. This isn’t all your fault. I intentionally kept Pippa from you. You should hate me.”
I didn’t want to have this conversation in the car where I couldn’t pull her into my arms. I reached for her hand, hoping she didn’t pull it away. She didn’t.
“I could never hate you.” It was the truth. She was a wonderful and amazing woman.
“Seriously? I moved out of SoCal after seeing you with that woman. I don’t know if I would’ve changed my mind as Pippa got older and started asking questions.
But last week, even just hours before you walked into the bistro, I was resolved to never tell you.
I betrayed you, Ciro. That kind of thing isn’t something you take lightly.
You’re too calm right now. It’s confusing me. ”
I let go of her hand and clasped mine together.
Anger. Betrayal. Pain. It all coursed through my blood. They were valid feelings, but I wouldn’t let them consume me. I had to stay level-headed. I needed to stay focused on the bigger picture, having Isla and Pippa in my life.
In time, all would be forgotten, all forgiven, and all this would only be a blip in our lives.
My phone buzzed on the center console. I glanced down and saw Courtney’s name. Cazzo!
Isla readjusted herself in the chair to face forward. No question she’d seen the woman’s name on my phone. I didn’t need this right now. I didn’t need anything or anyone making matters worse for me. There was too much at stake. I had too much to lose.
“Well, answer it.” Isla sighed.
“It’s not important.” I sent it to voicemail.
“It’s the redhead, isn’t it?” She continued to face forward, avoiding eye contact.
I assumed she was hiding her jealousy. There was a time I’d puff out my chest and beat on it in a primal way, metaphorically speaking, of course. I used to get off on making her jealous. Not anymore.
After more than a year without her, I never wanted her to feel threatened by another woman. I wasn’t the asshole she’d dumped. I’d changed.
“Yes. She’s just a friend.”
“A friend you fuck.” She shook her head, raising her hand like a stop sign. “I don’t want to know. What you do doesn’t concern me.”
Paolo stared at me in the rearview mirror.
I didn’t have a response. What could I say? If I denied it, she wouldn’t believe me, even though it was the truth. It infuriated me how no matter what I said to her, she wouldn’t listen.
How in the hell was I going to get through to her when she shut me down at every turn?
Paolo’s words came back to me… You can always force her.
I could demand she move to Canada, but how would I keep her there without making her hate me?
Force her to marry you. Hmm…