Chapter Four
GAbrIELLA-ROSE
HUDSON AND I HAD arrived home around fifteen minutes ago and were waiting patiently for Nico to come in. We were both apprehensive about what Gino was going to say to him, and what it would mean for us all. Deep down, I knew if he went back to Sicily, it would break Nico’s heart, even if he wouldn’t admit it, and that would leave me and Hudson picking up the pieces. I just hoped that Gino would listen and agree to speak to us all.
In fairness, I was worried myself. I had deep feelings for Gino and would probably have said that I did love him. The thought of him leaving would also leave a big hole in my own heart. It would be one I could get over far easier than Nico, but it would still hurt. We had become such great friends over the past few months, and that was something that I didn’t want to lose.
Hudson and I were currently sitting together in the living room awaiting Nico’s return when we heard the door open and watched as a very hesitant Nico walked into the room. He immediately went over to the drink cabinet and poured himself a bourbon, which couldn’t have been a good sign. He walked toward us, sat down in the chair opposite us, and downed the drink before placing the glass on the table in front of him.
I felt Hudson move next to me, but I could tell that Nico didn’t want comfort right now. Something was troubling him more than what Gino had told him, so I held on to Hudson to stop him from moving as I shook my head.
I decided to be the one to break the silence that was in the room, as it was obvious to me that neither of the guys wanted to speak.
“What’s wrong, Nico? You know you can tell us everything.”
He continued to look down at his hand as he started to speak. “Gino does want to go home. He admitted to being in love with me and Rosa, and that he couldn’t stand to see us so happy. It is killing him inside. I told him the truth. I told him how we both felt and said that we wanted to speak to him tonight. He’s agreed to be here at seven to talk.”
A sudden chill went over me. If he had agreed to come here, then why was Nico so down? What had happened when he’d met him?
I looked over at Hudson, who seemed to be thinking the same thing. Hudson got up from his chair, kneeled in front of Nico, and took his hands in his.
“Nico, what happened?”
At Hudson’s words, Nico completely lost it. I had never seen him so upset. Even with his head lowered, I could see the tears falling and his shoulders rise and fall as the silent sobs went through his body.
“Nico, please tell us,” Hudson tried to coax him. “We can’t help you if we don’t know.”
Nico’s voice was angry and abrupt. “I kissed him, okay?! Is that what you want me to say? I kissed Gino.”
I sat there for a moment, shocked. There were so many things running through my head that could have been bothering Nico, but that was the last thing I thought he was going to say. He almost sounded angry and disgusted at himself. Hudson looked up and over to me, unsure of what to say next. I guessed we both knew that this could happen. I was going to say something when Nico continued.
“Gino stopped me. He didn’t let it go any further. The problem was, I would have let it. I wanted to let it happen. I should never have gone there. I’ve ruined everything.”
In a flash, Hudson threw his arms around him. I had never seen him so caring toward Nico. I knew they loved each other, but Nico was always the touchy-feely person, not Hudson. He just held him as the tears fell down Nico’s face. I knew they needed some time together, and the meal we were going to have was simple for just me to cook, so I made a decision I hoped would help both of them.
“Look, there is still just over an hour before Gino is due here. Why don’t you go upstairs together and talk, without me around? You both look like you need it. If you aren’t down before Gino comes, I’ll come and get you.”
Hudson looked at me and smiled. He knew I was just trying to get them to connect again. They were probably both hurting inside. Hudson got up from where he was kneeling and held out his hand, but Nico didn’t move an inch. I could tell he was really hurting inside at what he thought he had done to Hudson. I looked at Hudson and could see the pain in his eyes as well. I got up from my seat and kneeled in front of Nico, deciding to use my Italian to bring him out of his slump.
“Nico, mio principe. Ti prego, guardami.” Nico, my prince. Please look at me.
As soon as I said the words, he raised his head to look at me. Even after all this time, I had never used my Italian that much. I knew a lot more than he thought I did, and that one phrase was enough to shock him into looking at me. What he said next surprised me, though.
“You really think I am your prince?”
I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his before I continued. “Yes. I am your princess, so you are my prince. Now please go and talk things through with Hudson. You can’t throw everything away because of your feelings for Gino. You both need to sit down together, alone, without me as a distraction.”
He gave me a sad smile and nodded. I got up from the floor and held out my hand for him to get up, which he did. I turned to Hudson and reached up to give him a kiss on the lips.
“Now behave, and don’t act like a child. Talk things through.”
I tried to sound as serious as possible, but I think I failed dismally because both Hudson and Nico started to laugh. It was good to hear them both laughing after what we had just heard, and it gave me hope for our future. With that, they both walked out of the living room together. I walked out into the kitchen to start getting everything ready for dinner. I could grab a shower when it was in the oven.
Hudson
I WALKED UPSTAIRS with Nico in total silence. It wasn’t because I had nothing to say, but because I wasn’t sure how to say it. How did I explain to Nico how I was feeling right now, without adding to the pain he was already feeling?
I knew he regretted what had happened, but he had still allowed himself to kiss Gino. He knew it would hurt me; however, he had still allowed it to happen. I guessed it was my own fault for suggesting for him to speak to Gino and tell him the truth.
I decided to go into Nico’s bedroom to talk. I thought he would feel more comfortable in there than my own. I walked over to the bed and sat down, waiting to see what Nico would do. He stood in the doorway, not moving, his eyes cast down to the floor. I could see the tears running down his face.
“Babe, please come and sit next to me. We need to talk.”
His eyes shot up to mine. “How can you call me that after what I have just done? I betrayed our relationship, Hud. I kissed another man. A man who is meant to be my friend and underboss. How can you still love me after that?”
I could tell he was hurting inside, but so was I. I was hurt over what he had done, even though I should have known it would happen after I sent him to tell Gino about his feelings. The only way we would sort this out was by talking to each other and telling each other our true feelings.
“Nico, please don’t argue. Just sit down next to me so we can talk.”
He slowly walked over and sat down next to me, the tears still pouring down his face. I was desperate to put my arms around him and hold him, but that wouldn’t get us anywhere and was probably how he had ended up kissing Gino in the first place. He sat there for a moment in silence.
“I’m so sorry, Hud. I know how much I’ve hurt you. I couldn’t help myself. Hearing him tell me how much he loved me and Rosa, but that he was going to walk away from us… Something inside me snapped. It wasn’t until he stopped me and I walked out of the apartment that I realized what I had done. You really don’t need to make me feel any worse by what you have to say, because I feel like a complete bastard right now. I don’t deserve your love.”
I hated listening to the pain and torment he was feeling right now, but he had to let it all out. He had to say everything he needed to say and not hold it in. Holding in that kind of pain could kill you. I sat there for a moment waiting to see if he would say any more, but he just sat there shaking with tears falling from his eyes.
“Nico, look at me.” I waited for him to turn and look into my eyes. I could feel the tears forming in my own as the hurt I had been feeling finally bubbled over. “I’m not going to lie to you. You have wounded me with what you did. However, I have to take some of the blame. After all, I told you to tell Gino the truth. I should have known this would have happened.”
Nico looked at me as I sat there crying. I could tell he was itching to comfort me, but still worried about how I would react. We both knew it would take us a while to work through this together, but it wasn’t worth us throwing away the relationship we both had, especially when we were going to ask Gino to join us.
I leaned forward and pulled Nico against me, lying down onto the bed so we were next to each other. I placed his head on my chest and held him to me. We lay there for a moment before he moved and looked up at me. I leaned down and pressed my lips to his.
It may have seemed strange to kiss him after a kiss being the reason for our pain, but we both needed it. We’d made the first move to heal ourselves. It would take a while, but I knew we would get through this.
GAbrIELLA-ROSE
I’D TAKEN A SHOWER and dressed in a comfortable pair of leggings and a baggy t-shirt. I wanted it to appear that this was a friendly evening and act as though it was any other evening. I had checked on dinner and all was good. The bread was cut and the salad was made. I also had bottles of red and white wine ready to be consumed. I had a feeling we were going to need it. I looked up at the clock and saw it was nearly seven and Gino would be arriving at any minute. As Hudson and Nico still weren’t downstairs, I decided to head up to find out how long they would be.
I was just about to walk up the stairs when there was a knock at the door. At first, I wondered who it would be, as I knew Gino had a key. I walked over to the door and found him standing outside, waiting to be let in.
Did he not feel comfortable letting himself in now? I opened the door and was just about to greet him when he spoke.
“I didn’t feel comfortable letting myself in after what happened. How is Nico?”
“Come in first. There’s no need to stand outside, and you can still use your key. Nothing has changed.”
He turned his eyes to the floor. For him, the same as Nico, the whole world had changed, and neither of them thought it was for the better.
“Gino, that’s why you’re here. So we can all talk like adults. Nico was a little upset when he came home. He’s upstairs talking to Hudson now. I was just going to get them. I’ll make you a coffee first, though.”
We started to walk toward the kitchen when I saw Hudson and Nico coming down the stairs. Gino froze next to me, as if he was waiting for Hudson to fly at him in a rage. I was just about to say something to try to ease the situation when Hudson spoke.
“Hey, Gino. Thanks for coming up. Do you want a drink?”
Gino relaxed slightly, but was still hesitant.
I placed my hand on his arm. “It’s okay, Gino. Nico has told us everything, if that is what you’re worried about.”
He looked from me and over to Nico and Hudson. Nico smiled and gave him a nod as if confirming what I had said.
Finally, he spoke. “I’ll just have a coffee for the moment. Not sure if any more alcohol will help the situation.”
With that, Hudson actually started to chuckle. “Probably not. Come on. I believe Gaby has cooked all by herself this evening. Hopefully we won’t get food poisoning.”
He walked past me as he said the last bit, and I slapped him, causing even more laughter from everyone. For once, it was Hudson trying to remove the atmosphere around us and not me. However, I wasn’t sure that I really appreciated the way he’d done it.
I followed them all into the kitchen and placed the bread and salad on the table. Just as I was about to get the pasta bake out of the oven, Hudson walked over to me and pressed a kiss on my cheek.
“You know I love your cooking and we won’t be poisoned. Might be a different situation if it was me.”
I placed the dish of pasta on the table and went to make Gino a coffee. “Did anyone else want coffee, or are you happy with wine?”
I turned around to find both Nico and Hudson with glasses in their hands. I scowled at the pair of them, and they gave me looks like little boys who had just been caught by their mother.
“Just make sure to pour me a small glass as well before the pair of you decide to finish both bottles I got out.”
Gino picked up the bottle of white wine and poured me a glass. They all knew I didn’t like red wine. I smiled at him and mouthed the words thank you , then continued to make his coffee. I placed it in front of him and then sat down.
“Go on, don’t let it get cold. I’m sure you don’t need me to be your mom.”
I sat there as everyone helped themselves to food and then placed some on my own plate. I had to admit that I wasn’t really that hungry. I was worried how this evening was going to go. Would we all just sit here in silence, waiting for someone to talk about what had happened today?
I shouldn’t have worried too much though, because although the conversation was a little fraught, we continued as though it was a normal evening and enjoyed our meal together. When we had all finished, Gino insisted on helping me clear things away, even though he was our guest. I guessed he was just worried about being alone in a room with Hudson, as Nico would usually have been the one to help.
When we had cleared everything away, we joined Hudson and Nico in the living room. To my surprise, they had sat on different couches. I decided to sit next to Hudson to be his calming influence, and because I was sure Gino wouldn’t want to sit there. Gino chose to sit in the chair that was adjacent to me. Part of me had hoped he would sit next to Nico, but I could understand why he may have felt uncomfortable about that.
Hudson was the first to say something. “Gino, first please do not think I am going to get angry with you, because I’m not. Nico told us everything that happened this afternoon, including the fact that you kissed. He also said it was you to stop it to bring him to his senses.”
He looked over at Nico, who just shrugged his shoulders. I knew that they hadn’t finished that discussion, but at least it seemed as if all was good between them.
“As you know, the three of us are in an exclusive relationship with each other. However, that’s not to say that we wouldn’t have anyone else join that relationship, which is the reason I asked Nico to ask you to come tonight.”
I could see that Gino was still worried, but I hoped he would at least consider what we had to say before he went off to Sicily.
“Nico also told us how you felt about him and Gaby, which we have all suspected for some time. None of us here, me included, wants to see you unhappy or feel you have to leave because of it. Therefore, we are suggesting that you consider becoming part of our family and enjoy a relationship with us.”
I could see Gino sitting there considering what Hudson had said, not really knowing what to say. I guessed it was a lot to take in; I knew how it had felt for me at first, considering the idea of sharing Nico and Hudson, so I could understand how he must have felt right then.
I decided to ask him. “Gino, do you realize what we are suggesting? We want you to be a part of our exclusive relationship.”
Gino looked up at me.
“Yes, but I’m not sure how we could make it work. For starters, I’m sure that Hudson has no feelings toward me.” He let out a nervous laugh as he said it.
Hudson laughed slightly. “I care about you as a friend, and I love Nico and Gaby. I want them and you to be happy, because if they are happy then that in turn makes me happy. Please consider this. None of us want to see you go back to Sicily and live your life alone when you could have been here with us. As for how it will all work, I guess we will just have to work it out as we go along. However, we all need to communicate with each other and let everyone know how we are feeling if something doesn’t feel right, and we need to be honest with each other.”
Hudson paused for a moment before he continued.
“Nico and I are heading off to Detroit next week for a couple of days. Spend some time with Gaby and stay the night. If something happens, it happens, and you do not have to feel guilty about that. When we come back, we can all sit down and talk again. What do you think?”
Gino sat there for a while and looked at each of us in turn, as if trying to gauge if it was what we all wanted.
Nico, who had been silent throughout this discussion, spoke. “Gino, I really don’t want you to go home. It would break my heart, but as I said, I can’t stop you. If you don’t want this, or really think it won’t work, then please say. However, if there is a slight thought in your mind that you could live with this, then please consider it. The only thing we would expect from you is your exclusivity within our group. That you would only be with one or all of us.”
Nico smiled over at Gino, desperately trying to convince him. It was then that Gino spoke.
“I can understand wanting exclusivity, and to be honest, there is no one else I want to be with. If I can’t be with you, then I would live the rest of my life lonely. I’m willing to give things a try, but you all need to tell me if this arrangement isn’t working. Especially you, Hudson. I never wanted to come between you and Nico, and I feel that I have today. I should have stopped things a lot sooner—”
Hudson immediately stopped him. “What’s done is done. I can’t blame either of you if you have had those feelings for so long. I’m not angry, as I said. Perhaps disappointed, if I’m honest, but that is between me and Nico, and we will sort that out between us. We have two days together to talk, but it doesn’t affect my friendship with you. And yes, I will tell you all if this isn’t working, and you should all do the same, but we can at least try.”
We had overcome the hurdle and all been honest about things. I was sure we would do a lot more talking over the coming weeks, but for now, Gino was part of our family, and I couldn’t have been happier.