Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
brONWYN
Okay, I’m officially freaking the fuck out.
I’ve always seen girls do this in the movies where they have an important date with a guy and have no idea what to wear.
They call in reinforcements, and all their girlfriends rush over to help with hair, makeup, outfits, the whole nine yards.
It always looked so fun but seemed like a moment that was so out of reach for me.
Except now it’s happening to me and I want to scream.
I have no idea what to wear to a family dinner.
I’ve never been to one in my entire life, my family included.
I don’t have any friends to call over and help me either, unless you count Nate.
But based on the graphic tees and jeans he wears on the daily, I highly doubt he has any fashion sense or would even care about my problem.
My next best option was to ask Wiz, but for once in my life, when I really need him to be online, he’s nowhere to be found.
I don’t know much about his dating life or if he’s ever done the whole meet the parents’ thing, but at this point, any insight would be helpful.
I wonder what Gio said to him last night.
I hope he wasn’t an asshole and pissed him off.
When I logged on, I went into the chat to see what he said, but it had been deleted.
Fucking Gio.
I sent Wiz a message apologizing. Not that I owe him an explanation, but he’s the closest thing to a real friend I have, even if it is through a screen. That man is chronically online, so I feel like he might be avoiding me.
It’s safe to say I’m fucked nine ways to Sunday.
There’s no way of getting out of this. I could fake being sick, but I know Gio. He would drag my ass to his mom’s, claiming she could make me feel better. I can’t think of anything more mortifying.
He doesn’t know this, but I’ve never done the whole meet the parents’ thing.
It’s kind of embarrassing to admit that at my ripe age of twenty-six years old, I’ve never been in a serious committed relationship.
It feels like I’m missing out on a requirement to enter my thirties.
Well, that, and I’m clearly just way behind in life in general.
I flip through the clothes on my rack as I let my hair air dry before I blow it out. Nothing is screaming “meet the family” to me.
I was a little upset when I woke up this morning to find the spot Gio was sleeping cold with him nowhere in sight.
He didn’t leave a note but managed to brew me a pot of coffee.
That was nice and thoughtful, but it doesn’t help me with what to wear.
I’ve only ever seen Matteo and Gio in suits, so if I had to guess, tonight wouldn’t be an exception.
I have one dress to my name that I thrifted.
The tags were still on it, too. It’s an A-line black velvet fitted dress with long sleeves that hits mid-thigh.
Black lace decorates the hem, the edges of the sleeves, and the outline of the V-neck.
With it being a V-neck, it doesn’t show too much cleavage where it’s not appropriate for a dinner.
It shows just the right amount to leave you wanting more. I think this will have to do.
I finish blowing out my hair, giving it enough volume so it looks bouncy.
I add a light layer of makeup, not wanting to go overboard for a family thing.
Looking myself over in the cheap full-length mirror I bought at Walmart, I play with the lace hem.
Showing this much leg seems a little…scandalous.
Not that I’m a prude, but I want to make a good first impression.
Even if Gio and I don’t work out, I still have ties to his family because I live in a unit they own.
Although I guess if Gio and I don’t work out, I would probably move out. I don’t think I would be able to stand the chance of running into him on a daily basis. Something about Gio tells me he would be a psycho ex.
I snap my fingers. Tights. I need tights.
I make a mad dash to my dresser and yank open the top drawer before I frantically dig through it.
I know I remember seeing a pair in here somewhere.
Why do I have them? Couldn’t tell you. Maybe past me knew future me would need them at some point.
I find them in a tiny ball shoved in the back corner, buried behind the pairs of socks and underwear that never get worn.
I quickly slip them on just as there’s a knock at my door.
Shit.
“Out of all the times, now is the one he decides to knock?” I fix my dress before walking over to the door, unlocking it and opening it, expecting to see Gio standing on the other side except there’s no one there.
I poke my head out, looking both ways down the alley to see if I spot someone walking away, but it’s empty.
“Hello?” I call out only to receive no response.
It feels like someone is watching me, but there’s no one there.
I shrug, trying to shake the feeling about how fucking weird that was as I close the door. Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.
No, that can’t be it.
I swore I heard a knock.
I’m probably fucking losing it.
The feeling doesn’t go away no matter how many times I try to convince myself that I was hearing things as I try to pick shoes. I’m so far in my head that I don’t hear Gio let himself in.
“Wow,” he says softly, startling me.
I let out a scream as I turn around to face him, throwing the only thing I have in my hand at him in a poor effort to defend myself, a high-heeled shoe. The pump hits heel first, smack dab in the middle of his forehead.
“Ow, what the fuck?!” Gio exclaims, jumping back as the heel falls to the floor and his hand goes to his forehead, rubbing the spot he was hit.
“Oh my god,” I rush out as I dash over to him.
My hands reach out, latching onto his arms. “I’m so sorry.
Are you okay? Let me see.” Gio lets me pull his hand away from his forehead.
Blood covers his palm. I wince as I take in the red welt that’s already forming as I watch blood trickle down his forehead.
Shit.
There’s no way his family isn’t going to notice that.
“What was that for?” Gio asks, finally looking at me as he goes back to rubbing his forehead, smearing blood all over.
“Stop touching it! You’re getting blood everywhere and making it worse. Let me get you some ice. It’s already starting to swell,” I say, ignoring his question as I go to the freezer because how do I tell him I’m hearing noises without sounding insane?
I wet a paper towel and grab a bag of frozen peas, making a mental note to buy some ice packs in case this happens again, which, given my state lately combined with everything that’s been happening in my life, it’s very possible it will. “Here, hold this.”
Gio takes the bag from me as I gently press the wet paper towel to his forehead, cleaning the aftermath of what I caused. He doesn’t flinch or hiss as I wipe over the cut. His assessing gaze is on me, taking in every movement I make.
“Do you want a band-aid?” I stupidly ask.
“No, I don’t want a fucking band-aid. I want to know why you threw a fucking shoe at me.”
“Well…” I trail off. “You scared me.”
“I called your name when I came in and you didn’t hear me,” Gio says, his tone concerned. “Are you okay?”
I sigh in defeat. “I thought I heard someone knock earlier, and when I answered the door, no one was there. Then I got into my head about how I’m going crazy.
You snapped me out of it and scared me. Throwing the shoe was a reflex.
I’m sorry I hit you. Your mom is going to hate me.
” I wince. It looks really bad. The last thing I want is for his mom to think I beat her son.
Gio snorts. “Ma is going to think I did something to deserve this, so no, she isn’t going to hate you. If anything, she’s going to tell you to hit me harder next time. Now, about the knocking, was anyone in the alley?”
I shake my head. “I poked my head out and looked around, but didn’t see anyone. I didn’t actually go outside and look, though.”
“That’s smart, but I wish you hadn’t opened the door at all.”
“I thought it was you.”
“Cara,” Gio says, his tone lowering. “I have never and will never knock to come into your place. I will let myself in every goddamn time. So next time, don’t open the fucking door. Understand?”
I nod. “Understood.” I look down at the bag of peas in his hand. “You should put that on your head. It really is starting to swell.”
Gio rolls his eyes as he places the bag to his head. “For the record, if you tell any of my brothers about this, I’ll deny it.”
“I would never.” I smile at him before asking, “You don’t think I was hearing things?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Gio, I really think this was a mistake,” I say as I stare up at the mansion in front of me.
We just got to his mom’s house. I don’t know what I was expecting given the fact that Gio is obviously well off, but this?
I wasn’t expecting this. His mom’s house looks like it’s the same size as the entire apartment building I grew up in.
And this is all for one person. It makes my apartment look like a shoebox.
“The only mistake being made tonight is you thinking you’re not worthy of being here,” Gio says softly as he squeezes my thigh before moving his hand to my face to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.
“You look beautiful tonight, cara. You have no idea what it means to me that you did all of this for me.”
My cheeks warm from his compliment as I fidget in my seat, uncomfortable with this kind of attention. “Thank you,” I whisper as I work up the balls to look him in the eye. The way he’s staring at me has my breath catching in my throat and my pulse spiking.
A loud tapping sounds on my window, making me jump and let out my second scream for the day. My hand covers my chest, trying to calm my racing heart. “Holy shit.”
“Are you two going to sit out here all night?” a man I’ve seen around the pizzeria before but haven’t formally met asks. His voice sounds muffled through the glass.