his explanation as good enough, but mine wasn’t worthy of listening to.”
It wasn’t a question and she knew he didn’t need an answer. “I didn’t ask him, he just started talking.”
“So, I should have just forced you to listen to me?”
“No, look,” she stood, “I’m just trying to apologize for my behavior, my treatment of you. Why can’t you just accept my damn apology?”
Her outburst did nothing to quell the fire starting inside him. How dare she expect that after months of torture, he would just accept her half-assed apology. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I making this too difficult to you?”
She didn’t miss his sarcastic tone. “I said I’m sorry. What more can I say?”
How about you love me? He knew it was ridiculous to think Eve was anywhere close to saying those words. She had so many walls built up around her, it would take his best demolition crew to tear them down. “I don’t know what else you can do, Eve. But if it makes you feel better, fine apology accepted.”
“Are you kidding me? If it makes me feel better,” she mocked him. “I’m trying to make things right here and you’re being an ass.”
“Okay.” There was no point arguing with her, he knew. She was pregnant and irrational and still struggling with her feelings for him. “It takes one to know one.” Just because there was no point to it, didn’t mean Eve didn’t deserve a little payback. He could see her seething, but he went on, “I’ve been here for months trying to prove how much you mean to me. Taking care of you and the baby and waiting all damn day and night for you to listen to me explain about my life. You refused.” His fingers tunneled roughly through his hair. “My brother spills everything in one five minute chat and all is forgiven. Months later.”
Yeah, she deserved that. She had known for a little over two months what the real story was about his marriage and still, she said nothing. Finally, she offered up an apology and expected him to just accept it. It was unreasonable. She was still being an ass. “You’re right.”
“I know.”
She looked at him with his arms crossed so defensively and her heart sank. It was over. She’d waited too long. “So, what do we do about it?”
Alessandro moved to sit on the coffee table so they were facing one another. “I guess that depends. Tell me, Eve. Are you sorry because I’ve been taking care of you or because you care about me and you know your actions hurt me?”
“Alessandro, you know I care about you. I wouldn’t have been so hurt if I didn’t care.”
He smiled. “That wasn’t my question, love.”
She glared and tried to bite back a smile. “I’m sorry for all of it. I’m sorry that I’ve been a shit and you’ve taken care of us and that I hurt you. Because I care about you.” She mumbled the last part and she wasn’t ashamed.
“So, is this apology a way for us to move forward or because you were wrong and needed to assuage your guilt?”
She swallowed because this wasn’t the conversation she wanted to have. Not right now. "Is there a way forward for us, Alessandro? I mean, I am sorry for not listening, but you should have told me you were married and you didn’t.”
His gaze raked over her body. “And you would have given me a chance if you knew?”
Her shoulders sagged.
“Yeah, I thought so.”
Alessandro grabbed both of her hands in his, brought them to his lips and closed his eyes. He savored even this small taste of her. He released a long breath and looked deep into her gold flecked eyes. “I love you Eve, and I think we have a real shot at being a family. Me. You. The baby. But we both know it’s up to you.”
A lone tear slid down her cheek. “How can we be a family, Alessandro, while you’re already married? What if Sabrina wakes up and doesn’t remember that you were in the middle of a divorce? What if she stays in that coma for the next hundred years? Are the baby and I just supposed to wait
It wasn’t a question and she knew he didn’t need an answer. “I didn’t ask him, he just started talking.”
“So, I should have just forced you to listen to me?”
“No, look,” she stood, “I’m just trying to apologize for my behavior, my treatment of you. Why can’t you just accept my damn apology?”
Her outburst did nothing to quell the fire starting inside him. How dare she expect that after months of torture, he would just accept her half-assed apology. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I making this too difficult to you?”
She didn’t miss his sarcastic tone. “I said I’m sorry. What more can I say?”
How about you love me? He knew it was ridiculous to think Eve was anywhere close to saying those words. She had so many walls built up around her, it would take his best demolition crew to tear them down. “I don’t know what else you can do, Eve. But if it makes you feel better, fine apology accepted.”
“Are you kidding me? If it makes me feel better,” she mocked him. “I’m trying to make things right here and you’re being an ass.”
“Okay.” There was no point arguing with her, he knew. She was pregnant and irrational and still struggling with her feelings for him. “It takes one to know one.” Just because there was no point to it, didn’t mean Eve didn’t deserve a little payback. He could see her seething, but he went on, “I’ve been here for months trying to prove how much you mean to me. Taking care of you and the baby and waiting all damn day and night for you to listen to me explain about my life. You refused.” His fingers tunneled roughly through his hair. “My brother spills everything in one five minute chat and all is forgiven. Months later.”
Yeah, she deserved that. She had known for a little over two months what the real story was about his marriage and still, she said nothing. Finally, she offered up an apology and expected him to just accept it. It was unreasonable. She was still being an ass. “You’re right.”
“I know.”
She looked at him with his arms crossed so defensively and her heart sank. It was over. She’d waited too long. “So, what do we do about it?”
Alessandro moved to sit on the coffee table so they were facing one another. “I guess that depends. Tell me, Eve. Are you sorry because I’ve been taking care of you or because you care about me and you know your actions hurt me?”
“Alessandro, you know I care about you. I wouldn’t have been so hurt if I didn’t care.”
He smiled. “That wasn’t my question, love.”
She glared and tried to bite back a smile. “I’m sorry for all of it. I’m sorry that I’ve been a shit and you’ve taken care of us and that I hurt you. Because I care about you.” She mumbled the last part and she wasn’t ashamed.
“So, is this apology a way for us to move forward or because you were wrong and needed to assuage your guilt?”
She swallowed because this wasn’t the conversation she wanted to have. Not right now. "Is there a way forward for us, Alessandro? I mean, I am sorry for not listening, but you should have told me you were married and you didn’t.”
His gaze raked over her body. “And you would have given me a chance if you knew?”
Her shoulders sagged.
“Yeah, I thought so.”
Alessandro grabbed both of her hands in his, brought them to his lips and closed his eyes. He savored even this small taste of her. He released a long breath and looked deep into her gold flecked eyes. “I love you Eve, and I think we have a real shot at being a family. Me. You. The baby. But we both know it’s up to you.”
A lone tear slid down her cheek. “How can we be a family, Alessandro, while you’re already married? What if Sabrina wakes up and doesn’t remember that you were in the middle of a divorce? What if she stays in that coma for the next hundred years? Are the baby and I just supposed to wait
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