Page 66 of Scarred Hearts

“No,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “We did this together, and yes, sir,” she winked mischievously, “the bread was made from scratch.”

“Bab… Gia, you didn’t have to do all this, my God.”

Naya skipped joyfully over to the table, announcing proudly that they’d gone shopping together, while Giovanna stood on her toes and leaned in close to whisper in my ear.

“I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to. You and your children have to eat, and I had the greatest time today.” She pressed her lips to my cheek while the kids were distracted and then took a step back. “Come eat.” She turned the music volume down on her phone on the way.

Seeing how happy my kids were at the table, as a family, felt almost complete. Their mother was gone, but Giovanna’s presence, even for one night, made them happy. That was all I cared about, but it made me happy too. Mila and I never sat beside one another at the table. She always sat between Evan and Naya, but now Giovanna was next to me, and I liked it.

I placed my hand on her lap discreetly under the table and gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze. In that moment, nothing else mattered. This was exactly what I needed. She passed me a knife and a large spoon.

“Normally, I’d serve you guys, but since you weren’t here to be involved, Naya wanted you to at least dish it up, so would you like to do the honors?” Her eyes were bright and hopeful.

“Of course,” I winked at my daughter, then I took the utensils from Giovanna, dishing hers up first, then Naya, Jackson, Evan, and finally myself.

During our meal, the four of us couldn’t stop praising her cooking abilities, and she made sure to also acknowledge Naya’s help, making her feel just as appreciated. It was the first time since Mila’s passing that my children and I were genuinely laughing and joking around again.

I felt like I’d robbed them of happiness for over a year now. But tonight was healing, and we all needed it. It only made me want to risk being with her more than ever. Tonight was perfect, and for once, I wasn’t scared to fully relax and enjoy the night.

“So, what are we watching after dinner?” Jackson asked. “We were going to watch a movie, remember?”

“Transformers!” Evan piped up.

“Nooo,” Naya protested. “Barbie movie!”

“I want to watch something scary,” Jackson chimed in.

I glanced at Giovanna, who was entertained watching them. “This always happens when we try to decide what we’re going to watch. We all have different tastes.”

“Are you staying to watch with us?” Naya asked her.

She darted her gaze around. “That’s up to your dad.”

Of course, I wanted her to stay. After tonight, I never wanted her to leave. “We’d love it if you stay and hang out with us.”

“Yes!” Naya cheered, shoving a giant bite of pasta into her mouth.

“Then, of course, I’m staying,” Giovanna replied, but she seemed like something was on her mind.

During the rest of dinner, we chatted about the summer coming to an end, next school year, and shared many laughs. Finally, we agreed on a movie, but I didn’t care what we watched. I just wanted to be next to her. The kids loved older movies and agreed to watch Goonies, though it scared the shit out of Naya. Still, she wanted to watch it since she knew what to expect.

We cleaned up, put the leftovers away, and then settled in the den. Naya curled up under her favorite blanket on the other side of Giovanna. I brought over another blanket, draping it on our laps to hide my need to touch her in any way I could right now.

Jackson turned off all the lights, the only glow from the television. I took Giovanna’s hand in mine, hidden where the kids couldn’t see. Naya buried her head on Giovanna’s other shoulder several times, and she held her tight against her. Not more than thirty minutes into the film, Naya drifted off to sleep. I carried her upstairs to settle her in bed then came back down, cozying up to Giovanna once again.

Leaning close to her ear, I whispered, “It’s impossible to behave.” I pressed my lips to her neck, and she shivered, shimmying closer into my side. I took the chance, stretching my arm out, draping it over her shoulder, pulling her even closer against me. Twirling her hair around my finger with one hand and reaching my other out, resting it on her thigh, I positioned my lips to her ear again. “Thank you for tonight.”

“You’re welcome.” Her eyes sparkled in the reflection flicker of the screen.

“I need to be inside you,” I muttered against her neck, sucking her flesh into my mouth. I was sure her hickeys were still visible, but she covered them up with makeup flawlessly.

She dug her nails into my forearm, tilting her head the opposite way so I could have easier access. Jackson and Evan were lying on the floor on the other side of the coffee table and engrossed in the movie, so there was no way they could see unless they sat up.

The moment I released her neck, she leaned close to my ear. “I want to feel your cum fill me up.”

“Do you want to have my baby?” I whispered before we both froze. Shit. I shifted toward her, drawing my leg up onto the sofa. “I’m so sorry, I forgot and I?—”

She stood, striding toward the back door. Standing, I glanced down at my sons, who were both passed out. I followed her, but she shut the back door quietly. Opening it instantly, I stepped outside, closing it softly again. Her back was turned, her arms were folded defensively over her stomach. Clutching her arms, I tried to turn her to face me, but she twisted away.

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