Page 67 of Scarred Hearts

“Baby, I’m so fucking sorry. I was caught up in the moment and it slipped, but I should’ve thought about that before I said it. I’m so fucking sorry.”

She twisted around, her pained eyes on mine. “Tyler,” she sighed, “I’m not mad at you.”

“Thank God,” I grabbed her upper arms once again, pressing my lips to her forehead but she became rigid. Taking the hint, I withdrew my touch and took a step back. “But you’re hurt. I hurt you.”

She shook her head, wiping away a single tear with her oversized hoodie sleeve. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.”

“We can talk after the boys go to bed.”

I glimpsed over my shoulder. “They’re both passed out on the floor. Whatever else you guys did today wore them out.”

She rolled her eyes, half-smiling. “I took them to the trampoline park before we went to the store and I signed waivers as their mom so they could jump, so if you get a call, I?—”

“It’s okay,” I chuckled. “I don’t care, and no one severed an arm.”

She didn’t laugh. Instead, she broke down, tears pouring from her face uncontrollably.

“Gia, baby, oh my God, I didn’t mean to hurt you. Forgive me.” Yanking her into my body, I held her tightly against me while she sobbed into my chest. I was having flashbacks of the countless nights I begged Mila not to leave me, but this was different.

My heart shattered into a million pieces as I watched Giovanna shed tears in front of me. Her exterior was mostly sassy and composed so seeing her now made me want to do whatever it took to help mend her heart.

We didn’t have children to keep us connected, so it became my sole desire to make whatever it was between us last.

Peering up at me, she took a step back. “You did nothing. I owe you an apology, actually. I did something that will make you hate me. It’s really bad, Tyler.”

Dario. She fucked Dario after I left the club. After our little fight, I needed space to gather my thoughts, and I didn’t want to make her feel worse about doing her job. While she was dancing for Dario in private, I told Ian I was leaving for the night. Now, I regretted it. I could’ve stopped them, but she was free to do what she wanted. She made it clear I couldn’t control her, and she was right.

“Oh God,” she sniffled, burying her face in her hands and groaning before meeting my gaze and sniffling. “After we slept together… the first time… I missed my period.”

My expression turned to stone, and I froze, unable to break my gaze from hers.

“I know we used protection, so I don’t know how it happened,” she let out a little cry, “I’m so fucking sorry.”

“Giovanna,” I growled, “what did you do?”

“I tried to get away from them, I swear,” she pleaded. “I hid it and tried to find a way to escape… where the baby would be safe… and they found out. Ekaterina made me go to a doctor who put me to sleep, and—” her knees gave out beneath her, and she collapsed, but I caught her, sitting us both on the porch as gently as possible. She buried her head into my arm while I stared out at the pitch-black back yard. “When I woke up from surgery, the baby was gone, and Ekaterina told me they’d fixed the problem, and I’d never get pregnant again.”

“I—” I tried to speak but it was useless. I had so many questions.

“And I know what you’re thinking,” she continued as she sat back, wiping her eyes. “Before the night with you, I wasn’t with anyone for a month because I was training other people, and after that night with you, I didn’t have sex with anyone else for a month because of medical and I was so hung up on you that I couldn’t… perform anyway. I did other things, but there was never penetration.”

We both sat in silence for a moment as I processed the information. Our baby was the reason she wasn’t able to have her own children now? How the fuck did I get her pregnant? I knew condoms weren’t a hundred percent effective, but still. Giovanna was pregnant with my baby, I repeated in my head. Was. Pregnant. Our baby was taken away from her… from us.

“Say something,” she sighed, taking my hand in hers, “please.”

Lowering my eyes on her, I clenched my jaw, looping a strand of her damp hair behind her ear. “It’s a lot to take in.” It was true, but all I could think about right now was killing Ekaterina and her entire family for hurting Giovanna and taking something away that wasn’t their choice.

“I know, and I’ve wanted to tell you for so long,” she whimpered.

“Why didn’t you?”

“When I showed up here, you were the last person I ever expected to see. And you were married,” she exhaled through her sniffling. “And then your wife died. There was no good time to add to your stress. I just didn’t want to put a bigger strain on the things you were already going through.”

Like the other women in my life, she was selfless and always put others before herself, even when she had suffered great losses. Part of me wanted to be angry with her for not confiding in me sooner, but I could empathize with her reasoning.

Tomorrow, I’d finally reveal my true feelings to my family. Ekaterina and everyone else connected to her would meet their end on the night of the fight, regardless of Ian’s opinion. Giovanna would never have to return to L.A. She belonged to me now, and I wasn’t going to let her slip away.

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