Page 76 of A Sinner's Saint

“Vin, it’s not your fault. You can’t control how her body reacts to something,” Gabe tells me.

I shrug. I know they mean well, but the blame’s on me, and I’m not going to make excuses. I did it. I chose to break her heart, thinking it would be the one thing that’d save her. Little did I know, by doing that, I was slowly killing her.

I can still see her lifeless body on the ground, feel her lips as I breathed air into her lungs when she couldn’t do it for herself. I hold Luciano a little tighter, needing something good to clutch on to. This baby is that. He’s the essence of innocence and I aim to never let him lose it.

“I appreciate you coming, but I’m fine. I need to get back in there,” I tell Daisy and Gabe. I’ve already been gone too long.

“You need to hand him back if you’re sending us home.” Daisy points to Luciano.

I look down at him. No one can resist his cute-as-fuck face. “Mind if I take him to meet Cammi?”

“Are you using my son to try to win over a girl?” Gabe laughs.

“No.” I shake my head. “Maybe. But look at him. You can’t stay mad when you see this face.” I hold Luciano out. He smiles and giggles at me.

“Sure,” Daisy says.

“I’ll have Gio bring him back out in a sec,” I tell them before turning around.

When I step into Cammi’s room, I find her in the hospital bed again. Whatever she and Gio were talking about stops as soon as they hear me come in.

“Hey, mate.” Gio smiles and kisses Luciano’s tiny forehead. Then he looks to me. “I’ll be outside. I have some calls to make.”

I wait for the door to close. “Whose baby is that, Vin?” Cammi asks and her face pales.

“My nephew, Gabe and Daisy’s kid.” I hold him out so she can get a full view of him. “Cammi, this is Luciano.”

“Oh, he’s cute.” She sighs in relief.

“Wait… Whose baby did you think it was?” Surely she didn’t think he was mine.

“I wasn’t sure.” Cammi looks away.

“I want you to be sure, Cammi. There hasn’t been anyone else since the day we skipped class together and went to that park,” I tell her. “There won’t ever be anyone else.”

“You don’t owe me any explanations, Vin. You’re single. You have been for a long time now. It’s fine,” she says.

“No, it’s not f…fudgingfine.” I quickly correct myself. “You are the only woman I want. I was a fucking—fuck! Fudging idiot. I know that now. I thought I was doing the right thing for you, Cammi. You have to believe me. There isn’t anyone but you.”

Her eyes bore into mine. “I believe you,” she says.

Now it’s my turn to sigh in relief. Thank fuck she believes me. I don’t want her to think I’d ever be with anyone but her.

“So,fudging, huh?” She smiles.

“Yeah, Daisy has a thing about me swearing in front of the kid. And, honestly, she can be a little scary.” I laugh.

“He really is cute. He looks like a De Bellis already.” Cammi glances from Luciano to me.

“He’s the best. Gio and El are about to pop one out too.” I can’t wait for another nephew to spoil.

“You like being an uncle?” Cammi asks.

“Love it,” I say.

“You should take him out. This room is depressing, Vin. It’s no place for a baby.”

“Hold on.” I walk to the door and find Gio standing just outside. He’s on the phone but walks towards me. “Can you take him to Daisy?”

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