Page 57 of Claimed By Him

“Look… I need to tell you something. You’re not gonna like it, but I want you to know because I want you to trust me again.”

Fear built inside me. I wasn’t going to like it?Strong starting point, Tony.I waited in silence, and he drew in a breath before getting to it.

“I didn’t kill Frederico…”

I frowned, thinking back to what he said in my old apartment, that I hadn’t seen what Frederico did.

“He killed himself, Fi.”

My heart and breathing stopped simultaneously. “What?” I looked down at the ground, remembering how Freddie was that night. He was overwhelmed, angry, and alone. It made some kind of sense.

“I’m sorry…” Tony continued, taking a step closer. “I never wanted to tell you, but you didn’t believe me when I said I didn’t do it.” He ran his hand down the back of his head. “I need you to know that I’m not this monster you think I am, Fi.” He looked up at me again. “I didn’t kill him.”

After a few seconds of quiet thought, I nodded. “I believe you.”

He frowned. “You do?”

“Yeah.” I nodded thoughtfully. “Freddie was going through so much.” I looked at him carefully. “The reason he and I were fighting that night was that I wanted him to take my virginity.”

I saw Tony clench his jaw and look at the ground. “Okay.”

That jealous streak of his never failed to make the butterflies in my stomach go wild.

“But he turned me down,” I added. Tony narrowed his eyes in confusion, making me feel even more flattered as if turning me down was unimaginable to him. I bit my lip and hit him with the punchline. “And eventually he told me it was because he was gay.”

His eyes widened and blinked in shock. “Really?”

“Yeah. Nobody knew. He was feeling super overwhelmed that night because his father was trying to set him up to be underboss, and he didn’t feel like he could be that kind of hardened guy.”

“Shit…” Tony blew air out his mouth. “I wondered what was going on for him to be so hopeless about his life, but I never suspected that.”

“Yeah.” I frowned and shook my head. “He was really alone. I wish I could have helped him more.” Tony was about to protest, but I cut him off, not wanting to process that right now. There was still the elephant in the room—us. “Look, Tony… I’m really sorry I blamed you all these years.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I thought I was protecting you somehow.” I shrugged my shoulders. It didn’t matter now.

“Fiona,” Tony started again, and I looked up at him, searching his face while he walked forward to stand in front of me. His sudden close proximity was a shock to my system, and my heart beat rapidly. He put his hands on the counter on either side of my thighs and lowered his head to look into my eyes.

“I was an idiot. I’ve loved you for a long time, but I never told you that.”

I felt my lip wobble and my eyes burn. “Tony…”

“Just listen… I know we wanted different things back then, and I walked away from you because of that, but I should have known and admitted that you were all I ever truly wanted. For years you were the main thing I focused on, protected, cared for, missed.” His eyes darted between mine. “Unfortunately, it took a long time for me to realize that, and then a very confusing evening in the hospital waiting room.”

I was quiet, lost for words. He was saying all the things I knew were true but never heard him confess before. He was suddenly mature enough to say it all.

“I’m really sorry about Alessandro, as well,” he added.

My tears finally broke free from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. Tony clearly couldn’t help himself and wiped them with the back of his finger, making it even more difficult for me to contain my feelings.

“Tony, there’s something you need to know.”

He shook his head. “Before you say anything, Fi, let me finish.”

I took a deep breath to stop my tears. “Okay.”

“I love you, and I want to be with you.”

I looked up, shocked at his bluntness. “Wha—”

---