Page 58 of Secret Babies For My Brother's Best Friend

“Stop this, now.” Gabby had forced her way through the crowd and stared down both her mother and brother. “Can you two not put things aside for a few hours? Everything isn’t about you.”

Then she looked at me where I was trying so hard to become invisible behind Luca, and said, “Come with me. I’ll help you with that hand.”

I moved to follow Gabby but felt a firm grip on my arm that held me back.

“I’ll take her,” Luca said, ushering me out of the dining room.

I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore the sprawling villa and immediately lost my bearings as Luca led me down several hallways and up a winding staircase. Finally, he pushed through a heavy door, and it opened onto the most beautiful library I’d ever seen.

“Oh, wow,” I breathed, circling on the spot as I tried to take it all in.

Floor to ceiling books, every wall. Whatever didn’t fit on the shelves were placed in neat piles at various spots on the floor. There was a huge cherry wood desk in one corner, two armchairs and a coffee table set up in front of the fireplace, and a chaise lounge stretched out by the bay window. That’s where Luca made me sit.

“Sorry,” he said, kneeling down in front of me and taking my hand in his with the gentlest of touches. “There’s nothing here to fix your hand. I just wanted to get as far away from her as possible.”

“It’s not that bad,” I replied, inspecting the damage properly for the first time. “Barely a scratch. See?”

Luca sighed heavily and hung his head. It was clear that my hand or even the scene downstairs wasn’t the issue. The weight he carried came from a lifetime of problems with his mother that didn’t seem to be getting any better as time went on.

I gave his hand a squeeze. “It’ll be fine.”

We both knew I wasn’t referring to my hand that time.

When Luca looked up at me, his eyes were tired, his face drawn. “I’m sorry for how she treated you. She had no right to—”

“I’m pregnant.”

The air between us grew thick with words unspoken as we looked at each other. Luca’s mouth hung open in shock, the remains of his sentence a distant memory. I searched his eyes frantically for any type of sign that would make me feel safe, but there was none.

I wasn’t even sure why I’d just blurted it out like that. Maybe it was the heightened emotion of the night, maybe it was hormones. Something told me it was a combination of both. My regret was instant. There was no way it was going to end well for me. Not after what I learned that day—from both Luca and his grandmother.

“Say that again,” he stammered, a deep furrow creasing his brow. “You’re pregnant?”

“I didn’t mean that,” I said quickly, shaking my head as if it would erase the last few seconds.

It didn’t.

“So, you’re not pregnant?” he asked, coming to sit beside me, my hand still cradled in his. “Why would you say that if you don’t mean it?”

“No, I mean, I am, but… I shouldn’t have said anything yet.” I dropped my eyes from his. The words I needed to say wouldn’t come out with him looking at me the way he had been. “This has nothing to do with you, Luca. We don’t have a future together.”

He lifted my chin so he could see my eyes. I hated that they were misted over. The last thing I needed was for him to see me cry, dammit.

“Scarlett, what are you talking about?” he asked.

I bit my lip, swallowing back the tears I didn’t want to fall. “Luca, obviously I understood what you said to your sister. That there will never be…”

Chapter 23

Luca

Seeingthelookinher eyes, the sound of her voice… It was enough to rip my heart out. What happened on that dance floor wasn’t anything close to the truth she thought it was.

I cupped her cheeks in both my hands. “Cara Mia, what I said to Allegra was lies.” Her beautiful green eyes brimmed with tears. One spilled, and I brushed it away with my thumb. “I told her that because I didn’t want them scrutinizing you with a fine-toothed comb.”

She chuckled softly. “Your metaphors are always so messed up.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” I rested my forehead against hers. “But you know what I mean.”

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