Page 31 of Georgia On My Mind (Southern Promises)

“Where are your clothes?”

“My clothes?”

“Yes, Gia. Your clothes. The ones you were wearing at Krispy Kreme. Where are they?” He couldn’t help it that his tone was loud and clipped.

“Why would you ask such a weird question?”

“Are they in here?” He grabbed the handle of the storage room door and tried to turn it, but it was locked. “Are your clothes in there, Gia?”

He watched her back away from him with what looked like fear in her wide blue eyes. She shook her head slowly.

“Unlock the door, Gia. I need to see.”

She shook her head more vigorously. He was running out of patience.

“Open the goddamn door, Gia!”

She continued to stand there, her face paling. In a rage, Hart kicked the door twice before it flew open, revealing the secret she’d been keeping from him all these weeks. Holding his breath, he stumbled inside and frantically looked around. He noticed right away the clothes she had been wearing draped over a chair. A pillow and sheets were covering an old couch, and an ancient television perched on a folding table was broadcasting the eleven o’clock news with the sound muted. Everything suddenly made sense. This was where she lived. This was why they never met at her place. She didn’t have a place. She was living in a storage closet.

Hart was overcome with guilt and emotion and scrambled to get out of the depressing space. Gia had left the hallway and was almost out the front door of the studio when he stopped her, slapping the door shut and pinning her against it.

“Don’t go, Gia. Please…”

“No!” She screamed when he touched her. “You’re not supposed to know… I didn’t want you to know!”

He pulled her into his arms, his heart racing. “Shhh, It’s okay.”

They slid against the door down to the floor, and she wept in his arms. He didn’t know what to say and let her cry, his own tears spilling onto his cheeks as he felt sincere remorse for not recognizing her predicament earlier in their relationship. One thing was for sure—he wasn’t about to allow his girlfriend to continue to live in such conditions. Her situation was dire, and he’d been blind to it.

“You’re not alone, Gia. Please, let me help you. Let me finally take care of you.”

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