❦ 𝐆 𝐈 𝐀 𝐍 𝐍 𝐀 ❦
My phone rings again, with Dominic calling for the fourth time this morning. I press decline and crawl back into bed, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me. Luckily, Mom's not home, so she doesn't have to see me like this.
Suddenly, there's loud banging on my door. I ignore it, thinking Mom has a key. Then, I hear someone entering. I rush to my bedroom door and stop, realizing it's Dominic. I quickly lock my door to keep him out.
"Gianna, what's going on?" he asks, sounding worried. I sit on the floor, not saying anything.
"Please talk to me, Tesero," he urges.
"Why are you here?" I ask, sniffling and trying to stop my tears.
"I've been calling you all day, and you haven't answered. I thought something happened to you. We have dinner with my family today, remember?"
"Oh right. I'm sorry. I forgot about that."
"It's alright, Tesero. Just tell me what's going on, please."
"Marco came to visit me yesterday," I confess, and I hear him take a deep breath.
"What did that guy want?" His anger flares in response.
Last night
"Marco, what are you doing here?" I ask as he barges into my apartment.
"You're a slut, Gianna. I know you're only with him because he's paying you. Is that what you do now? Just stay with the highest bidder?"
"W-what? Who told you that?"
"Don't avoid the question. I'm glad we broke up. I don't want to bring a person like you home to my family. You led me on for two years. I thought you liked me. My friend warned me about you. He told me how you always do this to men. You lead them on, and then when things start to get serious, you back away. At least now I finally know why."
Everything he says feels like a brutal truth. Marco was my first boyfriend, and I've struggled to get serious with anyone. Fear has held me back, afraid they'll leave when I need them most.
Even when I like someone, I can't say yes to dates or anything serious. Does that make me a bad person? I've lost numerous male friends because of this fear, making me scared to have any more male friends.
I'm just not comfortable with the idea of being in love. Maybe a part of me never wanted to fall in love with Marco. I've always been too scared, and now my worst fear is unfolding.
"What, after all this time, you finally have nothing to say?"
"Marco, it's not what you think. I really did like you," I say, hoping he'll understand.
"But you didn't love me," he states, and I don't respond, knowing I can't lie to him.
"Exactly. You're not capable of love," he says before departing, leaving me in tears on the floor of my living room.
He's right. I've tried my best to fall in love, but fear always holds me back.
I'm not willing to risk the possibility of someone I love leaving me. I don't want to.
YOU ARE READING
Christmas Shadows: A Mafia Love Story
Romance[COMPLETED] Dominic scoots closer, wrapping his arm around me and planting a gentle kiss on my head. "What are you doing?" I whisper. "They're staring," he replies. "So?" I respond. "So I'm giving them something to stare at," he explains before smas...
