Accepting Fate - Book 2

Chapter 4 - One's Not Enough

Asimina

I lay awake in bed, waiting to hear Nate's little hungry cry before starting my day. Yesterday was a nightmare, to say the least, I'm so grateful it's over. I managed to get through one wedding, but not without drama. God, what am I going to do?

It's fair to say I have had a challenging year and a half. The pregnancy was okay. I still had morning sickness; it was just less. I remember the first ultrasound was tough until his heartbeat was heard. I was in a frantic state. The sound of thumping graced my ears; I broke down into tears.

Raffaele's absence in those moments was soul-shattering. When the sex was confirmed I considered Luciano Dante, but it felt wrong. The name was meant for my first. I couldn't shake the feeling that I would be replacing him. So, I decided to name the son I was expecting after my father. Nathaniel, and although the Morelli's were not in my life, I had promised Nora, I would continue her rivalry. Nathaniel Dante Alexiou, he became, and maybe one day, his father will give him the Morelli name as well.

At the sound of his meek cry, I roll out of bed. I've learned to wash my face and brush my teeth within a few minutes. Nathan is not a patient boy and wants his feed quickly. I wonder where he gets that from?

Walking to his room, Jaz stands over his crib handing him his bottle. "Morning."

"Morning, I did hear him, you know?" I smile at her. Our friendship goes back years; we've never fought. I mean, she has had a go at me in the past for the car accident, and the whole Mexico thing, but we have never really fought.

The first few months in New York, Jaz slept in the bed next to me, just holding me, not judging, trying to soothe me. She had fallen in love with a struggling boxer. Stefano, however, although he felt the same, didn't pursue her. His life wasn't pretty, and he didn't want to drag anyone down with him. Jaz was heartbroken but put her heartbreak aside just to comfort me.

I was six months pregnant and decided I was going to have words with him. I knew what it felt like to love someone and not have them. I was determined, Jaz wouldn't suffer the same. I needed to understand why he kept her at arm's length. It was apparent he was in love with her.

I went looking for him at the underground rings. It's the only boxing match Jaz missed, the one where things went wrong. It was an illegal match; Stefano was offered fifty thousand to lose. He was beaten badly. I found him coughing up blood behind a dumpster, barely able to move.

That's the night I finally got an insight into Stefano's life. I paid for all his treatments and both surgeries. One surgery was for his broken ribs, which needed titanium plates, and the other surgery for the collapsed lung those ribs punctured. He spent almost two weeks in the hospital. When he was finally released, I forced him to move in with Jaz and me.

I had bought a three-bedroom home just outside the city and gave Stefano one of the rooms. Once he was on his feet, I turned him into my business partner. We bought a boxing gym that he runs, while I do the paperwork.

I finally used up all the money from my father's life insurance. My only source of income is that gym now. Sure, I have ten million in an account from the Morelli's, but I have every intention of returning that money. Stefano works ridiculous hours, making sure our business doesn't fail; he knows everything I had left, I invested in that gym.

"I've got this little man. I believe Jaz has waited patiently for that gossip session," Stefano muses, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"She has," I respond.

"The pot of coffee, bitch, is ready. So, move your ass." She hurries me out the door, pushing me along.

Pouring me a coffee, she makes herself comfortable next to me, sliding her legs over my lap and gesturing for me to speak. Taking a deep breath, I begin, "Paul kissed me." Her eyes widen, and her brows hit her hairline, mouth agape, she blinks. She wasn't expecting Paul.