Book 1
Gia Salvatore does not like to feel tied down. Tired of answering to her controlling father, she ran away the night of her high school graduation and moved in with a secret older boyfriend, glad to cut ties with her toxic family.
But four...
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Robert stood calmly in the living room, still shirtless but he had pulled on a pair of jeans and clean socks. He didn't look angry or apologetic. In fact, she thought he looked a little smug.
"Are you enjoying this," she yelled, still unbelieving of it all.
"I'm sorry you had to find out this way." He bows his head having the decency yo feign bashfulness.
She stares at him, at a loss for words.
"We've been growing apart...," he says, his voice trailing off.
"Bullshit," Gia replied through clenched teeth.
"I'm not happy, G. I haven't been for awhile." Robert was quick to defend himself. "I think we've reached our peak." He shrugged, unable to come up with anything else to say.
Gia could feel her heart cracking in her chest. She hadn't wanted to believe that his affair was going to end them. She had hoped it was nothing more than a speed bump in their relationship; something to grow from. She didn't want to throw away all that they had built together and tears welled up in her eyes thinking about it. Gia swallowed them back, not wanting him to see how badly she was hurting.
"I left my family for you," she says. "I haven't spoken to my father in years."
"That was your choice to leave. You can't put that on me."
"You promised-" but Gia choked on the words. He had promised her a lot and she had trusted him blindly in her hurry to escape her father.
She could only blame herself for that.
"Give your dad a call," Robert says, his tone changing from accusatory to sorrowful instantly. "I'm sure he misses you."
Gia snorted, indignant. If her father wanted to be in contact with her, he, of all people, would have found a way.
"Swallow your pride, Gia," Robert continues in her silence. "Admit you need him - because you do," he added when she opened her mouth to protest. "and he'll welcome you back home... you're his only child for Christ's sake!"
Robert threw his hands up, and turned, disappearing down the hall. From the bedroom, she could hear him opening and closing drawers and Gia stood rooted to her spot, finding it hard to grasp her reality. Within 24 hours, it felt like she had gone through every emotion in existence.
Everything felt surreal. Dino, who had curled up on the couch, grumbled as if he too was agitated but no longer had the energy for confrontation.
Gia recognized the feeling.
Robert emerged from the hallway fully dressed and wearing a new pair of sneakers Gia had never seen before.
"I'll give you a couple of days to try and get back into your dad's good graces." he says.
