Giorgio has been taking care of me for two days now. I’m still in pain, but I’m doing much better than I was when I woke up. It doesn’t hurt as bad as it used to, and now I’m able to walk around with help.
Giorgio helps me to my feet and we go to the kitchen together, so I can make breakfast.
When he lets go, I fall. My legs give out and he catches me, pulling me against his chest.
“I got you, baby,” he whispers.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper back. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You are not a burden, Allie,” Giorgio growls. “Stop saying that. You’re recovering from surgery. I will help you, even if it’s for the rest of my life.”
“I don’t want that,” I whisper. “I don’t want you to have to do that.”
“Then what do you want?” Giorgio asks.
“I want you to be happy,” I whisper. “And I’m not going to give you that in the state I’m in now.”
Giorgio sets his jaw and scoops me up, carrying me to the bathroom. He helps me wash my face and brush my teeth, and then he lets me help him brush his teeth. I lean against him while he washes his face, and then he helps me dry off.
It’s so intimate, but I still feel so far away from him.
The distance between us is painful.
Once I’m dressed in a t-shirt and sweats, Giorgio carries me back downstairs to the sofa.
“Lunch will be here in a few minutes,” he says. “Try to relax while we wait.”
I nod and curl up on the sofa, wrapping my arms around my stomach. He leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later, helping me up and into bed.
I’m so exhausted from the walk, and it hurts everywhere. I fall asleep in his arms before he even finishes pulling me under the covers.
I sleep through the rest of the day, waking up only for pain pills.
I drift in and out of consciousness until I hear Giorgio talking to someone on the phone. My heart pounds when I hear the words “kidney transplant,” and then Giorgio’s voice gets quiet.
He walks over to the bed and sits next to me, stroking my hair. “Magdalene had the surgery,” he murmurs. “She received the new kidney, but she didn’t make it.”
I close my eyes, fighting tears. I knew that this could happen, but I had hoped so badly for her to live.
“I’m sorry,” Giorgio whispers.
“I know,” I whisper back.
“It was for nothing,” he growls, his hand tightening in my hair.
I shake my head and then cry out. Giorgio strokes my cheek, holding me as I weep.
I’m not just crying for Magdalene. I’m crying for myself. For the pain I’m in, for my future that I’ve just given up.
“Shhh,” he whispers. “It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be fine.”
“It’s not fine,” I whisper. “Nothing is fine.”
“Stop talking like that,” Giorgio murmurs. He pushes my hair back and wipes my tears away. “We just have to figure out a new plan, that’s all.”
“Why don’t you leave me?” I whisper. “You deserve a mate that isn’t a burden to you.”
Giorgio freezes. He goes still and then leans back, his eyes narrowing. “What the fuck did you just say?” he asks, his voice low.
I look away, unable to meet his eyes. I can’t look at him. I can’t take seeing his anger.
“Answer me,” he growls.
I keep my eyes closed. “I said you deserve a mate that is not a burden to you. You deserve an Omega that isn’t weak.”
“I thought we were done talking about this shit,” Giorgio snarls. “You have to stop. Stop thinking about this. You are not a burden. You will not ever be a burden. You’re in pain, Allie. That’s all.”
“I’m not in pain,” I whisper.
“Then why did you say that?”
I shake my head, unable to answer.
He sits back and crosses his arms, looking away. I keep my eyes closed, wishing I could turn back time. Wishing I could never say those words.
Wishing I was strong enough to just be happy with what I have.
Giorgio leaves me alone for the rest of the night. I lay awake, tears drying on my cheeks.
He’s been gone for a long time now. Every time I wake up, he is there to help me up to the bathroom or bring me something to eat. But he hasn’t touched me in a while and it hurts my soul.
I want him to touch me, I need him to. I need his comfort. I need him to hold me and kiss me and tell me I’m okay.
I need to be close to him.
When he comes to my room a few hours after sunset, he doesn’t look at me.
“I have some papers for you to sign,” he murmurs. I look at them and realize they are divorce papers.
My heart clenches and tears fall down my cheeks. I shake my head. “I won’t sign them.”
“Just sign them, Allie.”
“No,” I whisper. “Please.”
Giorgio closes his eyes and shakes his head, sighing. “We have to do this. We have to end this. It’s not working out. You don’t want me around, I don’t want to leave. If we do this now, at least we both have a chance to move on.”