“Then tell me.” I throw my hands up in frustration.
“I will, I promise,” he says, stepping forward to catch my hand. “Just give me a couple of days.” He drops his voice. “She’s just returned and things are complicated between us.”
I hate that I’m jealous. I hate that I even care that she’s returned to town. That I was the one to bring them together again, but now he wants to stay and talk to her. When only hours before, he was holding me in his arms, promising me he was done with her.
But that was all a lie, wasn’t it?
“I need some time alone,” I whisper.
He lets out a long sigh but then nods. “Okay, little pet. I’ll check on you tonight.”
I take a step back from him, my heart heavy. “Goodbye, Giorgio.”
“Until tonight.” He smiles, and I can feel her eyes on both of us.
I turn around and meet her gaze. “It’s been nice knowing you, Magdalene.”
Then I walk out the front door, down the steps to my car, and drive away without looking back.
I wake to a knock on my door.
I roll over in bed and open my eyes to a dark room, my phone face lighting up 11pm. The knock comes again and I sigh before throwing my covers off. I guess Giorgio isn’t giving me all the space I need. I slip on a short black robe and make my way to the door, swinging it wide. But I’m surprised to see Magdalene standing in my doorway instead of Giorgio.
“Can I help you?” I ask, holding the door open.
She doesn’t seem taken aback that I was sleeping. I know she must have seen the light go off in my window as I opened it, so maybe she thought she’d have a better chance of catching me alone.
She flashes me a smile, and my skin crawls. “Giorgio says you left before he could talk to you. I wanted to come say goodnight.”
My lip curls up. “You don’t need to lie to me. He’s not here, so there’s no need.”
She sighs and crosses her arms over her chest. “Fine. That was a lie. I’ve come to ask you to change your mind about the baby. We really need your help.”
I laugh, a cold sound that makes her eyes flicker with anger. “Why should I do you any favors?”
She shrugs. “It’s a good sum of money. And it’s a baby, Allie. A tiny innocent person.”
I cross my arms and lean against the doorframe. “You’re not fooling anyone with your act of good will. This is all about getting back at Giorgio. You want to make his life as miserable as you can, but that doesn’t have to mean I have to suffer too.”
She takes a step forward, her eyes narrowing. “This is a good chance for you to gain something for once. Giorgio left you on a whim years ago when I came back. He dropped you like you were nothing more than a hot date he’d already doing the intimacy with. Is this what he’s done again? Left you to take care of me?” She waves a hand in the air. “He doesn’t care about you. He cares about me, and that’s why you were stupid to bring us together again.”
I swallow against my rage. “He didn’t leave me. We’re married.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “No, he’s not.” She shakes her head. “I asked him earlier to dinner. He agreed and told me all about you, how he married you for fun, but then he stopped when I asked him about the ring.” She smiles. “You’ll never wear my ring.”
I roll my eyes and start to shut the door, but she stops me with a hand.
“You won’t tell him that I came here, will you?”
I stare at her hand on the door and then back up to her. “No. If he finds out you’ve been here, you’ll regret it.”
She pulls her hand away and steps back, her lips curving upwards. “Have fun getting what you want from him tonight. I hope you’re ready to be rejected all over again.”
“Goodnight,” I snarl, slamming the door closed.
I pace my bedroom, trying to get ahold of my rage.
She’s right. She’s always right. I’m nothing more than fun for him. A passing moment, a distraction until he remembers her.
I throw myself down on my bed, curling into a ball.
It’s the same thing every time. I was a virgin the first time I slept with him, but he still moved on. Then I gave him my heart and he did it again.
I have to accept that he’ll always choose her over me.
I pull my phone from my bedside table and scroll through my contacts. There are only a few Alphas in the area and none of them sound too great. I know what they’re capable of. I know how they treat Omegas.
But what choice do I have? Giorgio doesn’t want me. It’s all just a game to him.
I let out a scream, tossing my phone across the room.
I’m going to give Magdalene what she wants. I’m going to carry her baby and then I’m leaving. I’m going to forget that Giorgio ever existed.
I’m going to move on and find a better life.
I wait until morning and then drive back to Giorgio’s house, anger burning through my blood.
I park out front and then walk up the steps, banging on the door.
It opens moments later and Giorgio looks down at me, his brows furrowing.