Tempted By The Mafia Boss

CHAPTER FORTY

Mimi

“Do you need anything else?” I ask Charlotte as I fluff a pillow and place it behind her.

She smiles up at me and shakes her head. Her stomach has grown so big in just a handful of weeks.

She’s just reached the six month mark but she looks like she’s ready to have her baby any time soon.

“Mimi, just sit with me for a second,” she says, shuffling to sit up a little straighter.

Mia is with the kids, helping Angela. I came to see how Charlotte was because I knew Gabe was with the men guarding the house. He’s the strongest person here and since I’m the person with the least responsibility I wanted to do something useful.

I just… it’s just hard being around her sometimes. It makes me feel like a hypocrite although I’ve actually never had any ill feelings toward her.

Now she wants me to sit with her.

“Do you need me to fix the sheets, or…” I start and cast a glance over the bed.

“Jesus Christ Mimi, I just want to talk to you.” She smiles.

“Sure… what’s up? I mean other than what is happening what’s up?”

“I wanted to see if you were okay. A lot has happened to you.”

“I’m okay…” It’s not that I want to lie but it’s best to just say that, especially since I don’t know what she knows about my mother.

“I haven’t really seen you since Sorcha. I heard what you did for her. You took care of her.” She nods.

“Yeah… she’s my friend.”

“I like that you say she is. Not was,” Charlotte points out.

It was habit that made me say that, it never really clicked in my head that Sorcha became a was.

“Yeah. I think of her as still being my friend.”

“You’re a good person Mimi. I remember how you were there for me months ago when I needed someone. It was a scary time for me.” She nods and her eyes glisten with tears.

I remember that well. It was that night when Gabe nearly got himself killed. I just did what I needed to do and stayed with her. So much has happened since it’s hard to believe it was just months ago.

“You needed me,” I reply.

“I did, and I still do. I know… you have a history with Gabe, Mimi,” she says.

My heart stills and I pray she’s not going to talk about my pregnancy. I didn’t think he would tell her about that in her condition.

“I know you were with him before I came back,” she states and the tension inside me calms.

She knows just that part, that I was with him.

“Yes. How… um… how did you know?”

“He told me. What I don’t want is for you to avoid me because of that. I really don’t want that. You don’t need to. It’s not what I want at all. We go way back too, before I was… taken so I know you and I want the friendship we had. So please don’t avoid me.” It sounds like a plea.

I nod and answer with a little smile. “Okay, and thanks.”

She’s about to answer when she gasps and smiles, her stomach looks like it’s moving and I draw in a sharp breath.

“Oh my God,” I breathe.

“Yes, the joys of pregnancy. It feels like being in Aliens. Feel this.” She chuckles and reaches for my hand placing it on her stomach.

I do feel. I feel the shuffle beneath her skin and then a kick against my palm, then what I’m guessing is a stretch. I imagine the baby to be stretching because her stomach pokes out and we both start laughing.

We laugh and it’s the first time that any reference to babies has been made and I don’t feel that deep loss from my own. I feel like I can be happy for another woman who’s experiencing the joys of pregnancy.

At the same time I do think of what I would have been like at this stage if I’d made it that far.

We were so caught up in feeling the baby that I didn’t even notice that the door had opened.

It’s Charlotte looking ahead that alerts me.

I turn to see Gabe standing there watching us. While he looks like the happy father to be watching his wife, there’s a flicker of sadness in his eyes that I don’t miss.

I take note and stand.

“I’ll leave you guys. I have some stuff I have to take care of.” I have nothing really other than worrying myself sick over Salvatore but it’s time to go.

“Thanks for coming by,” Charlotte says.

“I’ll bring you some of that tea you like and some magazines in an hour.”

“I’d love that.”

I give Gabe a little smile before I walk past him and proceed down the corridor, he catches up with me though. He calls me and I stop mid stride.

“Mimi,” he says my name again with more fervency.

“Hey…”

“You okay?”

I nod. “I’m better.” We haven’t spoken since the night at Porter’s. I was a real mess that night. “I’m better than I was the other night.”

“If you need to talk I’m here. I hope you know that.”

I believe him and I appreciate the gesture. “I do know and thanks.”

An awkward silence passes between us and he glances down at the ground then back to me. “Thanks for being there for her. For Charlotte. It’s a scary time. I’m grateful for the kindness you always show her.”

“That’s okay. She… needed her pillows fluffed and …someone.” I look at him and I’m not sure what more to say. This is always going to be a difficult conversation.

“Thank you for being that someone.”

“Well, I want to help where I can.”

“You are… she likes you a lot.”

“Me too. She’s great.” I nod.

He presses his lips together and a cautious look spreads across his face. “Mimi I’m going to tell her about our baby,” he states, shocking the hell out of me.

He said our baby too which sounded weird.

I blink several times trying to process it. I process it and I know I don’t want that. I don’t want him to do that.

“Don’t,” I practically whisper. “Don’t.”

“I need to. We don’t have secrets and I’m not going to keep our baby a secret, like she never happened. She did. I will blame myself for as long as I live for everything that stopped her from being… but I’m not going to forget my daughter.”

His words have me gripped, standing in place planting my feet to the ground to keep from falling over.

He sucks in a sharp breath and continues talking. “It doesn’t matter who I’m with or who I got married to. I was with you and it wasn’t that I crossed a line I shouldn’t have crossed with you. The answer is, I didn’t treat you right. So I will do this.”

“Thank you… I don’t know what to say. I just don’t want it to upset her or cause some rift between you. You guys have the real deal.”

He nods. “That’s why we’ll be okay. I just wanted you to know, so you know I’m not going to forget.”

He leans forward and plants a kiss on my forehead.

With a nod he walks away, back to the room and I look on watching until he goes inside and the door closes.

I move only then and take the walk back to my room on shaky legs.

I think back to when I was with Gabe. It’s an experience I try my best not to think about. Being with him was a line I shouldn’t have crossed either, but I feel like I can finally put the past behind me. I feel like I can do that.

I feel like I can put one of the worst things that’s happened behind me.

Now for the next thing.

The whole issue with Mom. The questions are still hanging in the air.

I open the door to the room and gasp when Dad steps away from the window.

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