Unraveled (Guzzi Duet Book 1)(90)

“You’re right, you should have told me, and you are selfish.” Cara shifted from one foot to the other, restlessness settling into her heart. “Aren’t you going to ask how I found out?”

“It doesn’t matter, really. You know, and that’s the important part.”

She was going to tell him anyway.

“Pictures,” Cara said quietly, “of your wedding. She looked beautiful, like a proper bride should.”

“Can I explain a few things about Elena and the marriage? Her and I, we’re not together in that sort of way. We haven’t been for years, we don’t even speak on a regular basis. Just let me—”

Cara shook her head, cutting him off with a quick, “No.”

“Cara, please.” He took one step forward, and Cara moved one step back accordingly. “You might understand—or shit, maybe not, but I need you to know why and how this happened, please.”

“No, Gian. I don’t care, because you didn’t care enough to tell me the truth from the start. You’ve lied to me. Maybe not in your words, but in your omissions, and the things you kept from me. You didn’t let me have a choice, you made them for me. You made me look stupid—like your foolish little whore, constantly running back to your bed whenever you snapped your fingers.”

He flinched. “That’s not what I meant to do, amore.”

“You didn’t have to mean to, your actions did it for you!”

“I’m sorry, Cara.”

“Sorry won’t fix this, Gian. It’s not a fucking time machine.”

“I know, I just—” His words cut off as he looked away, his strong jaw working as he chewed over his next words. “I want to explain, but it won’t help, will it?”

“No.”

Honesty was the best policy.

He should have followed that rule, too.

Gian rubbed a hand over his lower jaw, bringing Cara’s attention to the glint of jewelry on his ring finger. Never had she seen him wear the wedding band before, and in that moment, it felt like nothing more than a slap to her face.

He caught her stare, and dropped his hand when he realized that’s where she was looking.

“I have to wear it, given how things have changed, for appearances and—”

“Stop,” Cara whispered. “You don’t have to explain. It’s a little late for that, anyway, and I’m not in any position to need an explanation. Not like your wife would need one, you know?”

Pain colored Gian’s brown gaze, darkening them briefly.

“That was low,” he said.

Cara shrugged. “Sometimes, the truth hurts, Gian. Seems I’m not the only one who needed to learn that lesson, lately.”

With that statement, Cara turned on her heel and headed back to the elevator, determined to let those words be her final goodbye. It had said much more than she could. It wasn’t a proper goodbye, but it would have to do.

“Cara, wait.”

His footsteps echoed behind her, but she kept walking.

The elevator came into view fast, but not fast enough.

Gian grabbed her arm, spinning her back around to face him. “Wait, I said.”

Cara glared right back at him, letting her anger swell for the first time since she had entered the penthouse. “Don’t manhandle me, Gian. You don’t get to order me around, not now.”

“Let me speak for five minutes. Let me explain, and then you can do whatever the fuck you want to do.”

“What is there to explain?”

“I—”

“Are you married?” she asked.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Are. You. Married.”

“Yes,” he admitted.

“For three years.”

“And a couple of months.”

Cara took a deep breath. “Did you lie to me about it?”

“In a sense, yes, by omission.”

“Then nothing else matters.”

“It might, if you would let me explain, Cara.”

She doubted it.

“Let me go, Gian, I don’t belong here. You have a woman who can stand at your side, be in your bed, and whatever else you want, but I’m not her. I am not your wife. And I won’t pretend to be, when you want something different for the evening. I won’t be a goomah for a made man, and I certainly won’t be your whore.”

Gian released his hold on her arm, but it took a few passing seconds. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“You should have known it would. All lies unravel, eventually, no matter how good you are at telling them. And you’re so good, aren’t you? You made sure no one said a single word to me, but they all knew, didn’t they?”

“It wasn’t like that. They had no reason to speak up, and maybe some even thought you knew. Shit, at first, I thought you might have known.”

“Why would I have known, Gian? I knew barely anything about you!”

“I know.” Gian raised his hands high and wide, as if to offer nothing but air. “I do love you, Cara. You know that’s true. You have to know that’s true.”

“Do I? I don’t think I know anything about you at all.”

Cara blinked, and the tears she had been holding back made lines down her cheeks. She didn’t make a move to wipe the wetness away, instead, letting Gian see them, so he knew. She needed him to understand how much he hurt her.