Chapter 48

Eliza got out of bed with some difficulty before waddling to the door on bare feet and opening it slightly.

This time she could clearly make out Romano’s voice.

"I had nothing to do with that story," Romano was protesting. "And I'll be damned if you keep me away from my family like this."

"Eliza doesn't want to see you," Ryan stated firmly, and there was a moment's charged silence.

"Maybe not," Romano conceded quietly. "But that's because she doesn't know everything. I just need to explain things to her. I need to talk with Eliza."

"Explain what? How you've been cheating on her with that woman since nearly the day of your wedding? How you've spent every available moment with her since you returned to Italy for the funeral, while your pregnant mate waited in vain for you to call her every day?" Nadia fumed.

"I haven't cheated on my mate," Romano growled after a moment's silence. "Not in deed and not in thought. Not once, and she knows that."

"All she knows is that her husband left a month ago, supposedly to attend his father's funeral, but then hooked up with his mistress and started divorce proceedings once he grasped that nothing was tying him to his mate anymore." Nadia retorted.

"There's a hell of a lot tying me to my mate, Sulivan," Romano gritted. "Our baby for one."

"Oh, please, we know how little you actually want that baby, Visconti."

"I want him," Romano said quietly, so quietly Eliza nearly missed it. "I want them both."

"Stop it." Eliza could stand it any more, she waddled into the living room, where Ryan and Nadia stood on one side of the room and Romano on the other. 

The atmosphere was so charged that Eliza was sure her hair was standing on end. Romano’s face tightened at the sight of her.

"Eliza," he whispered. "This was not meant for you to hear."

"It doesn't matter." Eliza shrugged listlessly. "I'm tired...I'm so tired of all this, Romano."

"I know, cara, but it will get better. I promise you that."

"I don't see how it can." Eliza shook her head bitterly and Romano groaned, closing the distance between them in four strides before gathering her into his arms and hugging her tenderly.

"It can. It will. I didn't file for a divorce, Eliza. I have no reason to divorce you."

"Romano please just—shut up!"Eliza interrupted furiously, pushing him away forcefully.

Romano’s face went ruddy but his mouth slammed shut.

 "If you won't divorce me, then I'll be the one divorcing you. I don't want a husband who feels obligated to be with me. You have no reason to stay with me anymore. I can take care of myself, and I can take care of this baby. I don't need you or your guilt. You're free to leave. In fact, I want you to go."

Romano said nothing, merely stared down at her, with one hand squeezing the nape of her neck. 

His face was inscrutable, his eyes dark with an emotion that Eliza could not read. He looked stunned, incapable of movement, and Eliza figured that he probably needed a harder push.

"For God's sake, go back to the woman you love! Go back to Luisa." Eliza turned away from him, dismissing him contemptuously, but froze when Romano swore shakily.

"Oh, per l'amor del cielo !" (Trans: oh, for heaven's/fuck sake) Romano hissed.

 "I don't love Luisa. I don't think I've ever loved her. Maybe when I was in high school ,a literal fucking green boy, for about five seconds, I believed that I did. I thought I had some attraction left for her but I was disabused of that notion pretty damned early on in our marriage. I don't love her and I have no idea why the hell you're so fixated on her."

Eliza turned on Romano furiously, ignoring Ryan and Nadia, who were watching the exchange in morbid fascination.

"Maybe I'm fixated on her because every time you go to Italy, the papers and Internet are full of pictures of you two attending the same functions, touching, kissing, dancing, or hugging! Don't you dare insult my intelligence by saying that it meant nothing. I believe you when you say that you've never slept with other women while we were married. But I'm willing to bet you came pretty close with her. I mean, how the hell could she be the other woman? I was the other woman. Your entire family knew it, my father knew it. I know it."

 "We're in the same social circle, Eliza. She was always at the same functions as I am. She's an old friend, we laugh about when we dated in high school; naturally I hugged her or touched her occasionally. Yes, I danced with her, dropped a few casual kisses on her cheek. It meant nothing. I treated her as I would treat one of my sisters. I don't desire her, I don't love her, and I don't want her! Those are feelings reserved for you...only for you."

Romano’s voice deepened and his face softened at the admission. His eyes were gentle as he registered the confusion on Eliza’s face. Was Romano saying he loved her? 

And if he was...did she believe him? Eliza wasn't sure of the answer to either question, and a second later she didn't really care when she suddenly doubled over in pain.

Romano, Nadia, and Ryan all surged forward in concern, but her husband got to her first. He had an arm around her waist before she could blink.

"What's wrong?" he demanded hoarsely. Eliza grabbed his free hand in both of hers and squeezed it urgently as her entire body quivered in excruciating pain. 

After an eternal moment, the pain lessened and faded and she pushed her way upright, meeting Romano’s frantic gaze with a panicky one of her own.

"It's the baby," Eliza whispered in fear. "I think the baby's coming."

"No, no, no." The naked panic and fear in his eyes did nothing to alleviate Eliza’s own terror. 

"He can't be coming now. He's nearly a month early!"

"The baby doesn't care," Eliza moaned after  the pain had subsided. "I think I'm having contractions."

"Okay, it's okay," Romano soothed, automatically gathering her trembling body into a hug. "We'll be fine. We have to get you to the hospital."