Mia is already in tears as she looks at hers, and I feel my own threatening to fall.
“Sofia, I love you so much! This is perfect.”
Sofia smiles at Mia before turning to me to witness my reaction. I choke back a couple of sobs as I stand up to hug her. Mia comes and hugs her as well.
I whisper in her ear, “You will never know how much this means to me.”
She pulls back and is crying as well. “I’m glad you like it because I wore it all day.”
She pulls her own necklace from around her neck. I didn’t realize it, but she’s right. It matches ours. “You guys are my family, and I would do anything for you. Thank you for being here for me and Bash.”
After some more tears and sweet words, we finally leave Mia to rest.
Sofia pauses at the top of the stairs. “You going to your room or coming back downstairs?”
“It’s been an emotional day for me. I need a shower and some sleep desperately.”
“Okay. Good night, babe.”
“Good night, Mrs. Catalini,” I tease, causing Sofia to giggle.
“That’s going to take some getting used to. But, Iz, one day you will get your own happy. I know it,” she says over her shoulder as she makes her way down the stairs.
I hope she’s right, but I won’t hold my breath.
∞∞∞
“Okay, I have what you asked for. By the way, thank you guys very much for putting me in this extremely awkward position.” Matt glares at me specifically.
The girls didn’t want to ask him to go, but I knew he would keep it secret. If we asked Dante or Angelo, they would have for sure blabbed. They are loyal to Bash through and through. Not that Matt isn’t. He just also has a loyalty to us girls.
He didn’t want to go to the drugstore to buy a pregnancy test, but I convinced him to. I told him what would happen if I went. Giovanni would probably lose his shit. So, Matt went and grabbed the test for us.
“Thank you, Matty.” I give him my best smile.
Matt’s been Sofia’s guard for about a year. He took a bullet for her pretty early on too. We spent a lot of time with him during his recovery, and eventually, he became one of the girls. Helovedthat. Note my sarcasm there.
Really, he’s happy to be there for us. He says we remind him of his sister, who he doesn’t see as often. He also takes protecting us seriously. It wasn’t until Sofia and Bash made it official that Matt and I grew closer.
We have been accused of dating or fucking, but it’s not like that with us. One night when I was weak, I called him. I asked him to come hang out because I needed someone to talk to. He didn’t hesitate. It was his night off, but he left his home and came to mine. For an hour, we simply sat in the dark not saying a word. Then I did something I hadn’t done in years. I opened up to him.
I don’t know what it is about him, but I told him about my heartache. I told him about how seeing Giovanni made me feel. How decisions from the past changed my life drastically. How I felt like I had no place in life. No purpose.
He held me while I cried. He didn’t say anything until I was finally done. Then he looked at me and told me that if I didn’t feel like I had purpose, then he would help me find my purpose.
I didn’t tell him my whole story. I only told him the surface of it, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t press for more. Only told me he would help me get better.
And he has. We now talk every single day. He calls me every morning and evening to talk. I can’t tell you how many times he’s come over for nothing more than to watch TV, so I don’t have to be alone. Hell, I’ve even been to his house and met his mother and sister. The other girls don’t even know that.
That’s why he’s Matty—the same nickname his younger sister started calling him when she was a toddler. As soon as I heard it, I knew it would be his name from now on. He acts like it bothers him, but I can see the affection in his eyes every time I use it.
“Don’t thank me yet. I might get my balls handed to me when Bash realizes I’m keeping this from him.”
“I don’t think Bash is who you have to worry about.” I pull the test out of the box and turn to Mia.
“Here you go, babe. Pee on the stick then set it on the counter and yell out to me. I will start the timer.”
Mia looks nervous as she walks toward the bathroom. As soon as the door closes, Matt whisper shouts, “Mia! I thought it was for Sofia! Lo will surely have my fucking balls and my dick when he finds out I helped with this! Fucking A, you’re going to get me killed.” He’s pacing as she’s in the bathroom.
