A Love Restored

I hadn’t stepped out of my room in a werk. Gabriel had been nice enough to give me all my meals inside my room. I had just been crying, eating, and sleeping.

I’d made the biggest fucking mess ever. I was stupid and easily swayed, And I had made the worst decisions any person ever could

I woke up around 10 am today and took a shower. I was starting to show a little. I was excited to meet my baby, I I had no idea what my life would look like in the future. What would I tell them? What would Julian’s role be?

but I was so nervous about their future.

Nico and I were probably done as friends. He would never speak to me again – not after what I had put him through. And he shouldn’t. He didn’t deserve this I would hate myself forever.

Gabriel knocked on my door, and I opened up. “Hey,” said half–heartedly. He gave me a plate with French toast and cut–up fruits. I took it gratefully. mouthing a thanks

“Clamy.” He said. His voice was low but there was urgency in it. Locked an eyebrow.

“Consigliera is here to see you.”

I almost dropped my plate.

“What?” I whisper–yelled

He nodded. “You better go out and see her.”

I nodded. I kept my plate on a table inside my room and rushed out, taking a deep breath. No, several deep breaths.

God, I’m sure she was so mad. She would yell at me. For sure. It was a miracle Consigliere or Don hadn’t come and spoken to me about this. I had messed with the Rivers, so

much had gone wrong because of me.

Bethany was seated on our couch daintily. She was wearing a long sage green cotton dress, her legs crossed elegantly as she looked around. This wasn’t the first time she had been to my house, but it was certainly after a long time.

“Bethany?” My voice was a whisper. I could hear the crack in it. I’m sure she did, too. She turned her head to look at me, giving me a small, sad smile.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked. She shook her head lightly, patting the seat beside her. “Come sit.” I walked over to her gingerly and down. My heart felt like it would jump right out of my throat and fall to the floor in front of us.

I think I was having a full on panic attack.

“How are you?” Bethany asked. Her voice was soft and her expression warm,

“Bethany, I’m so sorry” My voice broke as I said it, and I burst into tears. “Oh, darling.” She cooed and wrapped her arms around me. I sobbed into her shoulder, tears flowing freely from my eyes as I sniffed and sniffed and just as I thought I was done, I would start crying all over again.

Finally, after God knows how long, I pulled away. My vision was blurry from the tears, and I rubbed my eyes with my fists.

“I’m so sorry.” I said again.

Bethany stroked my hair gently. “You made the right decision, lapuchka.” She said, “A late decision. But it is better than to have gotten married and regret it for the rest of your life.”

“You’re not mad at?”

She was being so good to me, and it made me feel worse about myself. After all that I had done to her son, she was still being nice to me. I didn’t

deserve this

Bethany shook her head. “You’re like my daughter, Ginny. Kids make mistakes,”

“But I’m not a kid anymore,” I said. “I’m about to have one of my own. I’ve just backed everything up.”

“It will all fall into place, slowly. Life has plans for you, you know? Things always work out.”

at the f

I looked down at the floor. “How’s Nico?”

“He’s been better.” She said truthfully. “He’s been staying with us. But he’s not mad at you, Ginny. I spoke to him. He understands. It’s partially his fault, too

I looked up at her, my eyes wide. “He just wanted to love me and protect me. And he did. He did so much for me, Bethany. He always has. And look what I did to him in retum.”

She frowned. “You can’t force your love on someone,

1. c. Ginevra. I think he understands that, nowe

A lump formed in my throat at that statement. You can’t force your love on someone, Was that what was happening?

It was all so complicated. So complex. I didn’t know whom to blame.

“Let it pass over.” Bethany said, further. “Give it time. And then you two should talk it out. You love each other. Maybe not in the same away, but i believe you can still be friends.”

They were huge words. Still be friends? After all that had passed? How could we still be anything at all?

1 didn’t even have it in me to test Nico. Let alone speak to him, see him, or have any kind of relationship with him.

Nevertheless, I agreed. I would give it time. Things would change. They were bound to

“What about Dante?” Bethany asked. “Have you spoken to him?”

I shook my head. “He texted and called a bunch of times. But I’m not ready to see him, yet.”

“That’s okay.” She smiled. “But you two need to talk, okay? You should work out a parenting arrangement, first. And then other things.”

“I love him, still.” I said. It was the truth. I did love him. I’d never stopped. I could never stop. “But I don’t know how we’ll move forward from here.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Love finds a way, Ginny.”

That gave me hope. I didn’t know what would happen between Julian and I know. I knew he wanted me back. But I couldn’t trust him, anymore. I didn’t have it in me to believe that he would keep his word, or that he would treat me like I deserved.

He had made such a huge sacrifice. And it was all for me.

I should speak to him. I should.

Bethany and I spoke some more before she left. She assured me that things would be fine. That I would be fine. And my baby. That was all that mattered for now.

After she left, I decided to take her advice. I texted Julian. It was a simple text. An I’m ready to talk now! He saw it the exact moment I sent it

Can I come over?

“Okay.”

“I’ll be there in an hour.

I suddenly had the realization that Julian was very free now. He had nothing to do – he’d left it all,

All three of us had lost so much. I think, Julian had lost the most in all of this.

I went back to my room. My breakfast was cold and stale, so I had to throw it out. I ate some of the fruits, then had some yogurt because I was insanely hungry, Gabriel emerged out of his room, and sneakily peeked into the kitchen, watching me.

“What was that about?” He inquired. I shrugged. “She was just checking up on me.”

“I was kind of scared for you.” He confessed. “Consigliera is very nice, but I was expecting her to be pissed off.”

“She should have been.” I turned from the counter to see him leaning against the door frame.

“Cabe, do you think I did the right thing?”

He cocked his head to the side. “It doesn’t matter what I think, right?”

“It matters, Gabe. You’re my brother.”

He sighed. “I think its better to be with someone who is giving you love, safety, and consistency than to be with the person who gives you excitement

I swallowed. That’s what I had thought when I had said yes.

“But whatever you do, Ginny, I’m going to support you, okay?”

I nod. He opened his arms, and I took two steps into his embrace. He wrapped me in his arms, and 1 was smothered by his chest. “When did you shower last?” I joked, He pulled my hair playfully

Maybe I didn’t have life planned out, and maybe everything was a super chaotic mess. But I had my family. I still had people who loved me. It was all that mattered.

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