Gio
I'd promised Savanna I'd never see Mia again, but I had to disobey her orders and go to the hospital to be with her.
I owed Mia a debt. I'd promised her brother I'd take care of her when he died because of me.
Mia had a brother, Cassio. He and I met at the lowest point of our lives. He stole too — to take care of his little sister, the same way I did for my mother.
We shared a history of tragedy and abandonment.
That's why we teamed up to pull off the robberies.
That's when I made a terrible decision.
On the street where we usually worked, there was a convenience store run by a frail old man.
He had no employees. He ran the place alone.
I figured it'd be easy for us — we were young and there were two of us.
But it didn't go the way I'd imagined. The old man had a gun, and he didn't hesitate to shoot Cassio.
That guilt would follow me to my grave. I shouldn't have been so greedy.
Cassio left behind his little sister, and to atone for my sins, I started taking care of Mia.
She was like a little sister to me — someone who'd been through hell at my side.
When I married Savanna and promised not to see Mia anymore, it was the first time I'd ever left her on her own. I felt guilty, but I told myself she could manage. Mia was only a little older than Savanna — old enough not to need constant supervision.
But I was wrong. I pulled away from her, and now she'd been assaulted.
I felt guilty. I'd promised to protect her.
I went to the hospital and stayed with her, listening to her cry and hurl accusations at me.
She was furious that I'd abandoned her. Furious that I'd chosen Savanna over her.
Savanna was my wife now, and on top of that, my boss. I could try to explain my reasons, but I knew this wasn't the right moment.
My phone started buzzing nonstop. I knew — it was Savanna.
"You're leaving? You're gonna ditch me for that bitch when I'm at my worst?"
Mia screamed, out of control. I wanted to answer the phone, but I didn't. I figured I could call Savanna back later, once Mia had calmed down.
Mia smiled when she saw I'd chosen her, and that felt like a sign she was starting to recover.
"Gio, can you get me some water?"
She asked me with that sad look in her eyes that always got to me.
I ruffled her hair and went to get it.
I stayed with her at the hospital the whole time, and Savanna didn't call again. I assumed whatever she'd been calling about wasn't urgent. I could come up with some excuse about being on a mission to keep her calm.
It was late by the time Mia finally fell asleep and I decided to head home.
I grabbed my phone to check if Savanna had called again and realized the phone was off.
It was Mia. She didn't like Savanna one bit and had probably been jealous.
I turned it back on and a flood of notifications and messages poured in.
At that moment, I knew — Savanna wasn't happy.
It was already two in the morning when I got home. I thought I'd find her asleep, and in the morning I could spend the whole day with her until she cooled off.
In those three years, I'd rarely seen her upset, and when it happened, she'd bounce right back to her usual self. Jumping around, smiling, hugging me, giving me her silly orders.
But this time was different. She was waiting for me, sitting on the couch. She was a mess — red eyes, smeared makeup, tangled hair, reeking of alcohol.
She always tried so hard to look perfect around me, and this was the first time I'd seen her unraveled. The first time she'd thrown accusations at me. The first time she said she regretted it all.
My chest tightened. She'd spent years chasing me, and now, just because I'd spent one day with Mia, she regretted everything?
Does all my obedience since we got married count for nothing?
For God's sake, Mia was like a sister. Savanna's jealousy was irrational.
Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist. This couldn't end like this. Part of me said it was just a tantrum, that it'd pass soon. But another part said this was serious — Savanna had never lost control like this.
She'd never told me she felt humiliated for trying so hard for me. That she was tired of loving me and getting nothing in return.
One side of me said it was drama. The other side was taking those words very seriously.
She was right there, in front of me, fighting to break free. Her eyes didn't have that warmth she'd always saved for me.
I kissed her.
It wasn't planned. It was a desperate move. Something inside me wanted to hold on to her and never let go.
When I pulled back, we stared at each other, both stunned by what had just happened.
I knew — I'd crossed the line I'd set for myself. Now she could misread our relationship.
But there was no going back. Fuck what she'll think.
I kissed her again and let myself go, without holding back. I let my instincts take control of my body.
I wanted her.
I wanted to taste her mouth, feel the softness of her skin. I wanted to watch her tremble in my arms.
I wanted to see her naked. Every inch of her body would be claimed by my eyes, my touch, my mouth.
It was all pure instinct. Desire. Nothing calculated.
When I woke up the next morning, I was alone in bed.
That was strange. I always used to wake up and find her watching me.
The sheets were cold and empty. If it weren't for her scent soaked into everything around me, the clothes on the floor, and the wrecked bed, I'd have suspected it was all just a dream.
I pulled on boxers and sweatpants, then headed downstairs.
She was there, sitting with her coffee. Her gaze was lost in thoughts I wished I could read.
She wore a bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her head. Her scent was masked by soap and body oil. It was like she'd scrubbed hard to get rid of her own smell — or maybe mine.
I hadn't pictured the morning going like this. I thought she'd be asking me questions. Thought she'd be smiling more than usual. She'd complained about having to work so hard to get me to do anything for her, but she hadn't worked for it last night. There were no orders. I'd wanted her — genuinely.
But Savanna barely looked at me. She didn't even mention wanting to pour my coffee or spread jam on my toast.
The moment I sat down, she stood up and left.
I didn't see her again that day. She stayed locked in her studio the whole time.
I figured it was just a rough patch. That things would go back to normal soon. But an uncomfortable silence settled between us.
"No more orders." That's what she'd told me the night we fought. I thought she wasn't serious, but it had been almost a month and the silence was driving me insane.
She locked herself in the studio every day, and to escape the discomfort of her silence, I started taking on more missions for the family.
We were drifting apart. She didn't bother me anymore.
I should've been happy — wasn't that what I'd always wanted? But I felt progressively more pissed off.
It had been nearly a month since we'd drifted apart when my phone rang. I lit up the screen with an unusual rush of excitement, but it drained in a second when I saw the name. It wasn't her. It was Mia.
"I already told you, don't call me. Savanna doesn't like you reaching out."
"Gio, help me! I'm desperate. I just found out I'm pregnant."
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