𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

20

Mila

I jumped out of bed brushed my teeth and quickly rushed into the kid's room, I didn't get enough sleep last night so I slept in a bit, luckily I laid out some clothes for them for the morning.

When I walk into the room I don't find Isa in there, just in case as he is fully dressed just waiting for me to help him with his shoes.

"All done, where's your sister?" I ask and he shrugs, I think she's eating breakfast.

"Let's go join her," I say grabbing his book bag and his hand and making my way downstairs.

As I walk into the kitchen I watch Isa sitting at the island eating cereal with a struggling Gio behind her trying to brush her hair back into a ponytail.

Don't swoon.

Don't cry.

Instead, I laugh at him. "Need some help there?" I ask and he looks at me desperately asking for help.

"No, I want Gio to do it!" Isa says and I put my hands up as I set Cade down next to her and give him some low-sugar cereal.

He brushes the hair up into a tight ponytail, I had him the hair tie and he wraps it around once.

"You got it," I say.

Then he let's go.

"You're gonna have to wrap it a few times until it becomes tight," I say and he nods, and after a few tries he got it right.

I go in and wrap a white bow on her ponytail matching her pretty dress.

"Thank you!" She thanked him before finishing off her cereal.

One of Gio's men comes in to take the kids to school.

When they're gone I turn to Gio and tilt my head. "You're up early," I say as I make myself some coffee in my brand-new expensive coffee maker.

"They didn't want to wake you, so they banged on my door and threatened me." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, they can be... violent," I say smiling. "Coffee?" I ask and he shakes his head.

"I don't drink coffee." He says.

"How can you live?" I ask.

He reaches up to the cabinet above me and grabs a bottle of whiskey. "This is my coffee." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Not for breakfast it's not." I've had enough alcoholics in my life and I did not need one more. I shoved him a water bottle.

I grabbed some fruit from the fridge and made my way to the couch, putting on a random show as I finally woke up.

Gio sits down next to me and I feel a bit of anxiety for some reason.

I break the silence. "Thanks for helping with Isa's hair, I slept in.." I say and he nods.

"Still having trouble sleeping?" He asks and I nod.

Shadow climbs the couch and snuggles into my lap and I smile and run my hand down his soft back.

I look up at Gio, I was officially getting married to him in a week and I was scared shitless, I didn't want to marry him without him knowing the kids were his.

I think I was closer to being ready to tell him, he's great with them. "My kids like you," I say looking up at him.

He smiles softly. "I like them too." He says.

"I don't want them to get hurt, again."

"Again?" He asks.

I never mentioned to him that I had one ex, it lasted about five months before it went to shit.
"My ex, Tobias."

"Their dad?" He asks and I shake my head.

"Just my ex, he was great to us at first before the drinking and staying up late, my kids fell in love with him and wanted him to be their daddy, but after he got us attached, he changed. He starts drinking heavily, staying out late, coming home drunk.. angry.." I turn away from him looking down at a sleeping, shadow.

I hear Gio's breathing get heavy. "Did he hurt you guys?" He asks.

"I would never let him get to my kids... so I put myself in front of them, every, single, time, after a while he disappeared, never came back." It was a blessing.

"I'm so sorry Mila." He says.

"Why? It's not like you did it.." I chuckle trying to keep the conversation not so depressing.

"Yeah, because I'm not a fucking pussy, I'll fucking kill him."

I chose to ignore the last part.

I look up at him and shrug hoping he changes the subject.

Thankfully he does, after calming down.

"When did you stop dancing."

I blush at the mention. "When I found out I was pregnant," I said. "After my mother kicked me out and told me she wouldn't help me raise bastard babies."

"I was able to afford to move away thanks to your generous donation," I say raising an eyebrow at him for that.

He cringes. "Yeah.. that was a dick move."

"Ya think?!" I laugh. "But really... I wouldn't have been able to have done it without the money."

I begin thinking back to the night we met... remembering the fact that he left me with ten grand, not a note or anything after what was the best night of my life. "Why did you do that, anyway? Leave so suddenly." I ask.

He shrugs. "I was young, stupid, and an asshole."

"I think the last two still stand," I tilt my head before laughing. "Well anyway, I felt like shit after that night."

"Why?"

"Because I just gave my virginity to some asshole who didn't even care enough to leave his name and phone number."

His brows crease. "It was your first time?"

Shit.

I blush at that, now embarrassed, I nod.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't thinking straight, and I didn't think it mattered, I was young too, I barely understood sex at the time, to be honest." I take a sip of my coffee.

He begins to talk before his phone rings, and he answers. "Ma?" He creases his brow before looking at me. "She wants to talk to you." He says.

"Me?" He nods as he puts his phone on speaker and his mom goes on about how I need to get my wedding gown picked out and sized.

Fuck.