What We Left in the Dark

Twenty Nine

As I pulled away from Giancarlo's intense gaze, I could feel the weight of the moment hanging between us like a storm ready to break. His words echoed in my mind, but I was too exhausted and emotionally drained to continue this dance with him. I needed space, clarity—something to ground myself in the midst of this chaos.

"I think I'm sobered up now," I said quietly, breaking the silence that had fallen over us. "I'm going to head home."

Giancarlo's face hardened momentarily, then he nodded, grabbing his jacket from the back of a chair as if he were ready to escort me. "I'll take you."

I immediately shook my head. "You don't have to. I can manage, really."

His jaw tightened again, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of the real Giancarlo—the one who always had to be in control, always protective, but this time his concern was tinged with something deeper. "It's too late to let you leave by yourself," he said firmly. "I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you."

There was no arguing with him when he got like this. His protective streak was something I had once loved about him, but now, it felt suffocating, like a reminder of the control he once had over my life. Before I could protest again, he pulled out his phone and called his driver, his voice clipped as he ordered the car to pick me up in five minutes.

I nodded silently, straightening my clothes and sitting on the couch, the tension between us still palpable. Giancarlo remained standing, pacing slightly as if he had more to say but wasn't sure how to say it.

After a moment, he stopped and turned to face me, his eyes softening for the briefest moment. "Cat," he began, his voice low, almost pleading, "I know you're free to do what you please now. I have no control over you, and I won't pretend that I do. But please, you with my brother... it's the worst pain I've ever felt. Stop seeing him."

I looked up at him, surprised by the vulnerability in his voice. "Who said I was seeing him?" I asked, my tone laced with both curiosity and caution.

He let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through his hair. "You may not be seeing him, but I certainly saw you at his house—too early for my own liking. Whatever happened, I can move past. But I can't tolerate what comes in the future."

I bristled at his words, feeling the old fire flare up inside me. "You don't get to dictate my future, Giancarlo. You don't get to have dominion over my choices."

His teeth ground together, and I could see the tension building in his posture. "Your love for me has clearly faded," he muttered, his voice thick with frustration. "I never pictured you the type to bounce around within a family."

The sting of his words hit me like a slap, and before I knew it, I was on my feet, my hand swinging through the air as I struck him across the face. "You don't get to call me a whore after confessing your love to me," I hissed, my voice shaking with anger. "And I told you, it was never my intention to come between your family."

His eyes darkened, his anger bubbling to the surface. "You just wanted my family to cum for you, right?"

The vile insinuation made me shudder, my body recoiling from him as if he had physically hit me. I could feel my stomach turn at his words, and I swallowed down the urge to scream. "I'm sure your driver is here," I said icily, heading toward the door.

Giancarlo didn't follow me. He didn't even try to stop me. He stood there, seething, as I walked out of his apartment, the sound of my heels echoing through the hallway.

The elevator ride down to the ground floor felt like an eternity, my heart racing as I tried to process everything that had just happened. By the time I reached the curb, the large black SUV was waiting for me. I slid into the backseat, my eyes drifting over the city skyline in the distance as we crossed back into Jersey. The bright lights of Manhattan mocked me, each twinkle a reminder of the best and worst parts of my life.

Manhattan had been where I built my career, where I made a name for myself. But it was also the place where I had to bury the love I once had for Giancarlo. The city was a constant reminder of what I had achieved and what I had lost.

The next day, I was back in the office, trying to push the events of the previous night to the back of my mind. I threw myself into work, reviewing contracts, preparing a case file, anything to distract myself from the thoughts that lingered.

As I passed through the reception area, I spotted Naomi, our receptionist, sitting at her desk, animatedly chatting on her phone. When she noticed me, she hung up quickly, grinning as I approached.

"Good morning, Cat!" Naomi greeted me brightly. "How's it going?"

"Busy," I replied, managing a small smile. "What about you? You look... distracted."

Naomi giggled, clearly excited about something. "Oh, you know, just my latest fling," she said, leaning in conspiratorially. "He's a finance bro—works crazy hours, but the perks are definitely worth it. I mean, who wouldn't put up with a little distance when the guy's busy spoiling you?"

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at her enthusiasm. "You're unbelievable, Naomi."

She took a sip of her coffee, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "So, what about you? Who are you seeing these days?"

The question caught me off guard, and my mind immediately flashed to both Giancarlo and Luca. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as the memories of Luca's teasing smirk in that bar and Giancarlo's kiss from the night before flooded back to me. The weight of the past few weeks came crashing down all at once.

I hesitated, my mind swirling with images of both brothers before I quickly snapped out of my thoughts. "Nobody," I finally said, forcing a casual tone.

Naomi raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Nobody? Come on, you're too quiet for nobody. Spill."

But I wasn't ready to spill anything. Not to Naomi. Not to anyone. The truth was, I didn't know what to make of the tangled mess my life had become. And as much as I tried to push Giancarlo and Luca out of my mind, they had taken up residence there, unwilling to leave.

"Trust me," I said with a sigh, "it's nobody. And that's how I like it."

Naomi shrugged, accepting my answer for now, though I could tell she'd press me again later. "Well, if you need tips on juggling busy men, I'm your girl," she said with a wink before turning back to her phone.

I chuckled softly, shaking my head as I walked away, but as soon as I reached my office, the smile faded. My thoughts drifted back to last night—back to Giancarlo's raw confession, his possessive words, and the fire that still burned between us.

But no matter how strong those feelings were, I knew one thing for certain: my life was far too complicated to be caught between two brothers.