Her Mafia Prince ✔️

Chapter 35 - Just Breathe

⚠️ Warning - this chapter deals with severe anxiety, please don't read it if you're triggered by this ⚠️

~ Gabriella's POV ~

"I don't want anymore mom."

"But Gabriella, you asked for another plate. I just made it and now you're saying-"

"Okay fine if you're forcing me, I'll have it." I let out an exaggerated defeated sigh as I took the second plate of pancakes from her and started cutting into it causing my brother to let out a scoff next to me. "Fatty."

"Giovanni!" My father's stern tone caused my brother to look over at him before he just rolled his eyes and continued eating his own breakfast.

What he said was mean, but he wasn't wrong though, that was for sure. Ever since I'd come home from Sicily my morning sickness had almost disappeared and instead I'd been eating a lot more than I ever would. This new eating habit started before the morning sickness went, but now that I could eat without being sick at all, I really was eating a lot. As well as the water weight and the growing baby inside me, the amount of food I'd eaten had definitely made a difference to my weight.

I couldn't fit into any of my jeans anymore. As you can imagine, my self esteem was pretty low. It only got worse when I ate to take away the sadness.

"Why are you even here? You have your own home. Go to it." My brother looked over at me with a challenging glare.

"So do you."

Bitch.

"Gabriella, Giovanni please. I've had enough of listening to the two of you bicker for the last ten days. Whatever argument you had, just make up already."

"No way."
"Absolutely not."

My mom let out a frustrated sigh before she mumbled something about having immature children under her breath.

It really had been a whole ten days since my argument with Giovanni when I told my family about the baby. Both of us were too stubborn to ever be the first one to apologise. Even after an intervention from my both my sister and my mother.

It had also been fifteen days since Matteo and I got home from Sicily, and he still hadn't called or messaged me. Unfortunately, he was another stubborn male I had to contend with.

So, my stay of a few nights at my parents house turned into over two weeks. Which unfortunately meant, I had to go home today since my mother was becoming more and more suspicious of Matteo's never ending business trip. I also couldn't fit into most of my clothes since I didn't plan ahead and brought more jeans than leggings with me.

"What time are you leaving Gabriella?" I glanced over at my father who was busy reading the newspaper as he spoke. Neither of us broached the subject of my pregnancy again after he walked out of the living following my announcement. It was like the gigantic elephant in the room - we both knew I was pregnant especially when I ate the amount of food that I was eating, but we just never actually said it out loud to each other.

"I have work soon, after I finish around 5pm, then I guess I'll come and get my things and then go." My father nodded his head as he turned the page of his newspaper.

It felt like this pregnancy just took us straight back to the awkward and tense relationship we had for most of my life. After my run in with Dean at the front door before Matteo and I even got together, our relationship started improving when my dad helped me that day.

But now all that progress had just gone out of the window and we were back to short, limited conversations and nods from across the room as a greeting instead of a hug.