It still isn't
1188 Words
Gia POV
After dropping Luca off at school, Gia headed to the mall, with, of course, Marco in tow. She wanted to pick out a nice formal outfit for Luca for her parents' wedding anniversary that weekend. She hummed as she searched for outfits—she was in a good mood.
She couldn’t wait to see her parents, and even Leo had been very loving and praised her constantly—since they’d been trying for a baby. She almost felt bad for conning him—almost.
Gia knocked on the wooden beam on the store wall—hoping her good mood wouldn’t jinx the day.
She wandered into a children’s boutique, the soft pastel displays making her smile. As she thumbed through a rack of little button-up shirts, something prickled at the back of her neck — the feeling of being watched.
She glanced over her shoulder, heart skipping in panic — but it was just Marco, standing a few paces behind her, pretending to scroll through his phone.
Gia exhaled, forcing herself to relax.
She selected a small navy blazer and held it up against her frame, smiling. Luca would look so handsome.
She was turning toward the checkout counter when she saw him.
Dante.
He was leaning casually against a pillar near the entrance of the store, dressed in a dark jacket and slacks. He looked like sin incarnate, dangerous and magnetic, his gaze locked onto hers.
Gia froze, panic seizing her chest.
Marco hadn’t noticed yet — he was still looking at his phone.
Dante lifted a hand slightly — not a wave, just a subtle movement. And then she saw it.
A small folded piece of paper between his fingers.
Gia’s breath caught.
For a beat, she didn’t move.
Then, before Marco could look up, she moved toward a nearby clothing rack, pretending to examine a row of ties.
Dante crossed the floor casually, brushing past her — and she felt the slip of paper pressed lightly into her hand. Their fingers barely touched.
She stuffed the paper into her purse without looking, heart racing wildly.
“I’m going to check the other store across the way,” Gia said, loud enough for Marco to hear. “Be right back.”
Marco nodded distractedly.
Gia stepped out into the mall corridor, keeping her pace calm until she was out of sight. Then she ducked into a nearby service hallway between two stores, her heart hammering in her ears.
She unfolded the note with shaking hands.
Meet me outside, back entrance. Five minutes. Please.
Her hands trembled. Her mind screamed at her not to go.
But her feet were already moving.
She was just going to tell him to stop reaching out to her. What they had was ancient history. It was wonderful, but he’d betrayed her in the worst possible way and he should stop trying to ruin her life.
Yes, that’s what she was going to say and that’s why she was going.
Stop ruining my life. She repeated over and over, but when she pushed open the backdoor—stepping into the ally—all coherent thoughts slipped from her mind.
There he stood, his back to her, pacing. He had yet to notice her and turn around.
Gia’s eyes darted to his ass. Still bite worthy. Some things just never changed.
Suddenly, he turned and stopped, his eyes on her—a few breaths passed between them and she couldn’t help the flash of memories that echoed through her mind. Her eyes darted to his lips, but he spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Gia, thank you for coming. I didn’t know how else to reach you and—”
“Please,” she held up her hand, “Don’t reach out to me anymore. We’re over. You don’t know what you’re doing… Go back to your wife, Dante,” she turned to leave, her hand already on the door, when—
“I know about your son…”
She froze, that didn’t mean anything. She turned. “Yes, I have a son. It’s not a secret,” she scoffed.
“I know he’s mine.”
Gia stiffened. “You’re wrong,” she snapped. “He’s Leo’s son. End of story.”
The lie tasted like ash on her tongue.
Dante took a slow step toward her, his eyes burning into hers. “Don’t lie to me, Gia. I have eyes. I have proof. He’s mine.”
Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “So what if he is?” she hissed, blinking rapidly. She would not cry. “You lost the right to care the moment you climbed into bed with someone else, Dante. You threw us away.”
The words hung between them, sharp and brutal.
Dante flinched. For once, he didn’t have a comeback. He just stared at her, chest rising and falling.
Gia shook her head, furious and aching and exhausted all at once. “You don't get to come back five years later and demand anything from me. You don't know what my life is like.”
A tear slipped free despite her best efforts. She wiped it away angrily.
And Dante — Dante just looked at her, like she was the only thing in the world worth seeing.
“There she is,” he whispered.
Gia froze.
He stepped closer, so close she could feel the heat of his body against hers. His hand rose slowly, giving her every chance to pull away.
But she didn’t.
His fingers brushed her cheek, feather-light, wiping away the tear.
Gia’s breath caught.
Without thinking — without meaning to — she leaned into his touch, before pulling away abruptly.
She shook her head fiercely. “I can’t do this. I can’t.”
She turned to go—but Dante was already grabbing her wrist, forcing her to face him.
"It’s over, Dante!” She said, her voice trembling.
"It was never over, Gia. It still isn’t.”
Before she could pull away — before she could even think — he crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her like she was the only thing left keeping him alive.
It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t careful.
It was five years of pain, and regret, and longing colliding all at once.
His mouth crushed hers, and she kissed him back with a broken sound in her throat, clutching at the front of his jacket like she might fall apart if she didn’t hold onto something.
The kiss burned through her defenses in seconds.
For a heartbeat, it felt like nothing had changed.
For a heartbeat, it felt like coming home.
Then reality slammed back in.
Gia shoved him away, breathing hard, her heart shattering all over again.
“This changes nothing,” she said hoarsely. “Nothing.”
Dante’s eyes were wild with emotion. “Gia—”
She shook her head fiercely. “this is wrong,”
And before he could stop her, she turned and fled back into the mall, leaving him standing alone in the alley, fists clenched at his sides, watching her go.
Again.
- Writer
