Breathe by Donna Alward

hadn’t worked out the way he’d imagined. And all the things Anna was saying—and not saying—told him her life with Stefano had been more difficult than she let on.
    â€œDid they see you argue with Stefano?” He asked it quieter, evenly. His pulse pounded at his temple. With every passing hour it seemed he disliked the man more, if that were possible. Even if he were already dead. He’d done nothing to earn Jace’s regard, either before his death or after. He had been an empty suit and all wrong for Anna, who needed someone more…
    More like him. Yeah, right.
    â€œAt the end. Aurelia is only a baby, but Matteo…” Her voice faded as she turned and waggled her fingers at her son sitting in the car, pasting on a smile for his benefit. “He has big ears.”
    â€œWhat did he hear?”
    Anna turned her head, avoiding him. He could tell by the hard line of her jaw that she was shutting him out. And damn, he deserved it, he knew that. And he wouldn’t be the one to bring up the past. But at the same time, he wanted to know. Needed to know. What had Matteo heard?
    â€œAnna.”
    â€œI don’t want to get into it. Not now.”
    He swallowed, his throat dry with words he couldn’t say. “We will talk about it later. When we’re alone.”
    She glanced into the car again. He got the feeling she almost hoped the children would be distressed so that she could escape. The corners of his mouth twitched as he saw, as she did, Matteo lean over Aurelia’s seat. He was making faces at her, and Jace heard the muffled sound of giggles.
    â€œWhy?” She asked it wearily. And he knew the exhaustion on her face was exactly why. Because she’d been hurt enough and he couldn’t help her if he didn’t know the entire truth.
    â€œBecause we’re friends. We have always been friends, and because you trusted me enough to come here. Why do you think I was so accommodating?”
    â€œPerhaps to prove a point? To rub my nose in it?” She lifted her eyebrows, challenging.
    He cursed under his breath. “No, you silly girl. I would never…” A sudden grin lit his face before he sobered once more. “All right, so maybe I would. But not this time. Not about something this important.”
    â€œSomething like this?” She wet her lips with her tongue and it caught his gaze, held it for a few seconds. “What is this, exactly?”
    â€œFor God’s sake, Anna. Your husband died. I know when a woman’s had her heart broken.”
    For once, he seemed to have rendered her speechless. He took the opportunity to carry on, to attempt to make peace.
    â€œI know things got off to a rough start. I thought I was prepared and I wasn’t. I’m used to a bachelor’s life. But I don’t want you to go.” If nothing else he’d make this much up to her. It was partly his fault things had ended up the way they had.
    â€œIt takes more than a bit of broken glass and a few dark looks to get rid of me. I thought you knew that by now.”
    She smiled at him. A bit of the old teasing was back in the gleam in her eyes. He’d missed that. He smiled in return. And that slow twisting happened again. The one he hadn’t felt since he’d been too young and foolish to know better. When she entered a room and it was like the warmth of the afternoon sun.
    He knew better now. He stepped back. Anna didn’t want him. He’d once thought she did, but then she’d moved on as if what had been between them was nothing, and all the light had gone out of his days. He needed to remember that.
    â€œWhere are you going, then?”
    Her hand rested on the door handle again. “It occurred to me that I could help childproof your home a bit during our stay. After last night…some plastic dishes wouldn’t be amiss, and a few other items. I was just going to go into town to pick up a few things. I