drained.
* * *
Gio stands by the window, anticipating Gracelynn’s return. He can’t fathom why he let her leave. He thought she was a fighter rather than the fleeing type.
He leans down and pets his dog’s belly. “Well, Holly, what will we do now that she’s gone, girl?” As he talks to the dog, she runs out of the room.
He chases after Holly only to find her in Gracelynn’s room where they were fifteen minutes ago. Holly lays her head on the presents that he and Gracelynn left on the bed.
“You want me to look at the stuff that belonged to Angelo?”
Holly barks.
“Okay, I got it, girl. I’ll take a look.” Giovanni starts looking through the other papers from the box. There’s a photo of Angelo and Gracelynn while a white cat sits at their feet while they kiss underneath mistletoe hanging from a doorway. Angelo’s hand lightly touches Gracelynn’s cheek as he kisses her with the most sincere, loving look that Giovanni’s ever seen.
Enough. I can’t look at any more of this. I loved Lizzie, but I don’t remember looking at her the way Angelo looked at this woman.
Holly barks again and nods her head at a piece of paper lying on the floor.
“What are you girl, part human?”
He realizes it’s the piece of paper he placed in his back pocket. He opens it slowly and discovers the paper holds his birth records. His identity was stolen by the family nanny who was to take care of him and his brother. He always wondered why he never looked like his mom, but she just said that these things happen and to not worry about it.
He starts crying. Oh my God! I had a family! I could’ve had a family who loved me. Breanna stole that from me and from my birth parents . He sobs, unable to control the tears. And now I can’t do anything about it since she is dead, long dead.
He pulls his hair, trying to gather his composure. No wonder he never looked like any of his other family members. Does Grandma know? Do his other family members?
He leaves the room to call his Grandmother. He needs to tell her.
“I know, Grandma,” he sobs into the phone. “I can’t tell anyone about this. Please tell me you won’t tell Kat. This will destroy her,” he pleads with her on the phone.
“Gio, I won’t tell her, that’s your news to share…. But I’m completely shocked. Breanna never wanted to tell me who your father was, which I thought was odd. But when your mother was younger, she did do some outrageous things. I’m so sorry for you, Gio. I’m sorry for the brother you lost and the family you didn’t know existed. I hope you still will call me Grandma.” She sobs into the phone, which guts him.
“You’ll always be my grandma! I love you,” he whispers into the phone. He hangs up, emotionally drained.
He lets Holly out for the night and looks around the house, feeling completely alone. He wants Gracelynn to come back. He misses her.
Chapter 10
GRACELYNN GLANCES AT THE CLOCK and notices it’s seven forty five a.m. She stretches her arms and decides to get ready for the day.
She chooses to wear a dark blue sweater, dark skinny jeans and a brown pair of boots. She forgoes her typical hair style and puts on a cute hat. She adds a little mascara and eyeliner, completing her ensemble as she grabs her keys and purse.
As she leaves the room, she’s even more disgusted than last night. The daylight shows severely paint-chipped walls with holes, deep stained carpeting and paintings that have seen better days decorate a few walls.
Just as she’s about to exit the motel, a man stops her.
“Hello. I couldn’t help but notice you. I’m Xavier, the manager’s son.” She feels like she is being groped with this nasty young man’s eyes. His overalls, dirty hands, work boots, dark hair, brown creepy looking eyes and even the smile on his face send chills down her spine. This man is even worse than his father, who she met last night.
“Xavier, it’s nice to meet you, but I’m sorry; I have to run.” She
* * *
Gio stands by the window, anticipating Gracelynn’s return. He can’t fathom why he let her leave. He thought she was a fighter rather than the fleeing type.
He leans down and pets his dog’s belly. “Well, Holly, what will we do now that she’s gone, girl?” As he talks to the dog, she runs out of the room.
He chases after Holly only to find her in Gracelynn’s room where they were fifteen minutes ago. Holly lays her head on the presents that he and Gracelynn left on the bed.
“You want me to look at the stuff that belonged to Angelo?”
Holly barks.
“Okay, I got it, girl. I’ll take a look.” Giovanni starts looking through the other papers from the box. There’s a photo of Angelo and Gracelynn while a white cat sits at their feet while they kiss underneath mistletoe hanging from a doorway. Angelo’s hand lightly touches Gracelynn’s cheek as he kisses her with the most sincere, loving look that Giovanni’s ever seen.
Enough. I can’t look at any more of this. I loved Lizzie, but I don’t remember looking at her the way Angelo looked at this woman.
Holly barks again and nods her head at a piece of paper lying on the floor.
“What are you girl, part human?”
He realizes it’s the piece of paper he placed in his back pocket. He opens it slowly and discovers the paper holds his birth records. His identity was stolen by the family nanny who was to take care of him and his brother. He always wondered why he never looked like his mom, but she just said that these things happen and to not worry about it.
He starts crying. Oh my God! I had a family! I could’ve had a family who loved me. Breanna stole that from me and from my birth parents . He sobs, unable to control the tears. And now I can’t do anything about it since she is dead, long dead.
He pulls his hair, trying to gather his composure. No wonder he never looked like any of his other family members. Does Grandma know? Do his other family members?
He leaves the room to call his Grandmother. He needs to tell her.
“I know, Grandma,” he sobs into the phone. “I can’t tell anyone about this. Please tell me you won’t tell Kat. This will destroy her,” he pleads with her on the phone.
“Gio, I won’t tell her, that’s your news to share…. But I’m completely shocked. Breanna never wanted to tell me who your father was, which I thought was odd. But when your mother was younger, she did do some outrageous things. I’m so sorry for you, Gio. I’m sorry for the brother you lost and the family you didn’t know existed. I hope you still will call me Grandma.” She sobs into the phone, which guts him.
“You’ll always be my grandma! I love you,” he whispers into the phone. He hangs up, emotionally drained.
He lets Holly out for the night and looks around the house, feeling completely alone. He wants Gracelynn to come back. He misses her.
Chapter 10
GRACELYNN GLANCES AT THE CLOCK and notices it’s seven forty five a.m. She stretches her arms and decides to get ready for the day.
She chooses to wear a dark blue sweater, dark skinny jeans and a brown pair of boots. She forgoes her typical hair style and puts on a cute hat. She adds a little mascara and eyeliner, completing her ensemble as she grabs her keys and purse.
As she leaves the room, she’s even more disgusted than last night. The daylight shows severely paint-chipped walls with holes, deep stained carpeting and paintings that have seen better days decorate a few walls.
Just as she’s about to exit the motel, a man stops her.
“Hello. I couldn’t help but notice you. I’m Xavier, the manager’s son.” She feels like she is being groped with this nasty young man’s eyes. His overalls, dirty hands, work boots, dark hair, brown creepy looking eyes and even the smile on his face send chills down her spine. This man is even worse than his father, who she met last night.
“Xavier, it’s nice to meet you, but I’m sorry; I have to run.” She
Similar Books
