Chapter 345
Veronica blinked, her hand pausing where it rested near his hair. “What p>
“You don’t want me here?” she asked.
“This is not the welcome I expected,” she said. “But you are on painkillers, so I’ll allow it.” She ran her fingers gently through his hair, smoothing it back from his forehead. Luca closed his eyes briefly at the touch.
A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, sliding down into his hairline. The drugs had stripped him of dignity, and Veronica had stripped him of the need to pretend.
“No,” she said gently. “Marco did his best p>
“Always morbid. Always.” Veronica rolled her eyes. She let out a small sigh and brushed her thumb beneath Luca’s eye, catching the last trace of that stubborn tear he had tried so hard to hide. “I have something to tell you,” she said, there was a bright, almost breathless excitement in her tone.
“Okay,” she said. “You go first p>
A smile broke across her face, easy and warm and so full of relief it nearly hurt.
“But,” he began, and already she hated that word, “I cannot keep endangering you p>
Luca let out a strained breath. “Just let me get it out, okay p>
“Sorry p>
Vee’s smile faded. Her excitement, the news perched right at the tip of her tongue, began to curl inward on itself.
“I don’t understand.” She straightened slowly from where she had been sitting at the edge of the bed, the warmth of the moment vanishing so fast it felt like the air in the room had changed. One second she had been glowing with relief and love and news she could barely wait to tell him. The next, she was standing over him, staring down like she was trying to decide whether he was delirious, stupid, or both.
Vee just stared at him. For one long, stunned moment, she said nothing at all. “You better not mean that,” she said at last. “It better be the damned painkillers talking because God help me, I will punch your nose out p>
Before he could finish, she hit him in the face, open palm. His head turned slightly with the force of it.
At this point, as far as she was concerned, his brain needed a hard reset and she was simply providing medical assistance.
Luca turned his face back slowly, blinking at her.
“We will talk when you are better,” she said, each word clipped and furious. “When you can stand on your own fucking two feet and be a man p>
“You told me to learn,” she said, pointing at him. “You told me to adapt. And when I do, when I actually do, you spring this shit on me?” Her eyes flashed with hurt now impossible to miss beneath the anger. “Are you fucking—” Again she stopped herself, drew in a sharp breath, then shook her head like if she kept speaking she might kill him herself and save everyone else the trouble.
“Vee… listen to me,” Luca started. He should have let her go. He knew that. He should have shut up.
“I’m pregnant!” she finally said. Veronica let out a shaky breath. “I might as well tell you,” she said, “because it seems your famiglia is planning on holding a party or something. Your father is acting weird p>
“Bambola he breathed. “I thought he started, then stopped, swallowing hard.
And all at once Luca understood with brutal clarity that he had just committed one of the greatest acts of stupidity in recorded history.
“Oh fuck!” Luca looked suddenly more awake than he had since she walked into the room, all the drugged slowness burned right out of his expression by sheer panic and horror at himself. “No—no, no, no,” he muttered. He grabbed the IV line and yanked it out of his hand.
“No. No. No.” Veronica threw a hand up the moment Luca tried to speak again, her eyes flashing with a fury sharpened by hurt. “You are not going to apologize for this. You are not going to apologize for ruining my moment. You ruined it already p>
She narrowed her eyes immediately, pouncing on that. “So you admit your logic was stupid?” she demanded. “You… admit it p>
She stared at him, incredulous.
“But you were happy,” Luca finished. “And since we’ve been together, you have constantly needed protection—even though you refuse it half the time p>
Luca gave her a look.
“When Julian was talking,” Luca said, “about everything he planned on doing to you He broke off for a second, jaw clenching. “I kept praying. To be able to see you one more time,” he said. “To tell you how sorry I am. That the only thing I have brought you is hurt and pain p>
“When I got the news Her breath hitched, and this time she didn’t stop the tear that slipped free. “I felt so happy, because I knew you would be happy p>
Veronica folded her arms.
“You’re stupid!” she said immediately, raising a hand. “It is already ruined p>