“I’m coming in, sweetheart,” my dad calls out.
“I’m naked, dad. Wait.”
I grab for a pair of boy shorts and a tank top and quickly throw it on, wondering if my body is literally leaking from Gio’s explosion.
Slowly I open the door and my dad shoots me an awkward eye.
“I heard you cry out my name. Is everything okay?”
I rack my brain, wondering what the heck he’s thinking then realize exactly what he heard. I suppress the urge to laugh and reply with, “Just a bad dream.”
“The bed was really shaking. It sounded like an exorcism was happening in here like someone was removing evil spirits from your body.”
“No, Dad,” I laugh, but leave off the part that something most definitely was leaving my body…my virginity.
“Okay. As long as you’re okay.” Dad turns to go but takes a minute to look down over the banister at the couch. “Where’d Gio go?”
I swallow hard, Gio poking me in the side from his position behind my opened door, which I couldn’t open much due to his size. It was the only option though. No way he could fit under the bed or in my shoebox of a closet.
“Maybe he went for a walk. It’s a nice night and I thought I heard the door close earlier.”
“I thought he’d be tired after everything that happened today.”
“You know him, dad. He’s got a lot of energy.”
“A heck of a lot more than me for being thirty-nine years old.” My dad pauses. “Okay, good night.”
“Night, dad.”
I slowly close the door and wait until I hear dad’s door close too. I do the biggest body language silent laugh in the history of the world and Gio just smirks at me and pretends to wipe his brow with the back of his hand. At least I think he’s pretending.
It’s clear Gio’s more dangerous than I ever knew, but it’s also clear he knows how to dodge a bullet…at least for now.
8 Gabriella
After a few sputters I hear the engine to dad’s old station wagon turn over and I shuffle toward the window, watching him leave for work.
That’s my cue.
I stretch and then head downstairs to give Gio a wakeup surprise if he isn’t awake already…but I find a surprise of my own.
On the counter is bacon and eggs, still warm and a note from my dad saying he’s going to try and be a better dad.
I smirk.
I hear a rustling on the couch and I slide out of my boy shorts and tank top and move closer to the couch.
“My dad is trying to be a good dad but little does he know I’ve already got my very own Daddy,” I say, jumping on top of the sheet that’s draped over Gio, ready to surprise him, but my body caves in as I make contact and I quickly realize it’s only a stack of pillows.
What the?
“Gio? Are you ready for some breakfast?” I ask moving toward the downstairs bathroom where I hear the water running, everything making sense now.
He steps from the bathroom, looking incredible even though he just woke up. “Dad’s gone,” I say. “But I know where my Daddy is,” I add planting a good morning kiss right on his lips.
“Your daddy is right fucking here,” a voice from the back part of the house calls out. I look and see the backdoor is open and my dad standing there with his satchel in his hand until it drops and the weight of all the accounting forms and tax booklets hits the floor. “What the fuck is going on?”
“I was going to tell you, Tim,” Gio says, stepping in front of me as dad comes storming in our direction, throwing a punch at Gio, which he easily blocks and then puts his arm out keeping dad at bay.
But my dad’s not having it, throwing punch after punch at Gio, who’s finally had enough. “Enough Tim.”
“Fuck you! You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“As your friend, I’m telling you to stop or I’m going to shove your head up your ass until you start seeing shit clearly.”
“Oh, I see very clearly what’s happening,” dad says, backing off but completely out of breath.
“I see you fucked my daughter, and now I see you leaving my house and never coming back.”
“Watch your mouth around my woman,” Gio says, cocking his head and letting dad know he’s not going to tolerate verbal abuse coming our way.
“This is my house, asshole. And I say get out before I call the cops. Hell, I’ve got enough of their numbers on speed dial after the mess you dragged me into.”
“It’s not like that,” Gio adds, and I fight back a tear. What in the hell is happening right now and why was I so careless walking around the house naked, and now I can’t do anything other than hide behind the door, peeking around, as Gio’s body shields me from my dad. I’m not worried about dad hitting me or anything, he would never do that, but the last thing either of us needs is for him to see me completely bare in front of him.
“Out!” my dad yells, pointing at the door.
Gio turns around and cups my face. “Don’t worry, this is all going to—“
“Out!” my dad yells.
“I’ll call you in a bit,” Gio adds. “You’re mine, piccolina. Don’t forget it,” he says, kissing me on the forehead and wiping away my tears, but new ones quickly replace them. “Have faith in your Daddy,” he says softly enough so that my dad can’t hear.
My dad just looks at me shaking his head as Gio grabs his duffel bag beside the couch and walks out the front door in his underwear.
“Hey, neighbor!” I hear a woman’s voice call out and I want to run outside and scratch her damn eyes out.
“Get dressed,”
