Page 144 of Cara & Gian: The Guzzi Duet

“Cara, please.” He took one step forward, and Cara moved one step back accordingly. “You might understand—or shit, maybe not, but I need you to know why and how this happened, please.”

“No, Gian. I don’t care, because you didn’t care enough to tell me the truth from the start. You’ve lied to me. Maybe not in your words, but in your omissions, and the things you kept from me. You didn’t let me have a choice, you made them for me. You made me look stupid—like your foolish little whore, constantly running back to your bed whenever you snapped your fingers.”

He flinched. “That’s not what I meant to do, amore.”

“You didn’t have to mean to, your actions did it for you!”

“I’m sorry, Cara.”

“Sorry won’t fix this, Gian. It’s not a fucking time machine.”

“I know, I just—” His words cut off as he looked away, his strong jaw working as he chewed over his next words. “I want to explain, but it won’t help, will it?”

“No.”

Honesty was the best policy.

He should have followed that rule, too.

Gian rubbed a hand over his lower jaw, bringing Cara’s attention to the glint of jewelry on his ring finger. Never had she seen him wear the wedding band before, and in that moment, it felt like nothing more than a slap to her face.

He caught her stare, and dropped his hand when he realized that’s where she was looking.

“I have to wear it, given how things have changed, for appearances and—”

“Stop,” Cara whispered. “You don’t have to explain. It’s a little late for that, anyway, and I’m not in any position to need an explanation. Not like your wife would need one, you know?”

Pain colored Gian’s brown gaze, darkening them briefly.

“That was low,” he said.

Cara shrugged. “Sometimes, the truth hurts, Gian. Seems I’m not the only one who needed to learn that lesson, lately.”

With that statement, Cara turned on her heel and headed back to the elevator, determined to let those words be her final goodbye. It had said much more than she could. It wasn’t a proper goodbye, but it would have to do.

“Cara, wait.”

His footsteps echoed behind her, but she kept walking.

The elevator came into view fast, but not fast enough.

Gian grabbed her arm, spinning her back around to face him. “Wait, I said.”

Cara glared right back at him, letting her anger swell for the first time since she had entered the penthouse. “Don’t manhandle me, Gian. You don’t get to order me around, not now.”

“Let me speak for five minutes. Let me explain, and then you can do whatever the fuck you want to do.”

“What is there to explain?”

“I—”

“Are you married?” she asked.

“It’s not that simple.”

“Are. You. Married.”

“Yes,” he admitted.