Chapter 9

Lexi's POV

"Aren't you going to the office today?" I asked Gio as I stood before the mirror brushing my hair.

"Sì, but Lucas is coming here and we'll be discussing some business before, so that means that I still have a couple minutes of alone time with you." Gio said the last part a bit seductively as he came and held me from behind then placed a kiss on my neck.

"Sorry babe but I have to leave for the office in a few so we'll just have to use that alone time later." I giggle as his lips tickled my neck.

"Surely we can spend a few more minutes in. You me the big empty bed?" Gio whispered again in my hair.

"You know I'd love to but I've got to get ready. I need to fix my hair." I chuckled as I pulled away from him and started braiding my hair in a single French braid.

"No, don't braid it," Gio said as he took away my hands from my hair and began running his fingers through the braid I had started. "Wear it down; I like your hair down. It looks good this way."

"Really?" I asked smiling before turning to look at my hair in the mirror. It fell in loose curls around my shoulders. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. You look even more beautiful that way." Gio said as he turned me around in his arms and placed a kiss on my lips.

"Aww, okay. Hair down it is then." I smiled as I walked to the bathroom.

I was brushing my teeth when I heard Gio muttered a curse. After rinsing my mouth and toothbrush, I decided to find out what went wrong.

"Baby what's wrong?" I called.

"Do you have a manicure set with a nail clippers or something? I just tore a nail." Gio called back.

"Oh my God. I can't believe you just said that. Are you a girl or something?" I chuckled. "Look in the top drawer."

"I can't find it, there is too many things in here." Gio complained as I walked out of the bathroom.

"That's because you should be looking in the left one—in my drawer. That drawer you just opened is practically pure junk." I said to him.

"What the hell are these?" I heard Gio asked in a serious tone causing me to turn to face him.

What Gio held in his hand had me literally rooted to the spot that I was in. I couldn't respond right away. I didn't even remember that I had those in that drawer. Gio never went in those two drawers so I thought it was the best place to hide them— at the back of one of the drawers. I knew the minute that Gio had them in his hand that I had screwed up by sending him in there.

"Lexi?" Gio said a bit louder this time causing me to look up to his face. "I said what the hell are these?"

"Gio, uhm... Those are..." I said unsure of how to explain myself to him.

"I know what they are. What I want to know is why do you have them? Why the hell do you have birth control pills Lexi!?" Gio yelled angrily.

"Gio, I can explain…" I said softly going towards him.

"Explain what Lexi!? That you have been taking these behind my back!?" Gio asked angrily. "That you've been taking me for an idiot how long now?"

"That's not it Gio. It's just that after everything that has happened, I...."

"You decided that you were going to be taking birth control pills without discussing it with me!?" Gio said sounding betrayed. "All these months we've discussed trying for another baby and you’ve led me to believe that you were okay with the idea but yet you've been secretly taking these? Is that how our relationship is?"

"Could you stop yelling at me for a minute!" I said raising my voice too a little. "Just let me explain."

"Explain what to me Lexi? More lies!?"

"Gio, I never lied to you! I started taking those pills when we got back together." I tried to explain. "After everything that has happened the first time when I lost the baby, I just couldn't..."

"I thought you were over that. We talked about this. Even a few weeks ago we talked about trying for another baby and you agreed to it. Yet you knew that you were against it and you've been deceiving me this whole damn time!?" Gio yelled.

"Gio that is not fair. You knew what happened. To hell, you even had a hand in it. You know how much losing that baby before affected me!" I yelled back. "You of all people should understand why I had to do it."

I had been pregnant before when Gio and I were together at first. Then after a huge disagreement and misunderstanding, Gio and I broke up. All that and more resulted in me losing the baby. That lost took a toll on me then, it made me scared of ever getting pregnant again. So after Gio and I worked things out and got back together, I got on birth control.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you? One stupid angry mistake! What is this? A plot to punish me for what I did? To make me forever guilty and remember my mistake?" Gio asked.

"Why are you so mad about something so stupid? Gio, I lost a baby before and it scared the hell out of me. Sue me for being scared and not wanting to go down that road again." I said to him just as angry. "I didn't tell you that I was on the pill because I knew that you wouldn't like it. I thought that it would be easier to keep it from you. But you can't blame me!"

"Then who the hell am I supposed to blame then Lexi? We talked about it, you agreed we would try for another baby and now I'm finding out that it was all an act?" Gio asked. "Just like the first time when you came into my life right?"

"You have no right to bring that up now!" I gasped angrily. "That's the past, it should stay in the past."

"As should the whole issue about the baby! I made a mistake before Lexi and I have apologized a million times. You said you forgave me and that we'd forget about it and then this is what I find?" Gio said as he threw the pack of pill to the floor in front of me. "I can't believe that you would do something like that."

"If you were a person that I could talk to about things like this then I would've told you before but no. I knew this was how you would behave." I responded. "You have no one to blame but your damn self!"

"I can't believe you right now." Gio said in shock and a flash of hurt from my words masked his face. "You never ceased to surprise me Lexi."

With that, Gio turned and stormed out of the room leaving me to groan in frustration. Guilt immediately washed over me about what I had done and even worst what I just said. I was always secretly still mad at him for being part of the reason why I had lost my baby. And being scared was a part of the reason why I had decided to be safe— but thinking about things now, I realized that maybe I was wrong. And even more for what I just said to him. I probably just made him felt guiltier about what had happened in the past. Groaning in frustration, I decided to run after him. This wasn't how things should be between us.

"Gio wait!"

I followed Gio into his office. As much as I was mad about what he had said about me acting just as when I first entered into his life, I knew that he must be hurt more about my respond. I couldn't leave home knowing that there was tension left behind- knowing we are mad at each other. Just minutes ago we were good and now we were at each other’s throat.

"Gio, about what I just said..." I started once I was in his office. "I didn't mean..."

"You didn't mean it?" Gio said with a harsh laugh. "Don't give me that Lexi. Of course you meant it. They always say a drunk mind reveal sober thoughts but it doesn't only apply to drunken mind. It is the same for when a person is angry or upset."

"What did you want me to do Gio!? Did you want me to leave myself unprotected and vulnerable once again!?" I asked him.

"Before? No, maybe not! But we're married now Lexi. We are married. This is something you should have discussed with me. Something you should have let me know about— not just go behind my back and continued taking those pills!" Gio said still upset. "You should have never led me on or let me have my hopes up that maybe one day soon I was going to be a father when you have no intention of making me one!"

Just by looking at his face, I knew that my actions had hurt him big time. I hated knowing that it was because of what I did— hiding and taking those pills –that he was this hurt. I opened my mouth to start apologizing when there was a knock on the office door which stopped me from saying anything further. With one final look in my direction, Gio went and dragger open the door.

You wanted us to discuss business." I heard Lucas said as it was opened. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Great, he had to show up just now. I saw Gio's eyebrow twitched with anger and his jaw clenched a bit before he responded.

"No you didn't. Come in. I called you to discuss business and we are going to discuss things." Gio said to Lucas seriously before turning to me. "I'm going to be busy now, we'll talk about this later."

"Gio…" I said in a defeated tone.

How could I just leave now when things were like this between us?

"I said later Lexi." Gio snapped at me a bit harsh surprising me.

Raising his voice or snapping at me isn't something Gio did much.

"Fine," I sighed shaking my head. "I'll go."

"You should." Gio replied in the same upset tone.

Sighing again, I turned towards the door and passed Lucas without saying anything as I left his office.

I guess I would just have to go and make it up to him later when I got home. I seriously didn't think it would be like this if he found out. I didn't even think he would've found out for that matter. Now things were just really messed up.

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Gio's POV

Slamming the door behind her, I turned to face Lucas as I tried to forget the whole reason why I was mad.

"So what's the development?" I asked him completely ignoring the fact that he had just witness Lexi's and I brawled a minute ago.

"I have got a perfect location for the new casino." Lucas replied.

I waited for him to continue. I didn't have to ask where for him to know to just tell me. I wasn't in any mood to ask small questions like those at the moment.

"It is that building off 62 Kildare street." Lucas continued. "Inside where that old boxing gym used to be"

"So did you purchase the building?" I asked.

"I talked to the owner but haven't finalized the deal. I thought I'd run it by you first." Lucas replied.

"Lucas, if I didn't think you could do the job I wouldn't have put you in charge of it. Do what you have to do."

"Good, I can finalize it later." Lucas said to me.

"With that out the way..." I said to him. "How is everything with the girl? She hasn't opened her mouth about anything as she?"

"Not as far as I know. The guys watching her haven't heard anything. Just that she was staying with her friend and they're both working at Salty's club and bar." Lucas said. "She isn't going to say anything.”

"How are you so sure? You can't trust a recovered drug addict to keep quiet if she has a relapse." I said to him.

"Carter and Jay are keeping an eye on her and she was left with a warning not to get involved again." Lucas replied. "I don't think she'll be stupid enough to go back into it. She knows I’ll go after her if she does and I believe she’s pretty scared of me already."

"You’d better be sure because if she does open her mouth to anyone, she'll be a liability that you're going to have to deal with."