Gio just looked at me and nodded, but I could sense there was more going on in his mind. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“Why are you with him, anyway?” I was hurt even more, as it seemed like he was just forcing himself to talk to me about this, and it felt like he didn’t care.
“I was invited by an employee to celebrate her birthday. I had no idea Rory was there. I avoided him, I swear! I didn’t even go to the site. Please, believe me.” I tried to approach Gio, but when I saw his furrowed brow, I hesitated.
“Okay,” was his curt response. “I’m not doing anything wrong with Aleeza. Whoever saw us and told you, I hope they didn’t add any false details. We just talked because our company has a project. She’s my architect, and it’s only natural for us to be together sometimes.”
Though I didn’t like what I heard, I let it be. I suppressed my jealousy, telling myself there was no reason to be jealous since it was work-related. After all, there was no physical contact between them, right? I shouldn’t assume the worst.
Even though Gio and I had a conversation, I still didn’t feel good because I knew we weren’t quite right yet. There was a distance between us, and it felt like Gio had put up a barrier between us. I wanted to get closer to him, but I couldn’t do it.
This was different from our previous arguments or shallow disagreements that we used to resolve within a day. Right now, it felt like I had hurt Gio deeply, and he was distancing himself from me a way of protecting himself and his emotions. The cold shoulder remained.
~***~
I feel like I’m stumbling through every interaction with Gio. Even though he’s here at home, it’s as if he’s not. He’s been talking to his dad for a while now in the study room. I can keenly sense Gio avoiding me, and I’m at a loss for what to do. I’ve tried so hard to approach him all day, but it feels like he’s the one pulling away. I smile at him, but he doesn’t reciprocate. I even cooked for him earlier and waited for some acknowledgment or at least a question about the chef, but nothing. Now I’m waiting outside his study room. I want to knock, but I’m afraid it will only add to my frustration with everything that’s happening. How can we fix this if we’re not talking to each other? Do I need to give him some space? But for how long? How long will we be like this?
Over the past Saturday and Sunday, Gio and I hardly spoke. We were invited to his parents’ house for dinner on Sunday by Mommy. We went, but Gio didn’t speak to me once. He didn’t even hold my hand as he usually does. He walked ahead of me, never looking back to see if I was walking with him or not.
At dinner with his parents, I remained silent. I only opened my mouth to eat and responded when spoken to. I was in no mood for conversation, even though Mommy kept smiling at me. When I saw Gio’s hand on his thigh, I was tempted to reach for it, but as soon as he noticed my intentions, he swiftly placed his hand on the table, interlocking his fingers, and continued talking to his father.
I bit my lip and averted my gaze from him. I got up, and that caught everyone’s attention. I forced a smile before excusing myself.
“Excuse me, I just need to use the restroom.”
I left without waiting for their response. I knew Gio was looking at me, but I ignored it, just as he had ignored me earlier. I leaned on the bathroom counter with both hands, looked at my reflection in the mirror, and realized how much chaos had consumed my life. I laughed at myself.
“Don’t cry, Millie…” I consoled myself because I knew no one else would do it for me right now. “You shouldn’t be crying again. You’ve been crying for days, and you’ve done everything, but he still doesn’t want it.”
I took a deep breath and looked up to prevent the impending tears from falling.
To be honest, I pity myself. I let myself take the blame, even though I didn’t want what Rory did to me, but it hurts. It feels like I don’t deserve this treatment from Gio. I tried to explain myself, but it seems like he doesn’t want to listen.
I shook my head, composed myself inside, and then went outside.
Gio and I didn’t stay long there. I remained quiet during our trip back home. When we arrived, I didn’t even wait for him to open the door for me. I decided not to expect Gio to do the things I was used to him doing for me. The more I expect, the more I get hurt.
When Monday came, I threw myself into work. I didn’t have any meetings today, and technically, I could visit the site because my schedule was flexible, but I chose not to. I didn’t want to add to the list of my wrongdoings in Gio’s eyes if he found out that Rory and I had been seen together again.
After going through the piles of documents I needed to read and sign, I decided to take a break.
What if I visited Gio? Would he appreciate my effort now? I’m still trying to placate him.
I called my secretary and ordered some food that I could take to Gio. Perhaps I could leave for a while and have a snack with Gio. Maybe if the two of us talked today, we could resolve our situation.
When the food arrived, I also had my car prepared. We immediately set off for Gio’s company.
People greeted me when I arrived. My mood had improved, and I was trying to stay positive.
“Hi,” I greeted a familiar woman. She wasn’t Heidi, but I thought she might be Heidi’s assistant. “Is Gio here?”
“Mrs. Locatelli!” The woman stood up and faced me. “Mr. Locatelli is in a meeting, but it might be ending soon.”
“Is that so? Can I wait for him? Even just outside?”
“Of course! If you’d like, ma’am, you can wait inside. I’m sure Sir won’t mind since you’re his wife.”
I was escorted into Gio’s office, where I decided to wait. I asked if I could use some of Gio’s things to prepare our snacks, and his assistant secretary kindly granted me permission.
I’m enjoying what I’m doing, thinking about everything I’ll say to Gio, and I can’t help but smile when the thought crosses my mind that we might reconcile today. I’m sitting on the sofa while waiting for Gio. I noticed that there are a few picture frames here, and as I approached them, my mood lightened even more when I saw a photo of myself among them. I touched it gently, as if it were a sign that our conversation would go well today.
I heard the door opening, and I turned with a smile, expecting Gio. I knew it might be him.
My smile quickly faded when I saw that it wasn’t just Gio. Aleeza was with him, and his assistant secretary followed them in. I noticed her scratching her head, seemingly because she hadn’t immediately informed Gio that I was here.
“What are you doing here?” His greeting left my throat dry. I gulped and struggled to speak.
My gaze was fixed on Aleeza, and when she noticed me looking at her, she leaned closer to Gio. Gio, however, didn’t seem to notice what Aleeza was doing because his attention remained cold and distant, focused on me.