225

225
Matteo’s POV
I stared at my phone, willing it to light up with a message, a call, anything. But the screen remained dark, the silence stretching longer and heavier with every passing minute.
It had been two days since Gianna left the dinner table and, by extension, my life-at least, that’s what it felt like. Two days of her refusing to answer my calls, ignoring my texts, and shutting me out completely.
The last message I’d sent was still unread: “Gianna, please. I need to talk to you.”
I clenched my jaw, tossing the phone onto the couch next to me. It landed face down with a dull thud, mocking me with its lack of response.
This wasn’t like her. Gianna wasn’t the type to play games or hold grudges. She was calm, understanding, always the voice of reason when I let my temper get the better of me. But now, I couldn’t reach her. Not even to say I was sorry for what happened at dinner.
And the worst part? I knew exactly who to blame.
“Emilia,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair.
My sister had no right to act the way she did. Gianna wasn’t just some random woman I was dating. She was important to me, and Emilia had dismissed her like she was nothing. The look on Gianna’s face as she left, the humiliation and hurt was burned into my memory.
I stood up, pacing the room. Every step made my anger bubble closer to the surface. Emilia always had to insert herself into my life, like her opinion was the ultimate truth. She didn’t even know Gianna. She had no idea how much Gianna meant to me, how much she’d helped me become the man I was trying to be.
But she didn’t care about any of that. She only cared about what she thought was best.
Grabbing my phone again, I scrolled through my messages, stopping at Gianna’s name. There were at least a dozen unanswered texts from me, each more desperate than the last.
“Gianna, I’m sorry. Please call me.”
“I miss you. Just tell me you’re okay.”
“Can we talk? I’ll come to you if that’s easier.”
Nothing.
I dropped back onto the couch, my head falling into my hands. I wasn’t used to feeling this helpless. Usually, if there was a problem, I could fix it. But how could I fix this if Gianna wouldn’t even talk to me?
My mind raced with possibilities. Was she done with me? Had Emilia’s disapproval been the final straw? Or was this just her way of taking some space, figuring out what she wanted?
The thought of losing her made my stomach twist. I didn’t want space-I wanted her here, with me, where she belonged.
And yet, I couldn’t shake the growing fear that maybe she was starting to believe Emilia was right.
No. I refused to let that happen.
I grabbed my keys and jacket, my decision made before I could second-guess myself. If Gianna wouldn’t answer her phone, then I’d go to her place and talk to her in person.
I halted, standing by my door and second guessing myself. Was that what she wanted? She’d asked for time, and barging in on her now might only make things worse.
I swore under my breath and threw the keys onto the counter.
This wasn’t just about me. If I loved Gianna-and I did-I had to respect her need for space. But damn, it was hard.
Instead, I called the one person I could still confront.
“Matteo,” Emilia answered on the third ring, her voice cautious.
“What the hell were you thinking?” I snapped, skipping any pleasantries.
“Excuse me?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about. Dinner. Gianna. You treated her like she wasn’t even good enough to sit at the same table as us.”
There was a pause, and I could almost hear her bristle on the other end.
“We’ve talked about this, Matteo. And I’m sorry if it’s still pissing you off, but we’ve talked about this and going back to it won’t change anything. Like I said earlier, I’m sorry,” she answered flatly. I scoffed.
“Your apologies doesn’t change anything, Emilia. You still said what you said and there’s no going back!” I yelled into the phone.
“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true,” Emilia said finally, her tone sharp.
I let out a bitter laugh. “Not true? You don’t even know her, Emilia. You sat there judging her before she even had a chance to introduce herself properly.”
“I’m your sister,” she shot back. “It’s my job to make sure you’re with someone who’s right for you.”
“And you think you’re the expert on what’s right for me?” I countered, my voice rising. “Because, from where I’m standing, you’ve done nothing but push people away.”
“That’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair is you ruining the first relationship I’ve had that actually makes me happy,” I said, my chest heaving with frustration. “You don’t get to decide what’s right for me, Emilia. That’s my choice.”
“Matteo, I was just looking out for you,” she said, her voice softer now.
“Well, congratulations,” I snapped. “You looked out for me so well that the woman I love won’t even talk to me now.”
Silence.
“You love her?” she asked quietly.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “And if you can’t see how incredible she is, then that’s your problem. But don’t drag me into it.”
She didn’t respond right away, and for a moment, I thought she might apologize. But instead, she said, “If she’s really the one for you, Matteo, she’ll come back.”
Her words felt like a slap, and I hung up without replying.
I tossed my phone onto the couch and leaned against the wall, staring at the floor.
I didn’t need Emilia’s approval. I didn’t need anyone’s approval. But I needed Gianna, and I needed to figure out how to make things right.
And right now, it didn’t seem like there was anything I could do to make things right.