My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 663

Chapter 663

“I said things, I shouldn’t have. I told you that you’d have to leave because I was angry. I was grieving. I wasn’t thinking like myself. I never meant you weren’t family.”

Family.

The word sounded strange.

“I made Hazel a promise. I promised her I’d look after both of her girls.”

My fingers tightened around the pen, the line I drew became darker, longer. It cut almost to the bottom of the page.

“I intend to keep that promise. I don’t care what happens. I don’t care who disagrees. Even if Raphael stands in front of me one day. I won’t walk away from the promise I made to your mother.”

My hand finally stopped, not because of his words, but because I’d reached the bottom of the page. I stared at the black line. It looked exactly like the others.

I turned the page. The paper made a soft sound beneath my fingers. The pen touched it again.

Salvatore watched me for a long time, “You don’t have to answer me. I only needed you to hear me.”

Hear him.

I wondered if I had.

His face sat somewhere at the edge of my vision. I knew he was there. I knew he was speaking but he didn’t feel real.

Nothing did.

It felt as though there were thick glass between me and the rest of the world.

I blinked, the page was almost full again. I didn’t remember drawing half of it.

“I can’t let you see Giovanni.”

The pen slowed.

“I loved your mother too much to stand by and let that happen. You don’t understand everything yet but I made Hazel a promise. I’m trying to keep it. I’m trying to protect you, Gianna, even if you don’t see it right now.”

The pen stopped.

For the first time in what felt like forever.

Giovanni.

My dad.

Hazel.

My mom.

The words echoed slowly inside my head. Something inside me shifted, small but enough.

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