Dive In

Chapter 23

Giovanni's lips purse. "I wasn't commenting on it negatively."

"Mhmm." I huff as I place my glass on the table.

Giovanni opens his mouth to reply but Nico walks in through the mud room and into the kitchen with a smirk on his lips. I grab an everything seasoned bagel from the plate in the center of the table and the cream cheese as his eyes run down my body in a quick sweep.

"Good morning, bellissima." Nico greets me.

(Bellissima: beautiful)

I shoot him a glare as I cut the bagel in half. Nico's fallen on my bad list. After Alessia admitted to being in love I started paying attention when we were all together. The guy she's in love with has to be Nico, he can't keep his eyes off her for more than a few seconds when she's around and I've seen her glancing at him too, although she does a much better job at hiding it than he does. I'm a little angry with him because he should be the one pushing Giovanni toward changing, he should be the one trying to convince his best friend that Alessia shouldn't marry a stranger and that he should be the one to marry her, if she wants to of course.

Nico let's out a short chuckle as he takes the seat by Giovanni. "What did you do now?" He asks his best friend.

One of the twins sends a painful jab into my ribs and I inhale a sharp breath, my free hand going to my side. "Ouch."

"What's wrong?" Giovanni asks alarmed but I can't even answer as I can barely breath through the pain. "Nolani, what is it?"

I had no idea a tiny body part being shoved into my ribs could hurt so much. I pinch my lips together as I round the table and grab his hand, pressing it into my side where Rafe or Rome is going crazy and then finally the baby moves away from my ribs.

"Oh my god, that hurt." I groan. "He was deep in my ribs. I swear one of them always has a body part in my ribs, they stay sore because of it." I complain.

Giovanni pulls his hand away, his wary eyes meeting mine. "Is that normal?"

"Yes." I grumble in annoyance, tears pricking my eyes as my hormones take control of my emotions anytime I'm anything other than happy.

"What's wrong now?"

"Nothing, stop asking that every five seconds!" I snap, covering my eyes as tears streak down my face. "Ugh!"

These hormones are going to kill me before this is over with. Death by pregnancy hormones, that's what my tombstone will read.

Strong arms wrap around me and I'm pulled into Giovanni's chest. I sob into his three thousand dollar suit, most likely ruining it with my makeup but I can't stop. Once the tears start I have to get them all out. He whispers to me in Italian and although I have no idea what he's saying it actually calms me down.

When I finally get myself under control I pull away. "You do know I have no idea what you said other than bambino's, right?" I ask, wiping the wet trails off my cheeks.

He gives a light laugh. "I'm aware."

I'm a little stunned over the laugh as he sits back down but before I can move away he lays his hand against my stomach and leans forward, his mouth hovering over my round bump. "Be nice in there." He murmurs in English and then talks to them in Italian.

His words are light and sweet and I wish, god I wish I knew what he was saying to them. The sound of his voice and the warm touch against my stomach has my heart racing. Guilt eats at me as I fight the urge to swoon. I cannot be swooning over the twins uncle!