Page 47 of Secret Match
Her subconscious nudged at her that she wasn’t listening to her heart right now.
However, the wordmarriedon that suicide note was burned in her memory.
If Gio truly just wanted his children and didn’t care who he married, she was making the right choice. She took a step forward as the boarding agent announced, “Final boarding.”
And she handed over the pass. In a few feet she’d be on the jet way and then the plane. Maybe later she could figure out whatever her heart was whispering that she wasn’t listening to.
Gio’s face was also embedded in her memory and if she boarded, she’d never be in his arms again. The agent handed her pass to her and pointed toward the door.
Kiwi clutched it and her heart raced.
One more step and she lost Gio forever.
One more step and her heart lost out to whatever it was trying to tell her.
One more step and she’d have ruined everything.
The idea kept her frozen place and she shook her head.
The gate agent waved for her to come forward. Kiwi stepped back and pressed against her temple as she said, “I can’t.”
The gate agent motioned her out of the line and turned toward the next passenger. “Ticket please.”
Nothing was stopping her from a chance at happiness but herself. She turned on her heels and powered on her phone.
She needed to head back and talk to Gio. Her heart soared. Her phone dinged that she had a message.
Her pulse pounded as she clicked to hear it and asked the agent behind the desk her question, “Where is the exit?”
She pointed toward the picture of the luggage and said, “Follow the signs to baggage claim,señora.”
Gio’s voice sounded deeper as she stopped in her tracks and listened to his entire message. The way he said, “like I wanted to marry you” was like a bullet to her heart that now screamed she needed to listen.
Wow. She’d almost screwed up everything. Kiwi glanced outside and saw the sun about to set. It would soon be evening. Near the gate she had no phone service but as she ran past the baggage claims that were mostly empty, she made it outside and saw the line of cabs. Her shoes clapped against the pavement as she made her way toward the line of folks waiting for a taxi and the orange vest of the man who directed traffic.
Finally Gio’s phone rang and she said out loud as she went to the back of the line, “Pick up the phone, Gio.” But the phone clicked to voicemail. She took a step forward knowing she was next as she said, “Drat.” She took another step as the beep sounded for her to leave a message. She held the phone close to her cheek. “Gio, I’m sorry I left. I’m coming back. We need to talk.”
Finally she made it to the valet and said, “Taxi?”
“Si. Where to?” He typed in his tablet and then stared at her like he needed an answer.
She knew what the villa looked like but didn’t know the exact address. She bit her lip. “Um, Morgan manor?”
“Address?” He showed his tablet needed an actual address.
“I don’t-” She pressed his phone number again and ignored how her breathing came in short pants as she lifted her phone to her ear and said, “hold on.”
Again Gio’s phone went to voicemail.
His voice triggered her heart to melt though and as she blinked, she finally heard what her heart had been saying.
She was absolutely, one hundred percent in love with Gio. She had been for a while. Wow, she’d been so blind.
This was what her heart kept trying to say and she’d ignored.
Not anymore.
She tapped her fingers to her thigh as she saw the man with his tablet getting impatient and pointing to the others behind her. She quickly hung up and dialed her best friend while she mumbled under her breath, “Serenity, answer.” But once again, the call went to voicemail. She hung up and said, “Ugh, why is no one answering tonight.”
