Page 29 of Doormat
“I’m going to go and say hello.”Diego let her go, but it felt like he did so reluctantly.
The only person who was not dressed up in any form of costume was Mia.She wore a pair of jeans and a sweater.Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she looked ...miserable.Thankfully, Clarissa and Tatiana were dressed up.Clarissa was a wicked witch, and Tatiana appeared to be in Medieval dress.
“Hey,” Liana said.She gave both her friends who had dressed up a thank you with her eyes, hoping they understood what she was saying.
“Hi,” Clarissa said.“Love the costume.”
Tatiana said the same, and she smiled at them.
“You look amazing, but can you believe what he did?I mean, can you?”
“He made sure you had an amazing party?”Liana asked.
“He called me a damn child!”Mia glared.“You all heard it.He wanted me to grow up and stop organizing themed parties, and what does he go and do?Organize a party that I would have loved to do.I hate him.”Mia slammed her hand against the bar, then got to her feet and ran.
Liana didn’t even think.She followed Mia, as did the other two, and they left the warmth of the house for the cold of the garden.Liana had seen the forecast and it was about to get icy.
The backyard was covered in different games and the house was humming with activity.Mia didn’t stop until they came to the bottom of the garden, where her personal den was.There, Liana saw that Mia was still indulging in what she loved.
Giovanni had given Mia this all-women’s space, for her to escape married life.Liana had loved it for her friend.Now, as she stepped inside and saw it was also a Halloween haunting heaven, she saw that Mia was crying.
She didn’t say a word, just went to her and held her in her arms.Clarissa and Tatiana joined her.
****
The one place thathad been off limits to the explosion of gaudy Halloween décor was Giovanni’s office.Stepping inside, Giovanni was sitting at his desk, and across the room, Diego saw that Giovanni was watching Mia’s women’s shed.
“You know, I thought the reason to give your wife space was so you didn’t spy on her?”Diego asked.
Giovanni sighed.“It doesn’t matter what I fucking do, she’s not happy.I turn my house into Halloween hell, and she doesn’t even dress up in the costume I got her.She won’t have anything to do with me.”
“You called her a child.”
“Are you going to defend her now?”
He held his hands up.“I’m not defending anyone.I’m just saying she kind of has a right to feel a little pissed.Everything you have done, you mocked her for.”
Giovanni growled.“Come on, man.We were all talking shit about our wives that we didn’t actually mean.”
“I did,” Diego said, and sighed as he took a seat on the sofa.The volume inside the women’s only space was turned down, but Diego looked at his wife.That red dress really accentuated the curves of her body.She looked absolutely stunning.She took his breath away completely.
“You meant that your wife was a doormat?”he asked.
“Yeah, I did.”
Giovanni glared at him.“What did you do to make Liana come back to you?”
“Liana has not come back to me.She wants to, and I know at the same time I hurt her, but the truth is, I made the assessment of my wife without truly knowing her.She was putting on a show, and it just so happened that I didn’t fucking like who she was.The Liana I now know is incredible.”
“She is a pain in the ass.”
“And I fucking love her for it,” Diego said, and then he paused.
Giovanni’s eyes went wide.“You love your wife?”
Diego gripped the back of his neck, and he nodded his head.“You know what, yeah, I do.I love my wife.”He chuckled and turned to look at the screen to see all four women gathered around.“She’s a wild one, and I love that.She’s also ...hurting.”
“Because of the shit you called her?”
