Free Giovanni (Blood Brothers Book 6) by Eve Vaughn Page B

knows the real him. They will never understand what he went through and what was done to make him the way he was. My brother was my best friend and I fought so hard for him even when he stopped fighting for himself. And these nightmares are my punishment for not saving him.” Tears stung the backs of his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He couldn’t. He didn’t deserve to unburden himself of the pain. There would be no atonement for him.
    Giovanni gripped his hands in his lap so hard he felt as if his bones would break. He sat very still for several long moments in an attempt to get his emotions under control. When he was certain he wouldn’t have a breakdown, he noticed Sydney hadn’t said anything.
    He looked up to see tears spilling unheeded down her cheeks.
    Giovanni sprang to his feet and was at her side in an instant. He knelt down and took her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
    She quickly swiped her tears away with the back of her free hand and then shook her head. “No. You didn’t. I just feel terrible that you’re going through this. Your brother must have been very special.”
    “He was.”
    “Then I don’t think he’d want you to hurt this way. I’m sure there’s a lot you’re not telling me and that’s okay. It’s your story to tell, but do you honestly believe your brother would want you to hold on to this guilt?”
    “Probably not, but it’s really not that simple. You wouldn’t understand.”
    “You keep saying that as if I’ve never experienced loss. I deal with loss every single day of my life. How do you think it feels when I wake up in the morning and I hear the sound of a bird chirping and I’m not able to look out the window and see it flying around? When I’m out in public and I hear a baby cry and I can’t see its face? Memories that used to be so keen in my mind are becoming faded and distant. Besides that, I feel guilt too. My parents and my sister were taken away by a bunch of drunk teenagers going on a joy ride. Even though I lost my sight, I ask myself everyday ‘why me?’ Why did I survive and they didn’t? There are days when I think it would have been better if I’d gone too because then I wouldn’t have to live with the pain of missing them so much. I’ll never be able to give my mother a hug or listen to one of my father’s corny jokes. I won’t get to see my best friend again. My little sister was only seventeen so why them and not me? You don’t have the market on guilt. And trust me, my nightmares are just as real as yours.”
    Her words were like a kick in his gut. Giovanni felt like an asshole for not considering her ordeal. He already knew about her accident and family history because of what Nya had told him and his own research he’d done on her. “My apologies for being so self-absorbed.”
    “There’s no need to feel bad. I only mentioned it to say, I can imagine how you feel. I might not be able to fully understand because our experiences are our own, but I do empathize.” She reached out and touched his face and immediately yanked her hand away. She shifted in her chair and let out an uneasy giggle. “I’m sorry. I have a habit of being very touchy-feely. It may seem cliché but it’s kind of my way of seeing how people look.”
    Giovanni took her hand and placed it against his cheek. “I don’t mind. Look all you’d like.”
    Sydney seemed hesitant.
    “Go ahead,” he insisted.
    Slowly she brought her other hand up and stroked the sides of his face. Sydney grazed her thumbs along the ridge of his brow before gently caressing his hair. “What color is your hair?”
    “Black.”
    “And your eyes?”
    His breath caught in his throat making it nearly impossible for him to get the words out but somehow he managed. Sydney had no idea what she was doing to him. “Green.”
    “That sounds like a nice combination.” She skimmed his nose with the tips of her fingers.
    When she touched his lips, Giovanni moaned,