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Chapter 36 

For the first time in my life I see fear flash across Gabriel’s face. 

I need to take over. 

“Dom.” I put my hands on both of his little shoulders. “This is Gabriel, you remember him, 

don’t you?” He nods. 

“Gabriel is my friend from New York,” I tell them. 

Dominic’s eyes flick up to me and I know he’s remembering the last time Gabriel was here 

and how he made me cry. 

Damn it, why did I do that? 

“Sit down.” I direct them to the dining table. “Let’s all eat dinner together while we discuss a 

few things.” 

Gabriel opens his mouth to say something and I hold my hand up to stop him. 

“Dinner is where we discuss things in this house.” I widen my eyes to him in a shut–up 

gesture. 

“Right.” 

” 

He drops into a dining chair and the kids do too. 

I turn to refill my glass of wine and take a big gulp. What is he going to say…what the hell is 

he going to say? 

He’s completely unmanageable. 

Fuck… 

“I’ll have some of that too, please,” Gabriel says. 

Good god, this is supermarket wine that cost $7.99. 

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apter 36 

Please earth, swallow me whole. 

Sure.” With sweat dripping down between my breasts, I take another wineglass from the cupboard and fill it and then pass it to him. 

“Thanks.” He takes a huge gulp and winces before his horrified eyes flash up to meet mine. 

“I know.” I nod. 

“But do you?” 

Yep….pretty much.” Tastes like shit, but it’s cheap and gets the job done. 

I tip my head back and drain my glass. I immediately refill it and get to work on dishing dinner out. 

“How was school today?” Gabriel asks. 

“It was good.” Lucy smiles. 

“What class are you in?” he replies. 

I look at the pot of spaghetti sauce, I really don’t want him to eat it. 

Fuck this, why didn’t I order pizza tonight like I wanted to? 

“What is your 

teacher’s name?” he asks as he tries to continue the conversation. 

I dish out the kids‘ two bowls and then mine, and then I get to his. 

What do I do? 

He’s going to hate it, he’s going to really hate it… But what if… I glance over my shoulder to 

see if he’s watching me. 

“Are you two in the same class?” He continues trying to make conversation. 

he’s going to hate it anyway, I’m going to make him really hate it. I open my fridge and 

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hapter 

scan the contents, what can I put in it? 

Tneed the ultimate booby trap. Don’t mess with me, fucker. 

My eyes roam over the condiments in the door and take out the mustard, the pickles, jarred chilli, anchovies, and pickled onions. 

“And is she nice?” Gabriel asks. 

Lucy goes off on a big tangent, telling him all about the school and I get to work. 

Iturn up the heat on the saucepan and glance over my shoulder again. If he catches me doing this, I’m so dead. 

I put in three tablespoons of mustard, pour in the chilies and then the pickles, I add half the jar of anchovies and then throw in some whole pickled onions. 

That should do it. 

I stir it to heat them through. I wince as I look into the pot, it kind of looks like a fishy 

eyeball stew. 

“Hope you guys are ready for a taste sensation.” I dish Gabriel out a huge bowl and roll my lips to hide my smile. 

“Did you get this recipe from Becco?” he asks. 

“Oh, Becco.” I sigh sadly. “I miss Becco.” I frown over at him. “How do you 

remember my 

favorite restaurant in New York?” “How could I ever forget, it’s all you ever talked about Did I really use to always talk about pasta? How odd. 

Hmm… 

I put everyone’s bowls in front of them on the table and Gabriel looks down at his eyeball stew. I quickly turn back to the counter so that he doesn’t see my face, and I sip my wine while imagining him choking on it. 

I’m brilliant. 

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sit down at the table and look over at Dom glaring at Gabriel across the table. 

223 

My heart sinks. 

I need to fix this, if this is their final goodbye I want it to be nice for both of them. 

“Dom.” I smile. “Gabriel is Italian, he comes from Italy.” Dom’s eyes flick to Gabriel for 

confirmation. 

“I am.” Gabriel nods. 

He speaks Italian.” I smile as I prompt them. 

The children’s eyes both widen as they stare at him. 

“Tu parli italiano?” Dominic asks him. 

Gabriel’s mouth drops open, and his eyes come to meet mine. “Who taught them?” 

“I had an Italian nanny so that the children could learn in their formative years, she’s 

moved out now but she was incredible.” 

T 

“I can’t…” For the first time ever he’s speechless. “I’ve prepared them the best I could.” 

Overcome with emotion, his eyes well with tears and he nods, lost for words. He picks up 

his fork and shovels in a big mouthful of food. I watch and see the exact moment that he 

tastes it, he coughs sharply and holds his hand in a fist in front of his mouth as he tries to 

swallow it. 

“Delicious, isn’t it?” I smile. 

“So yummy, Momma,” Lucy says as she takes another mouthful. 

Gabriel takes a huge gulp of water as he looks around the table at us all eating. 

“Do you like it?” I ask. 

Hmm.” He widens his eyes and begins to push a pickled onion around his bowl with his 

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fork as he tries to work out what it is. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever eaten.” 

Do you live in Italy?” Lucia asks. 

“No, I live in New York,” he replies as he takes another bite. He winces and closes his eyes as he tries to silently deal with the horror. 

I kind of wish the kids weren’t here so that he could say what he really thinks, this is 

priceless. 

Lucy talks and talks, and I glance over at Dominic who has not said a single word, and I know I have to just come out with it. 

“Guys, there is a reason I have asked Gabriel to come over to see us,” I say. “And it’s a very 

special reason.” 

“I don’t think that’s necessary-” Gabriel cuts me off. “Wouldn’t want to ruin this…” his eyebrows flick up as he pushes the food around with this fork, “…delicacy.” 

“Why were you mean to my mother?” Dominic comes straight out with it. 

Gabriel shovels a huge forkful into his mouth so he doesn’t have to answer and then coughs again. He rolls his lips as he tries to process what’s in his mouth. “What kind of pasta sauce is this?” He winces before picking up his water and gulping it. 

“Delicious pasta sauce,” Lucia answers. 

Gabriel’s eyebrows flick up in surprise. “You have your mother’s tastebuds, that’s for 

certain.” 

“She doesn’t like you,” Dominic says as he looks Gabriel dead in the eye. 

They glare at each other across the table. 

Oh fuck, here we go. 

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