- 2 months ago
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00The day I got fired was the same day my life stopped making sense.
00:04I remember the fluorescent lights buzzing above me like a dying bee,
00:08the smell of burnt coffee and old printer paper,
00:11my hands shaking as I tried to clock out quietly
00:13before anyone noticed the tears gathering in my eyes.
00:16It wasn't even noon.
00:18Melissa, my manager said,
00:21tapping the counter with her manicured nails.
00:23We just don't think you're the right fit.
00:27That was corporate speak for you, look too tired.
00:30Too poor, too distracted for our image.
00:33I'd been working there for six days.
00:35Six days since I'd pawned my mother's bracelet to buy gas.
00:39Six days since the eviction notice showed up taped to my door.
00:42Six days since I started pretending I wasn't braking.
00:45When I walked out of that office,
00:47my car coughed once and died in the parking lot like it was trying to be dramatic.
00:51I hit the steering wheel and laughed,
00:53hysterical, brittle laughter that turned into crying before I could stop it.
00:56If someone had driven by,
00:58they would have seen a 26-year-old woman in a wrinkled blouse
01:01crying over a Honda Civic that looked as tired as she did.
01:04The truth?
01:05I was running out of things to lose.
01:08I sat there for hours,
01:09pretending I could fix it if I just tried hard enough.
01:12But all I managed was grease on my hands and another wave of humiliation.
01:16When the rain started, I got out and walked.
01:20The streets were slick, traffic roaring past.
01:23I passed a row of black SUVs parked outside a hotel that didn't belong in this part of the city.
01:28Too clean, too guarded.
01:30The kind of place where secrets were kept in cashmere coats.
01:33I shouldn't have stopped.
01:35But I was drenched, shaking, desperate for a place to breathe.
01:39The lobby doors opened when I stepped close,
01:42like they recognized despair and let it in without a keycard.
01:47Inside, it was all marble floors and gold trim,
01:51the kind of place that felt allergic to people like me.
01:55I was about to turn around when I heard him.
01:58Stop right there.
02:00His voice cut through everything,
02:02music, chatter, the dull hum of air conditioning.
02:05Low, deep, and certain.
02:07I froze.
02:09He was standing near the reception desk,
02:11talking to someone in a black suit.
02:13He looked like he didn't belong to this world,
02:15like he'd been carved from every woman's bad idea and good dream.
02:19Black suit, loosened tie,
02:22that unreadable expression men wear when they've seen too much.
02:25Our eyes met.
02:26Just a second.
02:28But something in that second made my pulse go wrong.
02:31He turned back to his men.
02:33Get her out of here, he said, nodding in my direction.
02:36I blinked.
02:38Excuse me?
02:40One of the suited men stepped toward me.
02:42Ma'am, this is private property.
02:44I was just...
02:45Don't, the man behind him said.
02:47Let her speak.
02:49And then he was walking toward me.
02:51Slow, deliberate.
02:53I could see now,
02:55his shirt collar stained with a faint line of red.
02:58Not blood, I told myself.
03:00Couldn't be.
03:01His knuckles were bruised, though.
03:03That was real.
03:05Why are you here?
03:06He asked.
03:07I swallowed.
03:09I...
03:09I just needed shelter.
03:12My car broke down.
03:13I'll leave.
03:14His gaze flicked over me,
03:16assessing like he was deciding whether I was lying.
03:19His silence stretched, heavy and uncomfortable.
03:23What's your name?
03:24Melissa.
03:26He nodded once.
03:27You look like you've had a day.
03:29You could say that.
03:31Hungry?
03:33The question caught me off guard.
03:35I'm fine.
03:36You're lying.
03:38Something in his tone,
03:39flat, final,
03:41made it sound less like an accusation
03:43and more like a fact carved in stone.
03:46He turned to his men.
03:48Get her something to eat.
03:49I said I'm fine,
03:51I repeated,
03:51heat rising in my throat.
03:53And I said get her something to eat,
03:55he countered,
03:56eyes never leaving mine.
03:58I hated how my knees felt weak.
04:00Not fear.
04:02Something stranger.
04:03They brought me food anyway.
04:05Expensive, perfectly arranged food I didn't recognize.
04:08I sat in the corner of the hotel lounge,
04:10trying not to stare at him.
04:12He leaned against the bar,
04:14speaking quietly to a man with a scar down his cheek.
04:17When their conversation ended,
04:18he came back.
04:20You're not from here.
04:21No.
04:23You live alone.
04:24Yes.
04:25Bad idea.
04:27I'll keep that in mind.
04:28He smiled.
04:30Barely.
04:31You don't scare easy.
04:33I didn't tell him I was terrified.
04:36He studied me for a moment,
04:37then sighed,
04:38as if something about me had already complicated his day.
04:42You said you lost your job?
04:44Fired.
04:45What kind of work?
04:47Administrative.
04:49He nodded again,
04:50like he was filing that away.
04:52Then you'll work for me.
04:54I laughed before I could stop myself.
04:56Excuse me?
04:58You said you need money.
05:00You need somewhere to stay.
05:01I need someone who doesn't ask questions.
05:04That sounds totally normal,
05:07I said,
05:08sarcasm leaking through.
05:10He tilted his head.
05:12Do you want to eat again tomorrow?
05:14My stomach growled right on cue.
05:17I wanted to say no.
05:18Walk away.
05:20Pretend I didn't feel the weight of his gaze holding me still,
05:23but I'd been living on coffee and panic for weeks.
05:26What kind of work?
05:27He didn't answer right away.
05:29He reached into his pocket,
05:31took out a folded piece of paper,
05:33and slid it across the table toward me.
05:35Call this number at 8 a.m. tomorrow.
05:39Say my name.
05:40And what's your name?
05:42He leaned closer.
05:44I could smell smoke,
05:46leather,
05:47something faintly metallic.
05:49His voice dropped until it was almost a whisper.
05:52Luca?
05:53Just Luca?
05:55That's all you need.
05:57He stood,
05:58buttoning his jacket,
05:59and turned to leave.
06:01His men followed,
06:02a silent storm moving behind him.
06:04Before he reached the door,
06:05he stopped and looked back.
06:08Melissa?
06:08He said quietly.
06:10Next time,
06:11don't walk in the rain alone.
06:13Then he was gone.
06:15The waiter brought me a check I couldn't pay,
06:18but it was already marked,
06:19paid in full.
06:20I walked out of that hotel
06:22with his name stuck in my head
06:23like a bruise I couldn't stop pressing.
06:26When I got home,
06:27the eviction notice was still there.
06:29My reflection in the window
06:30looked ghostly
06:31under the flickering streetlight.
06:33I sat on the couch,
06:35unfolded the paper he'd given me.
06:37No company name,
06:38just a number.
06:40My thumb hovered over the dial button
06:42for a long time.
06:44What kind of man commands a room like that?
06:46What kind of man bleeds from his collar
06:48and still worries if a stranger has eaten?
06:50My hand shook
06:51as I typed his name into my phone.
06:53Luca, don't call.
06:55And then deleted the warning.
06:56I should have burned that paper.
06:59Instead, I set an alarm for 8 a.m.
07:01And as I lay there,
07:02listening to the rain against the window,
07:05I realized something
07:05I didn't want to admit out loud.
07:08For the first time in months,
07:09I wasn't afraid.
07:11I was curious.
07:12And that scared me more than anything.
07:15I didn't sleep that night.
07:16Every time I closed my eyes,
07:19I saw him, Luca,
07:21standing under that chandelier light
07:22like someone carved from a darker world.
07:25His voice kept replaying in my head,
07:27calm, measured, commanding.
07:31By 7.59 a.m.,
07:32I was sitting at my tiny kitchen table,
07:35staring at the folded paper
07:36like it could bite.
07:38The table wobbled every time I breathed.
07:40Half the paint was peeling from the walls.
07:43My apartment smelled like damp socks
07:44and old hope.
07:46The phone rang once
07:47before a man's voice answered.
07:49Name?
07:50Melissa.
07:51Who told you to call?
07:54Luca.
07:55There was a pause.
07:56Then,
07:57be outside in 20 minutes.
07:59He hung up.
08:01I didn't know what to wear to
08:02whatever this was.
08:04I ended up in jeans,
08:06a plain shirt,
08:07and my one decent jacket.
08:09My hands trembled
08:10the whole time I was tying my hair back.
08:12When I stepped outside,
08:14a black SUV was waiting.
08:16The driver didn't speak,
08:17just nodded for me to get in.
08:19We drove across town
08:20into a part of the city
08:21I'd only ever seen
08:23in glossy real estate ads.
08:25Glass towers,
08:26manicured streets,
08:27private security at every gate.
08:29The car pulled into
08:30an underground garage,
08:31and for a moment,
08:33I thought about running.
08:34Then I remembered
08:35I had nowhere to go.
08:37We took an elevator
08:38that opened directly
08:39into a penthouse.
08:40White marble floors,
08:42skyline stretching
08:43like something unreal.
08:45A man who lived here
08:46had no business
08:46talking to a girl
08:47who couldn't keep
08:48her electricity on.
08:50Luca stood by the window,
08:51phone in hand.
08:52His shirt was black today,
08:54sleeves rolled up,
08:55tattoos trailing down
08:56his forearms
08:57like a secret language.
08:59He looked tired,
09:00the kind of tired
09:01that comes from
09:02leading people
09:02who could kill you
09:03with one wrong move.
09:05He hung up
09:05and turned to me.
09:07You came.
09:08You said to.
09:10That's not why
09:10people do things,
09:11he said quietly.
09:13They come because
09:14they want to.
09:15I crossed my arms.
09:17You think you know
09:18what I want?
09:19He studied me,
09:21a faint smirk
09:22at the corner of his mouth.
09:24Not yet,
09:25but I'll find out.
09:27I hated the way
09:28that sounded
09:29and hated more
09:30that a part of me
09:31wanted him to try.
09:33He gestured
09:33to the dining table
09:34covered in files
09:35and cash.
09:36You said you did
09:38admin work.
09:39I need someone
09:39to manage ledgers,
09:41invoices,
09:42appointments.
09:43Nothing illegal,
09:44just confidential.
09:47Confidential,
09:48I repeated,
09:48raising a brow.
09:50So mob bookkeeping?
09:51He didn't flinch.
09:52You don't ask questions.
09:54I just did.
09:56Then learn not to.
09:58The corner of his mouth
09:59twitched,
10:00like my defiance
10:01amused him.
10:02I should have been scared.
10:04Instead,
10:04I felt the strangest thing,
10:06relief,
10:07because for once,
10:09someone saw my fire
10:10and didn't tell me
10:11to tone it down.
10:12He motioned to a seat.
10:14Sit.
10:16I worked in silence
10:17for hours.
10:18Numbers steadied me.
10:19They didn't lie
10:20or judge.
10:21Around 3 p.m.,
10:22he placed a cup
10:23of coffee next to me.
10:25You haven't eaten.
10:26I didn't look up.
10:28I'm fine.
10:29You always say that.
10:31Because it's true.
10:33No,
10:33he said softly.
10:34It's habit.
10:35I froze.
10:37That one line
10:38stripped me bare.
10:39Nobody had ever
10:40noticed that before.
10:42I looked up.
10:44His eyes weren't cold now.
10:46They were something worse.
10:48Kind.
10:50Why did you help me?
10:51I asked quietly.
10:53He leaned back
10:54against the counter,
10:55crossing his arms.
10:57Because you looked like
10:58you were done pretending.
11:00That hit harder
11:01than I expected.
11:03My throat tightened.
11:05You think you can fix people?
11:07I said.
11:08No,
11:09but I don't like
11:10watching them drown either.
11:13Something about the way
11:14he said it
11:14made my chest ache.
11:16Later that night,
11:17when the office lights dimmed
11:18and the city shimmered below,
11:20he asked,
11:21You have anyone
11:22waiting for you?
11:23My brother.
11:24He's 17.
11:26Stays with a friend
11:27most nights.
11:28I sent him what I can.
11:30He nodded.
11:32Parents?
11:33My dad left
11:34when I was 10.
11:35My mom
11:35got sick.
11:37Cancer.
11:38I dropped out of college
11:39to take care of her.
11:41She died two years ago.
11:43He didn't say
11:43he was sorry.
11:45He didn't do
11:45the usual pity act.
11:47He just said,
11:48You kept going.
11:50That silence
11:51stretched between us,
11:52heavy but somehow safe.
11:54What about you?
11:55I asked.
11:57Any family?
11:58His jaw tightened.
12:00Not anymore.
12:02It was the first time
12:03I saw something
12:03crack in him.
12:05Just a flicker,
12:06like grief still burned
12:07quietly behind his eyes.
12:09Days turned into
12:10a strange rhythm.
12:12I worked mornings
12:13in the penthouse,
12:14afternoons managing calls,
12:16evenings listening
12:16to Luca's
12:17half-conversations
12:18with men
12:18who spoke
12:19encoded words.
12:20He paid me more
12:21in a week
12:21than I used to make
12:22in a month.
12:23He never asked
12:24for anything
12:24beyond work,
12:25but he had this way
12:26of looking at me,
12:27like I was the one
12:28piece of calm
12:29in a storm
12:30he couldn't control.
12:32Sometimes,
12:32when he walked past,
12:33I'd catch the faint scent
12:34of his cologne
12:35and lose my train
12:36of thought completely.
12:37I hated it.
12:38I needed the job,
12:40not him.
12:41That's what I kept
12:41telling myself.
12:43One evening,
12:44I was finishing up reports
12:45when the phone rang.
12:47Unknown number.
12:48I answered,
12:50distracted.
12:52Hello?
12:53A voice I didn't recognize
12:54hissed.
12:55You shouldn't be
12:56working for him.
12:57You don't know
12:58who he is.
12:59Who is this?
13:01Click.
13:02Line dead.
13:03My pulse spiked.
13:05I turned to look
13:06for Luca,
13:06but he was already
13:07watching me
13:08from across the room.
13:09He saw the fear
13:10in my face
13:10and came over.
13:12What happened?
13:13Someone called,
13:15said I shouldn't
13:15work for you.
13:16He took the phone
13:17gently from my hand,
13:18checked the screen,
13:19then set it down.
13:21Ignore it.
13:22Who would-
13:23Melissa,
13:24he cut in,
13:25voice low.
13:26You trust me?
13:27I wanted to say yes.
13:29Instead, I said,
13:30I don't know you.
13:32He nodded slowly.
13:34Fair.
13:35For a moment,
13:36neither of us spoke.
13:38Then softly.
13:40Sometimes knowing me
13:41means losing the parts
13:42of yourself
13:43you still believe
13:44are safe.
13:44What does that mean?
13:47It means don't go
13:48looking for answers
13:49you don't want.
13:50There was something
13:51almost protective
13:52in his tone
13:53and something else.
13:54Fear.
13:55Not for himself.
13:57For me.
13:58That night,
13:58I lay awake
13:59staring at the ceiling.
14:01I kept replaying
14:02his words,
14:03the way his voice
14:04had dipped
14:04when he asked
14:05if I trusted him.
14:07The truth?
14:08I did.
14:10Against every bit
14:11of common sense,
14:12I did.
14:12He wasn't kind
14:14in the way people
14:15pretend to be.
14:16His kindness
14:17was sharp,
14:18unfiltered,
14:19survival-born,
14:20and it made me feel
14:21seen for the first time
14:22in years.
14:23I used to think
14:24love was soft,
14:25but maybe it wasn't.
14:27Maybe love was choosing
14:28to stand beside someone
14:29even when the world
14:30said you shouldn't.
14:32Maybe it was this
14:33quiet pole
14:33I couldn't name.
14:35The next morning,
14:35I walked into
14:36the penthouse early.
14:37Luca was already there,
14:39sleeves rolled up,
14:40phone in hand.
14:40He glanced up.
14:42You're early.
14:44I couldn't sleep.
14:46Bad dreams?
14:47Restless conscience.
14:49He smiled faintly.
14:50You'll need a stronger
14:51one around here.
14:53He walked closer,
14:54stopping just in front
14:55of me.
14:56The air felt heavier.
14:58Melissa.
14:59Yes?
15:00Don't let anyone
15:00make you feel small again,
15:02not even me.
15:03The way he said it,
15:05steady,
15:05like a vow,
15:06made my heart stumble.
15:08And before I could reply,
15:09his phone buzzed.
15:10His expression
15:11hardened instantly.
15:13Stay here,
15:13he said,
15:14grabbing his jacket.
15:15What's going on?
15:17He didn't answer.
15:19Just looked back once,
15:20eyes dark with something
15:21I couldn't read.
15:23Lock the door.
15:25Then he was gone.
15:27I stood by the window,
15:29watching his car disappear
15:30into the morning traffic.
15:32Somewhere deep down,
15:33I knew.
15:35Whatever world he lived in,
15:37I'd already stepped
15:37too far inside.
15:39And when you walk
15:39into a man's storm,
15:41you don't get to walk
15:42out unchanged.
15:44By the third day,
15:45he still hadn't come back.
15:47The penthouse felt wrong
15:48without him.
15:49Too quiet,
15:49too large,
15:50too polished.
15:51I kept pretending
15:52the hum of the refrigerator
15:53was a heartbeat,
15:54something steady
15:55to fill the space
15:56he'd left.
15:57Every few hours,
15:58one of his men
15:59brought groceries
16:00or dropped off
16:00sealed envelopes
16:01with no explanation.
16:02They nodded,
16:04polite,
16:04but didn't talk.
16:06I wasn't sure
16:07if I was being protected
16:08or held hostage.
16:10Maybe both.
16:11On the fourth morning,
16:12the elevator dinged,
16:13and Luca finally walked in.
16:16He looked like
16:16he'd been dragged
16:17through hell.
16:18Shirt wrinkled,
16:19knuckles bandaged,
16:20jaw shadowed
16:21with exhaustion.
16:23He stopped when he saw
16:24me standing near the window.
16:26You didn't leave,
16:28he said.
16:28You told me not to.
16:31That earned
16:32the faintest smile.
16:34Most people don't listen.
16:36I'm not most people.
16:38No,
16:39he said quietly.
16:40You're not.
16:42He took off his jacket,
16:44draped it over a chair,
16:45and ran a hand
16:46through his hair.
16:48For a long time,
16:49neither of us spoke.
16:51The silence between us
16:52was alive,
16:53not awkward,
16:54just full of things
16:55that couldn't be said.
16:57Finally,
16:58I asked,
16:58what happened?
17:00He hesitated.
17:02Business.
17:04Is that code
17:05for something illegal
17:06or just emotionally
17:07unavailable?
17:08He huffed a tired laugh.
17:10You don't quit,
17:11do you?
17:12Not when I smell
17:13blood on your shirt.
17:15He looked down,
17:16surprised.
17:17Maybe that I'd noticed,
17:19maybe that I dared
17:20to say it.
17:21It's not mine,
17:22he said,
17:23too evenly.
17:24That's not comforting.
17:26Wasn't meant to be.
17:28His eyes met mine again,
17:30cold steel with a hint
17:31of something warmer
17:32underneath.
17:34You want to know
17:35what I do,
17:35Melissa?
17:36He asked.
17:37I swallowed.
17:39No,
17:40I just want to know
17:41if it's going to get me killed.
17:44He didn't answer,
17:45and that silence
17:46was answer enough.
17:48That night,
17:49he didn't leave.
17:51He sat on the couch
17:51with a drink in hand
17:52while I worked through
17:53the ledgers he'd given me.
17:55The city lights
17:56painted his face
17:57in gold and shadow.
17:59Every time I looked up,
18:00his eyes were already on me.
18:02Do you ever sleep?
18:04I asked finally.
18:06When I can afford to.
18:08That's poetic
18:09and deeply concerning.
18:11He smirked.
18:12You think too much.
18:14You don't think enough.
18:16Touché.
18:17There was a pause,
18:18then softer.
18:20Why do you keep showing up?
18:21I need the money.
18:23He tilted his head.
18:25Liar.
18:26Fine.
18:27Because it's quiet here.
18:29Because I don't have to be
18:30the one holding everyone else
18:31together for a few hours.
18:33He nodded,
18:34eyes steady on me.
18:36That,
18:36I understand.
18:38Do you?
18:39He leaned forward,
18:40elbows on his knees.
18:41You ever tried to hold
18:42something so fragile
18:43it cut your hands open
18:44just to keep from losing it?
18:46The room went still.
18:48My throat closed around
18:49something that wasn't
18:50quite grief but close.
18:51My mom,
18:52I said.
18:53That was her.
18:55I kept thinking
18:56if I just tried harder
18:57I could keep her here.
18:58Turns out love
18:59doesn't work like that.
19:01He stared at me
19:02for a long moment.
19:04No,
19:05it doesn't.
19:06The sound of the city
19:07filled the silence.
19:09Sirens,
19:10wind,
19:11the faint hum of life
19:12outside our fragile truce.
19:14I don't know
19:15who moved first,
19:16but somehow we were
19:17both standing.
19:19He took a step toward me,
19:20slow,
19:21deliberate.
19:22His voice dropped
19:23to a whisper.
19:25You should hate me
19:26for pulling you
19:27into this world.
19:29Maybe I do.
19:30Then why are you shaking?
19:32I don't know.
19:34He reached out,
19:35brushing his thumb
19:36lightly against my cheek.
19:38I hadn't realized
19:39I'd been crying
19:40until he did.
19:40For a second,
19:42everything froze.
19:44His hand,
19:45my breath,
19:46the city itself.
19:48Then he pulled away,
19:50jaw tight,
19:51like he'd broken
19:51some rule
19:52by touching me.
19:54You should get some sleep,
19:55he said,
19:56voice rougher now.
19:58I can't.
20:00Try.
20:01I wanted to say,
20:02stay until I do.
20:04But he was already
20:05gone down the hallway,
20:06leaving the air heavy
20:07with things unsaid.
20:09The next day,
20:10things almost felt normal.
20:12I worked.
20:13He took calls.
20:14We avoided looking
20:14at each other too long.
20:16But the air between us
20:17was different,
20:18charged,
20:19like a storm
20:20waiting to break.
20:22Around noon,
20:22the power flickered.
20:24Then his phone
20:25buzzed once.
20:26He read the message,
20:28muttered something
20:28under his breath,
20:29and bolted upright.
20:31What is it?
20:32I asked.
20:33Your brother,
20:35he said.
20:36I froze.
20:37What about him?
20:39He's in trouble.
20:40He didn't explain
20:42how he knew,
20:42just grabbed his jacket
20:43and motioned for me
20:44to follow.
20:45My heart slammed
20:46against my ribs
20:47as we sped through
20:48downtown in that
20:48black SUV.
20:50We found my brother,
20:51Nate,
20:51cornered in an alley
20:52behind a convenience store,
20:54two guys shouting,
20:54one with a knife.
20:56I barely processed
20:57what happened next.
20:59Luca stepped out
21:00of the car,
21:01calm as death,
21:02and within seconds
21:03the two men
21:04were on the ground.
21:05He didn't shoot them.
21:07Didn't even say much.
21:08Just looked at them
21:10until they broke.
21:11Then he turned to me,
21:13voice low but shaking
21:14with fury.
21:16You didn't tell me
21:17he was mixed up in this.
21:19I didn't know he was,
21:20I snapped back.
21:22He dragged a hand
21:23down his face,
21:24then softened
21:25when he saw
21:25my brother trembling.
21:27Go home.
21:29Both of you.
21:31But I couldn't move.
21:32I was still staring at him,
21:34the violence still echoing
21:35in the air around him,
21:36and yet,
21:37I wasn't afraid.
21:39He glanced over his shoulder,
21:41eyes meeting mine.
21:43You okay?
21:45I think so.
21:47Good,
21:47because next time,
21:48I won't let anyone
21:49get close enough
21:50to scare you.
21:51There was something
21:52in the way he said it,
21:54not a threat,
21:55but a vow,
21:56and that's when it happened.
21:57The first spark.
21:59Not from pity,
22:01not from fear.
22:02Something deeper.
22:03The kind of pull
22:05that starts in your chest
22:06and leaves you unsteady,
22:07desperate,
22:08alive.
22:09Later,
22:10when we got back
22:10to the penthouse,
22:11I tried to thank him.
22:13He just said,
22:14don't.
22:15You saved him.
22:17I cleaned up my mess,
22:19he replied flatly.
22:20Those men weren't there
22:21by accident.
22:23What are you saying?
22:24He didn't answer.
22:26Instead,
22:27he walked over,
22:28pressed a folded envelope
22:29into my hand.
22:31Rent's paid
22:31for the next six months.
22:33Keep your brother
22:33out of downtown.
22:35I didn't ask
22:35for your money.
22:37No,
22:37he said quietly,
22:39but I owe you peace.
22:41The words hit somewhere deep,
22:43right where I didn't
22:43want to feel.
22:45He started to walk away
22:46and before I could
22:47stop myself,
22:47I said,
22:48Luca?
22:49He turned.
22:51Why me?
22:52I asked.
22:53You could have
22:54helped anyone.
22:55His gaze lingered on me,
22:56long enough to hurt.
22:58Because you looked like
22:59you still believed
22:59in something,
23:00he said,
23:01and I wanted to remember
23:03what that felt like.
23:04Then he left.
23:07That night,
23:08I couldn't stop shaking.
23:10Not from fear,
23:11from realization.
23:13Somewhere between
23:14ledgers and locked doors,
23:15something had shifted.
23:17He wasn't just
23:17my boss anymore.
23:19He was the storm
23:19I'd stopped running from.
23:21And I had no idea
23:22if he'd save me
23:23or destroy me.
23:25The penthouse
23:25turned cold
23:26after that day.
23:28Not literally.
23:29Just the kind of cold
23:30you feel when two people
23:31stop pretending
23:32they don't care.
23:34Luca was quieter,
23:35more cautious
23:36with his words.
23:37He started spending
23:38nights away again,
23:40gone before sunrise,
23:41back long after
23:42I'd stopped trying
23:43to stay awake for him.
23:44The tension between us
23:46sat like a third person
23:47in the room,
23:48watching,
23:49waiting for one of us
23:49to break.
23:51I kept showing up,
23:52kept doing the work,
23:53but every spreadsheet,
23:54every phone call,
23:56every breath near him
23:57felt like a confession
23:58I hadn't said out loud yet.
24:01One night,
24:01I found him sitting
24:02in the dark,
24:03staring out over the city.
24:05He didn't notice me
24:06at first.
24:07His shoulders were tense
24:09and the half-empty glass
24:10beside him told me
24:11whatever weighed on him
24:12wasn't numbers.
24:14Can't sleep?
24:15I asked quietly.
24:17He turned his head slightly,
24:19voice low.
24:20Didn't mean to wake you.
24:23You didn't.
24:24Silence stretched.
24:26I stood there for a while,
24:28then finally sat across from him.
24:30Want to talk about it?
24:32Not really.
24:33Then don't,
24:34I said.
24:35But maybe you should stop
24:36carrying the whole damn world
24:38on your shoulders.
24:39It's starting to show.
24:41That made him smile.
24:43Small.
24:44Tired.
24:45But real.
24:46You think I can just set it down?
24:49You could try.
24:51I hear therapy's
24:52cheaper than whiskey.
24:53He chuckled,
24:55shaking his head.
24:57You don't know
24:58what you're talking about.
25:00Then tell me.
25:02He stared at me
25:03a long time
25:03before answering.
25:05There are things
25:06in my life
25:07that can't be fixed
25:08by talking.
25:09Some debts don't end.
25:10Some mistakes follow you
25:12until you make peace
25:13with being hunted.
25:14His tone was quiet,
25:16but the words
25:17hung heavy.
25:18Is that what this is?
25:20I asked.
25:21Someone's mistake?
25:23He didn't answer,
25:24but I saw it.
25:25That flash of truth
25:26before he shut it down again.
25:28Later,
25:29when I was walking
25:29down the hall to my room,
25:31I caught a glimpse
25:32of an open door
25:32I'd never seen before.
25:34His study.
25:36I don't know why
25:36I went inside.
25:37Curiosity, maybe.
25:39Or maybe something deeper.
25:41That aching need
25:42to understand the man
25:43who'd started living
25:44rent-free
25:44inside my chest.
25:45The room smelled
25:47of smoke and rain.
25:49On the desk
25:50sat a stack of photos,
25:51half hidden
25:51beneath a folder.
25:53I shouldn't have looked,
25:54but I did.
25:56They were surveillance shots.
25:58Warehouses,
25:59alleys,
25:59faces.
26:00Some crossed out,
26:01some marked
26:02with red ink.
26:03And in one of them,
26:04a photo from last month,
26:05was my brother.
26:07My hands went numb.
26:09The door creaked.
26:10I froze.
26:12Melissa.
26:14His voice,
26:15right behind me.
26:16I turned slowly.
26:18He looked like a shadow
26:19in the doorway,
26:20eyes unreadable.
26:21Why were you in here?
26:23I held up the photo.
26:25Why do you have this?
26:27He exhaled through his nose,
26:29slow and deliberate,
26:30like he'd been waiting
26:30for this moment.
26:32It's not what you think.
26:34Then tell me what it is.
26:36I can't.
26:38Can't.
26:38Or won't.
26:40He stepped closer.
26:42Both.
26:43Something inside me snapped.
26:45You said you were helping us.
26:47You saved him.
26:48You said it wasn't an accident.
26:50I was helping you.
26:52By watching him?
26:54He didn't speak,
26:55just stared at the floor
26:56like silence could undo the truth.
26:58Luca,
26:59tell me what this is,
27:01I whispered.
27:02Tell me what you do,
27:03who you are.
27:05His voice cracked when he answered.
27:07If I tell you,
27:09you'll never look at me the same way again.
27:11Try me.
27:12He hesitated,
27:14then said quietly,
27:15your brother got caught running errands
27:17for one of my men.
27:19Stupid jobs,
27:20small stuff,
27:21but it tied him to something dangerous.
27:24I made sure he got out
27:25before anyone else noticed,
27:27but someone's still asking questions.
27:29And you didn't think I deserved to know?
27:32I didn't want to drag you into it.
27:35I laughed,
27:36sharp,
27:37bitter.
27:38Luca,
27:38you hired me.
27:39You put me in your world.
27:41You think I wasn't already in it?
27:43His jaw clenched.
27:45You were supposed to be safe here.
27:47I'm not safe anywhere near you.
27:50He flinched,
27:51just slightly,
27:52but it was enough.
27:53I turned to leave,
27:55but he caught my wrist.
27:56Not hard,
27:57just enough to stop me.
27:59Melissa,
28:00he said,
28:01voice breaking.
28:02Please,
28:03don't walk away angry.
28:04Not tonight.
28:06Then give me one good reason to stay.
28:09He didn't answer right away.
28:11Then quietly,
28:13because if you leave,
28:13I'll stop pretending
28:14I can live without you.
28:16The words hit like a storm
28:18I didn't see coming.
28:19For a second,
28:20I forgot how to breathe.
28:22He let go,
28:23took a step back,
28:24and ran a hand over his face
28:25like he'd said too much.
28:27Go get some rest,
28:29he murmured.
28:29But I couldn't move.
28:31Couldn't think.
28:33Luca.
28:34He looked up.
28:36I walked toward him,
28:37close enough to smell
28:38the whiskey on his breath,
28:40the warmth of his skin.
28:42You don't get to say something like that
28:44and then walk away.
28:45His voice was hoarse
28:46when he whispered,
28:47I shouldn't have said it.
28:50Then why did you?
28:52He hesitated,
28:53eyes searching mine
28:54like the answer
28:55might be hiding somewhere
28:55in the mess of us.
28:57Because it's true.
28:59And then he kissed me.
29:01Slow at first,
29:02like a man testing the edge
29:03of something dangerous.
29:05Then deeper,
29:06harder,
29:07like he'd been holding back
29:08for too long.
29:10For one wild,
29:10impossible second,
29:12the world fell away.
29:14The city,
29:15the secrets,
29:16the blood,
29:17the fear.
29:18It was just us,
29:20two broken people
29:21finding something
29:21almost holy in the ruin.
29:24When he pulled back,
29:25his forehead rested against mine.
29:27I don't deserve this,
29:29he whispered.
29:31Then earn it.
29:33His breath hitched,
29:35a sound somewhere
29:35between a laugh and a prayer.
29:37But the peace didn't last.
29:39The next morning,
29:40I woke up alone again.
29:42The study door was locked now.
29:43His phone was gone.
29:45There was only a note
29:46on the counter,
29:47written in his careful,
29:48precise handwriting.
29:50Stay inside.
29:51Don't open the door for anyone.
29:53I'll explain soon.
29:55Hours passed.
29:56No calls.
29:57No texts.
29:58Just silence
29:59thick enough to choke on.
30:01When night came,
30:02I heard voices outside.
30:03Two men arguing in the hallway.
30:05Then footsteps.
30:07Then a knock.
30:08I froze.
30:09Melissa?
30:10A voice called softly.
30:11It's about Luca.
30:13My blood went cold.
30:15What about him?
30:16I asked through the door.
30:18He's in trouble.
30:19He told us to bring you.
30:21Something inside me
30:22screamed not to believe it.
30:23But fear overruled reason.
30:25I reached for the lock.
30:27My hand was shaking so hard
30:28I almost missed it.
30:30Then,
30:30just as I started to turn it,
30:32my phone buzzed.
30:33One message.
30:34From Luca.
30:35Don't open the door.
30:35My heart stopped.
30:38I stepped back,
30:39barely breathing.
30:40The knock came again,
30:41harder this time.
30:43Melissa,
30:44the voice said.
30:45Open it.
30:46Now.
30:47The metal handle rattled.
30:49I turned off the lights,
30:51backed away,
30:52and pressed my back to the wall.
30:54For the next ten minutes,
30:55I listened to the sound
30:56of someone trying to break in.
30:58Then silence.
30:59When they were gone,
31:01I finally let myself breathe again.
31:03And that's when I realized,
31:05whatever this was,
31:07whatever Luca had tried to keep from me,
31:09it wasn't over.
31:10It was only beginning.
31:12The next morning,
31:13the world didn't feel real.
31:15It was too quiet.
31:16Too still.
31:17The kind of silence
31:18that hums under your skin
31:19like a warning you can't explain.
31:22I barely slept after the break-in attempt.
31:24Every shadow looked like a threat.
31:27Every creak in the walls
31:28felt like a countdown.
31:30Luca still hadn't returned.
31:31His phone was dead.
31:33His men,
31:34the ones who usually haunted the penthouse
31:36like ghosts in suits,
31:38were gone too.
31:39Something had shifted.
31:41By noon,
31:42paranoia had eaten through
31:43every ounce of reason I had left.
31:46I checked the locks,
31:47drew the curtains,
31:48and turned on the TV
31:49just to have a voice in the room.
31:51That's when I heard it.
31:53The elevator.
31:54The sound of footsteps.
31:56Slow.
31:57Heavy.
31:58Confident.
32:00I picked up the kitchen knife,
32:01because apparently
32:02that's what survival looks like now,
32:04and stood by the door.
32:06It opened.
32:07And there he was.
32:09Luca.
32:10Bruised.
32:10Blood on his collar.
32:12His white shirt half untucked,
32:14sleeves rolled up,
32:15eyes dark and tired.
32:17Put that down,
32:18he said quietly.
32:20I didn't move.
32:21Where were you?
32:23Working.
32:24That's a lie.
32:26He stared at me,
32:28then sighed.
32:29You're right.
32:30It is.
32:32He walked past me,
32:33heading straight to the sink.
32:34He turned on the faucet
32:36and washed the blood from his hands
32:37like it was routine.
32:38I wanted to scream.
32:40Instead, I said,
32:42someone tried to break in last night.
32:44He froze.
32:46What?
32:47They knew your name.
32:49Said you told them to get me.
32:51He looked up slowly,
32:52water still running.
32:54Did they get in?
32:55No.
32:56You texted just in time?
32:58His eyes narrowed.
33:00I didn't send a message.
33:02I blinked.
33:03What?
33:04He turned off the water,
33:06grabbed a towel,
33:07and faced me.
33:08I couldn't.
33:09My phone's been dead since last night.
33:11My stomach dropped.
33:13Then who?
33:14Before I could finish,
33:15his phone,
33:16lying on the counter now,
33:18charging,
33:19buzzed to life.
33:20A message flashed across the screen.
33:22You're too late.
33:23The blood drained from his face.
33:25He snatched the phone,
33:26read something I couldn't see,
33:28and then grabbed his jacket.
33:29Luca, what's happening?
33:31Stay here.
33:33No, I...
33:34Melissa.
33:35His tone was steel now.
33:38Don't argue.
33:38If they were after you last night,
33:40they'll come back.
33:40I need to finish this.
33:42Finish what?
33:44He didn't answer.
33:45He just kissed my forehead
33:46like a man saying goodbye.
33:48Then he was gone.
33:49By the time I caught up to him,
33:51it was raining.
33:52The kind of hard,
33:53punishing rain
33:54that turns cities into mirrors.
33:56I followed his car to the docks.
33:58Half instinct,
33:59half desperation.
34:00He was meeting someone,
34:02three men standing by a black SUV.
34:04I stayed far enough to stay unseen,
34:06but close enough to hear
34:07the muffled argument.
34:09Your little accountant,
34:11one of them said.
34:12She's the reason we're here.
34:15Luca's voice was low,
34:16dangerous.
34:17She has nothing to do with this.
34:19Then why is she in your penthouse?
34:22Silence.
34:23The man laughed.
34:24We both know how this ends, Romano.
34:26You hand her over,
34:27you walk away clean.
34:29Otherwise...
34:30The sound that followed
34:32wasn't laughter.
34:33It was a gun being cocked.
34:36My heart stopped.
34:38Luca didn't flinch.
34:40If you touch her,
34:41he said,
34:42you'll never walk again.
34:44The man smiled,
34:46still pretending you're the good guy.
34:49That's when I realized
34:50this wasn't about me.
34:53It was about control.
34:55Leverage.
34:56I was the pawn.
34:58The rain was pounding so hard
34:59I almost missed the sound
35:00of a second car pulling up.
35:02Black windows.
35:03No plates.
35:05Luca noticed, too.
35:07His hand went for his gun.
35:09The men moved fast.
35:11A shot went off.
35:12Loud.
35:13Close.
35:14Then another.
35:15I ducked behind a crate,
35:17hands shaking so hard
35:18I could barely breathe.
35:20Someone shouted his name.
35:21Tires screeched.
35:23Then silence.
35:25When I finally crawled out,
35:27the SUV was gone.
35:28Luca was on the ground,
35:30bleeding from his shoulder.
35:32Luca!
35:33He tried to push himself up.
35:35Melissa,
35:35what are you doing here?
35:37Saving you,
35:38I snapped,
35:39grabbing the scarf from my neck
35:40and pressing it to his wound.
35:42He winced,
35:43then grabbed my wrist.
35:45You shouldn't have come.
35:46Too late for that.
35:47Sirens wailed in the distance.
35:49He clenched his teeth.
35:51We have to go.
35:52You're bleeding.
35:53He gritted out.
35:54I've had worse.
35:56I helped him up.
35:57His blood stained my hands,
35:59my dress,
36:00everything.
36:01But I didn't care.
36:02As we stumbled toward the car,
36:04he whispered,
36:04They know about you now.
36:06There's no going back.
36:08I don't care.
36:09He laughed bitterly.
36:11You should.
36:12Back at the penthouse,
36:13I cleaned the wound
36:14while he stared out the window
36:15like the city might offer redemption.
36:18When I finally broke the silence,
36:19my voice was barely there.
36:21Who were they?
36:23People who think they own me.
36:25You work for them?
36:26I did.
36:28And now?
36:29He met my eyes.
36:31Now I'm the liability.
36:32I felt something cold settle inside me.
36:36So am I.
36:37He didn't deny it.
36:39Then he said quietly,
36:41There's a safe house outside the city.
36:44You'll go there tonight.
36:45My men will take you.
36:47I shook my head.
36:48I'm not leaving you.
36:50You think this is some kind of love story?
36:53He said sharply.
36:54It's not.
36:55It's survival.
36:56You leave,
36:57or they'll use you to destroy me.
36:59I stared at him.
37:01This man who had saved me
37:02lied to me,
37:03kissed me,
37:04and bled for me.
37:06Then we go together,
37:07I said.
37:08He opened his mouth to argue,
37:10then stopped.
37:11His expression shifted.
37:13Something like resignation.
37:15You're stubborn,
37:16he muttered.
37:17You're bleeding on my carpet.
37:19A faint smile tugged at his mouth.
37:22Fine.
37:22Together.
37:24As the storm raged outside,
37:26he packed a small bag,
37:27cash,
37:28gun,
37:29phone,
37:29passport,
37:30the essentials of a man
37:31who'd lived too many lives.
37:33Before we left,
37:35he paused at the door and said,
37:37almost to himself,
37:38once we cross that line,
37:39there's no coming back.
37:41I looked at him.
37:43We crossed it the moment you kissed me.
37:46He didn't argue.
37:48We walked out into the night,
37:49hand in hand.
37:51The city stretched behind us,
37:53dangerous,
37:53glittering,
37:54and gone.
37:55We left the city before dawn.
37:57The roads were empty,
37:59just slick black ribbons
38:00under the headlights,
38:01and Luca was pale
38:02against the leather seat,
38:04one hand pressed to his shoulder,
38:06the other on the wheel.
38:07I wanted to yell at him to rest.
38:10I wanted to grab the steering wheel myself,
38:12but his jaw was locked,
38:14eyes focused on some invisible point ahead.
38:16Like if he stopped,
38:18the world would catch up
38:19and devour us both.
38:21He didn't speak for two hours.
38:22When he finally did,
38:24his voice was low.
38:26They knew where to find me.
38:27That means someone close gave us up.
38:30I stared out the window.
38:32You think it's one of your men?
38:34He didn't answer.
38:35Which was an answer.
38:38We pulled into a run-down gas station
38:40in the middle of nowhere.
38:41He got out to refuel,
38:43and for a second,
38:44I just watched him,
38:45a man bleeding,
38:46hunted,
38:46and still carrying himself
38:47like the earth owed him obedience.
38:49When he came back,
38:51I said,
38:51you can't keep running like this.
38:54I've been running for years.
38:56That's not living.
38:58He looked at me,
38:59eyes hollow.
39:01Neither is dying for nothing.
39:03By the time we reached the safe house,
39:05the sun was rising over the fields,
39:08a lonely cabin surrounded by fog,
39:10the kind of place that looked like
39:11it had never heard a human voice.
39:13Inside,
39:14everything smelled like dust
39:15and forgotten time.
39:17Luca dropped his bag,
39:18sat heavily on the couch,
39:19and leaned his head back.
39:21Take a shower,
39:22I said.
39:23You'll get an infection
39:24if you don't clean that wound properly.
39:26He gave me a crooked smile.
39:28Yes, doctor.
39:30I didn't smile back.
39:32I grabbed the first aid kit
39:33and knelt beside him,
39:35unbuttoning his shirt carefully.
39:37The bruises spread like storm clouds
39:38across his skin.
39:40My throat tightened.
39:41Hold still.
39:43He winced when the alcohol
39:45touched his shoulder.
39:46You're not gentle.
39:48Neither are you,
39:50he chuckled,
39:50then caught my wrist.
39:52You should have left
39:53when you had the chance.
39:54I did.
39:55I left everything.
39:57And I chose this.
39:59His hand tightened just a little.
40:01You don't know what this costs.
40:03Yes, I do.
40:05I looked him dead in the eye.
40:07I just don't care anymore.
40:09Something shifted between us then,
40:12a fragile, trembling silence
40:13that wasn't anger or fear.
40:16It was surrender.
40:18That night, we barely spoke.
40:21He sat near the window,
40:22gun on the table,
40:23watching the darkness.
40:25I lay awake on the couch,
40:27listening to the rain start again,
40:28because of course it would.
40:31At some point, I whispered,
40:32Are they still looking for you?
40:34He didn't look at me.
40:36They'll always be looking.
40:38Then we can't stay here.
40:40No.
40:42He sighed.
40:43But we'll stay tonight.
40:45The way he said it,
40:46quiet, resigned,
40:48made something inside me ache.
40:51After a long pause, I asked,
40:53What did you do, Luca,
40:55before all this?
40:56His eyes finally met mine.
40:59I made people disappear.
41:01The words landed like a stone in the room.
41:04He looked away again.
41:06Money, power, revenge.
41:09It all sounds cleaner when you're on the outside.
41:12But once you touch it,
41:13it stains everything.
41:15Everyone.
41:16And me?
41:17His jaw flexed.
41:19You're the one thing that doesn't belong to that world.
41:22Too late,
41:23I whispered.
41:24He didn't argue.
41:26Hours later,
41:27I woke to the sound of glass breaking.
41:29Luca was already on his feet.
41:31Stay down.
41:32Luca,
41:32now.
41:34His voice,
41:35sharp,
41:35commanding,
41:36pinned me to the floor.
41:38He moved toward the door,
41:39gun raised.
41:40I could hear footsteps outside.
41:42Two,
41:43maybe three people.
41:45Then,
41:45a voice.
41:47You can't hide forever,
41:48Romano.
41:49Luca fired once.
41:51The sound shattered the night.
41:53Someone screamed.
41:54Another voice yelled,
41:56We just want the girl!
41:58Everything inside me went cold.
42:00He looked over his shoulder,
42:02eyes blazing.
42:03Don't listen to them.
42:05Before I could respond,
42:06the front window exploded inward.
42:09Shards of glass,
42:10a flash of light,
42:11and chaos.
42:13Luca fired again,
42:14two shots,
42:15then another.
42:16I crawled toward him,
42:17my ears ringing,
42:18my hands shaking.
42:19Luca,
42:20they're inside.
42:21He grabbed me,
42:22shoved me behind the couch,
42:23his voice hoarse.
42:24Stay down.
42:26I saw the blood before he did,
42:28spreading fast,
42:29soaking through his shirt again.
42:31Luca!
42:32He gritted his teeth,
42:33still firing.
42:34I'm fine.
42:35He wasn't.
42:36The door burst open,
42:37and a man stormed in with a gun raised.
42:40Instinct took over.
42:41I grabbed the lamp beside me
42:43and swung it as hard as I could.
42:45It hit his shoulder,
42:46enough to make him stumble.
42:48Luca turned,
42:49fired once,
42:51and the man collapsed.
42:53Then there was silence.
42:55Just rain and breathing
42:56and the faint crackle
42:57of shattered glass
42:58under our feet.
43:00Luca sank down
43:00against the wall,
43:01panting.
43:02His gun fell from his hand.
43:04I knelt beside him,
43:05my hands slick with his blood.
43:07You're okay.
43:09You're going to be okay.
43:10He laughed weakly.
43:12You're a terrible liar.
43:14Shut up.
43:15His fingers brushed my cheek.
43:17You were never supposed
43:18to be part of this.
43:20Too bad,
43:21I whispered.
43:21I'm not leaving.
43:23His voice broke.
43:24You might have to.
43:26No.
43:27He smiled.
43:28Small.
43:29Faint.
43:30Heartbreaking.
43:31Then I guess we go down together.
43:33I pressed my forehead to his.
43:35Not today.
43:37Hours passed before the sirens came,
43:40or maybe they were just in my head.
43:42I remember blood on my shirt,
43:44the cold air creeping through the broken window,
43:47his pulse barely there under my fingers.
43:49When I tried to lift him,
43:51his eyes opened.
43:53Barely.
43:54Melissa.
43:56Don't talk.
43:58He smiled faintly.
43:59You're not crying.
44:01I can't,
44:03I whispered.
44:04If I start,
44:05I won't stop.
44:06He closed his eyes again.
44:09Outside,
44:09the sound of engines.
44:11Tires crunching gravel.
44:13They'd found us.
44:15I grabbed his gun,
44:17aimed at the door with hands
44:18that wouldn't stop trembling.
44:20The knob turned.
44:21The door opened slowly.
44:23And instead of men with guns,
44:25it was Vincent.
44:26Luca's second in command.
44:28He raised both hands.
44:30It's me.
44:32Relief hit me so hard,
44:33I nearly dropped the gun.
44:35We got them,
44:36Vincent said.
44:37They're done.
44:38I stared at him.
44:40He's hurt.
44:41Vincent nodded grimly,
44:42pulling out his phone.
44:44I called a doctor.
44:45He'll make it.
44:47Promise me,
44:48I said,
44:49voice cracking.
44:50Promise me he'll make it.
44:52Vincent's eyes softened.
44:54You kept him alive this long.
44:56I think he'll do the rest.
44:58The last thing I remember
44:59before everything went black
45:01was Luca's hand finding mine,
45:03his voice faint but certain.
45:05I told you not to fall for me.
45:07And my answer,
45:09whispered through the blur
45:09of tears and exhaustion.
45:12Too late.
45:12I didn't dream for a long time.
45:16When I finally woke,
45:17it was to the smell
45:18of antiseptic and rain.
45:20Always rain,
45:21like the world refused
45:22to stop mourning with me.
45:24The ceiling above me was white,
45:26too clean,
45:27too bright.
45:28My arm had an IV in it,
45:30my throat was raw,
45:31and my chest hurt from crying
45:32I didn't remember doing.
45:34Then I saw him,
45:36Luca,
45:37sitting in the corner,
45:39alive.
45:40He had a sling on his shoulder,
45:41bruises blooming across his jaw
45:43and dark circles under his eyes
45:45that made him look older.
45:47Softer, somehow.
45:49His gaze was fixed on me
45:51like I was the only thing
45:52left worth looking at.
45:53You made it,
45:55I whispered.
45:56His mouth curved.
45:58You sound disappointed.
45:59I thought you were dead.
46:02I was, almost.
46:04You didn't exactly let me finish the job.
46:06I laughed.
46:08It came out broken.
46:10You're welcome.
46:11He stood,
46:12slow and careful,
46:13and came to sit on the edge of my bed.
46:16For a long time,
46:17neither of us said anything.
46:19The silence was full,
46:20not empty,
46:21like the space between two heartbeats.
46:24Finally, he said,
46:25they're gone,
46:27the ones who came for us.
46:28Vincent took care of it.
46:30And you?
46:31He hesitated.
46:33I'm done, Melissa.
46:34No more running.
46:35No more blood.
46:37I searched his face for a lie
46:39and didn't find one.
46:40What happens now?
46:42I asked.
46:43He reached out,
46:44brushed a strand of hair from my face.
46:47His hand trembled.
46:48Now, I try to remember
46:50what life looks like
46:51when I'm not hiding in the dark.
46:52Do you think you can?
46:55Not without you.
46:57The words hit me
46:59like something warm and terrifying.
47:01You don't have to say that,
47:03I said quietly.
47:05I know.
47:06He smiled faintly.
47:08I mean it anyway.
47:11They moved us to a recovery cabin
47:12a few days later,
47:14somewhere upstate,
47:15surrounded by pine trees and silence.
47:18Vincent handled the details.
47:20He always did.
47:20For the first time in months,
47:23I didn't feel like I was waiting
47:24for something terrible to happen.
47:26Six months later,
47:27I started working again,
47:29not for some company
47:30that chewed people up
47:31and spat them out.
47:33For myself.
47:34I opened a small cafe near the lake,
47:37the kind of place
47:37where you can actually
47:38hear yourself think.
47:40Luca helped me build it.
47:42Well, help might be generous.
47:45He mostly sat in a chair,
47:47pretending to give orders,
47:48while I did the real work.
47:49But watching him there,
47:51alive,
47:52teasing me,
47:53pretending not to be happy,
47:55it felt like a miracle.
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