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Short filmTranscript
00:00:00I don't remember the exact second panic became a living thing in my body,
00:00:04only that it starts with Eli's screams slicing through the courtyard of our apartment complex.
00:00:09Auntie, wait!
00:00:11I'm holding three grocery bags, my phone wedged under my chin,
00:00:15and about a hundred different worries in the back of my head.
00:00:18The sun's bright enough to sting my eyes,
00:00:21and I'm already halfway to the stairs and I realize he isn't behind me.
00:00:25Eli, I drop the bags right onto the sun-baked concrete.
00:00:28Baby, where are you?
00:00:31No answer.
00:00:32Just the rustle of leaves in the distant city hum.
00:00:36And then soft, innocent, curious his little voice.
00:00:40I have to get the kitty.
00:00:42My stomach flips.
00:00:44Not the cute kind of flip.
00:00:46The kind that tastes like fear.
00:00:48I sprint past the mailbox row,
00:00:50my sandals smacking the pavement,
00:00:52my heart ramming against my ribs.
00:00:54I spot the tail of a ginger cat disappearing under the iron gate
00:00:58that separates our complex from the luxury building next door.
00:01:02The one with tinted glass windows,
00:01:04black SUVs,
00:01:05and security cameras,
00:01:07pointed at angles that never feel accidental.
00:01:10Eli,
00:01:11I shout,
00:01:12my voice cracking.
00:01:14Don't you go in there!
00:01:15But he's already through the half-open service door,
00:01:18chasing that damn cat,
00:01:20like we're not standing two feet
00:01:21from what everyone in the neighborhood whispers about.
00:01:24The building nobody crosses.
00:01:26The building nobody asks questions about.
00:01:29The building owned allegedly by a man
00:01:31people only talk about in low voices.
00:01:34Luca Moretti.
00:01:35I shove through the door,
00:01:36breathless,
00:01:37sweating,
00:01:38praying he's just two steps ahead.
00:01:41Eli,
00:01:41baby,
00:01:42answer me,
00:01:42and then I hear him giggle,
00:01:44giggle.
00:01:45The kind of carefree laugh
00:01:46only a kid can pull off
00:01:47while giving you a heart attack.
00:01:49I round the corner into the marble floor bobby
00:01:52and freeze.
00:01:53Everything is white and gold
00:01:54and silent too silent.
00:01:56The air conditioning hits me like winter.
00:01:59The sunlight pours through the tall windows,
00:02:01hitting the glossy floors
00:02:03and making the whole space feel unreal.
00:02:05And there he is,
00:02:07Eli,
00:02:08five years old,
00:02:09curly hair,
00:02:10superhero backpack,
00:02:12holding a cat in his arms
00:02:13like he's discovered treasure.
00:02:16Standing in front of a man,
00:02:17I swear I've only seen in rumors.
00:02:19He's tall,
00:02:21broad shoulders
00:02:22under a tailored white gray suit.
00:02:24Dark hair slicked back
00:02:25just enough to look expensive
00:02:27instead of arrogant.
00:02:28Not a tattoo in sight,
00:02:30but rings,
00:02:31heavy silver ones
00:02:32glint on his fingers.
00:02:34And there's something about him.
00:02:36Something coiled,
00:02:37contained,
00:02:38danger wrapped in calm.
00:02:40He isn't looking at Eli,
00:02:41he's looking at me.
00:02:43And I feel that look
00:02:44all the way down my spine.
00:02:45Eli beams,
00:02:47Auntie,
00:02:48look,
00:02:48the kitty's nice.
00:02:50He,
00:02:50I grab him by the shoulders,
00:02:52pulling him behind me,
00:02:53my breath shaking.
00:02:55Sweetheart,
00:02:55you can't just run into someone's building.
00:02:58You scared me half to death.
00:03:00The man's voice cuts in,
00:03:02low and warm with this unmistakable authority
00:03:04that feels like a touch.
00:03:07Your nephew has good instincts.
00:03:08I swallow hard.
00:03:10For chasing cats?
00:03:11For recognizing softness when he sees it.
00:03:14I blink,
00:03:15thrown.
00:03:16Softness?
00:03:17His eyes drop to Eli,
00:03:19then come back to me slow,
00:03:21intentional,
00:03:22like he's choosing to watch my reactions.
00:03:25The way he ran in here,
00:03:26he says,
00:03:27you'd think this was home.
00:03:29It's not,
00:03:30I say quickly.
00:03:31Trust me.
00:03:32It's definitely not.
00:03:34A corner of his mouth lifts.
00:03:36Not a smile more like an idea he's debating.
00:03:39Relax,
00:03:40he says.
00:03:41If I meant trouble,
00:03:43you would know.
00:03:45And,
00:03:45I don't know why,
00:03:47but the way he says it makes my breath catch.
00:03:49Not with fear,
00:03:50with recognition.
00:03:52Like,
00:03:53some buried part of me
00:03:54already knew his voice.
00:03:56I step back,
00:03:57pulling Eli with me.
00:03:59Thank you for not,
00:04:00I don't know.
00:04:01Calling security.
00:04:03Security works for me,
00:04:04he says simply.
00:04:06Oh,
00:04:06oh no.
00:04:07My heart practically slams
00:04:09against the wall of my chest.
00:04:11He steps closer,
00:04:12not crowding,
00:04:13just closing the distance.
00:04:15Like,
00:04:16he's studying my heartbeat through the air.
00:04:18You're shaking,
00:04:19he says quietly.
00:04:21No,
00:04:21I'm not.
00:04:22I definitely am.
00:04:24His eyes soften,
00:04:25just slightly.
00:04:27You thought he was in danger.
00:04:28Of course I did.
00:04:30I grip Eli tighter.
00:04:32He's my responsibility.
00:04:33There is a shift inside him.
00:04:36Subtle,
00:04:37almost invisible.
00:04:38But I feel it like a drop in pressure
00:04:40before a summer storm.
00:04:42You ran in here without thinking,
00:04:45he murmurs.
00:04:46Straight into a place
00:04:47you should have run away from.
00:04:49I didn't have a choice.
00:04:50Most people would say
00:04:52they didn't have a choice,
00:04:53he says.
00:04:54But they'd still hesitate.
00:04:56You didn't.
00:04:58Something about the way
00:04:59he observes me,
00:05:00like,
00:05:01I'm the only unexpected thing
00:05:02he's seen all day
00:05:04makes my cheeks warm.
00:05:06I'm Luca,
00:05:07he finally says.
00:05:09He doesn't offer a handshake.
00:05:10He doesn't need to.
00:05:12I know who he is.
00:05:13I just nod.
00:05:15I'm Marley.
00:05:16Marley,
00:05:17he repeats,
00:05:18rolling my name around
00:05:19like he's checking its weight.
00:05:21Pretty name.
00:05:22I try not to react.
00:05:24I fail.
00:05:25Ally tugs on my arm.
00:05:27Auntie,
00:05:28the kitty likes him.
00:05:30I look down
00:05:31and realize the cat
00:05:32is rubbing against Luca's leg
00:05:33like it owns him.
00:05:35Luca glances at it,
00:05:36amused.
00:05:37He belongs to the building.
00:05:39He roams wherever he wants.
00:05:42Ah,
00:05:42I say,
00:05:43so he's fearless.
00:05:45He knows where he's safe.
00:05:47And then his gaze
00:05:48comes back to me
00:05:49and stays there.
00:05:50He crawls up my neck.
00:05:52I force a small,
00:05:53polite smile.
00:05:54Well,
00:05:55thank you for returning
00:05:57my nephew.
00:05:58You're welcome,
00:05:59his voice drops.
00:06:01But you didn't ask
00:06:02how I found him.
00:06:03I blink.
00:06:04How?
00:06:05Did you find him?
00:06:07He steps close enough
00:06:08that I smell him clean,
00:06:09sharp,
00:06:10something like citrus
00:06:11and leather and danger.
00:06:13Because your nephew,
00:06:14he says,
00:06:15walked straight
00:06:16into my private elevator.
00:06:18Oh my God.
00:06:19I cover my face
00:06:20with one hand,
00:06:21mortified.
00:06:22I'm so,
00:06:24so sorry.
00:06:25He gently lowers my hand.
00:06:27Not touching,
00:06:28just easing it down
00:06:29with the ghost of a gesture
00:06:31that somehow feels
00:06:32more intimate
00:06:32than actual contact.
00:06:34Don't apologize,
00:06:36he murmurs.
00:06:37It gave me a reason
00:06:38to step out
00:06:38of a very boring meeting.
00:06:40My breath catches.
00:06:42He's flirting.
00:06:43Subtly,
00:06:44casually.
00:06:46Like he's testing
00:06:47the air between us.
00:06:49And I hate
00:06:49how much part of me responds.
00:06:51I really should go,
00:06:53I say,
00:06:54pulling Eli
00:06:54toward the door.
00:06:56Marley.
00:06:57My name stops me
00:06:58mid-step.
00:06:59I'll walk you out,
00:07:00he says.
00:07:02You don't have to.
00:07:03I know.
00:07:04But he does.
00:07:05He walks beside me,
00:07:07hands in his pockets,
00:07:09eyes skinning the hallway
00:07:10like he's used to
00:07:11protecting things,
00:07:12people territory.
00:07:13I whisper without meaning to.
00:07:16Do you
00:07:16always escort strangers?
00:07:18Only when they run
00:07:20headfirst into danger,
00:07:21he says lightly.
00:07:23Or when they look at me
00:07:24like they're trying
00:07:25to decide
00:07:25whether to trust me.
00:07:27I'm not.
00:07:28You are.
00:07:29Silence stretches.
00:07:31Heavy with something
00:07:32I don't want to name.
00:07:33We reach the service door.
00:07:35Sunlight spills
00:07:36in hot and golden,
00:07:38flooding the dim hallway.
00:07:40Eli skips out
00:07:40ahead of us,
00:07:41humming to himself
00:07:42like none of this
00:07:43was terrifying.
00:07:45Luca leans
00:07:45against the doorframe,
00:07:47eyes still on me.
00:07:48You live next door?
00:07:50He asks.
00:07:51Yeah,
00:07:52Building C.
00:07:53His jaw ticks
00:07:54just a small reaction.
00:07:56That's not a great place.
00:07:58I know,
00:07:59I say.
00:07:59But it's what I can afford.
00:08:01Another shift.
00:08:03Another tiny storm
00:08:04behind his eyes.
00:08:06Come by
00:08:06if you ever need anything,
00:08:08he says.
00:08:09Not the usual
00:08:10neighborly offer.
00:08:12I'm not planning
00:08:12on needing anything.
00:08:14His gaze drops
00:08:15to my lips
00:08:15before lifting.
00:08:17Nobody plans it,
00:08:18but I swallow.
00:08:20Goodbye, Marley.
00:08:21Goodbye.
00:08:23Luca.
00:08:24I step into the sunlight,
00:08:25trying to breathe
00:08:26past the weird electricity
00:08:27buzzing under my skin.
00:08:29I feel him watching me
00:08:30walk away.
00:08:32I feel like a hand
00:08:32on my spine.
00:08:34When I reach our courtyard,
00:08:35I finally look back.
00:08:37He's still standing there,
00:08:39still leaning against
00:08:40the doorway,
00:08:41still watching me
00:08:42like he's already
00:08:42memorized the outline
00:08:44of my fear
00:08:44and my fire.
00:08:46And the second
00:08:47our eyes meet,
00:08:48there it is.
00:08:49The moment
00:08:49everything changes.
00:08:51A slow,
00:08:52deliberate smile
00:08:53touches his mouth.
00:08:54Not dangerous.
00:08:56Not threatening.
00:08:57Just.
00:08:58Certain.
00:08:59Like he already knows
00:09:00this isn't the last time
00:09:01he'll see me.
00:09:02Like he already knows
00:09:03I'll let him.
00:09:04And that realization
00:09:06steals the breath
00:09:07straight from my lungs.
00:09:09Because even though
00:09:10I know better,
00:09:11even though I should
00:09:11slam every emotional
00:09:13door shut,
00:09:14I feel it.
00:09:15Trust.
00:09:16Unasked for.
00:09:18Unwanted.
00:09:19Unavoidable.
00:09:21Growing right where
00:09:22my fear should be.
00:09:23And that is the most
00:09:24dangerous thing of all.
00:09:27Soft.
00:09:28Firm.
00:09:29Inevitable.
00:09:30Three days after Eli
00:09:31ran into Luca
00:09:32Moretti's building,
00:09:33I'm standing in my
00:09:34tiny kitchen in
00:09:35Building C,
00:09:36elbow deep in
00:09:37dish soap,
00:09:37and trying to
00:09:38convince myself,
00:09:39I imagine the way
00:09:40he looked at me.
00:09:42The afternoon sun
00:09:43spills through
00:09:43my grimy window,
00:09:45turning the steam
00:09:45from the sink
00:09:46into a little
00:09:47glowing cloud.
00:09:48Eli is on the
00:09:49floor nearby,
00:09:50drawing superheroes
00:09:51with crayons,
00:09:52humming to himself.
00:09:53He's fine.
00:09:54He's happy.
00:09:55I should be too.
00:09:57But my brain
00:09:57has been stuck
00:09:58on a loop.
00:09:59Why did he look
00:10:00at me like that?
00:10:01Like I was a puzzle
00:10:02worth learning?
00:10:03Like he wasn't
00:10:04supposed to be
00:10:05interested,
00:10:06but he was anyway.
00:10:07I scrub harder.
00:10:09Don't be stupid,
00:10:10I tell myself.
00:10:12Men like him
00:10:12do not look at
00:10:13women like you.
00:10:15Men with rumored
00:10:16blood on their
00:10:16suits don't flirt
00:10:17with broke women
00:10:18who coupon
00:10:18and live next door.
00:10:20But then the
00:10:21knock comes again.
00:10:22Low,
00:10:23steady,
00:10:23almost,
00:10:24patient.
00:10:25Anti?
00:10:26Eli whispers,
00:10:28wide-eyed.
00:10:29Someone's at the door.
00:10:30I wipe my hands
00:10:31on a towel
00:10:32and force a breath
00:10:33into my lungs.
00:10:34Stay here,
00:10:35okay?
00:10:36Don't answer
00:10:37unless it's me.
00:10:38I walk to the door
00:10:39slowly,
00:10:39heart thudding,
00:10:41and check the peephole.
00:10:42Oh,
00:10:43God.
00:10:44Him,
00:10:44he fills the hallway
00:10:45like it was built
00:10:46for him
00:10:47and no one else.
00:10:48Luca is in a light
00:10:49blue button-up today,
00:10:51sleeves rolled
00:10:51to his forearms,
00:10:52exposing strong.
00:10:54Tin arms and veins
00:10:55that look like they've
00:10:56held violence
00:10:56and tenderness
00:10:57in equal measure.
00:10:58His watch gleams,
00:11:00understated but expensive.
00:11:02His expression
00:11:03is unreadable.
00:11:04I open the door
00:11:05three inches.
00:11:06What are you doing here?
00:11:08I ask,
00:11:09breath thinner
00:11:10than it should be.
00:11:11His eyes flick
00:11:12to the chain
00:11:13still across the door.
00:11:15He waits
00:11:15until I meet
00:11:16his gaze again.
00:11:18Checking on you.
00:11:19I snort a little,
00:11:21a nervous,
00:11:22stupid sound.
00:11:23Sorry,
00:11:24what?
00:11:24His tone
00:11:25doesn't change.
00:11:26You left
00:11:27my building
00:11:28shaking.
00:11:29That was
00:11:29days ago.
00:11:30Yes,
00:11:31he says.
00:11:32And I haven't
00:11:33stopped thinking
00:11:34about it.
00:11:35For a second,
00:11:36the world tilts.
00:11:37Can't breathe.
00:11:38Can't blink.
00:11:40Can't understand
00:11:40why that hits me
00:11:41so deeply.
00:11:43Luca,
00:11:44I whisper,
00:11:45almost warning,
00:11:45almost plea.
00:11:47You can close the door,
00:11:48he says quietly.
00:11:50But you should know
00:11:51I don't knock twice
00:11:52for people
00:11:52I don't intend
00:11:53to protect.
00:11:54That word
00:11:54protects slides.
00:11:56Under my ribs
00:11:56and settle somewhere
00:11:57I don't want
00:11:58to acknowledge.
00:11:59I unhook the chain
00:12:00before I can
00:12:00talk myself out of it.
00:12:02He steps inside
00:12:03like he belongs there.
00:12:04And somehow,
00:12:05he does.
00:12:06The sunlight hits him,
00:12:08outlining his shoulders,
00:12:09catching the faint
00:12:10stubble on his jaw.
00:12:11He looks less dangerous
00:12:13here.
00:12:13Or maybe just dangerous
00:12:15in a way that feels
00:12:16personal.
00:12:17His attention drops
00:12:18to Eli,
00:12:19who is halfway
00:12:19behind my leg
00:12:20but staring at him
00:12:21with open curiosity.
00:12:23Hey, kid,
00:12:24Luca says,
00:12:26voice softer.
00:12:27Lose any cats today?
00:12:29Eli giggles.
00:12:30And that giggle god,
00:12:31it softens something
00:12:32behind Luca's eyes
00:12:34instantly.
00:12:35It's like watching
00:12:36the moon pull
00:12:37on the tide.
00:12:38You didn't have to come,
00:12:39I say,
00:12:40arms crossed
00:12:41to keep from fidgeting.
00:12:43I know,
00:12:44he repeats.
00:12:45But I wanted to.
00:12:46Something in his tone
00:12:47makes my pulse skip.
00:12:49Why?
00:12:50You ran into danger
00:12:51without hesitation,
00:12:53he says.
00:12:54You're the kind of person
00:12:55who gets hurt
00:12:56because you care too much.
00:12:58People like you,
00:12:59his jaw tenses.
00:13:01People like you
00:13:02are the ones
00:13:02I never want to see scared.
00:13:04I look away
00:13:05because the truth
00:13:06in his voice
00:13:07feels too big,
00:13:08too sharp.
00:13:09Everything okay, Marley?
00:13:11He asks.
00:13:12Yeah, I'm fine.
00:13:14Lie.
00:13:15Big, ridiculous lie.
00:13:17His eyes narrow,
00:13:18not unkindly.
00:13:19No, you're not.
00:13:21My laugh cracks.
00:13:23Wow.
00:13:23Okay.
00:13:25Do you always
00:13:25read people like that?
00:13:27Yes,
00:13:28and you're terrible
00:13:28at hiding your emotions.
00:13:30I open my mouth.
00:13:31Close it.
00:13:32Open it again.
00:13:34I'm not used
00:13:35to someone noticing.
00:13:37He hums under his breath.
00:13:39You should be.
00:13:40I should walk away.
00:13:41I should create distance.
00:13:43I should not let my nephew
00:13:45see me getting pulled
00:13:46into something
00:13:46that feels like a choice
00:13:47I might not be strong enough
00:13:49to walk back from.
00:13:50But then,
00:13:51Eli tugs on my shirt.
00:13:53Auntie,
00:13:54can he stay a while?
00:13:55Please?
00:13:57Luka kneels,
00:13:58kneels,
00:13:59right down to Eli's level
00:14:00like the rest of the world
00:14:01isn't built for him.
00:14:03I can stay,
00:14:04he murmurs.
00:14:05If your aunt wants me to.
00:14:07Eli nods enthusiastically
00:14:09and wraps his little arms
00:14:10around Luka's neck.
00:14:12And I swear
00:14:12for one unguarded moment
00:14:14Luka's entire body
00:14:15goes still in surprise
00:14:17then melts into something
00:14:18heartbreakingly real.
00:14:20He pats Eli's back once,
00:14:23gently,
00:14:23like he's afraid
00:14:24he might break him.
00:14:26My throat tight ends.
00:14:27Okay,
00:14:28I whisper.
00:14:30He can stay
00:14:30and that's all it takes.
00:14:33The next few hours
00:14:34melt into something
00:14:34I wasn't prepared for.
00:14:36We talk.
00:14:38We laugh actual laughter,
00:14:39not the nervous kind.
00:14:40He gives Eli
00:14:42a mini lesson
00:14:42on how to fold
00:14:43paper airplanes
00:14:44the aerodynamic way,
00:14:46whatever that means.
00:14:48He sits at my
00:14:48cramped kitchen table,
00:14:50sleeves still rolled,
00:14:51sunlight spilling
00:14:52over his forearms
00:14:53while he drinks
00:14:54the lemonade
00:14:54I made out of
00:14:55sheer desperation
00:14:56to look like
00:14:57I have my life together.
00:14:58It feels wrong
00:15:00and right
00:15:01and terrifying
00:15:02because the thing
00:15:03I've been avoiding
00:15:04becomes undeniable.
00:15:06Luka Moretti
00:15:06is calm danger.
00:15:08Kind danger.
00:15:09The kind of danger
00:15:11that knows exactly
00:15:12how to treat a child
00:15:13with tenderness
00:15:13and a woman
00:15:14with care.
00:15:15But danger
00:15:16is still danger.
00:15:18You're quiet,
00:15:19he says softly
00:15:19after Eli goes to his room
00:15:21to get another toy.
00:15:22I'm thinking.
00:15:24About what?
00:15:25You.
00:15:26His eyebrows
00:15:26lift slightly,
00:15:28like I've surprised him.
00:15:29And what do you think?
00:15:31That I don't want to get
00:15:32pulled into something
00:15:33I can't climb out of.
00:15:35His voice dips.
00:15:36I'm not trying
00:15:37to pull you anywhere.
00:15:39I look at him.
00:15:40Really look.
00:15:41Yes, you are.
00:15:43I whisper.
00:15:44And that scares me.
00:15:46He studies me
00:15:46for a long moment,
00:15:47expression unreadable.
00:15:49Then he leans back,
00:15:50his posture slow
00:15:51and controlled.
00:15:52I won't lie to you.
00:15:54His voice is a low,
00:15:55warm confession.
00:15:57My world isn't clean.
00:15:58You know that.
00:16:00I nod.
00:16:00But I don't bring chaos
00:16:02to people
00:16:02who don't deserve it.
00:16:04And you,
00:16:05he pauses,
00:16:06choosing his words,
00:16:08you deserve softness.
00:16:10The air leaves my lungs
00:16:11like he punched
00:16:12the breath from me,
00:16:13not violently,
00:16:14just with truth
00:16:15I didn't expect.
00:16:17Luca!
00:16:19He stands,
00:16:20comes closer,
00:16:21stops when he's near enough
00:16:22that I have to tilt my head up.
00:16:24The sunlight behind him
00:16:26creates a glow
00:16:26around his shoulders,
00:16:28like the world
00:16:29is highlighting him
00:16:30without permission.
00:16:31If you ever feel unsafe,
00:16:33he says quietly,
00:16:34call me.
00:16:35I'm not planning to.
00:16:36Marley?
00:16:37His voice drops deeper.
00:16:39Life doesn't care
00:16:40about your plans.
00:16:42Before I can respond,
00:16:43before I can unpack
00:16:44this storm inside me,
00:16:46a sharp knock
00:16:47rattles the door.
00:16:48Not gentle,
00:16:49not patient.
00:16:51Not Luca.
00:16:52He goes still instantly,
00:16:54head turning toward the sound
00:16:55like a predator
00:16:56scenting danger,
00:16:57expecting someone.
00:16:59He acts,
00:17:00voice low.
00:17:01No,
00:17:01I whisper,
00:17:02heart pounding.
00:17:03The knock comes again.
00:17:05Harder.
00:17:06Luca steps forward
00:17:07and puts a hand
00:17:08near my waist,
00:17:09not touching,
00:17:10just guiding me behind him
00:17:11with a quiet authority
00:17:12that makes heat
00:17:13bloom in my chest.
00:17:15Stay back,
00:17:16he murmurs.
00:17:18I swallow air
00:17:18that suddenly feels too thin.
00:17:21Luca,
00:17:21who,
00:17:22he shakes his head once,
00:17:24eyes narrowing
00:17:25at the door.
00:17:26Someone who shouldn't be here.
00:17:28My pulse spikes.
00:17:29What do you mean?
00:17:31His jaw clenches,
00:17:32titanium hard.
00:17:34That knock?
00:17:35It's not a neighbor.
00:17:37It's not accidental.
00:17:38And whoever it is,
00:17:40the knock becomes a banging.
00:17:42Eli whimpers from his room.
00:17:45They're here for something.
00:17:46He turns to me then,
00:17:48and the softness from earlier
00:17:49is gone,
00:17:50completely gone.
00:17:51In its place is the man
00:17:52the city whispers about,
00:17:54cold,
00:17:55calculated,
00:17:57controlled.
00:17:58Marley,
00:17:59he says,
00:18:00voice like steel
00:18:01wrapped in silk.
00:18:03Take Eli
00:18:03and get into the bedroom.
00:18:06Don't come out
00:18:06until I tell you.
00:18:08Understand?
00:18:09My breath shakes.
00:18:11Luca,
00:18:12understand.
00:18:13I nod because
00:18:14my voice won't work.
00:18:15He moves toward the door.
00:18:17I grab Eli,
00:18:18clutching him to my chest.
00:18:20His little hands tremble
00:18:21as he buries his face
00:18:22in my shoulder.
00:18:24Is it bad?
00:18:25He whispers.
00:18:26No,
00:18:26I lie.
00:18:28It's okay.
00:18:29I've got you.
00:18:31But as I back into the bedroom
00:18:32and close the door,
00:18:33I hear Luca's voice
00:18:34on the other side.
00:18:36Calm.
00:18:37Deadly.
00:18:38Soft enough
00:18:38that it chills me
00:18:39more than shouting
00:18:40ever could.
00:18:41Whoever you are,
00:18:43he says,
00:18:44you're about to regret
00:18:45knocking on this door.
00:18:47And that's when I know
00:18:48my life just
00:18:48crossed a line
00:18:49I can't step back over.
00:18:51If I said I wasn't scared
00:18:53when the banging started,
00:18:54I'd be lying.
00:18:56The moment I shut
00:18:57the bedroom door,
00:18:58the whole world
00:18:59narrows into the
00:19:00trembling weight
00:19:00of Eli in my arms
00:19:02and the sound
00:19:03of my own heartbeats
00:19:04slamming through my chest.
00:19:05I lock the door
00:19:06with shaking fingers
00:19:07even though I know
00:19:08deep down
00:19:09a flimsy lock
00:19:11won't stop anything
00:19:11on the other side.
00:19:13Auntie?
00:19:14Eli whispers,
00:19:15voice small.
00:19:17Is it a bad guy?
00:19:18I should lie.
00:19:19But lies feel
00:19:20too thin right now.
00:19:22I don't know,
00:19:23baby?
00:19:24I murmur,
00:19:25pressing my lips
00:19:25to his forehead.
00:19:27But Luke is out there.
00:19:28He lifts his head.
00:19:30He's strong.
00:19:31Yes,
00:19:32I whisper.
00:19:33He is.
00:19:34I pull him closer,
00:19:36inhaling the warm,
00:19:37kid-like scent
00:19:37of crayons
00:19:38and laundry detergent.
00:19:40I wish I could
00:19:40freeze this moment,
00:19:42hold him safe
00:19:42in my arms forever.
00:19:44But outside the door,
00:19:45the world is shifting.
00:19:46I hear Lucas' voice,
00:19:48low,
00:19:49controlled,
00:19:50deadly calm.
00:19:51Then another voice responds,
00:19:53muffled.
00:19:54Unfamiliar,
00:19:55sharp with something
00:19:55I don't like.
00:19:57I can't make out the words,
00:19:58but I can feel
00:20:00the tension in them.
00:20:01It's like heat
00:20:02crawling under the floorboards.
00:20:04Eli clings to my shirt.
00:20:06Auntie,
00:20:07I'm scared.
00:20:08I know,
00:20:09I whisper.
00:20:10I am too.
00:20:11I hate how true that is.
00:20:13A thud shakes the wall.
00:20:15Then another.
00:20:16Not loud,
00:20:17but heavy,
00:20:18deliberate.
00:20:19Luca doesn't raise his voice.
00:20:21He doesn't shout.
00:20:23He sounds like a storm
00:20:24that hasn't broken yet.
00:20:26That awful,
00:20:27breathless pressure
00:20:28right before lightning
00:20:29splits the sky.
00:20:30Eli starts crying quietly
00:20:32into my shoulder.
00:20:33She,
00:20:34I whisper.
00:20:36I've got you.
00:20:37You're okay.
00:20:39Even though nothing about this
00:20:40feels okay.
00:20:42I press my ear to the door.
00:20:44Not your business,
00:20:45the stranger is saying.
00:20:47Then Luca's voice.
00:20:48Everything that touches this door
00:20:50is my business.
00:20:51I feel that sentence
00:20:52in my bones.
00:20:54Another thud.
00:20:55A grunt.
00:20:56A sharp exhale.
00:20:58My stomach drops.
00:20:59He's fighting.
00:21:00I'm about to call out,
00:21:01tell him we're okay,
00:21:03tell him to be careful
00:21:03when the apartment goes silent.
00:21:06Silent in that terrifying,
00:21:08absolute way
00:21:09that feels like the world
00:21:10is holding its breath.
00:21:11Luca?
00:21:12I whisper.
00:21:13Nothing.
00:21:14My pulse triples.
00:21:16Luca?
00:21:16Then,
00:21:17his voice.
00:21:19Right on the other side
00:21:20of the door.
00:21:21Marley.
00:21:22Open it.
00:21:23I unlock it so fast,
00:21:24I nearly rip the latch off.
00:21:26He's standing there,
00:21:27breathing a little harder
00:21:28than before,
00:21:30shirt slightly rumpled,
00:21:31one knuckle bleeding.
00:21:33His eyes sweep over me
00:21:34and Eli instantly,
00:21:36checking,
00:21:37measuring,
00:21:37scanning for injury.
00:21:39You okay?
00:21:40He asks.
00:21:42I nod,
00:21:42but it comes out
00:21:43more like a shaky bobble.
00:21:45Are you?
00:21:46Yes.
00:21:46It doesn't look like
00:21:47a complete lie,
00:21:48but it's not the whole truth either.
00:21:51Behind him,
00:21:51the stranger is gone.
00:21:53The hallway is empty.
00:21:54A drying smear along the floor
00:21:56tells me things happened
00:21:57too fast for me
00:21:58to want details.
00:22:00Luca steps into the bedroom,
00:22:01closing the door behind him.
00:22:03He kneels,
00:22:04placing himself
00:22:05eye-level with Eli.
00:22:06Are you scared?
00:22:08He asks gently.
00:22:09Eli sniffles and nods.
00:22:12Luca's face softens in a way
00:22:13I didn't know it could.
00:22:15Good.
00:22:15Fear keeps you alert.
00:22:17But listen to me.
00:22:19He touches Eli's shoulder
00:22:20with the lightest,
00:22:21most careful pressure.
00:22:23As long as I'm here,
00:22:24nobody lays a hand on you.
00:22:27Got it?
00:22:28Eli nods again,
00:22:29wiping his nose on his sleeve.
00:22:31Good man.
00:22:32Luca glances at me then,
00:22:34and something tightens
00:22:35in his expression.
00:22:37We need to talk.
00:22:38My stomach twists.
00:22:39About what?
00:22:41About who that was.
00:22:42And who was he?
00:22:44Luca stands,
00:22:45posture straightening
00:22:46into something rigid
00:22:47and unyielding.
00:22:48Someone who should know
00:22:49where you live.
00:22:50I blank.
00:22:51Me,
00:22:52a tremor runs through me.
00:22:54Why would someone
00:22:55be looking for me?
00:22:56He doesn't answer immediately.
00:22:59He just studies me,
00:23:00the kind of study
00:23:01that feels like
00:23:02he's trying to decide
00:23:03what truth I can handle.
00:23:04Luca,
00:23:05I whisper,
00:23:06stepping closer.
00:23:08Tell me.
00:23:09He exhales.
00:23:10Slowly.
00:23:11Like he's been
00:23:12holding his breath
00:23:13around me
00:23:13since the day we met.
00:23:15My past,
00:23:16he says softly,
00:23:17is heavier
00:23:18than you want it to be.
00:23:20I know that.
00:23:22No,
00:23:22he murmurs,
00:23:24shaking his head.
00:23:25You don't.
00:23:26His eyes lock on mine,
00:23:28searching,
00:23:28asking.
00:23:29Do you know
00:23:30why this building
00:23:31is safe?
00:23:32He asks.
00:23:33Why nobody
00:23:33ever touches it?
00:23:35Because
00:23:36it's yours.
00:23:38It's protected
00:23:38because
00:23:39I need it protected,
00:23:41he says.
00:23:42With blood, Marley.
00:23:44With choices
00:23:44I can't undo.
00:23:46My heart thuds painfully.
00:23:48And that person,
00:23:49he wasn't here for me.
00:23:51His jaw tightens.
00:23:52He asks for the woman
00:23:53with the kid.
00:23:54For a moment,
00:23:55I can't breathe.
00:23:57What?
00:23:58My voice cracks.
00:23:59Why?
00:24:00Who?
00:24:01Why would someone
00:24:01look for me?
00:24:03That's what I'm trying
00:24:04to figure out.
00:24:05I step back a little,
00:24:07arms wrapping around
00:24:08myself instinctively.
00:24:09This doesn't make sense.
00:24:11I don't have enemies.
00:24:12I work at a grocery store.
00:24:14I pay my rent late.
00:24:15I'm boring, Luca.
00:24:17His eyes harden.
00:24:18You're not boring.
00:24:20That's not the point.
00:24:22It is,
00:24:24he interrupts,
00:24:25voice low.
00:24:27People like you
00:24:27don't get targeted.
00:24:29Not unless someone
00:24:30wants something.
00:24:31Or unless they think
00:24:32you're connected to me.
00:24:34Oh,
00:24:34oh god.
00:24:36The room tilts.
00:24:37This is because of you,
00:24:38I whisper.
00:24:40His silence is answer enough.
00:24:41I sit down on the bed,
00:24:42legs trembling.
00:24:44I never felt small
00:24:45around him before,
00:24:46but right now
00:24:47the world feels
00:24:48too big
00:24:49and my life
00:24:49too fragile.
00:24:50I didn't ask for this,
00:24:53I whisper.
00:24:54I know.
00:24:56I didn't want.
00:24:58I know.
00:24:59He kneels in front of me,
00:25:01hands resting on his thighs,
00:25:03careful not to touch me
00:25:04without permission.
00:25:06You didn't choose this,
00:25:07he says quietly.
00:25:09But I did.
00:25:11His voice breaks a little,
00:25:12not in weakness,
00:25:13but in restraint.
00:25:15And that means
00:25:15it's my job to fix it.
00:25:17I look at him
00:25:18and his eyes look strangely raw.
00:25:21Not defeated,
00:25:22never that,
00:25:22but exposed.
00:25:23Then fix it,
00:25:24I say.
00:25:25But don't lie to me,
00:25:27he nods once.
00:25:29There's a reason
00:25:29I can't walk away from this,
00:25:31he says.
00:25:32From what?
00:25:34Me?
00:25:35Yes.
00:25:36My breath stutters.
00:25:38Why?
00:25:39His voice drops
00:25:40into something soft,
00:25:41honest,
00:25:42dangerous.
00:25:43Because the moment
00:25:44you ran into my building,
00:25:46you ran into my life,
00:25:48heat rushes through me.
00:25:50Not romantic,
00:25:51not yet.
00:25:52Something deeper.
00:25:54Something that feels like
00:25:55falling without gravity.
00:25:57I shouldn't get close to you,
00:25:59he continues.
00:26:00I've tried to convince myself of that.
00:26:02You have a kid
00:26:03depending on you.
00:26:04You deserve normal.
00:26:06You deserve safe.
00:26:08So,
00:26:08let me go,
00:26:10I whisper.
00:26:11I can't.
00:26:12His voice cracks
00:26:13on the last word.
00:26:15But you should?
00:26:16I say he shakes his head.
00:26:18I can't.
00:26:19We stare at each other
00:26:20in the quiet.
00:26:21Sunlight spills across his face.
00:26:24He looks like a man
00:26:25caught between
00:26:25two impossible choices.
00:26:27I know the feeling.
00:26:28He stands abruptly.
00:26:30Pack a bag.
00:26:31What?
00:26:32You're not staying here tonight.
00:26:34Luca,
00:26:35I can't just...
00:26:36This isn't a request.
00:26:38Something in his tone
00:26:39makes my skin prickle.
00:26:40This place isn't safe,
00:26:42he continues.
00:26:44Not after today.
00:26:46Luca,
00:26:46I have work tomorrow.
00:26:48I'll handle it.
00:26:49You can't just...
00:26:51He steps closer.
00:26:52Marley,
00:26:53my name in his voice
00:26:54makes me go still.
00:26:56I need you to trust me
00:26:57for 24 hours.
00:26:59That's a lot to ask,
00:27:00he nods.
00:27:02It is.
00:27:03And what if I say no?
00:27:05His eyes darken.
00:27:06Then I'll stay here
00:27:07on your couch.
00:27:09All night.
00:27:10You can't do that.
00:27:11I can,
00:27:12and I will.
00:27:12A breath leaves me
00:27:14in a shaky laugh.
00:27:15Luca!
00:27:16I'm not letting anything
00:27:17happen to you or Eli,
00:27:19he says,
00:27:20voice firm.
00:27:21Not because of me.
00:27:23Not because of anyone.
00:27:25I look at him.
00:27:26Really, look.
00:27:27He isn't trying
00:27:28to control me.
00:27:29He isn't trying
00:27:30to trap me.
00:27:31He's trying to protect us.
00:27:33Even if it costs him something.
00:27:35Even if it hurts.
00:27:36And something inside me
00:27:37fractures.
00:27:39Okay.
00:27:40I whisper.
00:27:41We'll go.
00:27:42Relief washes
00:27:43through his expression
00:27:44before he schools it away.
00:27:46Good.
00:27:47He turns toward
00:27:48the bedroom door.
00:27:49But before he reaches it,
00:27:51Eli tugs on his pant leg.
00:27:53Luca?
00:27:54He pauses.
00:27:56Yeah?
00:27:56Are we in trouble?
00:27:58Luca crouches.
00:28:00Not anymore.
00:28:01You promise?
00:28:02Luca looks at him.
00:28:04And for a moment,
00:28:05the entire world
00:28:06feels like it balances
00:28:07on his next breath.
00:28:09I promise.
00:28:10He says softly.
00:28:12And then a sound
00:28:13slices through the apartment.
00:28:15A sound that freezes blood.
00:28:17A crash.
00:28:18Glass shattering.
00:28:19The front door
00:28:20trembling on its hinges.
00:28:22Luca's head snaps up.
00:28:24Down!
00:28:25He hisses.
00:28:27Eli screams.
00:28:28I grab him
00:28:29and drop to the floor.
00:28:31Luca moves
00:28:31with impossible speed,
00:28:33positioning himself
00:28:34between us
00:28:35and the door.
00:28:36Shoulders tight.
00:28:37Stance ready.
00:28:37Violence simmering
00:28:39beneath the surface.
00:28:40Another slam.
00:28:42Another shatter.
00:28:43Someone is forcing
00:28:44their way in.
00:28:45Marley!
00:28:46Luca says.
00:28:47Voice sharp.
00:28:48Breath tight.
00:28:49Yes?
00:28:51My voice breaks.
00:28:52If something happens,
00:28:54no,
00:28:54I whisper.
00:28:56Don't say it.
00:28:57But he does.
00:28:58Take Eli.
00:28:59Run.
00:29:00Don't look back.
00:29:01No,
00:29:02I choke.
00:29:03Luca,
00:29:04run.
00:29:05The door gives way
00:29:06with a violent crack.
00:29:07And that's
00:29:08where this act ends.
00:29:10With the world
00:29:11breaking apart
00:29:12and the man
00:29:12I shouldn't trust
00:29:13becoming the only one
00:29:14who stands between us
00:29:15and whatever is coming.
00:29:17When the front door
00:29:19exploded,
00:29:19I thought that was
00:29:20the moment
00:29:20I'd lose everything.
00:29:22But it wasn't.
00:29:23The breaking point
00:29:24came after.
00:29:25It came in the sunlight.
00:29:27I don't remember
00:29:27every detail
00:29:28of what happened
00:29:29in the next few seconds.
00:29:30just flashes.
00:29:33Luca grabbing
00:29:33the intruder
00:29:34by the shirt.
00:29:35The sharp thud
00:29:36of fists.
00:29:37The breathless grunt
00:29:38of someone
00:29:38hitting the floor.
00:29:40The sound
00:29:40of my own heartbeat
00:29:41pounding in my ears
00:29:43like a desperate drum.
00:29:44I remember
00:29:45screaming for Eli,
00:29:46clutching him
00:29:47to my chest
00:29:47as if I could
00:29:48shield him
00:29:48with skin alone.
00:29:50I remember
00:29:50sunlight streaming
00:29:51through the broken door,
00:29:53dust floating
00:29:54like glitter
00:29:54in the air,
00:29:55too beautiful
00:29:56for what was happening.
00:29:58Then I remember
00:29:58silence.
00:30:00A heavy,
00:30:00terrifying silence
00:30:02and Luca's voice
00:30:03right after,
00:30:04Marley.
00:30:05It's over.
00:30:06I didn't believe him,
00:30:07not at first.
00:30:08My body didn't know
00:30:09how to stop shaking.
00:30:11Even when he took
00:30:11the intruder
00:30:12out of the apartment.
00:30:13Even when he returned
00:30:14with his eyes blazing
00:30:15and his breath controlled.
00:30:17Even when he crouched
00:30:18beside us
00:30:19and said my name
00:30:20like an anchor.
00:30:21But act four?
00:30:23It begins
00:30:23with the moment
00:30:24my fear finally breaks.
00:30:26We're in the backseat
00:30:27of a black SUV
00:30:28his men brought.
00:30:30I lie as asleep
00:30:30in my lap,
00:30:31small arms wrapped
00:30:32around my waist,
00:30:34cheek pressed
00:30:34to my stomach.
00:30:36Every tiny breath
00:30:37he makes
00:30:37is a reminder
00:30:38that he's alive,
00:30:39that we're alive.
00:30:41Luca sits beside me,
00:30:42legs spread,
00:30:43elbows on his knees,
00:30:45his hands clasped loosely
00:30:46but still tense.
00:30:48He's watching the city
00:30:49blur by outside the window,
00:30:51jaw ticking
00:30:51like he's fighting
00:30:52with thoughts
00:30:53that won't let him breathe.
00:30:54We haven't spoken
00:30:55in ten minutes.
00:30:57Not because
00:30:57there's nothing to say.
00:30:59Because there's too much.
00:31:01Finally,
00:31:01I whisper,
00:31:02where are we going?
00:31:04He doesn't answer
00:31:04right away.
00:31:06He looks at Eli first,
00:31:07then at me.
00:31:08The sunlight
00:31:09through the tinted window
00:31:10hits his profile.
00:31:12The strong jaw,
00:31:13the faint cut
00:31:14on his cheekbone,
00:31:15the shadow of stubble.
00:31:17He looks exhausted
00:31:18and he looks like
00:31:19he's made of steel.
00:31:21My penthouse?
00:31:22He says finally.
00:31:23It's the safest place
00:31:24I have.
00:31:25I swallow.
00:31:27Is that where you want us
00:31:28or where you think
00:31:29we should be?
00:31:30His eyes move to mine,
00:31:32fast,
00:31:33sharp,
00:31:33almost offended.
00:31:35Where I want you,
00:31:36he says,
00:31:37where I can see you.
00:31:38Where I know you're alive.
00:31:40My breath stutters.
00:31:42I shouldn't feel
00:31:42comforted by that.
00:31:43I really shouldn't.
00:31:45But I do.
00:31:46He looks away again,
00:31:48voice low.
00:31:48I told you
00:31:50my world wasn't clean.
00:31:52I tried to keep it
00:31:53from touching you.
00:31:54You didn't bring this.
00:31:56Then why did they
00:31:57come to your door?
00:31:59He snaps,
00:32:00then immediately softens
00:32:02when Eli stirs.
00:32:03Why did they ask for you?
00:32:05For the woman
00:32:06with the kid?
00:32:07I don't know,
00:32:08and that terrifies me
00:32:09more than the attack itself.
00:32:12Luca,
00:32:12I whisper.
00:32:14Talk to me?
00:32:15He drags a hand
00:32:16through his hair.
00:32:17I'm trying to figure out
00:32:18if they targeted you
00:32:19because of me
00:32:20or because of something.
00:32:22Else,
00:32:23there is no something else.
00:32:25He looks at me like
00:32:26he wants to believe
00:32:27that more than anything.
00:32:29But he doesn't yet.
00:32:31Whoever they are,
00:32:32he says quietly,
00:32:33they're not going
00:32:34to touch you again.
00:32:35Something huge
00:32:36and trembling
00:32:37rises in my chest.
00:32:39Why,
00:32:39I ask,
00:32:40my voice barely audible.
00:32:42Why are you doing this?
00:32:44I'm,
00:32:45I'm just a woman
00:32:46who chased her nephew
00:32:47into your building?
00:32:48No,
00:32:49he says softly.
00:32:50You ran in without fear.
00:32:52You looked me in the eyes
00:32:53like you weren't supposed to.
00:32:55You took the risk anyway.
00:32:57So?
00:32:58So,
00:32:59he murmurs.
00:33:00You matter more
00:33:01than you realize.
00:33:02My throat closes.
00:33:04And then the SUV
00:33:05slows in front of his building.
00:33:07The tower of glass
00:33:08and sunlight Eli
00:33:09first ran into chasing a cat.
00:33:11Now it feels different.
00:33:13Like the beginning
00:33:14of something irreversible.
00:33:17When we get out,
00:33:18Luca lifts Eli
00:33:19into his arms
00:33:20with a gentleness
00:33:21that makes my heart stop.
00:33:23My tough,
00:33:24dangerous neighbor,
00:33:25the man people whisper about,
00:33:27carries a sleeping
00:33:27five-year-old
00:33:28like he's something breakable.
00:33:30I walk beside him silently.
00:33:33And when he leads us
00:33:33into his private elevator,
00:33:35I finally feel the weight
00:33:36of everything drop onto me.
00:33:38The fear.
00:33:40The adrenaline.
00:33:41The danger.
00:33:42The fact that my life
00:33:43turned inside out
00:33:44in a matter of hours.
00:33:46The elevator doors close.
00:33:47And I break.
00:33:49Not loudly.
00:33:50Not dramatically.
00:33:52Just a shake in my breath.
00:33:54A wobble in my knees.
00:33:56A soft sound
00:33:56I can't swallow back.
00:33:58Luca turns instantly.
00:34:00Marley,
00:34:01I'm fine.
00:34:02I say,
00:34:03wiping my eyes quickly.
00:34:05Just don't look at me.
00:34:07Look at you?
00:34:09He steps closer.
00:34:10I haven't looked away from you
00:34:12since the moment
00:34:12you ran into my lobby.
00:34:14His voice cracks.
00:34:16I look up at him,
00:34:17tears slipping down my cheeks
00:34:19like I'm embarrassed
00:34:20to let him see me.
00:34:21I'm trying to be strong.
00:34:23You don't have to be,
00:34:24he says quietly.
00:34:26Not with me.
00:34:27Why?
00:34:28His voice drops to a whisper.
00:34:30Because I've got you.
00:34:32The elevator door is open
00:34:33before I can answer,
00:34:34spilling sunlight into the space
00:34:36and onto us,
00:34:38a bright,
00:34:39almost surreal contrast
00:34:40to the shaking inside my chest.
00:34:42His penthouse looks like
00:34:43a museum carved out of light.
00:34:46Floor to ceiling windows.
00:34:47White marble floors that gleam.
00:34:50Modern furniture with clean lines
00:34:52and soft textures.
00:34:53Fresh flowers and tall vases.
00:34:55And sunlight.
00:34:57So much sunlight.
00:34:58Eli wakes when Luca lays him gently
00:35:00on a huge white couch.
00:35:02Auntie,
00:35:03where are we?
00:35:04He mumbles.
00:35:06In a safe place?
00:35:07I whisper,
00:35:09smoothing his curls.
00:35:10You're okay.
00:35:11Luca crouches beside him.
00:35:13Hey,
00:35:14you're a brave kid.
00:35:16Eli blinks sleepily at him.
00:35:17Did you beat the bad guy?
00:35:19Luca's jaw softens in a way
00:35:21I didn't know it could.
00:35:22I made sure he won't bother you again.
00:35:25Eli nods once
00:35:26and then curls back into my lap,
00:35:29eyes drifting shut.
00:35:30When he's fully asleep,
00:35:32Luca rises and gestures
00:35:33for me to follow him
00:35:34into the kitchen.
00:35:36An open,
00:35:37airy space filled with morning light
00:35:38even though it's late afternoon.
00:35:40He likes you,
00:35:41I say quietly.
00:35:43I like him too,
00:35:44Luca replies.
00:35:46He's a good kid.
00:35:47And you're...
00:35:48I swallow,
00:35:50unable to finish the sentence.
00:35:52Dangerous,
00:35:53he offers,
00:35:54leaning against the counter.
00:35:55I was going to say confusing.
00:35:57He smiles,
00:35:58actually smiles.
00:36:00And God help me,
00:36:01it hits me harder than it should.
00:36:03Marley,
00:36:04he murmurs,
00:36:05I don't want you afraid of me.
00:36:07I'm not.
00:36:08Good,
00:36:09his voice dips.
00:36:11I'm afraid for you.
00:36:12I freeze.
00:36:13He sets closer,
00:36:15slow and deliberate,
00:36:16stopping just inches from me.
00:36:18You didn't see what I saw today.
00:36:20What did you see?
00:36:22My voice comes out faint.
00:36:24He raises a hand,
00:36:25not touching me,
00:36:26just hovering near my cheek.
00:36:28A woman who put herself
00:36:29between danger and a child
00:36:31that isn't hers.
00:36:32He is mine,
00:36:34I whisper.
00:36:35No paper is needed.
00:36:36His breath catches.
00:36:38I know.
00:36:39He drops his hand to his side.
00:36:42I've been thinking all day.
00:36:44He says,
00:36:45eyes searching mine,
00:36:46trying to figure out
00:36:47why someone would target you.
00:36:49And,
00:36:50and there's only one answer
00:36:51I keep coming back to.
00:36:53What?
00:36:54His jaw tenses.
00:36:55I think they think you're with me.
00:36:57My breath stutters.
00:36:59And you're not,
00:37:00he continues.
00:37:01You shouldn't be.
00:37:03You don't belong in this world.
00:37:05Not mine.
00:37:06Something inside me cracks.
00:37:08Small,
00:37:08but undeniable.
00:37:10So,
00:37:10what?
00:37:11I whisper.
00:37:12You're sending us away.
00:37:14No.
00:37:15His voice is sharp,
00:37:16immediate,
00:37:17certain.
00:37:18Then what are you saying?
00:37:20He looks at me
00:37:21the way he did
00:37:22that first day in the lobby,
00:37:23like he's already memorizing me
00:37:25and hates that fact.
00:37:27I'm saying I'm fighting it,
00:37:28he admits.
00:37:29Fighting this
00:37:29pull.
00:37:31This instinct.
00:37:32This thing I feel every time
00:37:34I look at you.
00:37:35My heart stops.
00:37:37But after today,
00:37:38his voice thickens.
00:37:40I don't know if I want to fight anymore.
00:37:42I stare at him,
00:37:43breath uneven.
00:37:44Luca,
00:37:45I need you safe,
00:37:47he says quietly.
00:37:48I need him safe.
00:37:50He nods toward the couch
00:37:51where Eli sleeps peacefully.
00:37:53And I need you to trust
00:37:55that I'm trying to choose peace.
00:37:57I'm trying to be the man
00:37:58you think I am.
00:37:59What if I'm wrong about you?
00:38:01He steps even closer,
00:38:03close enough that our breath
00:38:04mixes in the sunlight.
00:38:06Then I'll spend every day
00:38:08proving you're not.
00:38:09My chest tightens.
00:38:11My breath breaks.
00:38:13The world goes soft
00:38:14around the edges.
00:38:15He lifts a hand,
00:38:17slow,
00:38:17deliberate,
00:38:18and gently tucks
00:38:19a strand of hair
00:38:20behind my ear.
00:38:21My skin sparks.
00:38:23Molly,
00:38:24he whispers.
00:38:25Tell me you want me to stop.
00:38:26I try.
00:38:27I swear I try.
00:38:29But the truth rises
00:38:30before I can stop it.
00:38:32I don't want you to stop.
00:38:34His breath stutters,
00:38:35warm against my cheek.
00:38:37And right then,
00:38:38right in the charged,
00:38:40trembling quiet,
00:38:41a phone starts vibrating
00:38:42on the counter.
00:38:43He looks at the screen.
00:38:45His expression darkens.
00:38:47What?
00:38:48I whisper.
00:38:48He exhales,
00:38:49jaw tight.
00:38:51I found out who targeted you.
00:38:53My blood runs cold.
00:38:54He meets my eyes.
00:38:56It's not because of me.
00:38:58My knees weaken.
00:38:59Then why?
00:39:01He hesitates,
00:39:02the kind of hesitation
00:39:03that hurts.
00:39:05Marley,
00:39:06he whispers.
00:39:07It's because of you.
00:39:09My breath stops entirely.
00:39:12If I had to choose
00:39:13the moment my breath
00:39:14stopped belonging to me anymore,
00:39:16it would be this one.
00:39:17The moment Luca says the words,
00:39:19I don't understand.
00:39:20The moment the world
00:39:22tilts again.
00:39:23Marley,
00:39:24he repeats quietly,
00:39:26eyes locked on mine.
00:39:27They came because of you.
00:39:30My throat closes.
00:39:32I,
00:39:32I don't,
00:39:33what does that mean?
00:39:35He sets his phone down
00:39:36with a controlled exhale.
00:39:38Not calm,
00:39:39just tightly held,
00:39:41like he's gripping anger
00:39:42by the throat
00:39:43and refusing to let it loose
00:39:44in front of me.
00:39:46I need you to sit.
00:39:47His voice is gentle
00:39:48and terrifying.
00:39:51No,
00:39:51I whisper.
00:39:53I want the truth standing up.
00:39:55He studies me for a second.
00:39:57I can tell he respects that.
00:39:59But maybe he hates it too.
00:40:01Eli stirs on the couch,
00:40:03still asleep,
00:40:04but shifting,
00:40:05his fingers curling
00:40:06in the blanket Luca
00:40:07draped over him earlier.
00:40:09The sight studies me,
00:40:10reminds me why
00:40:11I can't fall apart.
00:40:13I face Luca.
00:40:14Tell me everything.
00:40:16All of it.
00:40:17His jaw flexes once.
00:40:19Twice.
00:40:20Then,
00:40:20you weren't targeted
00:40:21because you're connected to me.
00:40:24Then why?
00:40:25Because of your brother.
00:40:27My stomach drops.
00:40:29The world goes strangely quiet,
00:40:31like the air is holding its breath.
00:40:33My brother?
00:40:34I echo.
00:40:35No,
00:40:36no,
00:40:36that's not possible.
00:40:38My brother was,
00:40:39he was.
00:40:40An addict,
00:40:41Luca finishes softly.
00:40:43Yeah,
00:40:43I know.
00:40:45A pulse of heat
00:40:46rushes through me.
00:40:47Anger,
00:40:48shame,
00:40:49grief,
00:40:50all wrapped together
00:40:51in a knot
00:40:52I've carried for years.
00:40:54My brother is gone,
00:40:55I say sharply,
00:40:57voice cracking at the edges.
00:40:59He died,
00:41:00overdose,
00:41:01five years ago.
00:41:03I know that too.
00:41:04So how could he be the reason
00:41:06someone came after me?
00:41:08He steps closer,
00:41:09not to crowd me,
00:41:10but to anchor me.
00:41:12Because he wasn't just an addict,
00:41:14Luca says.
00:41:15He owed money.
00:41:16A lot of it to the wrong people,
00:41:18my pulse spikes.
00:41:20You're saying this was about debt?
00:41:21No,
00:41:22his voice drops.
00:41:24I'm saying this was about revenge.
00:41:26For a second,
00:41:27I can't breathe at all.
00:41:28Revenge?
00:41:29I whisper,
00:41:30your brother disappeared before he died,
00:41:33Luca says.
00:41:34Went missing for almost a year.
00:41:36During that time,
00:41:37he stole from a crew
00:41:39connected to a man named Porter Vale.
00:41:41I've never heard that name.
00:41:44But Luca says it like
00:41:45it's a death sentence.
00:41:47Your brother stole everything
00:41:48they had stored in one of their drop houses,
00:41:51he continues.
00:41:52Cash,
00:41:53product,
00:41:54weapons,
00:41:55enough to cripple a small operation.
00:41:57I feel dizzy.
00:41:58My brother would never,
00:42:00he did,
00:42:01Luca says softly.
00:42:02He didn't mean to make you a target.
00:42:05He didn't know how dangerous they were.
00:42:08He pauses.
00:42:09His voice gentles even more.
00:42:11He didn't know they'd come
00:42:13looking for the only family he had left.
00:42:16My breath leaves me all at once,
00:42:18a sound punching out of me
00:42:19like grief resurfacing
00:42:20after I thought it had buried itself deep enough.
00:42:24My brother,
00:42:25ruined so much,
00:42:27I whisper,
00:42:28shaking my head.
00:42:30He left Eli.
00:42:31He left me.
00:42:33But I didn't think he left ghosts.
00:42:35You were never supposed to find out,
00:42:37Luca says.
00:42:38It was buried.
00:42:40Dead.
00:42:41Just like he was.
00:42:42Until someone dug it up.
00:42:44Who?
00:42:45Porter Vale's people,
00:42:46my hands shake.
00:42:48My voice breaks.
00:42:49Why now?
00:42:50Why?
00:42:51After all these years,
00:42:52why now?
00:42:53Because they finally found a lead.
00:42:56His voice drops to a dangerous whisper.
00:42:59And that lead was you.
00:43:01I stagger back,
00:43:02gripping the counter for balance.
00:43:04Me?
00:43:05I whisper.
00:43:06I didn't even know.
00:43:08I know.
00:43:08He says quickly.
00:43:10Marley,
00:43:10I know you didn't do anything.
00:43:12I know you didn't ask for this.
00:43:15But the moment they connected you to him,
00:43:17they assumed you knew where the stolen money went.
00:43:20What?
00:43:21I don't even want money.
00:43:23My brother died broke, Luca.
00:43:25I pay for his funeral with credit cards.
00:43:27I'm still paying off.
00:43:29He steps closer again,
00:43:30slowly,
00:43:31like he's approaching someone shaking on a cliff edge.
00:43:34I believe you,
00:43:35he murmurs.
00:43:37I've believed you since the moment I saw you run into my building like a woman who has nothing to hide.
00:43:42Tears sting my eyes.
00:43:44But they don't believe you,
00:43:46he finishes.
00:43:47The tears fall.
00:43:47I press my hands to my face,
00:43:51trying to hold myself together.
00:43:53But my voice shakes through my fingers.
00:43:55Why didn't they just ask?
00:43:57Why come like that?
00:43:59Why the violence?
00:44:00I don't have anything.
00:44:02I don't know anything.
00:44:04Because people like them don't ask,
00:44:06Luca says quietly.
00:44:07They take.
00:44:09They threaten.
00:44:10They break things until someone gives in.
00:44:12I drop my hands.
00:44:14And what happens now?
00:44:16I whisper.
00:44:18What do they want?
00:44:19He hesitates,
00:44:21the kind of hesitation that hurts to watch.
00:44:23They want to know where the money is.
00:44:25And they think, you know.
00:44:27I don't.
00:44:28The sound tears out of me.
00:44:30He pulls me into his arms.
00:44:32I don't think I just fold into him,
00:44:34grief and anger and fear all breaking loose at once.
00:44:37His embrace is solid,
00:44:39grounding,
00:44:40warm.
00:44:41He holds the back of my head with one hand
00:44:43and my waist with the other,
00:44:45like he's keeping me from collapsing.
00:44:47I know,
00:44:48he whispers into my hair.
00:44:50I know,
00:44:51I know,
00:44:52I know.
00:44:53I sob into his chest,
00:44:54the first real sob since the day my brother died.
00:44:57The kind that shakes your whole body.
00:44:59The kind you don't control.
00:45:01Luca doesn't try to stop me.
00:45:03He just holds me through it.
00:45:05Until the shaking quiets.
00:45:07Until my breath evens.
00:45:09Until there's nothing left but exhaustion and silence.
00:45:13When I finally look up,
00:45:14his eyes are soft in a way I've never seen.
00:45:18I'm sorry,
00:45:18I whisper.
00:45:19For what?
00:45:21For breaking.
00:45:21You're allowed to break,
00:45:23he murmurs.
00:45:24Just don't do it alone.
00:45:26Another tear escapes down my cheek.
00:45:29He wipes it with his thumb,
00:45:31slower than he needs to,
00:45:32more tender than I'm prepared for.
00:45:35Luca,
00:45:36I whisper,
00:45:37voice trembling.
00:45:38This isn't your fight.
00:45:41Yes,
00:45:42he says.
00:45:43It is.
00:45:44Why?
00:45:45His breath shudders.
00:45:47Because the moment you and Eli stepped into my building,
00:45:50you became mine to protect.
00:45:53He pauses,
00:45:54eyes burning into mine.
00:45:56And cuz I'm not letting anything take you from me.
00:45:59My chest tightens painfully.
00:46:01You don't mean that.
00:46:02I do.
00:46:03Luca,
00:46:04he exhales sharply.
00:46:06Marley,
00:46:06I tried to stay away.
00:46:08I tried to be the man who keeps his distance.
00:46:11But I can't.
00:46:12I can't see you shaking and pretend.
00:46:14I don't.
00:46:15Feel something.
00:46:16My breath catches.
00:46:17His voice lowers into something raw and unguarded.
00:46:22You matter to me.
00:46:22You both do.
00:46:24More than I want to admit,
00:46:26I take a shaky breath.
00:46:28This isn't the time,
00:46:30I whisper.
00:46:31I know,
00:46:32he says.
00:46:32But I can't lie to you.
00:46:34Not now.
00:46:35My voice cracks.
00:46:37What do we do?
00:46:38He steps even closer,
00:46:40forehead dipping to rest against mine,
00:46:42breath mingling with mine in warm, quiet circles.
00:46:45We do this together,
00:46:48he whispers.
00:46:49And tomorrow morning when the sun's up and Eli's awake?
00:46:53I'm getting answers.
00:46:55What if they come again?
00:46:56I whisper.
00:46:58His voice turns to steel.
00:47:00They won't.
00:47:01How do you know?
00:47:02Because before this ends,
00:47:04I'm going to veil myself.
00:47:06A tremor rolls through me.
00:47:08Luca,
00:47:09I'm not going to kill him,
00:47:11he assures quickly.
00:47:13Not unless I have to.
00:47:15But I need him to understand one thing.
00:47:17What thing?
00:47:18His thumb brushes my cheek again.
00:47:21Slow.
00:47:21Reverent.
00:47:22That you're not alone,
00:47:24he murmurs.
00:47:26That you're under my protection?
00:47:28The air goes still.
00:47:29Heat rushes through my chest.
00:47:31Fear and longing intertwining in a knot I can't untangle.
00:47:35Marley,
00:47:36he whispers.
00:47:37Tell me to walk away if that's what you want.
00:47:40I open my mouth.
00:47:41Close it.
00:47:42Open it again.
00:47:44But the truth rises like a confession I've never said aloud.
00:47:48I don't want you to walk away.
00:47:50His breath stops.
00:47:52And then,
00:47:52slowly,
00:47:53like he's afraid to break me,
00:47:55his lips touch my forehead.
00:47:57Soft.
00:47:58Warm.
00:47:59Barely there.
00:48:00But it feels like an earthquake.
00:48:02I'm here,
00:48:03he whispers.
00:48:05I'm not going anywhere.
00:48:07A tear slips down my cheek.
00:48:09But this time,
00:48:09it's not from fear.
00:48:11It's from something far more terrifying.
00:48:14Hope.
00:48:15I rest my hand on his chest,
00:48:17over his heartbeat,
00:48:18and whisper.
00:48:19Then,
00:48:20do what you have to do.
00:48:22And come back to me.
00:48:23His eyes darken,
00:48:25filled with something deep and certain.
00:48:26I will,
00:48:28he says.
00:48:29I swear it.
00:48:31He steps away,
00:48:32grabs his keys,
00:48:33and checks the safety on something tucked inside his jacket.
00:48:37A weapon,
00:48:38real heavy,
00:48:39hidden until now.
00:48:41The sight of it jolts me.
00:48:43Luca?
00:48:43He pauses at the door.
00:48:45Marley,
00:48:46he says gently,
00:48:47I'm choosing peace.
00:48:49But peace doesn't always listen.
00:48:51My breath falters.
00:48:53He looks at Eli,
00:48:54then back at me,
00:48:55and something full and unspoken passes through his eyes.
00:48:59Lock the door behind me,
00:49:01he says softly.
00:49:02And don't open it for anyone but me.
00:49:04And then he leaves.
00:49:06The door shuts.
00:49:07Silence fills the penthouse.
00:49:09And I realize with a breathless,
00:49:11painful clarity,
00:49:13love isn't what breaks the story.
00:49:15It's what might save it.
00:49:16If I had known waiting could feel like drowning,
00:49:20I would have begged Luca not to leave.
00:49:22But he left anyway.
00:49:24And now here I am,
00:49:25sitting in the middle of a sunlit penthouse
00:49:27that doesn't feel real.
00:49:29Clutching a sleeping five-year-old
00:49:31while every minute stretches like a lifetime.
00:49:34Eli is curled against me on the couch,
00:49:36warm and small and safe.
00:49:38His breathing is steady now,
00:49:40thank God.
00:49:41Every rise of his chest feels like
00:49:43proof that the world hasn't fallen apart.
00:49:45Outside, the city glows in afternoon light,
00:49:49tall buildings gleaming,
00:49:51cars crawling below us like little moving beads.
00:49:54Everything looks normal.
00:49:56Everything looks peaceful.
00:49:58But inside me,
00:49:59nothing is peaceful.
00:50:01I've never prayed harder for someone I barely knew.
00:50:04And yet, not barely.
00:50:06Not anymore.
00:50:07I look at the door like
00:50:08I can will and back through it.
00:50:10Come back to me.
00:50:12I whisper into the stillness.
00:50:14Please just come back.
00:50:16Time becomes strange.
00:50:18Sometimes it moves like syrup,
00:50:20slow, sticky, relentless.
00:50:22Sometimes it jumps,
00:50:24ten minutes disappearing in a blink.
00:50:26I pace the length of the penthouse floor
00:50:29until Eli wakes,
00:50:30rubs his eyes and says,
00:50:32Auntie,
00:50:33you're wearing a hole into the ground.
00:50:35I force a smile.
00:50:37Sorry, bud.
00:50:38Just stretching.
00:50:40He curls into my side again.
00:50:42Where's Luca?
00:50:44He's handling grown-up stuff.
00:50:46Is he okay?
00:50:47My throat tightens.
00:50:49He will be.
00:50:50Eli looks up at me,
00:50:51one of those long,
00:50:52thoughtful looks kids do
00:50:54when they see things we try to hide.
00:50:56You like him,
00:50:57he says simply.
00:50:59He creeps up my neck.
00:51:01I...
00:51:01He's good to us.
00:51:03He's good to you.
00:51:04He cracks softly.
00:51:06You smile different when he's here.
00:51:07That nearly undoes me.
00:51:09It takes every ounce of effort
00:51:11to blink back tears before they fall.
00:51:13We'll talk about that later, okay?
00:51:15Right now we just...
00:51:17We wait.
00:51:18And we do for two hours.
00:51:20Then three...
00:51:21Every sound in the hallway
00:51:23makes my heart stop.
00:51:24Every quiet moment makes it worse.
00:51:27I don't realize I've dozed off
00:51:28until I wake to sunlight
00:51:29warming my face at a different angle,
00:51:31early evening,
00:51:33softer, golden.
00:51:34Eli is asleep on my lap again.
00:51:37And then...
00:51:38Footsteps.
00:51:39Slow.
00:51:39Careful.
00:51:40Coming closer.
00:51:41My body goes rigid.
00:51:43My hand goes automatically to Eli,
00:51:45instinct rising in my blood.
00:51:47Then the lock clicks.
00:51:49My breath seizes.
00:51:51Then...
00:51:52Marley?
00:51:53I swear my soul snaps back into my body.
00:51:56The door opens.
00:51:57And Lucas stands there.
00:51:59Alive.
00:52:00Whole.
00:52:01Covered in sunlight.
00:52:03A bruise on his cheek.
00:52:04A small cut on his lip.
00:52:06His shirt a little wrinkled.
00:52:08Sleeves rolled back.
00:52:09Jaw set in that familiar,
00:52:10stubborn line.
00:52:12But his eyes...
00:52:13His eyes soften the moment
00:52:14they find me.
00:52:16Hey!
00:52:16He says quietly.
00:52:18The sound I make is half sob,
00:52:20half breath.
00:52:21You came back.
00:52:23Of course I came back.
00:52:24He steps inside
00:52:25and shuts the door behind him.
00:52:27Not with force this time,
00:52:29but with a gentle certainty.
00:52:31Like he's sealing something safe
00:52:33instead of shutting something out.
00:52:35I stand so fast.
00:52:37I nearly wake Eli.
00:52:38But Luca is already crossing the room.
00:52:41Already reaching me.
00:52:42Already pulling me into him
00:52:43before I can think or apologize or cry.
00:52:46His arms wrap around my shoulders.
00:52:48Strong and warm and tight enough
00:52:50that I feel something in me
00:52:51finally unclench.
00:52:53I was scared.
00:52:54I whisper into his chest.
00:52:57I know.
00:52:57His voice cracks.
00:52:59I was scared you'd be gone
00:53:00when I got back.
00:53:01I told you I'd wait.
00:53:03He exhales into my hair.
00:53:05Long and shaky.
00:53:06Like he's letting go
00:53:07of hours of tension.
00:53:09I handled it,
00:53:10he murmurs.
00:53:11Handled what?
00:53:13I pull back just enough
00:53:14to search his face.
00:53:16He studies me for a moment
00:53:17before answering.
00:53:18Vale knows you're off limits now,
00:53:20he says.
00:53:21I didn't go there to kill him.
00:53:23I went there to end this.
00:53:25And did you?
00:53:26Yes.
00:53:27Simple.
00:53:28Certain.
00:53:29Final.
00:53:29But how?
00:53:30I ask,
00:53:31voice trembling with leftover fear.
00:53:34He brushes a thumb under my eye
00:53:35in the softest gesture imaginable.
00:53:38I gave him something better than retribution.
00:53:41What?
00:53:42My word.
00:53:43I blank?
00:53:44Your word?
00:53:45He nods.
00:53:46I told him one truth he couldn't ignore.
00:53:49What truth?
00:53:50His eyes dropped to my lips for a moment
00:53:52before lifting back to mine.
00:53:55That you mattered to me,
00:53:56my breath stutters.
00:53:58I told him,
00:54:00Luca continues softly,
00:54:02that touching you,
00:54:03touching Eli,
00:54:04was the same as touching me.
00:54:06His fingers slide into mine,
00:54:08slow and reverent.
00:54:09And he knows better than to try that.
00:54:13The room spins,
00:54:14warm and golden.
00:54:16You told him that?
00:54:18I whisper,
00:54:19yes.
00:54:20Why would you do that?
00:54:21He swallows.
00:54:23Because it's the truth.
00:54:25I look at him,
00:54:26really look.
00:54:27This man,
00:54:28dangerous and tender
00:54:30and infuriating
00:54:31and impossible,
00:54:32just risked everything for me.
00:54:35For us.
00:54:36What happened
00:54:37after you told him?
00:54:38I ask.
00:54:40We made a deal,
00:54:41he says.
00:54:42A real one,
00:54:43official,
00:54:44on neutral ground.
00:54:46His people won't come near you again.
00:54:48Because of you?
00:54:49Because of what you mean to me.
00:54:51The words hit me like sunlight.
00:54:53Luca?
00:54:55My voice breaks.
00:54:56I don't know how to,
00:54:58how to thank you.
00:54:59Don't thank me.
00:55:00His voice dips.
00:55:02Stay.
00:55:03That's enough.
00:55:04I look down at his hand in mine.
00:55:06This isn't your world,
00:55:08he adds,
00:55:09voice quieter now.
00:55:10You don't have to stay in it.
00:55:12You don't owe me anything.
00:55:14I take a step closer.
00:55:15No,
00:55:16I say,
00:55:17heart pounding.
00:55:18But I want to.
00:55:19His breath catches.
00:55:21I don't know what this is yet,
00:55:23I continue,
00:55:24voice trembling.
00:55:26I don't know what we're becoming.
00:55:28But I know how it feels
00:55:29when you walk in a room.
00:55:31I know how Eli looks at you.
00:55:32I know how I sleep better
00:55:34when you're near.
00:55:36And I know one thing for sure.
00:55:38I take his other hand
00:55:39and place it over my heart.
00:55:41I feel safe with you.
00:55:43Something in him breaks.
00:55:44Not loudly.
00:55:46Not visibly.
00:55:48Just a breath.
00:55:49A soft sound in his throat.
00:55:51Like he's been carrying the weight
00:55:53of the whole city
00:55:53and finally sets it down.
00:55:55He cups my face with both hands,
00:55:57forehead leaning into mine.
00:56:00Marley,
00:56:01he whispers,
00:56:02voice unsteady.
00:56:04I want a life with you.
00:56:06The words hit so deep
00:56:08I almost forget to breathe.
00:56:11But I need to know.
00:56:13He continues softly.
00:56:15Is that what you want?
00:56:16I close my eyes.
00:56:18And Eli?
00:56:19He adds,
00:56:20voice cracking.
00:56:21Does he...
00:56:22Does he feel safe with me?
00:56:24I can't help it.
00:56:25I smile through tears.
00:56:27Ask him.
00:56:28I say.
00:56:30He turns.
00:56:31Eli stands in the doorway
00:56:32of the hallway.
00:56:34Blanket dragging behind him.
00:56:36Sleepy-eyed and little.
00:56:37Luca?
00:56:38He says with a tiny voice.
00:56:40Luca goes still.
00:56:42Yeah, buddy.
00:56:43Eli runs to him,
00:56:44no hesitation,
00:56:45and throws his arms
00:56:46around Luca's leg.
00:56:48My chest shatters open.
00:56:50Luca bends down,
00:56:52completely undone,
00:56:53and lifts him into his arms
00:56:54like he's something precious.
00:56:56You okay?
00:56:58Luca asks.
00:56:59Eli nods.
00:57:00You came back.
00:57:01Always, Luca whispers.
00:57:04Eli rests his head
00:57:05on Luca's shoulder.
00:57:06Can we stay here forever?
00:57:08My breath catches.
00:57:10Luca freezes,
00:57:11looks at me,
00:57:12eyes wide and soft
00:57:13and full of something
00:57:14I've never seen on him before.
00:57:16A question.
00:57:17A hope.
00:57:18A quiet, trembling yes.
00:57:20Well?
00:57:20I say softly.
00:57:22Can we?
00:57:23He sets Eli down gently,
00:57:26then turns back to me.
00:57:27Sunlight spills across his face,
00:57:29and then he steps forward,
00:57:31cups my cheeks,
00:57:32and kisses me.
00:57:33Not rushed.
00:57:35Not wild.
00:57:36Not claiming.
00:57:37Just soft.
00:57:38Like,
00:57:39he's memorizing me,
00:57:40like,
00:57:40he's promising something
00:57:41without saying it.
00:57:43Like,
00:57:43he's tasting the future
00:57:44he wants.
00:57:45I melt into him.
00:57:47Every fear.
00:57:48Every ache.
00:57:50Every moment of running and hiding.
00:57:52Gone.
00:57:53When we part,
00:57:53he whispers against my lips.
00:57:56Stay.
00:57:57I whisper back.
00:57:58Yes.
00:58:00Days pass.
00:58:01The danger fades.
00:58:03Not all at once,
00:58:05but slowly,
00:58:06like a bruised healing
00:58:07under sunlight.
00:58:08Ally laughs louder.
00:58:10I sleep deeper.
00:58:11Luca holds me
00:58:12like he's learning softness
00:58:13for the first time
00:58:14and doesn't want to lose it.
00:58:16He makes breakfast badly.
00:58:18I tease him.
00:58:20He kisses me breathless
00:58:21in the kitchen anyway.
00:58:22We build something small
00:58:24and gentle and bright.
00:58:26Something like peace.
00:58:28Something like family.
00:58:30One afternoon,
00:58:31we're all in the penthouse balcony,
00:58:33the city spread out
00:58:33in golden daylight below us.
00:58:36Luca stands behind me,
00:58:38arms wrapped securely
00:58:39around my waist,
00:58:40chin resting on my shoulder.
00:58:42Eli sits beside us,
00:58:44drawing chalk pictures
00:58:45on the patio floor.
00:58:46What are you thinking?
00:58:47Luca murmurs into my ear.
00:58:49That this doesn't feel real.
00:58:51It is,
00:58:52he whispers.
00:58:53And it's ours.
00:58:55Ours?
00:58:56I repeat, smiling.
00:58:57The word fits.
00:58:59The world feels new again.
00:59:01Eli holds up a chalk drawing,
00:59:03three little stick figures
00:59:04holding hands.
00:59:05That's us,
00:59:06he announces proudly.
00:59:08Luca's arms tighten around me.
00:59:10His voice is low,
00:59:12warm,
00:59:12certain.
00:59:13Yeah,
00:59:14he murmurs.
00:59:15That's us.
00:59:17We stay like that
00:59:18as the sunlight shifts,
00:59:19warm and bright,
00:59:21painting the balcony in gold.
00:59:23And for the first time
00:59:24in a very long time,
00:59:25I realized something simple
00:59:26and beautiful.
00:59:28The story that nearly broke me.
00:59:30Became the one that saved me.
00:59:32If you felt this story,
00:59:34if it pulled you in
00:59:35and made you feel something,
00:59:36don't forget to subscribe
00:59:37so you never miss the next one.
00:59:39Hit like if Marley and Luca's journey
00:59:42touched your heart.
00:59:43Drop a comment
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00:59:46I read every single one.
00:59:48And if you want more stories like this,
00:59:50share this video with someone
00:59:51who loves emotional,
00:59:53romantic drama
00:59:54as much as you do.
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00:59:57Thank you for listening.
00:59:58Thank you for listening.
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