e that followed the crash made it worse-too quiet, too sudden. The marble floor beneath my bare feet was ice-cold, grou

tchen, heart thunderi

n glass littered the floor around him like fragments of an untold story. The overhead light flicke

ts trailed down his right hand, dripping from his fi

tious step forward. The concern in my voice crack

remained locked on the floor, as if he wer

't fine at all. It was sharp, edged with something

ut warning, he

an meddling in things that don't concern you," he

lp," I bit back, hurt fl

for your help.

deeper than any b

the floor. The pain was instant. Sharp. My palms hit the shards, slicing into

d. And yet, he didn't even blink.

ed to my feet. I clenched my jaw, forcing mys

out Alessandro

re for m

n, collapsing onto the bed. Curling into mysel

g, I reminded myself

eaving through the air. Birds sang. Leaves rustled. The

, I allowed

, universe," I whispered, a fragile smile breaking through the ach

eeted me with a warm smile and a tray of breakfas

Mrs. Amato,"

d, taking a seat at the long glass

nder this roof," he s

nd reading the paper as if nothing had

kit on the table. "You can use this.

ll raw and aching from last night, throbbed as I tucked them be

o hear, "If you hadn't pushed me, I wouldn't be in so muc

he h

d up. "What did

ching his fire. "I

led between u

, his pho

reen-and in an insta

ed into the phone, rising so quickly the ch

ther word, he stormed out of the kitchen, footsteps thunderou

able, heart thudding. Some

plain... I knew whatever it w

shes, something on the floo

name handwritten on th

y hammering. I picked it u

ge inside

o send a shiver str

's p