Fox—Evan— looked at me with a grimace from his bed.
I’d brought him to the safe space beneath Matteo’s home after I’d dragged him from the underground weeks ago. As far as the world knew, Fox Evans was dead and had died in an unfortunate fire while attending a party. He left behind his best friends and the love of his life.
But he was really down here in the secret rooms beneath Matteo’s estate, healing. He was reborn into Evan Beyers now.
Only Matteo and I knew that, though. Sylar told Matteo that Klaus couldn’t know just yet, and Matteo agreed to keep it from him. A rarity since we didn’t keep secrets from one another, but I went along with it because I trusted Matteo.
“Any word on Rosalie?” Evan asked, his voice raspy from lack of use.
“Alessandro says she is better after her last…episode.”
Evan winced. “I-I want to see her. She needs me?—”
“She needs her freedom more,” I said, settling into a chair next to his bed. He wasn’t walking very well yet. His feet were still tender and healing from the burns, and he’d had a fractured leg and broken arm. He was a mess, and I honestly didn’t think he was going to make it. Dosing him with the drugs to put him into suspended life had been a gamble.
But Evan Beyers was strong. A fighter. I liked that.
“How much longer?” he asked. “Until I can leave? Until I can go to her?”
“You are not well enough,” I said. “You know that. Even here.” I tapped my head. “You’re unwell.”
He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. “I’m getting better. I-I only woke twice last night from the nightmares.”
“Progress for sure.” I stared at him. He was a broken man without his woman. I could empathize with that. I had lost the love of my life once upon a time, and could no longer find joy in much. Vincenzo brought me happiness, or at least he had until we had to go into the darkness.
Now, I assumed he wanted me dead since we kept his girl from him.
“Alessio, please. Let me see Anson?—”
“Evan, I come here to spend time with you. I understand how boring it must be,” I gestured around to the lavish underground room that had everything he needed, right down to a TV and gaming consoles. Matteo wanted to set it up nicely since he would be spending a lot of time down here. There was even a room for him to exercise in, but he hadn’t done much of that, despite his love of working out. Matteo had doctors in and out working with him, including therapists, but the man was still clawing his skin off to get out.
That was real love.
Another admirable thing.
“Alessandro is busy, and it is not yet time. Please. Be patient. When it is time, Matteo will fulfill his promise to you.”
Evan sighed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I’m worried about Rosalie. She’s too fragile. I made a mistake wanting to go.”
“You took the coin. It was inevitable at that point. You were always going to die, Constantino.”
He wiped at his eyes and nodded. “I know. For her, I’d do it all over again if it meant she was safe and happy.”
“And she is. She is working on her happiness. Alessandro has not made her his. She is still free.”
“He was supposed to,” Evan mumbled. “Now she’s alone.”
“Yes, well, the horsemen hurt her. She needs this time to find herself. Let her. Matteo says she will come back stronger than ever, and you want that for her. Right?”
“I do.” Evan nodded and looked at the piece of string from his blanket, which he was messing with. “I can be patient. I can do this.”
“Good.” I stood. “Do you want to try to walk on the treadmill today? Maybe lift some weights?”
“My arm is still bothering me,” he said softly, gesturing to the arm that had been broken. “Shoulder is acting up.”
“I think you can get that shoulder back into shape. I know football meant a lot to you.” It wasn’t like he’d ever be able to return to it since he was technically dead now.
He shrugged and didn’t say anything.
