I let out a dry, humorless laugh, the sound scraping against my throat.
“Didn’t think you’d be glad about anything that concerns me,” I replied, voice edged with ice. “Especially since you’ve hated me from the very beginning.”
Renzo huffed softly, not quite denying it.
“I didn’t hate you,” he said after a beat. Then, with a small shrug, “Okay—maybe I did. A little.”
That earned the faintest twitch of my lips.
“But things change,” he went on. “People change. Situations change.”
His gaze flickered over me, taking in the exhaustion I couldn’t fully hide.
“But I got to know you better,” Renzo continued, shaking his head slowly.
“And I realized how wrong I’ve been about you all this time. I apologized for my actions on the ridge — you remember that, right?”
I held his gaze.
“I don’t remember accepting your apology.”
He smiled faintly and moved toward the door, fingers curling around the handle.
“My next assignment starts in a week, so I’ll be gone for a while,” he said, glancing back.
“But until then... if you need anything — company, a distraction, someone to talk to, or just a body in the room when your mind won’t quiet down...”
His expression softened with quiet understanding.
“Call me. I’ll be there. Okay?”
A small flicker of relief warmed me.
“Sure,” I whispered.
I watched him leave.
The door clicked shut with a soft, final sound that seemed louder than it should have been.
And just like that—
The room felt colder.
Quieter.
My mood dipped again, heavier this time, sinking into something I couldn’t quite shake off.
Vincenzo would be here by evening.
The thought settled in my chest, solid and unavoidable.
I had to tell him.
This wasn’t something I could keep.
He needed to know—fast. I needed to see his reaction immediately.
My hand drifted unconsciously to my abdomen, fingers resting there lightly.
