Marco, furious, charged in and yanked the guy away.The drunk seemed to regain some clarity and retaliated against him.I had never seen Marco this enraged.The two began to shove each other, prompting Matteo to rush over and pull Marco back, while others restrained the drunken guy.
Marco shot me a quick glance, his expression stormy, before he turned to follow Emily, who had dashed outside in shock.I glanced at Jessica, who remained silent, so I moved closer to her.
“I… I don't know what just happened,” I admitted, avoiding her gaze.
“He's still protective of you.How do you think Emily feels about that?”Jessica remarked, studying me intently.
“But I didn't do anything to warrant that,” I protested.He was just acting as he always did, even now that we were attempting to be friends.He was merely looking out for his friends, wasn't he?Perhaps I should reach out to Emily or even Marco.
“It was a good night, at least until now.We had fun, right?”she said, a hint of a smile on her lips as she took a sip of her beer.
“Emily wants to head home.Are you guys coming?”Matteo asked as he approached us before I could answer.We both stood, leaving our unfinished drinks on the bar.
By the time we reached the car, Marco and Emily were already inside, and Emily was looking away.We dropped her off first, and Marco stepped outside with her since, apparently, he had left his car near her place.The farewells were brief and hasty.Afterward, Matteo and Jessica drove me home.
“Hey, how about lunch at my place tomorrow?We can chat, and I might invite Emily too,” Jessica suggested, rolling down the window as I approached my front door.
“Sure, that sounds good.Let's figure it out tomorrow,” I replied, waving goodbye as I headed inside.
Feeling a headache creeping in, I decided to make some tea, fearing I might come down with something.It was quite chilly after all.I let the tea steep and drank it while lying in bed.My instincts were right; the next morning I woke up with a stuffy nose and a pounding headache.
That day, I didn't meet Jessica and skipped school the following day.It was the first time this year that I had missed classes.My mom made me some comforting chicken soup and brought a selection of teas with honey to my bed.
I spent most of the day sleeping, and while I tried to read a bit, I just couldn't focus.I jotted down some thoughts in my diary, particularly the moment someone touched my hand, and reflected on Marco’s behavior.
I decided to gather all the things I had borrowed from him:
T-shirts, hoodies, a couple of books he lent me, and a pair of his sunglasses.Anything else he had given me was a gift, so I figured it wouldn't be polite to return those.
By evening, I was feeling much better—no more fever—and decided to walk over to Marco’s place to return everything.I got dressed, grabbed two bags, and hurried downstairs.When I opened the door, I was surprised to find Marco standing there, hand poised to ring the bell.
“Whoa, you scared me!”I exclaimed.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.I just wanted to talk,” he replied, his voice tinged with guilt, even though there was no reason for him to feel guilty.I let him in, explaining my plans to come over.He looked at the bags I was holding with a hint of sadness.
We headed upstairs to my room, and I closed the door.Normally, he would jump straight onto my bed, but this time he moved slowly.I took a seat on the bed while he pulled the desk chair closer to me, as my reclining chair was filled with clothes.An awkward silence filled the space until I broke it.
“What was that about the other day?”I asked, exhaling softly.
“I don't know,” he replied, shaking his head.
“You don't have to look out for me anymore,” I said, my voice laced with sadness.
“I know,” he muttered.
“Then why did you?”I pressed.
“Because it just happened,” he said, as if it were obvious.
“But you're with Emily now.How do you think she has to react?”I countered.
“I know, and I said I was sorry.I overreacted.I try to act cool, but it's hard for me,” Marco admitted, locking his gaze with mine.In that moment, I realized he was struggling too, trying to maintain a façade of normalcy.“When I saw that guy touching you, for a moment I thought…” He trailed off, and I finished his thought.
“You thought we were together.”He nodded in agreement.
“We've known each other for so long and I have no idea what it's like without you,” Marco said, and I understood where he was coming from.
“I get it, but we have to move on.You've moved on with Emily, right?”I asked, noticing the shock on his face as he realized what I meant.
