The Mystic Hearts Series

Chapter 50- Elio

I look between him & the motorcycle slowly, mouth slightly agape, not entirely listening to what he was saying before. "Is... that your bike?"

He chuckles lightheartedly, walking over to a table where 2 helmets sit. He picks them up & walks back over slowly, a crooked grin on his face, 1 eyebrow raised & I blush. "No... It's my mom's..." He says sarcastically & I chuckle.

"Sorry, you just... don't seem the type to really have 1 of these..."

He grins, handing me 1 helmet & our hands briefly touch as we do momentarily. I blush. "& you're such an expert on me, eh?" He chuckles & my face reddens even more.

"No, I just... ugh..." I pretend to occupy myself with fixing on the helmet, but not really sure how, making things more awkward.

"Hey..." He smiles kindly, putting his hand briefly on my shoulder. "It's ok... I was just joking... But to be fair... You don't really know anything about me, no offense... I don't really want it to be that way..." He looks away embarrassedly & we both blush. "But... it's just a fact... &... you really gotta stop assuming stuff about me... Not everything you hear about me is going to be true... A lot of the stuff on there... is for public image..." He looks away sadly, frowning slightly. "My parents... they care more about public appearance than my actual life so... I gotta conform to that for them..."

I frown, placing my hand on his shoulder & kinda keeping it there, just to show my support. "I'm sorry... that sounds terrible... having to live up to their expectations..."

He sighs heavily, leaning slightly into the touch. "Yeah, it is... but I'm doing a lot better than a lot of other people, I suppose..."

I frown slightly. "Yeah, but- that doesn't mean you're not suffering too."

He nods. "I suppose. I just... feel like... what I'm going through... isn't that big of a deal compared to other people's hardships, ya know? Like... I mean, yeah, my situation sucks, but... I gotta lotta things a lotta other people don't have..."

I nod. "Yeah... but it's ok to admit your life sucks too, ya know..."

He nods slowly, helping me put on my bike helmet tentatively, hands brushing my face & eyes on mine. I blush. "Ok..."

Is Elio starting to catch the feels ,':) <3