Parallel lives [COMPLETE] [BXB]

Chapter 30

Lucas entered the room with his heart beating fast. Numa was lying there in a deep sleep, a long and wide bandage covered part of the left side of his head.

Lucas looked for a chair that, there was one in a corner, he moved it closer to the bed and sat down there. Thousands of thoughts came to him at that moment.

He was lucky, doctor said, after examining him, and it was true. A tendinitis in his right arm, a wound in his leg, a cut on his head and bruises all over his body.. but it could has been worse.

He gazed across his smooth profile taking a moment on the split lip, and had to repress the urge to touch and kiss him.

He kept watching him. He did not have the opportunity before, to observe him so closely and did not want to miss any detail, his skin with that soft golden shade, a delicate color that in those moments gave him a sweet and tender appearance. He moved closer and rested his arms on the bed. He could hear him breathing, slowly, and he had the feeling that he was calm. That was what mattered.

He didn't notice how time passed, only when someone knocked on the door startling him.

His sister came in, looked at him and signaled him to get out of there, whispering softly that grandma was there. Lucas got up instantly and placed the chair at a considerable distance.

Has he blushed?

After two minutes the grandmother came in, looked at him for a few moments and dropped her head in resignation. Finally she approached the boy, kissed his forehead and left the room to sit in the hallway.

She looked noticeably worried.

"Please dont worry. it's nothing serious, you know how boys are, always getting into fights."

The grandmother looked up to meet the gaze of the person who was talking to her, Manon, as she smiled at her.

"Thanks, I don't know how to thank you for what you have done for him," she paused, "I hope this is not just the beginning."

Manon sat next to her and looked at her intrigued.

"He is never aggressive at home, he always behaves correctly, is quite mature for his age, he understands when you tell him things, but this, this fight, it is like the circle starts again."

"Well, maybe he drank more than he should have and didn't realize it, you know how boys are, maybe they fought over some girl..."

Grandma looked at her sweetly.

"Numa is not like that, not now. His problem lies in Agustín's death, I was already afraid of the consequences."

"..."

"Numa is not a boy who knows how to assimilate grief. He has such a pride and always wants to show that nothing affects him."

Lucas stayed inside while Manon regretted that he wasn't there to hear it. Maybe his brother could be of help.

"Well, but don't worry now, when he comes back home, you can talk to him, probably he just needs time" she smiled comfortingly "Look, Lucas is also there, sometimes nothing works better than friends."

"Yes, I hope so," he looked at her without daring to tell her that so far Numa hasn't mentioned Lucas at all. He was from the institute, but if they got along so well, why hasn't he mentioned him?"

"Why don't you go home?"

The young woman's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I'd rather stay a little longer".

"I don't want to offend you, but I think it would be better if you went to rest. You shouldn't stay here all night, we already know he won't be released yet. Don't worry. He is in good hands, I will take care of everything, I really mean it."

The grandmother looked at her for a few moments, the young woman inspired trust in her, same way Agustín did a while ago, his image came to her mind and she felt again that sadness in her chest.

"I'll stay a Little longer."

"Okay."

"Did you know Agustín?"

Manon laughed softly, the image of the young man dressed as a cat came to her mind.

"Of course, I knew him, I laughed because of the last time I saw him at Numa's birthday party. You should have seen him in the costume he was wearing! He was quite a case, that boy."

"Yes he was, he was such a sweet, responsible, and good guy. Hard to believe he took his own life."

Manon tried not to look as surprised as she really was to hear those words.

"But why?" the words slipped out before the young woman could silence them.

"He was sick, my grandson explained it to me, he had this illness, I don't remember the name right now but he also had health issues as a child and it seems like treatment was almost impossible. However, I recently found out that Agustin has been suffering under depression for years. We did not know it."

Manon was speechless, her head filled with thoughts, pain and sorrow. He was only 18 years old, he was yet a child.

Manon did not dare to ask, what should she say?

"Yes... grief is always difficult," she whispered softly.

"Yes it is, but it hurts to know that he has to go through this again. I don't think it will be easy this time."

"His parents passed away a few years ago, he was 12."

"Fuck" she thought to herself, that boy carried the curse with him. She involuntarily looked around the room, wishing with all her heart that they would end up together, it would do them both a lot of good.

Lucas came out of the room, approached to tell her that he was going to get a coffee and offered to bring something to Eleonora but she said she didn't want anything.

Suddenly she remembered that night in Torino when he hugged her crying, impulsively she got up and followed him. When he turned into the next hallway she called out to him, Lucas turned to ask what she wanted. His sister came over and hugged him tightly.

"What's wrong with you," asked Lucas in confusion.

Manon let him go and looked at him offended.

"Does something have to happen to me to hug you?

Lucas smiled at her, it felt good to look at her, has he ever told her how much he cared for her?

"Hey... Mani " he observed her funny reaction, he hasn't called her that since ages "Do you have any idea how much I love you?" he ruffled her hair looking at her tenderly.

"Of course I don't, asshole, because you never tell me."

She turned around and went back with an angry expression on her features and an amused expression in her blue eyes.