Veil Of Secrets

Unspoken Bonds

Renzo's POV

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I wake up with my head pounding like a jackhammer. Groaning, I sit up, feeling like my brain's been run over by a truck. The last thing I remember is drinking too much and then something about Reno. My mouth tastes like an ashtray, and my body aches all over.

Stumbling out of bed, I head to the living room and freeze. Selene is sprawled on my sofa, asleep.

I take a moment to process this, leaning against the doorway for support. Why is she here? Did I... did we...? My mind races with fragmented memories, none of them making any sense. I need coffee. I need to clear my head.

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

The familiar routine of brewing coffee grounds me. The smell fills the room, offering some semblance of comfort. Mug in hand, I walk back to the living room and stand over Selene. She looks out of place here, in my high-security mansion.

 I nudge her shoulder. "Selene, wake up."

She stirs, blinking her eyes open. For a moment, she looks confused, then her eyes focus on me, and she sits up quickly. "Renzo, you're awake."

"No shit," I reply, my voice rough. "What are you doing here?"

She rubs her eyes, looking embarrassed. "You were in bad shape last night. I didn't want to leave you alone."I feel a mix of confusion and irritation. "You could've just left me a note or something. You didn't have to stay."She shrugs, looking defensive. "I thought it was the right thing to do. Besides, you were in no condition to be left alone."

I run a hand through my hair, feeling a pang of something—guilt, maybe?—but I push it down. "Fine. We need to talk. But first, breakfast." I don't wait for her to respond, heading back to the kitchen. I hear her get up and follow me.

I start cooking, grabbing eggs and bacon from the fridge. The sizzle of bacon in the pan fills the silence. I can feel her eyes on me, but I focus on the food, trying to keep my thoughts in order.

"So," I say finally, not looking at her, "how did I end up here? And why did you think staying was a good idea?"

She sighs, and I hear the exhaustion in it. "After you punched Reno, I had to calm things down. I told everyone you were just drunk and didn't mean it. Reno wasn't happy, but he didn't want to make a scene. I got you to the car, and you passed out almost immediately."

I crack the eggs into the pan, focusing on the task. "And then what?" I ask, my voice steady."I asked your driver to drive you here and helped you inside. You were a mess, Renzo. I couldn't just leave you like that. So I stayed."

I flip the bacon, my jaw clenched. "You should've left. You shouldn't have to deal with my shit."

She's silent for a moment, and I finally glance at her. She looks hurt, and it twists something inside me. "I care about you, Renzo. I couldn't just walk away."

Her words hit me harder than I want to admit. I turn back to the stove, focusing on the food. "I didn't ask for your help."