Hidden feelings

Chapter 6

The next few days passed uneventfully, but a sense of tension hung in the air. I tried to avoid Lana as much as possible, but it was hard when we had mutual friends and activities. Enzo was distant, but I couldn't blame him. Things were complicated enough without adding more fuel to the fire.

One afternoon, as I was walking home from school, I heard raised voices coming from a nearby alley. Curious and a bit worried, I peeked around the corner and saw Enzo and another guy from school, Derek, in a heated argument.

"What's your problem, man?" Enzo demanded, his fists clenched.

Derek smirked, crossing his arms. "Just telling the truth. Everyone knows Evelyn's a mess. She clings to you like a lost puppy. Pathetic, really."

Rage flashed in Enzo's eyes. "You don't know anything about her. Keep her name out of your mouth."

Derek laughed, but it was cut short as Enzo's fist connected with his jaw. The fight escalated quickly, with both boys exchanging blows. I watched in horror, my heart pounding, until I couldn't take it anymore.

"Enzo, stop!" I shouted, running towards them. "You're going to get hurt!"

Enzo hesitated for a split second, which gave Derek the opportunity to land a solid punch to his stomach. Enzo staggered back, but quickly regained his balance and pushed Derek away with all his strength.

"Get out of here, Derek," Enzo spat, wiping blood from his lip. "And don't ever talk about Evelyn like that again."

Derek stumbled back, glaring at Enzo. "Whatever, man. She's not worth it." With that, he turned and walked away.

I rushed to Enzo's side, my hands shaking. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, though he winced in pain. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get out of here."

We walked to my house in silence, the adrenaline slowly wearing off. Once we were inside, I led him to the kitchen and grabbed the first aid kit.

"Sit down," I instructed, pulling out some antiseptic wipes. "Let me clean you up."

Enzo sat down, his expression a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "You didn't have to see that."

I shook my head, gently dabbing at the cut on his lip. "You didn't have to fight him."

He flinched but didn't pull away. "He had it coming. No one talks about you like that."

I felt a warm rush of gratitude, mixed with something else. "Thank you," I whispered, meeting his eyes.

He held my gaze, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. "I'd do it again, you know. For you."

My heart skipped a beat, and I looked away, focusing on cleaning his wounds. "You shouldn't have to."

"But I want to," he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I care about you, Evie. More than I should."

I froze, the antiseptic wipe hovering over a cut on his cheek. "Enzo, you don't have to—"

He reached up, gently taking my hand in his. "I mean it. I know things are complicated, but I can't just ignore how I feel."

My breath caught in my throat, and I searched his eyes for any hint of insincerity. But all I saw was genuine concern and something deeper, something that made my heart race.

Before I could respond, he leaned in, his face inches from mine. "Evie," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin, and his hand gently went up my thigh and headed towards my ass. "What are we going to do?"