Elio Novan has it all-wealth, power, and the success of YUI, the world's leading tech giant. But beneath the surface, his life is anything but perfect. Haunted by a tragic past and a betrayal that left him shattered, Elio has built walls around his...
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The night was agonizingly slow. I couldn't really fall asleep with Elio holding me that tightly... His arms around me felt protective, yet suffocating, like they were shielding me from something I couldn't quite grasp. I didn't hate the affection-no, it was something I'd craved for so long-but... I didn't know what to make of it. Was it real, or was it just another attempt to patch up what was broken?
As the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the curtains, I decided it was pointless to keep pretending. I slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to wake him. When I looked back at him, his face was flushed, the skin around his eyes still marked by dried tears. My heart twisted painfully at the sight.
W...what did he mean...? The question lingered in my mind, heavy and unsettling.
I left the room quietly and headed to the kitchen. Maybe the familiar routine of making breakfast and coffee would help calm my nerves, give me a moment to think. But my thoughts were all over the place, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.
It wasn't long before I heard the bedroom door creak open, followed by the soft pad of his footsteps. He entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, his gaze fixed on something outside the window, far beyond the world we were in.
The silence between us was thick, almost unbearable. I kept my hands busy, focusing on the coffee maker, but the tension was like a weight on my chest. I didn't know what to say or how to bridge the gap between us.
Finally, he spoke, his voice rough, like he'd been thinking over each word carefully before letting them out. "I wanted to... apologize for what I did..."
I froze for a moment, the coffee pot halfway to the table. My heart raced-was this really happening? Could I just... forgive him?
I wanted to say something meaningful, but the words felt heavy on my tongue. Instead, I managed a shy, almost whispered response. "As an apology... perhaps... take...take me out... and spoil me for the day?"
The request surprised even me. My cheeks burned, and I could feel the warmth spread up to my ears. It wasn't like me to ask for something like that, but... after everything, I wanted to feel special, to feel loved, even if just for a day.
He didn't answer right away, and the silence that followed was like a knife to my chest. I wondered if I'd asked too much, if maybe he had too much work, or if he simply didn't want to spend the day with me. I bit my lip, trying to prepare myself for whatever rejection might come.
I placed the coffee, pastries, and fruits on the table, sitting down across from him. Neither of us looked at the other, the tension still thick between us. I picked up a croissant, nibbling on it more to have something to do than out of hunger.
Then, finally, his voice broke through the silence. "...Are there any... specific places you'd like to go to, my love?"
My heart skipped a beat. I hadn't expected him to agree, let alone call me 'my love.' The words felt both foreign and familiar, like they belonged in a different time, a time when we were happy.
