Lorenzo stirred, a soft tickling sensation teasing his nose, pulling him from the depths of sleep. His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the soft morning light that filtered through the curtains. Evelynn's hair, a cascade of tousled strands, had found its way across his face, her warm body draped over his, the duvet resting just below her waist.
He smiled a bit, pushing the hair behind her ear. Unable to resist, Lorenzo nudged her gently, "Evelynn," he mumbled, "You awake?"
A small sound of protest escaped her lips as she buried her face deeper into his chest, her arms tightening around him in sleepy defiance. "Let me sleep," she mumbled, her voice muffled but laced with a stubborn drowsiness.
Lorenzo laughed softly. He debated staying in bed with her, but inevitably ended up carefully untangling himself from the mess of limbs they'd become overnight. Once standing, he tucked Evelynn back in, giving her a pillow in place of his chest. "Mmph.." Evelynn huffed, wrapping her arms around the pillow.
Lorenzo chuckled, walking over to his dresser. He picked out a beige turtleneck and black dress pants, and put them in the armchair next to his mirror, his eyes lingering a moment longer than necessary on the old pillow and blanket his wife had bought. He shook his head and took off his sweater, looking himself in the mirror. Same old battered scars across his chest, all a painful reminder of his past. Damn it Lorenzo, focus. As he looked in the mirror, he spotted Evelynn - now leaned against the headboard - looking at him through the mirror. "Looking good, Enzo." she chuckled.
Lorenzo's smile vanished. "What?" he froze, caught off guard by Evelynn's sudden presence. He hadn't even heard her move, but there she was, leaning casually against the headboard, her eyes sparkling with that familiar mischief.
"Looking good," she repeated, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.
Those words.. they freaked him out for some reason, he wasn't sure why.
Lorenzo blinked, still processing the moment. "I... didn't know you were awake."
Evelynn shrugged, pulling the duvet around herself. "I wasn't, but someone decided to abandon me for the cold, cruel world of getting dressed." She glanced at the clothes he'd laid out, then back at him, her gaze softening. "You really do look good, Lorenzo. But you seem... distant."
He hesitated, his eyes drifting back to the mirror where the scars on his chest stood out starkly against his skin. They were an old story, one he had long since learned to live with, but today they felt like fresh wounds.
"Just... thinking," he replied, trying to sound casual. "It's nothing." "You sure? You can talk to me, you know."
Lorenzo sighed, pulling on the pants he'd laid out. "It's just.. the case I'm working on, the murderer. This guy, he's.. an absolute psychopath. He's been leaving notes, first at the crime scenes, now in my own house, I-" he cut himself off, seeing the concern written across Evelynn's face. Evelynn's eyes widened slightly, her playful demeanor vanishing in an instant. She sat up straighter, clutching the duvet around her as if it could shield her from the weight of Lorenzo's words.
"In the house?" she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "How... how long has this been going on?"
Lorenzo's jaw tightened as he finished fastening his pants, the tension in his body unmistakable. "A few days," he admitted, his voice low. "I didn't want to worry you, but it's escalating. The notes started out vague, like he was taunting me, but now they're getting more personal."
Evelynn was silent for a moment, her mind racing. "Why didn't you tell me?" she finally asked, her tone laced with hurt.
Lorenzo turned to face her, guilt etched in his expression. "I wanted to protect you. I thought if I kept you in the dark, you'd be safe. But I should've known better. You deserve to know everything, especially something this serious."
