Defender's Heartbeat 2

Chapter 14

Enzo

Finally, the day arrived. Everything had worked out as planned. No one suspected a thing—not even the teachers, who didn't double-check. As soon as I got on the bus, it felt strange. Everyone was packed so closely together, and I realized I'd never been on a bus before.

Oh God, this felt horrible. Thank goodness I was sitting with my friends and Mia, but I still couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place.

Everyone else seemed excited—except me. After a few hours, the guilt of lying to everyone started creeping in. What if I got caught? The fear gnawed at me, growing with every mile.

"Are you okay?" Mia asked softly, her hand gently touching mine, her eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah, baby," I replied, forcing a smile to reassure her.

The other students started singing songs, and after a while, the fear began to fade. I even joined in after taking a small sip of something Noah had brought along for us.

"Enzo," Mia playfully smacked my hand with her sweet, soft fingers, pretending to be upset.

"Just a little, baby. It was just a little sip," I said, grinning as I kissed the back of her hand.

Manuel

After I got home, I noticed something odd—Enzo hadn't bombarded me with his usual messages and calls. Concerned, I sent him a few texts, and eventually, he replied.

Miguel was 12 years old now, and he was thrilled to see me. The moment I entered through the gate, he spotted me and came running, reminding me of when Enzo was little and would greet me the same way every time I returned to the Perez mansion after being away.

"Hey, my boy," I said, scooping him up in a tight embrace. Every day, I made sure to video call him when Enzo wasn't around, afraid he'd get jealous.

"Where's Mama?" I asked.

"She's in the kitchen," Miguel replied.

Just as he said that, Enzo started sending me messages, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. At least he hadn't disappeared entirely.

When I entered the kitchen, Rachel was preparing dinner. I slipped my arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.

"Hey," she said, a bit startled.

"What are you making?" I asked, still holding her close.

"Something you really like," she replied with a smile.

I could hear Miguel watching cartoons in the living room. Turning Rachel toward me, I kissed her gently, wrapping my arms around her waist.

"I missed your sweet lips," I said, kissing her again as she giggled.

"Are you going to let me cook?" she teased, her hand brushing against my T-shirt.

"I think I want something else first," I murmured, kissing her neck again.

She smiled, and soon we were heading to our bedroom, quietly closing the door behind us.

Later that evening, I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. It felt off. Then it hit me—Enzo hadn't called me all day. That was unusual, so I decided to give him a call.

"Hey Papa," he answered, and I immediately felt relieved.

I glanced around to make sure Rachel wasn't nearby. "Baby, why didn't you call me today? And what's that noise?" I asked, curious.