Come Back To Me

Chapter VI- Ineffable Ache

" What are you... What are you doing here?", you asked, words escaping from your mouth without even realizing it.

" I... I had to see you again. I couldn't help myself", Ignazio answered, his voice soft. Immediately, however, he furrowed his eyebrows.

" You... You've been crying? Wh-Why? ", he almost stuttered and you widened your eyes as you noticed his landed on the bruise on your arm.

" He did this to you? He hit you?", he said, his voice hardening. You took a quick breath and looked down, feeling even more desperate.

" Ignazio, this is not a good time, really... Just go, there is absolutely no reason for you to be here right now..", you tried saying, but his eyes were stuck on the bruise. You couldn't bring yourself to stop begging him to leave, and your eyes filled with tears again.

The moment he noticed he took a deep breath, and he almost shook as he spoke.

" I... We are leaving, immediately...", he said, clearly in a loss of words himself. You questioned.

" Who is we?".

" Me and you. Right now.", his response was a series of words, almost as if he was unable to form a sentence. You immediately shook your head.

" No, I can't... I can't just go. Ignazio please I...", you tried saying, but he immediately looked at you, his eyes watery as well.

" I cannot leave you here with him... Alone with him. I- I can't... So choose, either you leave with me right now, or I stay here 'till he fucking shows up...", he said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. You felt your heart stop in your chest at the thought of him being a possible target for Lucas, therefore quickly nodded.

" O-okay, but what's going to happen next? I mean, I'm gonna have to ret-", you tried saying, but you heard Ignazio cuss under his breath before softly reaching for your hand and guiding you out of the house in a swift move. He took his jacket off, handing it to you.

" Protect yourself until we reach the car.", he said, and you furrowed your eyebrows, seeing that his white shirt and black pants were both soaking wet.

" I.. I think you're going to need this more than me...", you muttered, and Ignazio simply shook his head while sighing.

" Just do me this favor; please listen to me for once and take the jacket. I don't give a shit about me getting a cold, you... you know that!", he said almost exasperatedly and looked at you. You put the jacket above your head, slowly nodding. He faintly nodded back.

In almost a minute you were both in his car, driving through the pouring rain. You had absolutely no idea what to say or how to act. You were only certain that seeing him filled your heart with unspeakable joy. You wanted nothing but to hug him, whisper into his ear that everything would be okay, that you had found each other again. But that was not the case; you couldn't go down the same road once again. You just had to keep reminding yourself of that.

He kept his eyes on the road, one hand on the wheel one on his tightly pursed lips. You could see his eyes having darkened, his orbs glistening. Even his hyperventilation was, by then, audible.

" You're never, ever going back there... To him. I don't care what you have, I don't give a shit if you two were going to g-et married or something like that, you're not going back...", he said, almost in one breath, and rapidly blinked away the tears. He tried regulating his breath, but then muttered a faint "fuck" as he slammed on the break a bit too hard, stopping at the side of the road.

You let out a shaky breath and tried to calm down yourself.

" You... You don't have to do this, Ignazio... Really what you saw, what you think you saw, it's nothing. Just a moment of tension. I don't want to be causing you any more pain...", you said softly and looked to him, who was staring at you, his mouth half open, tears running by now clearly down his face.

You failed to stop yourself as you reached to him, your fingers touching his cheek softly, trying to wipe some of the silent drops away. He leaned his head to your touch, closing his eyes briefly as he took a deep breath. After some minutes, as if he was craving those few seconds, he softly whispered.

" D-on't... Please don't...", his voice almost trembling, and you felt your heart breaking as he rejected your touch. With much visible effort, he turned away, his eyes remaining closed. After some minutes, he said, trying to sound calm.

" You'll stay in a room at the hotel we're staying, until another solution is found...".

You silently nodded as the car started again. For the rest of the ride, you kept your eyes on the road, desperate not to meet Ignazio's again. From what you saw, he did the exact same thing.

After some minutes, you reached the destination. Both of you got out rather in quick moves, you still had the pouring rain to avoid. You almost ran to the lobby.

Ignazio went first, arranging your room. He turned to you, handing you the key to your room, and motioned with his head to the elevator.

Both of you got in, Ignazio pressed the button. You kept looking down, still not wanting to make eye contact. When you reached your floor, you almost jumped out of the elevator. You rushed to the room, opening the door. Ignazio followed behind you.

By then, you were feeling emotionally exhausted, and even mad at Ignazio. You felt the tears burning your eyes again, as you took a deep breath and turned to him.

" You've changed...", you simply said, your eyes meeting his, your tone as steady as it could be.

Ignazio didn't move. His eyes pierced through yours, his response came almost too quickly.

" Yeah, heartbreak will do that to a person...".

His words crushed you. You ached not only for him, but at the same time because of him. It burned within you; the thought that he had not realized how he had affected you too, how you too had gone through that heartbreak. However, you replied.

" Why then? Why bother drive all the way to my house, just because you wanted to see me? If I hurt you that badly, why?", you questioned, desperate to solve at least one of the unanswered questions in your head.

" How can you even ask that, (Y/n) ? I... Despite all that's happened, do you think I'm able to live my life knowing that someone, somewhere is hurting you? H-ow ? Fuck, the fact that you hurt me doesn't mean I can make all those things I... I feel inside me for you disappear!... I..", he started saying, his voice quivering.

" Y-et you don't even want my fingers touching you...", you said softly, your voice almost silent. He shook his head as he closed his eyes, inhaling sharply.

" You don't understand... You have absolutely no idea how much it took for me to get over you. To even try to get over you...", he said heartbreakingly.

It was your turn to shake your head. You took a few steps towards him, forcing yourself to look at him.

" W-ell, at least, did you succeed?", you questioned, looking deep into his eyes.

A silent drop escaped from his eyes as he rapidly turned away, rushing out of the room, leaving you breathless.