enigma | reus

28.

ROMESSA | Protection and Devotion
a/n: 4K!!!!!! Thank you guys so much! I'm so sorry for the delayed update, I had a crazy NYE so I've been recovering from that. I hope everyone had a good time also—happy new year!! May it be filled with happiness and peace. Hope you all enjoy this chapter :)

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"Romessa, how are you feeling? Are you hungry?" Manuela smiled at me as I sat in Marco's old bed, watching Poland's match against Spain with dead eyes. The match had ended; Robert's team won. I knew I  couldn't put myself through the torture of watching him on screen for ninety minutes, so I didn't—I slept for the first seventy, waking up only at the end of it because I wanted to know the score and see it with my own eyes to know it was real. Now that Poland and Germany had advanced past the semifinals, it meant that they'd compete for the trophy during the final match in just two days.

After waking up this morning and remembering my breakdown last night, Marco hastily ordered me to pack a bag—he didn't ask if I wanted to stay at his mother's house, he simply told me that I would be, and he had to take me there before he left for a daylong training. I think it was a protective measure on his end, seeing as he didn't want Robert to somehow find me at my hotel and hurt me, which may happen if he couldn't physically be with me to keep me safe. Part of me felt too nervous about staying for more than dinner at the Reus household—and at first I tried to convince Marco that certainly Robert had more important things to do today then keep tabs on me. But he dismissed my words with ease. "I don't care if it's important to him," he'd stated. "It's important to me."

I forced a smile on my face before responding to Manuela. "I'm alright," I lied. "I'm not terribly hungry. Thank you for asking."

Marco had told Manuela that he brought me here because I was homesick. But it was a weak excuse, seeing as Manuela hadn't suspected that Marco and I were close enough for him to take it upon himself to do me such a favor. So I blushed when his mother stepped in the room and closed the door behind her, then spoke, softly. "Why don't we talk for a few moments?"

Slowly, I paused the television. Manuela went to sit at the end of the bed, facing me, a kind look in her light eyes. "I don't know exactly why my son brought you here," she spoke. "But I've never seen him be so protective over anyone."

I felt my face warm furiously. I pushed my hair out of my eyes. "We're friends," I spoke, weakly. "We've spent a lot of time together."

"Friends don't call me at five in the morning as worried as he was. They don't give each other million dollar cars," She referred to Marco's apology gift, leaving me to bite my lip. "I don't need to know exactly what's going on between you and my son, but I know that the moment you showed up, he started being happier than he ever was before." she paused, and her eyes softened. "Does he love you?"

So, she knows. Of course she knows. Manuela Reus knew her son, and she knew when he was in love. I was shocked by the calmness of her reaction to my silent head nod; the answer to her question. I figured she'd break down into tears when she found out, or feel repulsed and upset. But when it came down to it, how could I think that? Manuela was certainly the nicest member of the Reus family that I knew—far kinder even than her son. "How did you know?" I finally spoke, quietly.

Manuela let out a breath. "It's the way he talks about you," she spoke. "His voice gets light. A little bit dreamy. And he talks about need. She needs to stay here. Not I want her to stay here. She needs something worthy enough for me to gain her forgiveness, not I want to give her something worthy enough. It may sound odd, but it's similar to Lucia. He talks about you as though he's your protector, and it's his mission to make you happy. As though nothing and nobody stands a chance of getting in the way when it comes down to you and his desire to keep you safe." She bit her lip. "Take it how you will, but one thing I know is that he never treated Scarlett that way."