MIGUEL“Miguel?”Paul’s voice was soft, careful. Like he didn’t want to startle me, like I was glass about to splinter.I didn’t turn around immediately. I just kept staring out into the night from the balcony. Palermo’s skyline blinked faintly in the distance, the streetlamps buzzing far below us. The city was quiet in that deceptive way cities can be: loud underneath the silence, if you knew where to listen.Paul stepped out onto the balcony with bare feet. I heard the light tap of them on the tiles before I felt his hand gently brush my arm.“You’re going to catch a cold,” he murmured. “Come inside.”I finally turned to him. My face must’ve said more than my mouth could manage, because he just looked at me for a while, his eyes getting heavy with concern. I rubbed my arm and glanced back at the city.“Are the kids asleep?” he asked, softer this time.“Yeah,” I whispered. “They went out quickly. I think they cried themselves to sleep.”Paul’s eyes fell. His hand was still on my arm,
MIGUELThe house was too quiet. It wasn’t the peaceful kind of quiet though. This one wrapped itself around your lungs and made it hard to breathe. It was that kind of quietness that made the clinking of cutlery on plates sound like gunshots in your ears. I hated it. I hated every corner of this house. Hell, I hated myself.We were all at the dining table, but no one was The food on our plates might as well have been decoration. I pushed mine around with my fork, barely aware of what it was. Some kind of pasta, I think. Leo sat beside me with his little legs swinging under the chair, his fork resting in his hand like he’d forgotten it was there. Isabella was in Paul’s lap, resting her head against his chest in silence. Even the kids could feel that something was broken. And none of us knew how to fix it.Paul hadn’t gone home. He didn’t even bring it up. He just said softly that he would stay the night, and nobody questioned it. I was grateful. I didn’t think I could’ve survived t
MIGUELI stood over the bed for what felt like forever, staring at their small, still bodies. Leo’s hand was curled up by his face, breathing softly, and Isabella was tangled in the sheets like she’d fought something in her dreams and won. Their innocence was a punch to the chest. Everything in this house had become too quiet. Even the kid’s sleep felt like a kind of silence I couldn’t understand.I turned from them before I fell apart again. The hallway outside our room seemed longer than usual, and my feet dragged across the floor like I was walking through syrup. I hadn’t even thought to change after Pietro drove me back from the hospital. As I reached the bottom of the stairs, a voice cut through the quiet.“Where are you going?”I turned slowly. Pietro stood in the hallway, looking like a complete mess. His hair was scattered around his face and his hand was curled around a mug that looked untouched.“I am going to see Salvatore,” I answered, and only then did I feel the chil
MIGUELIt was getting really late. I checked my phone and the time startled me. I rubbed my eyes and tried to hold back a yawn, but it still slipped out. The laughter and music at the bar were starting to blur together, fading into the background. I leaned toward Pietro.“I think I need to head home,” I said quietly, hoping my voice wouldn’t betray the strange weight I felt in my chest. I would probably get another fever before morning. “I’m really tired.”Pietro gave a small laugh and slapped his knee. “I already figured you would tap out first,” he said. Then he glanced at Luca. “Drop him off and come back. When Salvatore returns, we’ll drink till daylight. It’s our last chance. He’ll probably vanish now that he’s moving out.”They chuckled but my smile was weak. I dare not tell Salvatore that I was feeling weird, because he’d instantly tell me that he had tried to warn me. Pietro walked with us toward the lot. The street lamps glowed dull orange over the parked cars, and the air
SALVATORE“I’m not saying you can’t come.” I tried to speak as gently as possible. Miguel stood across from me with his arms crossed. His eyes were lit with that stubborn fire I knew too well. “I’m just saying you shouldn’t.”He rolled his eyes. “I’m not dying, Salvatore.”I took a step forward. “You’ve barely recovered. Your body is still—”“I said I’m going, and that’s final!” Miguel’s voice shot out with such force that I felt it in my chest. The room went silent. His chest rose and fell. I saw the regret flash across his face the moment the words left his mouth.I closed the distance between us and pulled him into a hug. “I know,” I whispered, pressing my lips to his forehead. “It’s not that I want to leave you behind. I just worry.”He melted a little in my arms.“If you want to come so bad, you will. But I’m drinking all your alcohol. I can’t have you burning up again.”A breath of laughter escaped him. “Sorry, I yelled.”I kissed him again, softer this time. “It’s okay, baby.”
MIGUELIt was still dark outside when I slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Salvatore or the kids. My legs were a little shaky, and my chest still felt like it had weights on it, but I forced myself to keep moving. I knew that if Salvatore saw me looking anything less than alive, he’d make me crawl right back under the covers and guard me like a hostage. And I was too hyped to see this new place he had been talking about. I crept into the bathroom and turned the light on dim. My reflection looked pale, groggy, like I’d spent the night arguing with a ghost. I leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on my face, rubbing my cheeks and the back of my neck, trying to chase away the weakness before it gave me away.Behind me, I heard the door creak open. I knew who it was before even turning around. “What are you doing up?” Salvatore’s voice was soft and sleepy. He squinted against the light.I turned around and gave him a small smile. “Hey, baby. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake yo