Ten

NOVARIA’S POV

“Kelvin,” I called softly, relief instantly washing over me the moment I saw him.

The tension in my chest loosened almost immediately. After everything that had happened downstairs, seeing a familiar face felt comforting.

Kelvin leaned lazily against the hallway wall, one hand tucked into the pocket of his black sweatpants while the other pushed his dark hair away from his forehead.

A crooked smile appeared on his face.

“Hey, darling,” he drawled playfully. “Missed me already?”

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t stop the small smile pulling at my lips.

“Yes.. I mean no,” I corrected quickly, instantly embarrassed by my own answer.

Kelvin chuckled softly.

“I’ve actually been looking for you,” I admitted quietly. “But you disappeared, so I ended up staying with Collins.”

At the thought of Sylvester, my expression slowly fell.

“And…” I hesitated. “I saw Sylvester downstairs.”

Kelvin’s smile faded slightly.

“He was bleeding,” I whispered. “But nobody wants to tell me what happened.”

For a moment, Kelvin said nothing. His expression softened as he stared down at me quietly.

Then he sighed.

“Listen to me carefully, Nova.”

He stepped closer before resting both hands gently on my shoulders. His voice became calmer. More serious.

“I know we’ve only known each other for a short time,” he said softly, “but believe me when I say this…” His eyes searched mine “We like you here.” 

Something about the sincerity in his voice made my chest tighten.

“And Sylvester?” Kelvin continued with the faintest smile. “That idiot likes you the most.”

Heat rushed instantly to my cheeks.

“So trust me when I tell you he’ll be fine, okay?”

I slowly nodded. Oddly enough…I believed him.

The exhaustion weighing on my body suddenly hit me all at once. Before I could stop it, a yawn escaped my lips.

I froze immediately in embarrassment.

“Oh my God, sorry,” I mumbled awkwardly.

Kelvin only laughed quietly.

“You’re adorable.”

Before I could even process the comment, he casually ruffled my hair.

“It’s obvious you’re sleepy,” he said. “Come on.”

Without waiting for an argument, he gently grabbed my wrist and began leading me down the hallway.

I blinked in confusion.

“This isn’t Sylvester’s room,” I pointed out as we stopped in front of another door. Kelvin smirked.

“Sharp observation.” He opened the door. And honestly…My jaw nearly dropped.

His bedroom was gorgeous. Just like Sylvester’s, the room carried a luxurious black-and-white theme, but Kelvin’s somehow felt warmer. More lived in.

A massive bed sat in the center of the room with dark silk sheets spread perfectly across it. Large paintings decorated the walls while a gigantic television hung directly opposite the bed. Soft dim lights glowed around the room, making everything feel cozy and comfortable.

At that exact moment, my exhaustion worsened. The bed looked heavenly.

“Go on,” Kelvin said with a small nod toward it. “Get in.”

I didn’t even pretend to resist. The second I climbed beneath the covers, warmth immediately wrapped around my body.

I practically melted.

Kelvin laughed under his breath before grabbing the remote.

“You wanna watch cartoons?”

I immediately nodded. That somehow sounded perfect.

Kelvin turned the television on and began scrolling through channels while I adjusted myself deeper into the soft pillows.

Unlike Sylvester the night before, Kelvin didn’t get under the blankets with me. He simply sat at the edge of the bed, one arm resting lazily behind him while searching for a cartoon channel.

My eyelids slowly began growing heavier.

Then suddenly, I felt his fingers brushing softly through my hair..The action caught me completely off guard. Gentle, Careful and Protective.

My heart skipped slightly..But instead of moving away….I leaned unconsciously into the touch.

And slowly…very slowly…..sleep pulled me under.

I slept like I hadn’t slept in years. No nightmares. No yelling. No anxiety. Just warmth.

The soft mattress, the silk sheets, and the quiet sound of the television in the background wrapped around me like comfort itself. And for the first time in a very long while, I felt safe.

—---------

Morning came quietly. Soft breeze tapped gently against the windows while pale sunlight slipped through the curtains.

I stirred slowly before opening my eyes.

For several seconds, I simply stared ahead blankly. 

Then confusion hit me. This wasn’t Kelvin’s room.

I quickly sat upright.

Sylvester’s room.

How did I get here?

I rubbed my sleepy eyes in confusion before hearing a familiar voice nearby.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

I turned instantly.

Sylvester sat on one of the couches near the window, dressed casually in black sweatpants and a fitted shirt. His hair looked slightly damp, like he had showered recently. And somehow, he looked unfairly handsome this early in the morning.

“Did you sleep well?” he asked with a smile.

I nodded tiredly.

“Yes.”

A small chuckle escaped him.

“But I thought I told you to wait for me here.”

My cheeks immediately warmed in embarrassment as I felt scolded.

It was quite embarrassing because he was right, I should have waited for him. But I technically abandoned him for Kelvin’s cartoons.

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled quickly. “I was nervous after seeing your injury and… then Kelvin found me.” I looked down at my hands. “We started watching something and I accidentally fell asleep.”

Sylvester smiled faintly.

“Why were you nervous, princess?”

The nickname hit me so unexpectedly that my brain completely stopped working.

Princess?

Heat exploded across my face instantly.

“I…” I looked away shyly. “You were hurt. Then Chris and Collins suddenly became serious and…” I hesitated softly. “It scared me a little.”

Sylvester’s expression softened immediately.

“A little?” he teased quietly.

I rolled my eyes slightly.

“Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not.” His voice remained warm.

I suddenly remembered his injury and looked down toward his leg quickly.

“Oh! Your leg!” Concern rushed back instantly. “Is it better now?”

For a moment, Sylvester blinked as though he genuinely forgot he’d been injured. Then dramatically, he grabbed his leg with a fake grimace.

“Still hurts,” he sighed heavily. “I think the only cure is watching movies with you tonight.”

I stared at him. Then burst into laughter.

“You scared me!”

His grin widened slightly. Mission accomplished.

“But seriously,” I said after calming down. “How did I get here?”

“You don’t remember?”

I shook my head.

Sylvester leaned back against the couch casually.

“You were sleeping too deeply in Kelvin’s room,” he explained. “So I carried you here.”

I blinked slowly.

He carried me?

And I didn’t wake up?

That honestly shocked me more than anything else. I had always been a light sleeper. The slightest noise usually woke me up instantly.

“You must’ve been exhausted,” Sylvester teased lightly.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Don’t bully me.”

He laughed quietly.

"Okay, thats by the way. wanna go watch some cartoons while I get you someone to eat?", Sylvester asked.

The pampering was now becoming too much on me, that I couldn't help but ask.

“Sly?”

“Hm?”

I hesitated for a second before finally asking softly.

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

The question lingered quietly between us. 

His expression changed slightly. Not annoyed. Just thoughtful. For a few seconds, he remained silent as if carefully choosing his words. Then finally.

“At first…” He looked down briefly before meeting my eyes again. “I felt sorry for you.”

I stayed quiet.

“My brothers and I didn’t grow up with a real family either,” he admitted softly. “Nobody really cared about us. We only had each other.”

My chest tightened painfully. For some reason…I hadn’t expected that answer.

“So when I saw you that night,” he continued quietly, “I think a part of me saw myself in you. And now…” A faint smile touched his lips. “I think I just genuinely love taking care of you.”

That was all it took. My eyes immediately filled with tears.

Damn it.

I hated crying. Especially in front of people.

Sylvester panicked instantly the moment he noticed.

“Hey,” he said softly, quickly moving closer. “Why are you crying?”

I shook my head quickly while wiping my eyes in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered shakily. “It’s just…”

My voice cracked. “Nobody has ever said things like that to me before.”

Sylvester’s entire expression softened. Without hesitation, he gently pulled me closer and rubbed my back slowly.

The gesture somehow made me cry harder.

“I like being here too,” I admitted honestly between quiet tears. “But I can’t stay forever.”

He frowned slightly.

“What do you mean?”

“My things,” I whispered. “My life… my school… everything’s still back home.”

The room became quiet. Then finally, Sylvester sighed softly.

“Princess,” he murmured, “I already told you something.” His hand rested lightly against my head. “I’m not letting you go back there.”

I stared at him quietly. Then suddenly, he smirked slightly.

“Fine,” he said dramatically. “I’ll send someone to pack your things and bring them here.”

My eyes widened instantly.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Before he could say anything else, I threw my arms around him tightly.

“Thank you!”

Sylvester froze briefly before slowly hugging me back.

But after a few seconds, guilt crept into my chest again.

“Actually…” I pulled back slightly. “Can I go myself?”

His brows furrowed immediately.

“You still want to see your mother?”

I nodded slowly.

“I just… want to talk to her.”

Sylvester stared at me silently for several seconds. Then finally sighed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He looked toward the rain falling heavily outside the windows before speaking again.

“Not today it's raining.”

I followed his gaze. Rain poured endlessly outside.

“We’ll go tomorrow,” he said softly.

I agreed to his agreement, and we both went downstairs to have our breakfast.