로그인~LUCAS~I thought leaving Camilla with Esmeralda would make me feel better. But it does not.The moment I step into my own apartment and close the door behind me, the silence feels strangely uncomfortable. I drop my keys onto the table, take off my jacket, and stand there for a moment, staring at nothing while my mind remains exactly where I have left it.With Camilla.I keep thinking about the way she looked earlier, pale and exhausted beneath the blanket, and the thought of her waking up with the pain returning makes my stomach tighten.Esmeralda is with her now, so there is no reason for me to worry this much. I have specifically asked her to reach out if Camilla wakes or if anything changes.Still, it does very little to calm me down.I try to distract myself.I shower, change my clothes, make myself something to eat, and even open the files I plan to review for my upcoming lessons, but none of it holds my attention for more than a few minutes. My eyes mo
~CAMILLA~When I open my eyes again, the first thing I notice is that my body does not feel like it is being ripped apart anymore.The pain is still there, lingering somewhere deep in my lower stomach, but it has dulled into something I can actually tolerate. My head feels clearer, my muscles are no longer trembling with exhaustion, and even the heaviness that had been pressing down on me earlier seems to have lifted.I take a slow breath and stretch slightly beneath the blanket. Then I turn my head, and I see Esmeralda is sitting beside my bed.For a second, I simply stare at her.She is leaning back in the chair with her arms folded, looking like she has been waiting for me to wake up. Her phone is in one hand, and the moment she notices my eyes are open, her attention immediately snaps toward me.“You're finally awake.”My eyes move past her almost instinctively. I look toward the bedroom door, then the couch, then the space near the window.My heart drops sl
~LUCAS~I set the bags down beside the bed and crouch beside her.Up close, she looks even worse.Her cheeks are flushed, her lips slightly dry, and there is a thin sheen of sweat across her forehead. She has pulled the blanket almost up to her chin, as though even the smallest movement might make the pain worse.“Camilla,” I call softly. Her eyes open slowly. For a second, she simply stares at me, almost as though she cannot understand why I am standing in her bedroom.“You really came?” she says.The weakness in her voice makes something twist inside my chest.“Yes,” my voice comes out quieter than I intend. “You should have told me it was this bad.”Camilla closes her eyes again instead of answering.I reach out and press the back of my fingers against her forehead. She is warm, but not alarmingly so. Still, the sight of her lying there makes something uneasy settle in my chest.I have seen her tired. I have seen her frustrated, distracted, annoyed, excited,
~LUCAS~The door closes behind Camilla, and for some reason, I remain standing there.I do not know what I am waiting for.Maybe for the sound of her footsteps fading down the hallway, or perhaps for her to knock again and tell me she forgot something, because the silence that settles over the apartment almost immediately feels strangely wrong.A few seconds ago, her voice had been everywhere.Her laughter had filled the kitchen, her teasing had followed me from the gas cooker to the dining table, and even when neither of us was speaking, her presence had somehow made the apartment feel alive.Now there is nothing…. just silence.I slowly turn away from the door, and the emptiness catches me off guard.It is ridiculous because this is my apartment. I have lived alone long enough to be perfectly comfortable with quiet, yet today the same quiet feels different, almost uncomfortable.My eyes drift toward the kitchen, where a few things are still sitting exactly wher
~CAMILLA~The next day, I find myself standing outside Lucas's apartment with my bag hanging from one shoulder and a smile I have been trying very hard to hide since I left home.I don't know why I am more than excited about today's tutoring lesson.It is supposed to be nothing more than studying like previous days, yet somehow, after yesterday's taekwondo training and the way we spent the rest of the day eating and laughing together, coming here feels different now.It feels like I am visiting someone I actually want to see.The thought makes my smile grow wider just before I knock.Lucas opens the door a few seconds later, and the moment his eyes meet mine, something warm flutters inside my chest.“You're early.”I glance at my phone dramatically. “I'm only five minutes early.”“Exactly.”“You should be happy. It means I'm becoming a responsible student.”He steps aside to let me in, a small smile tugging at his lips.“Well, I'll have to admit you're really becom
~LUCAS~I'm contemplating for the tenth time if I should send my already typed out message to Camilla.We aren't having tutoring lessons today, and we shouldn't be meeting up at all. But I had already promised her that I will carry her along whenever I'm going for taekwondo lessons.I stare at the text message again, reading it for the tenth time in how many minutes.'Hi, Camilla. Hope you're doing great? I know we shouldn't be meeting up today, but I'm off to the taekwondo house. Are you still interested in coming with me?’The text doesn't seem to be too much, but I don't why I'm so hesitant to send it.I mean…I don't owe Camilla any taekwondo lessons. What I owe her is study lessons.So I could easily go for my taekwondo lessons without having to inform her or even carry her along.I shouldn't be bothered if she gets angry at me, right?But deep down, I know I typed out that message because I want her to come with me.I really enjoyed the last time she went w
~ELENA~The whispers multiply until it feels like the entire hallway has turned into a low hum of excitement.“Who is he? Does anyone know?”“They say he is doing his masters.”“I heard he's transferred.”“Transferred? He looks like he walked straight out of a magazine.”“D
~NICO~The moment my fist connects with Alessandro’s jaw, the sound is louder than I expect. A sharp crack that silences even the shrieks around us.He stumbles, spits blood, and collapses onto the floor.The crowd roars….half in shock, half in awe. Phones are out, cap
Alessandro stands in the middle of his father’s office, tall and impassive, hands in his pockets, face unreadable. His black shirt clings to his frame, sleeves rolled to the elbows, veins prominent, tattoos peeking at his wrists. The room is thick with tension.Behind the heavy mahogany desk sits
~ELENA~Nico's lips graze my cheeks…almost a kiss.Almost.And then the gym door swings open.“Damn!” We both exclaim.Riccardo walks in, towel over his shoulders. He pauses, eyes flicking between our too-close bodies.“Everything okay here??” He asks, voice neutral, but b







