RUEMy heartbeat feels unstable, like it keeps skipping a step before catching itself again. The lights above us hum slowly, steady and unaware of what they are illuminating. I can taste metal at the back of my tongue. I gently touch my stomach. For some awkward reason, that is the moment I feel hunger. I do not look at the host yet. I cannot. Not when the two men standing beside me feel like the rest of my life splitting down the middle.“Rue,” Alessandro says, and my name sounds like a plea he is trying too hard to swallow. “You do not owe them anything. Not tonight.”I look in his eyes, and I see red lines of pain in his eyes.Matteo tilts his head slightly, watching me with a quiet intensity that feels heavier than the room itself. “She owes herself,” he murmurs.The host opens his mouth, ready to guide the moment, but I raise my hand before he can start shaping my narrative. My voice, when it leaves me, does not tremble the way I expect.“I need a second,” I say.“A second?” Matt
Last Updated : 2025-12-12 Read more