A Fragile Thread

Chapter 12: Outside?

Easy.

I could do easy.

Right?

I wasn't sure if I regretted saying yes yet.

The idea of going outside had felt manageable when we were just talking about it, but now that I was actually getting ready, my stomach twisted with anxiety.

Matteo had helped me change into something comfortable—soft leggings and another one of Raffaele's oversized hoodies, the fabric swallowing me whole. I felt small in it, but it was warm, and right now, I needed that.

When I finally made my way downstairs, they were all waiting.

Luca had the keys in hand, Matteo was watching me carefully, and Raffaele grinned like this was the best idea in the world. Nico, on the other hand, was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

"We'll take the SUV," Luca said, jingling the keys lightly. "Tinted windows, plenty of space. No one will even see you."

That helped. A little.

Matteo must have noticed the way I hesitated near the bottom of the stairs because he stepped forward, offering his hand. "We can change our minds, dolcezza. You just say the word."

I swallowed, glancing at the front door. The weight of my brothers' stares pressed down on me, but it wasn't bad. They weren't waiting for me to fail. They were waiting for me to decide.

I inhaled slowly and forced my feet to move. "No," I murmured. "I can go."

Matteo didn't push me to take his hand, just nodded and walked beside me as we headed toward the door.

The second Luca opened it, the rush of fresh air made me freeze.

It smelled... different. Crisp, clean. The sky stretched wide and endless above me, and for a moment, I felt so small I couldn't breathe.

I must have stiffened because suddenly, Raffaele was next to me, his voice light but careful. "Hey, topolina, look at that. The world didn't explode."

I blinked at him, my fingers curling into the sleeves of my hoodie.

He grinned, nudging my arm just slightly. "Come on, piccola, we don't bite."

"You don't," Nico muttered from behind us.

Raffaele snorted. "Okay, fair, but I am fun, so let's go."

Matteo shot him a look, but whatever irritation he had was softened by the fact that—somehow—it worked. The tiny flicker of panic didn't fade completely, but I forced my feet forward, one hesitant step at a time.

Luca had already opened the car door, and I climbed in quickly, curling into the corner of the seat as the others filed in.

The doors shut with a solid click, and suddenly I was in an enclosed space with all of them.

I swallowed hard, my fingers tightening into the fabric of my hoodie.

"Alright," Luca said, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "Last chance to back out."

I hesitated. I really, really wanted to say no.

But I didn't.

Instead, I shook my head. "I want to try."

Matteo smiled. "Brava, stellina."

Luca put the car into drive, and we pulled away from the house.

I didn't know where we were going.

But for the first time in a long time, I wasn't running away.

The hum of the car engine filled the silence as we drove, the steady rhythm of the tires against the pavement doing little to calm the knot of nerves twisting in my stomach.