A Fragile Thread

Chapter 16: 20 Questions

Then, slowly, his lips stretched into the biggest grin I'd ever seen. "Was that a laugh? Again! Ha I'm two for two, take that Nico."

I shook my head quickly.

"Liar," he gasped. "Matteo, did you hear that?"

Matteo just hummed, but there was something warm in his expression as he looked at me.

He looked... proud.

The warmth of the blanket wrapped around me did little to shake the exhaustion clinging to my limbs, but I stayed quiet, letting the hum of conversation fill the space around me. The living room felt... different than my bedroom. Less safe, maybe, but not in a bad way. Just unfamiliar.

Luca was speaking with Matteo about something low enough that I couldn't quite catch it, but every so often, I felt their gazes flicker toward me. They weren't pushing, though. That was new.

Nico was the only one who didn't bother pretending he wasn't watching me. He stood near the doorway, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"You're staying down here, then?" he finally asked.

I hesitated. I hadn't actually thought about how long I'd be here. I just... didn't want to be alone yet.

"For a little while," I murmured.

He didn't say anything to that. He just kept watching me, like he was trying to figure something out.

"Good," Luca said simply, settling deeper into his chair. "Stay as long as you want."

That was it. No push for more conversation. No expectation for me to respond. Just... a choice.

Raffaele, of course, couldn't let the moment stay quiet. "So, now that our precious little patient has decided to grace us with her presence, what are we doing?" He stretched across the back of the couch like he had no care in the world. "Something fun, I hope."

Matteo shot him a look. "She just got down here, Raffaele. Maybe give her a second?"

"I am giving her a second," he defended, grinning. "I'm also being proactive. We can't just sit here and stare at her like a bunch of weirdos."

Luca exhaled, clearly not in the mood for Raffaele's antics. "We're not doing anything loud."

"Yeah, yeah," Raffaele waved him off, then turned to me. "What do you want to do, sweetheart?"

I blinked, thrown off by the question. It had been a while since anyone had asked me that.

"I... don't know," I admitted.

"Not surprising," Nico muttered.

I stiffened slightly, but Raffaele just shot him an unimpressed look. "Relax, grumpy. Not everyone has a detailed plan for their day the second they wake up."

Nico rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

I hesitated before speaking again. "Maybe just... sitting here for a bit is fine."

Raffaele nodded like that was the most reasonable request in the world. "Sitting. We can do that." He flopped down next to me, taking up way more space than necessary.

Matteo sighed. "Do you ever not take over an entire couch?"

"Not my fault I have an impressive wingspan," Raffaele shot back.

"Not what that means," Matteo muttered.

Luca sighed like he was questioning his life choices, but he didn't stop them from bickering.

I felt exposed, like they were all waiting for me to do or say something.

Raffaele, of course, was the one to break the silence.