Lots of our favorite Italian man in this chapter!!
Hope you enjoy!
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When Enid awoke the next morning, she thought she was back in her childhood bedroom for a moment.
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she recognized the cream ceiling of her dorm room.
She stretched her sore limbs, wondering why she felt like she had been hit by a train.
Turning onto her side, she became aware of a hushed whispering coming from the kitchenette area.
Her heart crawled into her throat.
She hesitantly slipped from the covers, grabbing her massive math textbook to use as a weapon if needed.
Poking her head around the corner, she saw a man's back.
Broad shoulders, earthy brown hair messy on his head.
"She hasn't woken up yet. No, no. She'll already feel strange enough with just me here. I don't know. I said I don't know yet. Okay. I'll call you when she does." She listened to his accented voice respond to whoever was on the other side of the phone.
He hung up with a sigh, his white button down stretching across his shoulders as he braced himself against the counter.
Determining she was not in danger, she placed her textbook on the counter.
Enid's head pounded.
She was far past confusion at this point.
She pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Dr. Romano?" Her voice was husky and rough from just waking up.
He turned around quickly, his startled eyes finding her small frame in the doorway.
"Enid. How are you feeling?" He breathed, his mossy eyes studying her with concern.
"Um, I'm okay, thanks. What are you doing here?" She asked, wanting to demand answers but not wanting to be rude.
His face contorted, something between anger and sorrow.
"What do you remember about last night?" His voice gentle as he approached her slowly.
Enid's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
Last night?
For the first time that morning, Enid glanced down at herself.
Her leggings were ripped at the knees, showcasing the bandaged skin beneath.
Her sweater was torn in multiple places, too, the pretty pink dirtied with earth.
As she went to touch her bandaged knees, she found that there were bandages on her palms as well.
She fought to breathe as the memories came flooding back.
The bonfire. A boy. Hands on her ribs. Running and falling and running.
A frantic voice on the phone.
Fear and pain.
And then warm arms around her, carrying her.
Enid's eyes shot back to his, wide with realization.
"How-how did you find me?" She choked on the tears that flooded to the surface.
She remembered asking for help, but everything after that was blurry.
"We tracked your phone." He stated calmly.
We.
The three of them?
Enid nodded, running her fingers along the bandages on her hands.
He must've bandaged them while she was asleep.
"Thank you for your help. Thank you so much." Her voice was nearly a whisper.
She felt so dirty.
The pressure of the boy's fingers was phantom on her sides.
"Why don't you have a shower and get cleared up. I'll pop out to the café and get us some breakfast." His tone so gentle and warm, as if he expected her to break down at any moment.
She nodded shakily.
Her fragile frame shook slightly as she gathered clean clothes and padded into the bathroom.
She brushed her teeth, getting rid of the cotton-like feeling in her mouth.
Enid tugged the soiled clothes over her head and dropped them in the corner, wishing she could burn them.
She peeled the old bandages from her skin before turning toward the shower.
Stepping in, she let the hot water wash away the memory of the night before.
Her skin was red by the time she was done, having scrubbed at it with body wash over and over again.
She grit her teeth as the soap reached her cuts.
Slipping into her comfy grey sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt of her father's, she tugged a hairbrush through her wet curls.
When she emerged from the bathroom, she found that Dr. Romano had returned and was pulling muffins and other breakfast pastries out of a brown paper bag.
"I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I got a bit of everything." He smiled at her as she sat at the small table.
"Thank you." She smiled back.
Now that she was awake and aware, she realized the enormity of what was going on.
Dr. Romano was in her dorm room.
His rumbled professional attire showcased that he had probably been there all night.
The blanket resting on the arm of the plush armchair in the corner of her room confirming her suspicions.
He had saved her.
Carried her all the way back to her dorm room.
Cleaned and bandaged her injuries.
And then he had stayed, waiting to make sure she was alright.
Questions spun through her head.
How had he known which dorm room was hers?
Why had he stayed?
A cup of hot chocolate appeared before her and she followed the arm holding it up to the man that had become her knight in shining armor.
He placed it carefully on the table before her, before kneeling down beside her.
They were nearly the same height at this level.
Enid held her breath as he reached toward her, capturing her small hands in his large ones.
He turned them over softly, caressing the skin on the back of her hands with his thumbs.
He grabbed another bag from the table, pulling out a box of bandages and ointment.
Carefully, he applied them.
She blushed, his fingers brushing against her calf as he raised her socked foot to rest upon his knee.
His emerald eyes seeking hers for permission before he continued.
He watched her attentively for discomfort as he tugged the legs of her sweatpants up so he could access her scraped knees.
The delicateness with which he handled her kept her from panicking.
When he was finished, he gave her one of his infamous smirks, but it was softer than normal.
"I'll have to start calling you humpty dumpty with all of these band-aids." His Italian accent thickening as he teased her.
She giggled lightly, swinging her feet which were too short to reach the ground.
"Eat up, little bird. Then we need to talk, if you are ready for that." His playful tone turning more serious toward the end.
She managed to eat the muffin and cinnamon roll that Dr. Romano passed her.
He tried to get her to eat more of the pastries, but they compromised with a bowl of strawberries.
As she ate the sweet fruit, Dr. Romano watched her closely.
She still felt quite intimidated by the man.
She wondered what he saw as he looked around her small dorm room.
The string lights above her bed and the photos and art taped on the walls.
Her stuffed panda.
She knew she'd be dying of embarrassment when she had time to analyze the past few hours.
However, now all she could manage to think about was the motion of the spoon between the bowl and her mouth.
It was all she could let herself think about.
"Are you feeling okay enough to tell me about what happened last night?" He asked gently but firmly, his hand coming to rest on hers.
Gone was any usual humor or mischief from his demeanor.
His serious expression commanded attention and she subconsciously straightened her spine under his gaze.
Taking a deep breath, she explained what had happened.
Her hands shook and her voice broke, but she managed to get the words out.
When she got to the point with the boy, he stood and turned toward the window above the sink.
His hands clutched the countertop so tightly she worried it might break.
"But I got away. He didn't even manage to kiss me." She for some reason felt as though she needed to reassure him.
He reached her in two long-legged steps and drew her into his arms.
His nose nestled into her hair as he took calming breaths.
Enid stood shocked and still, before reaching a hand up to rest on his chest.
"I'm so sorry that happened to you, little bird. I'm going to kill the pezzo di merda who thought he could touch you." He practically growled.
Enid's heart hammered in her chest.
He seemed so angry.
She was astonished that he cared so much about his students.
She tried to fight the urge to melt into his arms, but it overcame her.
Her body slackened against his, fitting against him like a perfect puzzle piece.
His taller stature allowed him to practically encompass her.
He was so strong and sturdy.
His shoulders nearly twice the width of hers.
She felt so safe.
She breathed in his cologne and his smell of books, eyes fluttering shut.
For a few moments, all that existed was her and him.
"We need to report him, dove. Will you come with me to the dean's office?" He asked, his arms pulling her back so he could see her face.
"That's the problem... I don't know who he was. I had never seen him before." She bit her lip anxiously.
"Do you remember anything about him? Anything distinct?" He seemed to be searching her eyes for answers.
She thought for a moment, trying to focus on the boy's appearance.
Shaggy hair, athletic stature.
And then she remembered.
"He had a sweatshirt for one of the Fraternities on! I think it was... Kappa Sigma!" She exclaimed.
"Good girl." He beamed at her.
He turned to lead her toward the door, but she hesitantly slipped from his grip.
"I... I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that." She admitted honestly.
Dr. Romano's eyes flashed with understanding and his features softened.
"Of course. I'm sorry, love. I'm just... desperate to make sure this gets taken care of quickly." His voice deep, seeming to restrain himself.
Enid graced him with a grateful smile.
"Would it be easier if Alex and Theo were there, too? They've been quite demanding about getting to see you, anyways." He smirked at the memory of their anger over not being able to stay with her last night.
Enid tilted her head in confusion.
"Oh, sorry. Dr. Easton and Dr. Drewitt." He clarified.
Enid felt unbelievably overwhelmed.
All of the events of last night.
And then this morning with one of her professors staying in her dorm room.
Buying her breakfast.
Holding her in his arms.
And the other two apparently wishing to see her.
Her head pounded.
The headache had spread from her temples, now wrapping around her entire head.
Taking a deep breath, she met them man's gorgeous eyes.
"I think I need some time alone for now if that's okay. I'm so, so grateful for all of your help. I think I just need to... process all of this. Maybe we could go on Monday?" She asked quietly, hoping she didn't seem rude or ungrateful.
"Of course. I'm sorry if me being here has made this any more difficult. I just needed to make sure you were okay. We couldn't have handled not having at least one of us with you. I was so worried when you answered the call last night." His sincerity and grief were heavy enough to choke on.
He gathered the briefcase she had overlooked that was resting near the door.
Coming to stand before her, he lightly caressed her cheek with his hand.
"Call us if you need anything, Enid. Anything at all. Even if it's just to talk." He commanded.
She nodded and thanked him as he headed toward the door.
"Wait- Dr. Romano." She called as he pulled the door open.
"Yes, little bird?" He asked, sliding his suit jacket back on.
"How did you know which dorm room was mine?" She asked, the question still bothering her.
His responding smirk was dark and powerful.
Something sharp and possessive in his inky eyes.
His voice deep and intoxicating as he spoke.
"We have an astonishing ability to ascertain that which we want."
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Pezzo di merda - Piece of shit.
Loved getting to focus on some alone time with one of the immortals and Enid.
A lot more of that coming up in the next few chapters!
Comments fill my heart with joy.
All my love, Sappho «