Page 189 of Divine Obsession

When he walked away, Matteo turned, running a hand through his hair and muttering a string of curses. He looked ready to break something.

Maria opened her eyes, red-rimmed but steady. “I want to sit with him,” She said softly, her voice almost breaking.

“Absolutely not,” Matteo snapped, his anger latching onto her like a target. “He’s here because of you–”

I stepped between them. “That’s enough.” Matteo’s eyes burned into mine, but I didn’t flinch. “Fighting won’t help Zach.” He didn’t say anything, his jaw tightening as he glared past meat Maria. “Let her,” I said firmly. “She just wants to be there for him.”

Matteo tensed, but finally, he nodded. A stiff, reluctant nod, but it was enough.

Maria whispered a quietthank youand disappeared into Zach’s hospital suite. Matteo watched her go, his hands flexing into fists and then releasing.

I stayed where I was, watching Matteo pace furiously by the window. He kicked the row of chairs attached to the wall, pulling the metal out of its screws and sending it flying across the large, private waiting room.

“He’s gonna wake up,” I said, my voice low. “He’s tougher than any of us.”

Matteo didn’t look at me, but I caught the way his shoulders sagged just a little.

I stayed silent. There was nothing else to say.

The sun was barely rising, the faint glow of early morning light filtering through the hospital hallway windows. My legs were stiff from hours in the waiting room, but the fatigue evaporated the moment Maria called for the doctor.

Now I stood outside the hospital suite, staring through the small window in the door, unable to bring myself to go inside. It felt too intimate.

Inside, Maria was curled into Zach like she was afraid he might disappear if she let go. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Evenfrom here, I could see the way her body shook softly, she was still crying.

Zach’s hand rested gently on her back – still cut and somewhat bloody – brushing soothing circles. His eyes were half-lidded, exhaustion clear on his face, but his focus entirely on Maria. He shifted slightly, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

The tenderness in the gesture made my chest tighten. When Maria didn’t pull away, he nuzzled closer, his face disappearing into the curve of her neck. I couldn’t hear what he whispered, but it made her clutch to him even tighter.

Back at Trevor’s condo, the silence was suffocating. The low hum of the city outside barely reached us, consumed by the weight of everything that had happened. Everything thatcouldhave happened.

Trevor sat on the couch, his elbows on his knees, his head bowed – exhaustion written all over his face. Neither had said much since we left the hospital, but the stillness spoke volumes.

I took a seat on the couch, close enough for him to feel my presence but not so close that it might overwhelm him. For a moment, I just sat there, matching his silence. The air between us felt heavy with unspoken fear and relief.

Trevor’s hands unclasped, and he rubbed one down his face. I reached out, resting a hand on his arm, and he leaned into the touch, intertwining our fingers.

He didn’t need to say it. I could feel his stress – the lingeringwhat if. The image of Zach – who was like his brother – unconscious must have been seared into his mind, just like Maria’s pain was in mine.

Trevor let out another breath, heavier this time, and when he finally turned his head toward me, his eyes were exhausted.

I didn’t say anything. Words felt too small compared to what we were both feeling. So instead, I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his broad frame.

He’d been there for me when I needed him most. He’d taken care of me when I needed it.

His head dipped to my shoulder, his breath warm against my neck, his hands gripping me like I was the only thing anchoring him.

We stayed like that for a long time, the quiet pressing in around us. His heartbeat, steady and strong, thudded against my own, and in that stillness, I felt his walls come down.

I held him tighter, letting him know without words that it was okay to feel everything he was feeling. That he didn’t have to carry it alone.

He turned his face to me, his dark eyes looking deep into my own. “I love you, Natalia.”

His voice was soraw. Sohonest, it made my eyes burn.

“I love you, too,” I whispered.

His arms rounded my thighs, picking me up and carrying me back to our bedroom. The sunrise was beginning to peek through the horizon, casting the city skyline in a pink glow.

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