Page 95 of Ruined By Protection
I shake my head. "It doesn't matter. This—" I gesture between myself and the door Matteo exited through "—can't happen anyway. I need to focus on staying alive and getting free of Elliott."
"And you think pushing Matteo away helps with that how exactly?" Evelyn's voice is gentle but challenging.
"I can't jump from one relationship to another. I need to figure out who I am without a man controlling my life."
"Is that what you think Matteo would do? Control you?"
The question hangs in the air between us. I think about how Matteo looked at me in the kitchen, how he held me last night, how he stepped back immediately when I asked him not to come closer.
"I don't know," I admit. "But I can't risk finding out. Not now."
Evelyn sighs, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "I get it. I do. But Hazel, I've known Matteo for a while now. He's not Elliott."
"I know that. Logically I know that." I swallow hard. "But every time I think about letting someone in again, I feel like I can't breathe."
"That's the trauma talking," she says softly. "Elliott did that to you. He made you afraid."
"And now he's coming after both of us." Tears sting my eyes. "I'm so sorry, Evelyn. This is all my fault. If I hadn't called you?—"
"Stop." Her voice is firm. "The only person responsible for Elliott's actions is Elliott."
I wipe at my eyes. "I just want this to be over."
"It will be." Evelyn's eyes glisten with determination. "One way or another."
We sit in silence for a moment, the weight of everything pressing down on us. Outside, the garden is peaceful in the moonlight, so at odds with the chaos of our lives.
Evelyn sighs. "You know, Matteo was actually the first of the Ferettis I met after Noah took me."
"Tookyou?" My brows shoot up with surprise. "What happened?"
She shakes her head, a shadow crossing her face. "That's a story for another time. Let's just say I was in a bad place and Matteo... he helped, in his own way."
"Was he always this..." I gesture vaguely, unable to find the right word.
"Intense? Brooding? Hot?" Evelyn offers with a grin.
I laugh despite myself. "All of the above."
"He's a good bad guy, if you know what I mean." Evelyn's expression turns serious. "Look, I'm not saying you should forgive him for whatever's going on between you two. But as I said Matteo isn't Elliott. Not even close."
"I know that." I wrap my arms around my knees. "I shouldn't have said what I did."
"We all say things we don't mean when we're scared." She touches my shoulder gently. "He's complicated, sure. But from what I can tell you're pretty complicated yourself right now."
I can't argue with that. "Everything feels like it's spinning out of control."
CHAPTER 29
Hazel
Imust have dozed off on the sofa after Evelyn left. My neck aches from the awkward angle, and the mansion is quiet around me. A sharp buzzing sound jolts me awake. The phone vibrates on the coffee table, screen lighting up with a new message notification.
My heart lurches into my throat. Only a handful of people have this number—Evelyn, Maria, my mother. And Elliott.
I reach for the phone with trembling fingers, already knowing what I'll find. The number displayed on the screen makes my stomach drop.
Elliott.
