"Baby..." Adrian sobbed, completely breaking down. "I'm scared."
Matteo took a step closer, his shadow enveloping Adrian. "About what?"
"That I might never be able to see your face again," Adrian murmured.
Matteo closed the distance between them in an instant, his hands gently framing Adrian's face. "Can you please not cry?" he murmured, his thumb softly wiping away a stray tear that slipped from beneath the bandage. "Please, Rian… don't cry."
Adrian choked on a sob, his hands blindly clutching at the fabric of Matteo's shirt, anchoring himself to the only man he wanted.
"I was wrong about you, Matteo. I was so wrong. I thought… I thought you couldn't possibly love me the way Elena used to love me, and because of that fear, I questioned everything you did. I convinced myself that you only stayed because you felt guilty about the past, not because your heart truly belonged to me. I convinced myself that you were only with me because you felt you had no other choice."
