Chapter 508

Nina

“Ouch. Shit.”

Matt winced as I dabbed at his bloody nose. He must have burst a small blood vessel during the training, because he had suddenly begun gushing out of nowhere. And although he was on the mend following Enzo’s outburst the other day, he was clearly still in a good amount of pain.

“Sorry. I’m almost done,” I said gently as I worked.

“Take your time.” Matt swallowed and gripped the edge of the wooden stool he was sitting on. Here, perched on the stool with me standing in front of him, we were eye level—maybe even for the first time since we had met.

“Hey,” he said as I worked on his nose. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

Matt paused before continuing. “You and Enzo… How are you guys doing?”

I stopped dabbing at his bloody nose and leaned back to look at him. “Are you referring to—”

“Everything,” he said. “I mean… I can’t help but notice that you two seem to be a little tense around each other.”

“That obvious, huh?” I laughed slightly as Matt nodded, and I tossed some of the bloodied tissues into the nearby trash can.

Finally, with a sigh, I shrugged. “It’s been… weird,” I admitted slowly. “That place—Mila’s so-called ‘palace’—was a living nightmare. Enzo was put through more torture than I was. So he’s been struggling a lot.”

“I can tell.” Matt leaned forward, letting me continue to work on his nose. “I tried talking to him during the run, but he was laser-focused.”

“That’s the thing,” I said. “He keeps talking about how he wants Mila dead, how he won’t rest until she is. But I think he’s just gonna wind up hurting himself.”

Matt sighed softly. “That’s unlike Enzo.”

“I know it is. I think that the baby has made him more protective, more… aggressive. Maybe, being in that situation, something snapped. I don’t know.”

As I spoke, tears began to cloud my vision. I quickly turned away and bit my lower lip.

But then, Matt’s hand shot out and covered mine. “Nina.”

I turned slowly to look at him, and his eyes were nothing if not sincere. “What is it?” I asked.

“I just want you to know that I’m here for you,” he said. “Both of you. I’m your friend. And if you want me to talk to Enzo, if you need someone to step in—”

“Thanks, Matt. I appreciate it. But really, we’re fine,” I said. “I know what you’re thinking, about Enzo’s anger outbursts. But he would never hurt me.”

Matt paused for a moment, then nodded slowly and released my hand, leaning back. “Good. I just had to hear it from you first, that’s all.”

I couldn’t help it. Matt’s words made me smile a bit, and I leaned forward and hugged him. He stiffened for a moment, then hugged me back gently for a moment before pulling away.

With a nod and a thank-you, Matt stood and returned to the others. I watched him go, being bolstered by his friendship.

But as I was cleaning up, I thought I saw a flash in the corner of my eye. I quickly looked up, expecting to see Enzo standing there judging by the stature and color of his shirt; only to find that he was already gone, as if he had been watching from around a corner.

…

“What are you doing out here all alone?”

I looked down at Enzo, who was laying in my father’s garden. He smiled slightly when I approached and moved over to make some space for me.

“Just looking at the stars,” he said.

I smiled and laid down on the cool grass beside him. “You’re sure you’re not just too exhausted to move?”

Enzo let out a wry snort. “Your dad is like a drill sergeant,” he replied. “Now I think I sort of understand why my hockey trainees complain so much.”

“Ah. A taste of your own medicine for once,” I said with a laugh. “I’m jealous, though.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “I dunno. I’d like to join in on the training, at least a little bit, but… apparently being a few months pregnant and a princess means I can’t do anything.”

Enzo sighed softly. “You know that’s not the case.”

“I know, I know. It’s just… a lot to get used to sometimes.”

“You’re used to doing everything yourself,” Enzo said quietly. “It’s not really in your nature to accept help, or to accept the fact that maybe it’s okay to sit back and let others do the dirty work.”

“You got me,” I said. There was a long silence as we laid there for a while, looking up at the stars.

It was a beautiful night out; perfectly warm with a slight breeze and a symphony of crickets chirping. The others were inside in their own private rooms, enjoying the amenities of my father’s mansion; a welcome reprieve, I was sure, after only the first day of their grueling training.

“Rose.”

The word slipped out without even really meaning to. Enzo looked over at me and shot me a curious look.

“What?” he asked.

“I like the name Rose,” I said, rubbing my barely-protruding belly. “Or Will, if it’s a boy.”

For a moment, Enzo just blinked at me. I slowly turned to look at him and propped myself up on one elbow. “Unless you have any better ideas,” I said.

Enzo finally smiled ever so slightly. “No, I… I like those names,” he said softly. “Rose. Will. Both simple, classic… They’re nice.”

I smirked. “Just ‘nice’?” I teased. “Enzo, I was sort of hoping that our future child’s name could be, I don’t know, show-stopping or spectacular.

“Alright, alright.” He chuckled and thought for a moment. “I like… Abigail for a girl,” he said. “And Alex for a boy.”

“Hmm… Alex is a beautiful name,” I said. “But I’m still stuck on Rose for a girl.”

Enzo smirked. “Well, maybe we’ll have twins and we can split the difference.”

I gasped slightly and smacked his chest. “Enzo Rivers,” I said, leaning over him, “I am not having twins. Can you imagine?”

“That would be a bit much, wouldn’t it?” Enzo laughed.

“You can say that again.” With that, I leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to his lips. He tasted sweet and a little salty from working out earlier, which was a welcome comfort.

But when I pulled away, there was that faraway look in his eyes again. I frowned and brushed some curls out of his eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

Enzo was silent for a moment before he finally shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Enzo—”

“It just feels weird,” he said. “Laying here, talking about baby names, looking at the stars—when we could be taking Mila down.”

I felt my frown deepen. “You’re doing your absolute best,” I replied. “You’ve only just begun training. And my father is right; we can’t just go storming in there, guns blazing. Mila might be insane, but she’s smart, and she’s got a whole cult of zealots behind her.”

“Still.” He frowned and sat up. “I feel like I can’t rest until she’s dead.”

Just as I was opening my mouth to retort, Enzo stood. I reached for his hand, stopping him.

“You know that death isn’t the ultimate revenge,” I said softly. “And you’ll still be in pain when she’s gone.”

Enzo just stood there for a moment, his jaw set hard as he looked out over the garden. I felt his hand tighten around mine, felt his grip grow firm and his fingers begin to tremble slightly.

But then… he let go.

“I’m tired,” he said.

And with that, he turned on his heel and stalked inside.