Chapter 4

Chapter Four“I… I don’t know if I can go through with this,” she murmured, her voice trembling with uncertainty.He drew in a slow, steady breath, then exhaled with a quiet sigh. “You want to leave,” he stated softly, as if confirming a fear.“No… that’s not it,” Gen quickly replied, closing her eyes to steady herself. She decided honesty was the only way forward. “I just can’t do this without you telling me something—anything—about yourself. I can’t… be with someone I don’t know at all,” she confessed, her words barely above a whisper.Matteo curled his knees up toward his chest, creating a protective barrier around himself. “I told you back at the bar—I’m not after sex. The last few years have been… rough,” he admitted, his voice heavy with unspoken pain. His hazel eyes caught the soft glow of the lamp beside him, shimmering with flecks of gold. “I just want you to lie down beside me. Maybe let me hold you, so I can find a few hours of rest.”“That feels… even more intimate somehow. Please, just one thing,” she pleaded, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope.Matteo inhaled deeply, his fists clenching tightly before he slowly released the tension. His gaze locked onto hers. “Today was the funeral for my mother and brother,” he revealed quietly.