Annelise lay curled beneath the sheets, the soft hum of the room pressing against her ears like a distant lullaby. Her ankle throbbed slightly despite the doctor's medicine, and the silence wrapped around her like a heavy fog. The phone was gone—Matteo had taken it for her "rest"....and with no television or books nearby, the hours stretched thin and long. She sighed, eyes drifting to the ceiling, wondering if tomorrow would be any different.
Then, the doorbell rang.
Her brows furrowed. No one was supposed to visit.
Hobbling to the door with a cautious limp, she opened it, expecting maybe Eliane or Noemie . But what she found instead made her freeze.
"Tomasz?" she whispered, heart skipping a beat.
Before she could question him, Tomasz slipped a hand over her mouth and pushed inside, closing the door softly behind him. She tried to speak, to demand what the hell he was doing here, but he gently hushed her.
"Shh. I brought something better than a text or call."
He smiled.....mischievous and radiant.....and pulled a small bag from his coat. Her nose twitched; it smelled of something savory, sweet, and utterly forbidden.
"You.... idiot," she muttered, amused despite herself.
"I took a risk," he said, opening the bag to reveal handmade dumplings, a small box of raspberry tarts, and a thermos of tea. "But only because you looked like you'd forgotten how to laugh."
"I haven't forgotten..."
"When's the last time you smiled without pretending?" he interrupted gently, meeting her eyes. "The real one, not that polite crap you give Matteo."
Annelise opened her mouth, then closed it.
Tomasz sat beside her, handing her a tart. "Eat. Then I'll tell you the second reason I'm here."
She took a bite, and her lips curled...not out of obligation, but from delight. "God, this is good."
"I am glad, you liked it."
"Still an idiot."
"And yet, the idiot who made you smile." He leaned closer, voice dropping. "Don't deny it. It suits you."
She chuckled, and for the first time in weeks, it was real. Tomasz's eyes softened. "There it is."
Then the doorbell rang again.
Both froze.
Annelise's stomach dropped.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no."
"Who is it?" Tomasz asked, already rising.
She limped to the door, hoping it was Eliane or anyone else.
But it wasn't.
It was Matteo.
Sweat broke across her brow.
"Your room," he said, eyeing the bandage on her ankle, "you should be resting."
"I...I was. It's just...my room's messy, really messy. You shouldn't....."
He raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming. "You think I've never seen a messy room?"
Before she could stop him, he stepped inside.
Annelise's breath hitched. Her eyes darted to the hallway.....Tomasz had vanished, thank god. But her hands trembled. Matteo glanced around the room, his steps slow, thoughtful.
"I brought your phone," he said, pulling it from his coat. "But I don't think you need it."
He sat on her bed, running a hand through his hair and exhaled deeply.
"Matteo....."
"On your knees."
"What?"
He looked at her, expression unreadable. "You heard me."
She hesitated. Her ankle ached, but she obeyed. Kneeling before him, confused, her heart in her throat.
He leaned forward, gently cupping her chin.
"I don't like people lying to me."
Her breath caught.
"But.... I also know when someone's hurting. So I'll leave it there for now."
He stood.
"I'll come back when you're ready to tell me what you're hiding."
Then he left.
Annelise remained frozen, knees to the floor.
A moment passed.
The washroom door creaked open, and Tomasz tiptoed out.
"Holy....he was in the room?"
Annelise nodded slowly.
"I'm pretty sure he knows."
Tomasz handed her a tray of food. "Eat this. You'll need strength."
She half-laughed, half-cried. "Why the hell are you so calm?"
"I told you...I came to see you laugh again. And, well, if I'm gonna die for it, at least I made you smile first."
She shook her head, but the laugh returned, soft and broken.
When Tomasz finally left, her room once again fell silent. Her eyes traced the ceiling again, but this time, she wasn't empty.
Later, at the office parking lot, Matteo stood beside his car, still lost in thought. His encounter with Annelise had left a strange twist in his gut....something was wrong. Very wrong.
Then he smelled it.
Something delicious wafted from a nearby car...sharp, sweet, almost nostalgic. He walked closer. The back window was slightly open.
Too suspicious.
He reached into his coat.
A sleek, black device pressed against his ribs.....his self-defense gun. Not for bullets, but something subtler.
Just in case.
He stepped forward, eyes narrowed.
Something was beginning to unravel.
And Matteo was ready.