𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑩𝑰𝑫𝑫𝑬𝑵 𝑻𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬

03

- M A T T E O -

I wait anxiously on a small bench beside the ring, my leg bouncing up and down.

I'm not anxious about telling Enzo, I know he'll understand. I just don't want him to find out. I don't want him to go after her.

All of the things I did, leaving her, it would have all been for nothing. I can't let him get to her.

I won't.

Just then, I hear a bag hit the floor and I look up at Enzo, who's standing over my sitting figure. "You better have a good reason for this." He says, sitting down beside me.

I let out a breath that I was unaware of myself holding. I look over at him, his face filled with a look of anger and curiosity.

"You can't tell anyone, understand? I shouldn't even be telling you this." I say, contemplating if this is a good idea or not.

He nods and I can tell he wants me to just spit it out.

"The night I left, I got a call." I start and he sits up, focusing more on me now that I've started explaining myself.

"Do you remember the fight I had two weeks before I left? The one where Silas had bet about a hundred thousand dollars on?" I ask.

"Silas? As in the guy that came here every week to bet against you and got mad that he lost all of his money that night?" He asks and I nod in response.

"And you remember how he wanted me to pay him back?"

"What are you getting at, Matteo?"

"He's the one who called me that night. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyways. He told me that I still owed him money and I refused to give him anything, obviously. But then, he threatened me." I take a pause, trying to catch my breath as I assumed from Enzo's face that he was starting to connect the dots.

"And what exactly did he threaten you with?"

"Elena. He told me that if I didn't get him his money, he would touch her in any way he wanted." I choke on my words as the horrid memories from the night that's haunted me for years flood back into my mind.

"I hate myself for what I did to her and how I made her feel. But I would have hated myself more if I had stayed and put her at risk." I confess and he just sits there in shock, staring at me with an expressionless face.

I take the moment to explain why I was so upset about what he had said the night before.

"That's why I was so upset about what you had said. You judged me for something and you didn't even know my reasoning." I said.

Not only was I upset about what he had said, but seeing her again just added on to that. I was scared. Scared that he would find her again.

"Why did you come back?" He interrupts my thoughts. "If you knew what he is capable of, why did come back?"

"I thought he was gone. I thought maybe he moved on to someone else to bet against. Not only that, but I was never really gone. I was just hidden. That and I was traveling all of the time with boxing." I explained.

"But if you think he's moved on, then why can't you just tell her? He's gone now, right?" He questions and I feel my heart sink remembering the call I received earlier this morning.

"So, you're back. And you're fighting again. You thought I forgot? No, I'm going to get my money, Matteo. Even if I have to use the girl to get it."

"He called me this morning. I don't even know how he got my number given that I changed it after that night. But he never forgot about the money. And he remembers her." I say.

He nods, not speaking for a few minutes in order to connect the dots in his head.

"So, you did love her?"

"Not did. I do." I correct him.

"So, you love her. And this whole time, we were wrong and you left to protect her?" He asks and I nod.

"I'm sorry for what I said." He apologizes. "I was just upset at what you had done to her and I didn't know the full story."

"It's fine. I get why you were mad."

"You know, I'm glad we had this conversation. You didn't only hurt Lena when you left, you were my best friend and I thought you didn't give a shit about me. I'm glad I was wrong." He lets out a low chuckle.

"Trust me, leaving Lena wasn't the only thing that hurt. You were like a brother to me." I say.

"I am like a brother to you." He corrects me with a small smile on his face.

"You are."

- E L E N A -

I walked into the living room when I hear the front door open. I had stayed over at Enzo's last night because Mads refused to let me stay at home by myself.

I look him in the eyes and he looks at me as if he already knows what I'm about to say.

While he was gone, I asked Mads where he was and she tried to lie, but I easily saw through her. Turns out, he was with him.

"Really? You met up with him?" I step in front of him as he looks down at me.

"You're my brother and you're meeting up with someone who treated me like shit behind my back?" I say and he remains silent, looking at me dumbfounded.

"How did you know about that?" He asks.

"That doesn't fucking matter. Why would you do that to me?" I tilt my head to the side and no response comes from him.

"Sei un cazzo, Enzo."
{You're a dick, Enzo}

✿✿✿

and that's the third chapter as promised!!

if you read dangerous desires then you understand how surprising it is for me to write chapters this much

anywaysss in the next chapter, the lovebirds will finally communicate with each other

tiktok: _kenzwrites

if you see any mistakes tell meee

ily all and have a great day/night <333