Page 103 of Enzo

“Not everything.” Enzo pulled me closer. “Not us.”

We dozed off tangled together, and for once, I didn’t dream of being hunted. Instead, I dreamed of nothing, a peaceful darkness that felt like safety.

Morning arrived too quickly. I woke to find Enzo, already dressed, pacing by the door.

“You okay?” I asked, my voice still rough with sleep.

He stopped mid-step, turning to me with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Just nervous. For you.”

I glanced at the clock: 6:15a.m. Forty-five minutes until they’d come for me.

“How long have you been up?” I pushed myself to sit, wincing at the unfamiliar soreness.

“Couple hours.” He shrugged, coming to sit beside me on the bed. “Couldn’t sleep.”

I clambered onto his lap and pushed my nose to his throat, inhaling his scent, loving him so hard, our fingers intertwining now. Being held like this—wrapped in the arms of the man who saved me, who saw me, who never once asked me to be anyone else—it meant everything.

“It’s going to be okay,” I said.

“That’s my line,” he said with a weak laugh.

I don’t know how long we sat there, enjoying the peace, when a soft knock at the door made us both jump. Enzo answered to find a nurse in scrubs that looked more like designer clothes than medical wear.

“Mr. Cooper? Time for your pre-op prep,” she said, her voice as soothing as her appearance was immaculate. “Dr. Lukash likes to start on time.”

I nodded. “I’ll just get dressed.”

“The gown is in the bathroom,” she said. “You won’t need anything else.”

When she left, Enzo helped me into the blue hospital gown. “You look sexy in anything,” he joked, but his voice cracked.

“You’ll still be you,” he reminded me, echoing his words from the night before. “The parts that matter won’t change.”

Then I kissed him. “See you on the other side.”

* * *

When I next woke up,I ached like hell, but I was in Enzo’s arms, and the low hum of a movie was in the background. I touched the gauze covering my face, and my head felt heavy and numb at the same time. The medication they’d given me made everything fuzzy around the edges. I couldn’t focus on the TV screen, but the sound of it was comforting.

“Hey there,” Enzo whispered when he felt me stir. “Welcome back.”

I tried to speak, but my jaw felt wired shut. Panic flared until Enzo’s hand found mine.

“It’s okay. Dr. Lukash said your jaw will be stiff for a few days. Don’t try to talk too much.” He reached for a cup with a straw. “Small sips.”

The cool water was heaven on my dry throat. I squeezed his hand twice—to signal my thanks.

“Surgery went perfectly,” he continued, brushing hair from my forehead.

I wanted to see, to know what I looked like now, but they’d covered all the mirrors in the suite. Another squeeze of his hand, this time with a questioning glance.

“No mirrors yet,” Enzo said, reading my mind. “Doctor’s orders. Not until the initial swelling goes down. He says it’s better to see the final result, not the work in progress.”

I gestured toward my face, trying to ask how different I was.

“The bandages cover most of it right now, but…” Enzo studied me, his head tilted. “Your cheekbones are higher. Jaw’s a little different. But your eyes…” His voice softened. “They’re still the same.”

He gathered me close.

---