Page 73 of Enzo

Rio arched a brow. “Yeah? And you think that’s where it stops? That’s all it is? What’s with you pulling him on your lap? You’re his protector, Enzo. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And since John came here? It’s different.”

Jamie shifted, arms still crossed, eyes sharp and unreadable. “He’s frustrated. Sad. Angry at himself.”

Rio nodded. “Yeah. And not only because of what happened to him. He wants more. He wants to do more. And you know what? He wants you.”

My heart slammed against my ribs. “That’s bullshit. He doesn’t?—”

“He does,” Rio cut in, his expression softening. “You don’t see it because your focus is protecting him. But he looks at you like you’re the one thing holding him together. The one thing he’s too scared to reach for.”

Jamie finally spoke, his voice quiet but confident. “He’s waiting for you to see it too.”

My mind raced, my chest tight. This wasn’t a conversation I was ready to have. I don’t know how to be that person for him. “Look at me—and look at him! He’s small and vulnerable. I could hurt him, and?—”

“Oh fuck off, Enzo,” Rio interrupted, rolling his eyes. “He’s a grown man, and Jesus, you’re a goddamn teddy bear.”

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “Right. A teddy bear with a criminal history. That’s real soft.”

Rio stared at me, unimpressed. “You ever seen yourself with him? The way you look at him like he’s something special. You’re warmth. You make him feel safe. You’re patient as hell with him in ways you aren’t with anyone else. You don’t just protect him—you make him feel like he’s worth protecting. And that? That’s why he looks at you the way he does.”

“But love?”

I stared at my friends, but they shrugged. What the hell did I know about love? My mom survived on bad choices—drugs, men, whatever numbed the pain. My father? Could’ve been anyone. Love, as I’d seen it, was need twisted into control. Obsession. Survival.

Was that what this was? Because I needed Robbie like I needed air. But love? I didn’t know what that was supposed to feel like, let alone how to give it to someone who deserved more.

They couldn’t answer that part. That was all on me.

I wanted to pull him into my arms and swear I’d never let anything touch him again. But what if I pushed too hard, broke something fragile? What if he didn’t want that from me? The fear twisted in my gut.

But what if he did? What if he was waiting for me to show him this wasn’t just protection—that I saw him?

I wasn’t soft. I was built to take hits. But maybe he didn’t need soft. Maybe he needed someone to stand with him when the past came clawing back. He was strong in ways I’d never be—surviving the unimaginable, still finding space to laugh, to hope.

If he could fight for himself, maybe I could fight for us.

“It’s the secrets,” Jamie murmured, more serious, his voice quieter than before, as though he was working through the thought as he spoke it. I glanced over at him, waiting for him to continue, but he was all casual, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed, and it was left to Rio to continue.

“You don’t know what’s out there wanting to hurt him. None of us do,” he said. “And he needs to tell someone. Maybe that’s where you start. You tell him your truth, and maybe he’ll tell you his. That’s how this works, Enzo. You stop waiting for the right moment and just”—he gestured—”be what he needs.”

“And what if I fuck it up? What if I push too hard? What if it’s too much?”

“What if you break him with your enormous magic peen?” Rio deadpanned, then sighed, shaking his head. “You won’t. Because despite whatever you think about yourself, you don’t push him. He trusts you. More than anyone. More than himself sometimes. Maybe it’s time you start trusting yourself too.”

I scoffed, shaking my head. “Since when did you two become all-knowing?”

Jamie smirked, radiating the smug confidence of someone who knew they were right. “Some of us just have natural wisdom, Enzo. Comes with being ridiculously good-looking and always right.”

Rio raised an eyebrow. “Or, you know, from actually paying attention.”

I rolled my eyes. “Right, because you two are so clever.”

Jamie grinned. “Damn right.”

I groaned, dragging a hand down my face, feeling as if I’d walked straight into a trap of my own making. “I regret everything. This is the worst intervention I’ve ever willingly invited people into.”

Rio just laughed. “And yet, here you are, finally listening.”

“We’re gonna go now, so fix this shit,” Jamie said.

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