Page 22 of Veil of Dust

His fingers brush my side—not gentle, but not rough either.

I freeze. Not from fear, but from the heat of it. From the fact that he just did it.

“You patched it yourself?” he asks.

“Yeah.”

“It’s not straight.”

“You offering to fix it?”

He looks up. Then, he lets the shirt fall. “You wouldn’t let me.”

“You’re right.”

He steps back again. Not giving up—just resetting.

I pull the cigarette pack from my pocket and light a new one.

My hands are steady now.

“You gonna keep showing up like this?” I ask.

“Only when I have to.”

“For what?”

“To make sure you stay alive.”

“That’s not your job.”

“It is now.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m in this. And so are you.”

His voice is even. No angle. No drama.

Just truth.

I glance down at the body again.

Then, I look back at him.

He’s either here to shield me or to make sure I can’t walk away.

I haven’t figured out which.

He turns toward the door, and fog swallows him as he steps into it.

He doesn’t say goodbye.

And I follow him inside.

Chapter 5 – Tiziano

I lock the bar door behind me.

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