Page 58 of Stalk

Once inside, I close the door and lock it behind me. I’m sure to check our surroundings even more than usual as I walk us up the stairs. Cannella greets us at the top, and I exhale in relief. It’s always a good sign to arrive and see your pet good and well—alive—in situations like this. I have no way of knowing if Catherine is onto us yet or not. Cannella follows behind me as I take Ren into my bedroom and place them on my bed.

They look like hell. Their eyes crack open as their head hits the mattress, and I notice just how pale they are. As they breathe in, their ribs show. I knew they were struggling, but I didn’t realize just how skinny they are. Ren’s lower lip is swollen to hell, and the fingers of their dominant hand are coated in dried, gunky blood.

I lean over them. “Can you manage a shower?” If I can get Ren cleaned up quickly, I can move on to packing. I don’t have a lot around here, but there’s still stuff to do before we fly out.

Ren manages a small nod of their head.

“Okay. Be right back.”

In the bathroom, I run the water and adjust the temperature until it’s nice and warm, but not too hot. I grab a fresh towel and washcloth from the closet and set them on the counter, then go back for Ren.

They haven’t moved.

“Ready? I’ll help you.”

They groan. I hover over their body and support the back of their neck before pulling them up to a seated position. “You’re covered in blood,” Ren whispers as I bring them to a stand.

“It’s okay. I’ll shower after you,” I reassure.

I assist them to the bathroom. They lean against the wall as I check the water temperature again. I’m about to help them get in when Ren points at their mouth. “Can I brush first?”

I nod, feeling bad that I didn’t think of that. “Can you walk to the toilet and sit there?”

“I think so.”

I watch them take a couple of steps before I look in the closet for a spare toothbrush. Luckily, there are a few still in their packaging next to some boxes of soap and rolls of toilet paper. I get the toothbrush out of its box, then squeeze some toothpaste onto the bristles and run it under the water before passing it over.

Ren brushes their teeth slowly, hissing every so often as the brush bumps into their lower lip. When they’re done, they manage to get up and spit into the sink.

“Thank you, Mattia.” They sound so broken. It makes me want to hug them or something, but I don’t know what they need right now. I don’t understand what they’re going through and I don’t want to make them feel worse.

“I’m happy to help. Let’s get you in the shower… we have a lot to do.”

Ren’s eyes grow wider. “What?”

Fuck.I don’t know what to say to them other than the truth, because they need to know. We have to get moving. “We need to take you to Italy with us. Like you said back at that guy’s house, Catherine will know you didn’t complete your assignment. Marco is cleaning things up, but we need to take you to Venice. For your own safety, and?—”

I mash my lips together when I notice Ren begin to tremble. Their pale face grows paler and tears fill their eyes.

“It’s okay. It will be okay. Marco and I will protect you.” Ren doesn’t respond. “Ren?” Nothing.

Damn it, I fucked up.

I stand there for a minute, trying to figure out what to do. It’s like Ren is experiencing a glitch. Like they don’t know how to be a person right now. Almost as though they’re stuck in place, unable to move in the direction that time is pushing them.

Not knowing what else to do, I grab them as softly as I can by their biceps and push them into the direction of the shower. They stumble, but move with my force. I pick them all the way up over the lip of the shower so that they don’t trip. Once inside, Ren stands under the water, staring at me blankly, no light in their eyes whatsoever, like a living corpse.

I take my shoes off and kick them to the side, then I take off my ball cap, my hoodie, my T-shirt, and my socks, and step into the shower, sliding the glass door shut behind me. I cup Ren’s face in my hands and stare in their eyes. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

CHAPTER 23

Ren

My world is frozen. I feel like I have been covered in cement and left outside to dry. I can barely feel the warm water that pours over me. But I see Mattia. I can kind of feel his fingertips on my cheekbones. His caramel eyes are wide with worry. It’s probably the most human and vulnerable I’ve ever seen him.

I’m here. I’ve got you.

My thoughts aren’t thoughts—they are pictures, memories, what-if scenarios—all blended into a movie-like stream of consciousness. I know I need to move. I know I need to do something. Instead, I’m stuck here, making things worse for Mattia.

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