Chapter Sixteen: A Room Where the Rain Never Stops
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Elián stood in front of the window, watching the clouds roll over the city like bruises that refused to heal.
His hands were tucked into the sleeves of an oversized sweater. Not Kairo's. His own. One he'd brought from the dorms before everything spiraled. The seams were fraying now, but it still smelled like safety.
Like before.
Behind him, the apartment was quiet. Too quiet.
He knew Kairo was awake. He always was at this hour, his body trained like a machine that didn't believe in rest. But he didn't come in. Not anymore.
And Elián both hated and needed that.
He pressed his forehead against the glass.
Everything felt suspended, like the moment before thunder—when the world holds its breath and waits for something to break.
Then, soft footsteps. Bare. Careful.
He didn't turn around.
"You're up early," Kairo's voice came, softer than usual. Not clipped. Not cold. Just... cautious.
"I never slept," Elián replied.
Kairo stopped a few feet behind him.
"I ordered groceries," he offered. "The fridge was empty."
"I noticed."
Another pause. The silence between them had a shape now. It wasn't heavy with fear like before. It wasn't sharp either. Just... stretching. Like a bridge being built, one plank at a time.
"Elián," Kairo said slowly, "can I ask something?"
"You can ask," Elián said, still not turning. "Whether I'll answer is another thing."
Kairo gave a breath of a laugh. "Fair."
He waited. Elián didn't move. But he didn't leave either.
"Did you ever want to hurt me?" Kairo asked, voice barely audible.
That made Elián blink.
He turned then—slow, hesitant—and saw the man who once scared him stand there, looking strangely small in the light. Like someone waiting for a verdict.
"I thought about it," Elián admitted. "Thought about spilling your wine on purpose. Breaking something expensive. Writing on your shirts with ink."
Kairo tilted his head. "You never did?"
"No," Elián said. "I didn't want to be like you."
The words landed with quiet force. Kairo flinched, just barely, then nodded.
"I deserved that."
"I'm not saying it to punish you," Elián said. "You asked. I answered."
Kairo met his gaze. "And now?"
Elián walked past him toward the kitchen. "Now I just want to live. Eat. Write. Exist without looking over my shoulder."
Kairo followed, but not too close.
Elián opened the fridge and saw it full of fruits he liked. Soft bread. Milk that wasn't expired. His favorite oat biscuits.
He didn't comment.
"I'm trying," Kairo said, watching him.
"I know," Elián replied, grabbing an apple.
"You don't believe in second chances."
"I do," Elián said. "But not when they're demanded. Only when they're earned."
Kairo nodded once. "I'll keep earning it."
Elián bit into the apple and walked to the couch, curling up without looking at him again. The rain started outside, tapping the windows like fingers begging to be let in.
The world was always louder when your heart was quiet.
After a few minutes, Kairo sat down across from him, a respectful distance away.
"I called my lawyer," he said.
Elián looked up sharply.
"I added a clause to the marriage contract," Kairo continued. "If you ever choose to walk away, no penalties. No threats. No scandal. You'll leave with everything I've given you, and I'll sign whatever you want."
Elián stared. "Why would you do that?"
"Because I meant it when I said your choice matters now."
Elián's throat tightened. "And what do you want?"
"To stay married," Kairo said, quiet but firm. "To build something real. If you'll let me."
Elián didn't reply.
He turned back toward the window and whispered, "I want to believe you. I really do."
"I know."
"But it's hard," Elián added. "Every time I close my eyes, I remember the way you raised your voice. The way you looked at me like I ruined your life just by breathing."
"I did," Kairo said. "I blamed you for something you didn't cause. I held onto someone who never loved me, and I hurt the only person who could've."
Elián's heart skipped.
"I wasn't trying to be the only one," he said.
"I know," Kairo replied.
Elián looked down at the apple in his hand. Then slowly, quietly, he got up and walked toward Kairo.
He didn't sit next to him.
But he placed the apple in Kairo's hand—half-eaten, still warm—and said softly, "You're the only one I ever wanted to see try."
And then he walked away.
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End of Chapter 16
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