The house was quieter than the garden, the morning light now muted as it filtered through the tall windows.
Felix slipped out of his shoes at the entryway and padded silently into the living room, pausing until Matteo's measured stride fell in beside his.
The silence between them was no longer empty—it was thick with everything left unspoken.
Matteo's mind wouldn't stop circling. The image of Jianyu's easy laugh, the way Felix's smile had come alive in such a short time without him.
What if Felix, with his memory wiped clean, decided his heart could simply start over—somewhere else, with someone else? The thought coiled, sharp and cold, in his chest, but he locked it away, voicing none of it.
Felix noticed anyway. He saw the subtle shift in Matteo's expression, the way the corners of his mouth pulled taut as if bearing an invisible weight.
Felix tilted his head, watching him for a long, quiet moment, then closed the space between them.
