Page 153 of Unravel Me

Another strange exchange of looks.

"Yes, I know. We’re True Mates," I mutter.

Everyone knows how this works. We can’t stay apart for more than a few weeks before it becomes unbearable, so sooner or later I’ll have to talk to him.

Alex and Bay’s faces are really telling. They surely to think I’m being incredibly illogical and, on top of that, reckless.

The silence hanging in the air is becoming almost unbearable.

"I…" I manage to get out. "Right now I just wanted to calm down a little and get my head straight, because everything that happened was simply too intense."

Tommy watches me, of course not understanding what I’m talking about. His little hands rest against my face, warm and delicate little palms.

"Dada… Dada…" he repeats from time to time, gently patting me as if trying to get my attention. I loudly kiss his chubby cheek.

"I’ll find a solution for you, buddy. There has to be one. I just wish it could be as simple as waving a magic wand."

"Who knows," Bay says unexpectedly in his incredibly deep, unsettling voice. "Maybe it is that simple?"

I glance at him but don’t say anything. I don’t know him well. All I know is that he and Alex met at the beginning of high school and fell desperately, epically in love. But when they turned eighteen and their glands matured, they discovered they were genetically incompatible.

They broke up with both their hearts shattered, yet even after all these years, they still feel something for each other. Alex definitely still quietly roots for Bay, but I know that cases of incompatibility like theirs aren’t easy.

Bay sighs and adds, "The problem with Rocco is that even his own people hate him. The past three months have been even worse. The last scrap of common sense he had left has disappeared, leaving nothing but a thirst for revenge and cruelty. Even his closest associates can’t stand him, and they consult Ennio about anything important because he’s the only stable presence in their family."

I stare at him for a moment, gaping.

"I don’t understand. Do you… know him?"

Bay’s cold face twists slightly, as if even the thought that he might know Rocco is unpleasant to him.

"Let’s say… I do."

Something in his tone suggests he might even know him a little better than he’s willing to admit. He gives Alex a brief, cautious glance, as if he doesn’t want to get deeper into the subject.

"One thing is certain, Rocco is really pushing his luck… he’s gotten too unhinged. And the list of his enemies has grown several times—"

He trails off and suddenly looks at his phone, which starts ringing.

"Sorry," he says dryly. "I have to take this. It’s my manager, Eric."

He leaves for the next room and closes the door behind him.

Alex and I are left alone. My cousin stares at me, a thoughtful look in his eyes. I can almost see the gears turning in his head, probably searching for something sensible that could be a magical solution to this mess.

But I turn my head away and glance at Tommy, feeling a kind of sweet awe and love in my heart that’s difficult to describe. His cute cheeks are slightly smeared with peach juice.

Alex finally asks, "I only want to know one thing. What’s Mauro like… is he a good person?"

I keep hugging Tommy tightly, kissing the top of his head, wondering how to put it.

"Well, I can’t say I know him very well. He’s definitely very hot… And, you know, there’s this chemistry between us."

"Of that, I’m sure. That’s how it works with all True Mates…" Alex says in a slightly amused tone, but he still looks at me expectantly, and I sigh.

"I can’t tell you much about him because he’s mute. We communicated sporadically whenever he typed things into a voice-synthesizing app."

Alex furrows his brow slightly.