Page 77 of Unravel Me

Then I hear footsteps in the hallway.

A knock sounds at the door.

Standing there is the older omega, Silvio. Apparently, while I was dozing, Stefano must have left, and the family gathering had come to an end.

Okay, maybe the whole fae topic can wait a little longer, and I can mentally prepare myself for the answer. I let out a huff and collapse into my nest.

"I see you two are getting to know each other better," Silvio says with a grin as he walks in. "Good, good. Just remember, recovery is a delicate time, so don’t overdo it." He gives me a playful wag of his finger.

Him too? Everyone around here seems determined to protect my health and virtue, and I have no idea how I’m supposed to react to a comment like that from someone I’ve just met. Then again, this is his house. It probably does look a little strange to show up and start flirting with his grandson after only a few hours.

"I wanted to invite you to the pool. Maybe you’d keep an old man company? I like to swim to stay in shape."

Blinking for a few seconds, I gather myself. I actually love swimming and do it regularly, so it sounds tempting.

I glance toward the window. The weather is far too chilly this time of year to use the outdoor pool I noticed in front of the house.

The elderly omega seems to read my mind.

"We have an indoor pool, sweetheart. Renato had it built just for me. I used to go to the public pool, but my wonderful son knows I can't live without swimming." He beams with a radiant smile.

I hesitate. Back in Florida, I had a pool and swam regularly to stay in shape.

"I think I'd like that," I say quietly. "I just don't have a swimsuit."

"That's hardly a problem, sweetheart. We'll figure something out. Recovery is the perfect time for gentle swimming, nice and easy breaststroke. No freestyle or any of those exhausting strokes, just pure relaxation. I can even give you an inflatable float so you can simply drift on the water if you'd like."

"Thank you. I usually live a very active lifestyle, and I've really missed swimming. My cousin Alex didn't have a pool, and I've been staying with him for the past two months, ever since…" My voice trails off. The words my husband went to prison sit on the tip of my tongue, but I suddenly feel incredibly awkward saying them aloud.

Still, Silvio already knows exactly what I mean. Of course he does.

"Ah, yes. Such a sad and tragic story, child. I'm truly sorry you had to go through something like that. But you know, I'm someone who prefers looking toward the future. Even with eighty years behind me, I'm still making plans for what's ahead. The past is only useful if you learn from it. Living in it, tormenting yourself with it… that's the road to depression."

I sooo agree with him! How does he understand what I feel so well? It's almost as though he'd somehow heard exactly what I'd been thinking while watching their family, torturing myself with memories and endless rumination.

"That's a very practical way of looking at life. I wish I could learn to live like that," I reply, sighing deeply. "Instead of being miserable all the time."

Silvio comes closer to me and says softly,

"You can. It's in you. You can connect with nature and draw from it to balance yourself. The ability to do it is innate to you, to who you are."

He says it with a strange emphasis, looking straight into my eyes, and I can almost feel the weight and power of his words.

The problem is, I don't understand it. Or rather, I have a vague glimmer of a thought that maybe what I can do, this strange gift I have for healing plants, has something to do with it. But how would Silvio know that? Here we go again with his strange omniscience or whatever it is.

Lost, I decide to stay silent. Silvio watches me with a faint smile, as if he can see my inner struggle and understands why I keep opening my mouth only to close it again, helplessly.

He winks at me and turns toward Mauro.

"You should come too. How about the three of us go for a swim together?" And Silvio flashes him one more playful wink.

I feel my heart speed up, and Mauro's does too. He gives a small nod before lifting his gaze to mine.

There's so much hidden in that look.

"Come on," Silvio says. "Let's find something for Jared to wear."

The two of them head out, and just before disappearing into the hallway, Mauro looks back over his shoulder, giving me one lingering glance.