Page 78 of Unravel Me

I stay behind, finish my meal, set the tray aside, and settle back into my nest’s soft embrace.

This time, I don’t let myself get lost in any distracting thoughts. Heat recovery is again urging me to sink back into sleep, even though my mind keeps trying to answer the question of what would have happened if Silvio hadn’t walked into the room. Would I have finally uncovered the secret? Would it turn out that Veyron was right and the fae… really is Mauro? Or was he trying to reveal someone else?

Ugh… it’s too much. My thoughts are swirling and blurring together, losing all coherence.

I doze off again, surrendering to the gentle magic of my nest.

◆◆◆

Half an hour later, it’s Gianni who comes in carrying not only my suitcase from the car—apparently Mauro had already brought it over—but also a pair of green swim trunks.

Well… What he doesn't bring is a swim shirt.

Many omegas feel self-conscious about going without one. Quite a few have larger nipples or slightly raised breasts, so it's common for omegas to wear shirts at the pool or the beach. Apparently, though, they decided that since I'd posted plenty of shirtless photos on Instagram, it wouldn't be an issue.

Well…

They're right.

I’m quite muscular, and I've always been pretty happy with my chest. My pecs are nicely defined, and I've been killing myself with push-ups to keep them perfectly sculpted. My nipples are on the larger side, but they're attractive, in my humble opinion: firm and pert. I've shown them off in so many photo shoots that taking my shirt off doesn't bother me anymore.

Gianni stays in the room while I change. As a model, I've never really been self-conscious about nudity, so I peel off my clothes and pull on the swim trunks. I flash him a faint smile, and he returns it with a blush creeping across his cheeks. I catch him looking at my body with something that feels like admiration mixed with envy, thankfully not the bitter kind.

"What do you do to get abs like that? It’s a six… no, an eight-pack. And such a slim waist."

"I stayed away from sweets and worked out in my home gym daily," I answer with a chuckle.

My words don't seem to be getting through to him at all. He's still staring at my abs, almost dumbfounded, as if he's never seen a body like mine up close before.

"You’re so… athletic. You look more like a muscular beta than an omega," he mutters with a sigh. "And you definitely have a beta height."

I’m not really sure what to say. I tighten the drawstring on my swim trunks and answer matter-of-factly,

"You know, when I was modeling, it was a requirement. Besides, working out helped me deal with… stress." My tone must have taken on a pretty significant edge, because Gianni swallows hard. Yeah, they probably all know exactly what kind of 'stress' I mean in my case.

I tie my hair up high on my head, and meanwhile, Gianni mutters gloomily, "I've never had a body like that. I've always struggled with extra weight."

"But you've probably had more chances to enjoy yourself. Sometimes it's hard to deny yourself the little pleasures," I point out with a smile.

"I don't know about that. There weren't all that many pleasant moments in my life," he whispers before turning toward the window, as though he doesn't want to continue the conversation.

"How old are you?" I ask, since it's hard to tell.

"Thirty-four," Gianni replies, keeping his somber tone.

Well, I thought he was closer to forty. He's so pale, and those thick glasses give him the look of a librarian lurking in a corner. On top of that, his generally unkempt appearance doesn't help: messy hair and baggy clothes.

"You never know when life might finally change for the better," I answer diplomatically. "I'm still hoping that day will come for me," I add, catching myself sounding far bleaker than I'd intended.

Gianni looks back at me.

"I think that change is already beginning for you. You just don't know it yet," he snorts with a soft huff.

I decide not to comment.

Some subjects are simply too sensitive.

The swim trunks are still a little too loose, sliding down to my hip bones, so I tighten the drawstring even more.