Page 82 of Unravel Me

Mauro looks hesitant, almost glowering at Veyron, who lets out an amused snort.

"Really, my friend, relax. Jared is completely safe from me and my flirting. We're Low Mates, you know? As they say, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." He makes a funny, helpless gesture. "So don't be jealous, or whatever this is. I couldn't say, I've never had that particular feeling."

Mauro gives him a slow, restrained nod and then returns to swimming.

Silvio, however, doesn't seem ready to end the conversation. He floats beside Veyron and continues to question him.

"How is that possible? You've never experienced jealousy? Incredible! I was jealous of my husband countless times. My late spouse was a handsome Sicilian man, very much like Mauro," he adds, throwing me a meaningful glance.

Veyron shrugs, resting his lightly freckled arms against the edge of the pool.

"Well, sadly… I've had plenty of short flings and relationships, but it was never that special one. So there wasn’t any reason for jealousy to take root," he adds with a faint chuckle.

"A handsome young man like you still has your whole life ahead of you and plenty of opportunities to fall in love. Stay optimistic," Silvio says warmly, offering him a kind smile.

For the first time since I met Veyron, I see a shadow of sadness cross his face. It changes him completely, almost as if, for a brief moment, he becomes a different person.

"I used to believe in the rule that life is short, so you have to experience as much as possible, as quickly and intensely as you can. That was how I lived throughout college: countless boyfriends, a thousand different hobbies, always chasing something new. But now I feel like nothing excites me anymore. I just want to find that one right person. I want something meaningful, wholesome. For the last few months, I haven't even tried to seriously date anyone—" He trails off suddenly, as if realizing he has said too much.

He sends Silvio and me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean for the conversation to get all heavy, hahaha. TMI!" he adds with an awkward chuckle.

But Silvio looks at him seriously and says, "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that you'll find someone special too." As he speaks, his eyes move toward me and then briefly toward Mauro. "Because I know it's possible, even if sometimes you just have to wait a little longer."

Mauro, who is swimming past us and listening to the conversation, stops for a moment. His eyes meet Silvio's for a brief second, as if something in those words was meant specifically for him.

Almost unconsciously, he brushes his fingers over the tattoo bearing the word Jared, and I freeze, wondering what any of this means. Is it just a coincidence? And what does Silvio mean by waiting? Mauro already mentioned once that he was a veteran when it came to waiting.

"Enough with the sad thoughts. Let's swim, my dears. I could use a little more exercise lately!" Veyron exclaims with sudden enthusiasm, as if trying to lift his own spirits.

"We have a gym here. It's in the basement, very nicely equipped. Lots of weights," Silvio suggests kindly.

"Lifting weights? I do that too, but truthfully… I always found that boring. I prefer more interactive training. I specialize in jiu-jitsu, but I'm also pretty good at striking sports."

Mauro immediately reacts to that. He turns toward Veyron and then makes several signs toward Silvio, who smiles in amusement.

"If you need a sparring partner, you have one right here. Mauro is quite good at martial arts. He's inviting you to spar with him."

Mauro gives Veyron a slightly dark smile.

Veyron laughs and slaps the surface of the water with his hand. "Oh, yeah, I know exactly what would happen during that sparring match. I'd agree, but only if Jared isn't watching, because then I have a feeling it wouldn't be sparring. It would be us beating the hell out of each other. Sorry, Jared!" And he winks at me.

Mauro makes a few more signs toward Silvio.

Silvio chuckles and then says, "Don't worry, he promises it will just be a normal, completely professional sparring session."

"Nope, don’t believe it, won’t do it, no Jared as an audience. Sorry!"

I’m about to pout, but quickly remember that I’m just a guest in this house, and insisting on joining Veyron and Mauro’s sparring session would be a bit presumptuous. And I’ve already done plenty of things that go beyond what’s appropriate for a guest, so maybe I should rein myself in a little instead of pouting.

"No problem, I’m constantly tired anyway, so you have plenty of time to spare when I need to take a break," I say keeping it light.

"Thanks for understanding." Veyron smiles crookedly. "I already sparred with my cousin recently in front of a guy who… well, let’s say he was interested in him, and it was just too… testosterone-y! I prefer training without the alpha competition factor."

Mauro looks mildly amused, but nods.

Personally, I'm very curious to see how their sparring match will go, and I hope I’ll find some sneaky way to see at least a part of it. I’m not so eager to give up on seeing this.

Mauro is built a little more heavily than Veyron, but Veyron has a certain advantage in height. Mauro is around 6'9", while Veyron is probably close to 6'11". Veyron's body is lean and muscular, defined in a very sharp way, while Mauro has more pure muscle mass, with a broad chest and bulging biceps. I suspect he might also be heavier, which can sometimes make a difference in a fight.