Page 41 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

She clutched onto him as her sobs grew heavier.

“I’ll find a job,” he murmured. “I’ll save up. I’ll get us out of here. I promise.”

She buried her face against him, crying into the only place that felt safe. Kash held her tighter, one hand steady against her back, letting her cry without saying anything else.

The next morning, back in Patra, Ody’s parents walked them to the door, his mother fussing over the drive while his father pulled him into a hug before turning to Mano with a firm handshake.

They were warm. Effortlessly so. Mano wasn’t used to that.

Ody promised they’d visit again, grabbing his suitcase before glancing at him. “Ready?”

Mano nodded.

As they stepped outside, Ody’s sister waved lazily at her brother before turning to Mano, her whole expression lighting up, a wide, almost too-eager smile spreading across her face. “Bye, Mano.”

“Bye, Anastasia,” he said with a small smile.

They loaded their bags into the car, the quiet of the morning settling around them as the door shut. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Mano leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed ahead. That warmth lingered longer than he expected.

The drive passed with light conversation, random topics filling the silence between them. By the time they reached the city, the streets had grown familiar again. As they turned onto Mano’s street, Ody’s grip tightened on the wheel. “So… um…” he hesitated. “Anna wants to meet up tomorrow.”

Mano’s gaze stayed ahead. “Ranya does too.”

Ody glanced at him, then back at the road. “Are you going?”

Mano exhaled. “She said she’s starting to feel something.”

Ody’s eyes widened. “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you going?”

“I can’t just ignore her.”

Ody let out a quiet breath, tension slipping through it. “Do you like her?”

Mano turned his head. “What kind of question is that?”

“One that needs an answer.”

Mano huffed a humorless laugh. “Do you like your girlfriend?”

“I can end it the moment we meet,” he said without hesitation.

“Stop saying that,” Mano snapped, his voice rising.

Ody pulled up outside Mano’s building, parked, and pulled the handbrake. “I’m coming upstairs,” he said. “We need to talk.”

Mano didn’t argue. He grabbed his bag, and moments later they were inside. “What do you want to talk about?”

Ody turned to face him. “You keep telling me you don’t want us to be more,” he said. “But the second I start pulling away, you panic.”

Mano’s expression sharpened as he looked away.

“One minute you push me away, the next you don’t want me to leave.”

Their eyes met again.