Chapter 87 — Till Plagues Do Us Part

LORENZIO.

Two and a half weeks. One more and I'd be off the rails.

This would've happened much earlier if that bloody virus wreaking havoc all over the world had been properly tracked and contained months ago. But, no use being upset about the state of the world at this point. I didn't agree to imprison myself for weeks, pondering my entire existence just to spoil this night for her. For us.

The mere sight of her standing beside my couch, patiently waiting for me—it tugged at my chest. Every inch of me ached for this day. The long, dreadful, anxiety-filled nights without her...

It was all over. Fucking finally.

"Hey."

Mykaela looked up from her phone. "Hi," she replied with more enthusiasm. Her lean shoulders tensed up. Excitement? Some nerves and apprehension?

Something in my core twitched when our gazes locked. I could only hope she missed me as much as I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. "Hi, love." I smiled. I wished I didn't have to wear this mask, but it was necessary.

"Wow. You need a trim," she muttered, giggling.

"I know." I combed my greasy hair using my fingers. The living room looked the same, like the front yard and poolside. All tidy. Smelled clean, too. I didn't need to ask if she'd been taking care of the house. I always knew she would. "You had dinner yet?"

"No." Her small face slightly tilted to the side. Mykaela gripped her phone, her socks matching her sleeveless dress that bared smooth skin and perfect legs.

Nothing too short or tight. It still looked decent enough for work. Maybe she'd worn it there once or twice.

I couldn't remember—I couldn't even recall the last time I drove her to work. My head was quite foggy.

Too much stress? Or the latest test results they sent had false-negatives. I hoped not. My chest and throat felt a little off last week, but it could've been acid reflux. Or else I wouldn't even be here.

Mykaela took a tentative step backwards when I reached the coffee table.

A good four feet away from her. The closest I could get. Even with both of us wearing masks.

My hands itched to pull her to me, desperate to touch her. But I stayed put. I was jet-lagged and exhausted. Yet my mind stayed restless.

Had she been losing sleep over me, too? Or was it just her crazy schedule?

As my heart thudded in my chest, I looked into her tired eyes, hoping it was enough proof of how much I longed to be this close to her again. "Why not?" I murmured.

Mykaela didn't take her eyes off me as she put her phone away. "What?"

"It's late. You didn't have to wait."

Small creases deepened the pale skin between her dark brows. "Told you I'd wait for you."

Right.

Of course she wouldn't slave away in my kitchen and cook all that food without the intention of having dinner with me. "Starving?"

"Yeah. Sort of." I glanced down at my phone.

"I made dessert, too."

"Oh?"

"Something healthy. Not too sweet." Distractedly glancing at the door, Mykaela rubbed the skin above the edge of her mask—the part that pressed tight onto her cheekbones. The N95 respirator covered up her nose and mouth. It didn't hide the uncertainty and concern in her eyes, though.

Helpful. It might mean that she planned to have that long and serious conversation with me tonight. "Thanks, love." I checked the CCTV feeds on my phone screen.

The guards were doing another perimeter sweep around the lot, but she didn't need to know why. Not the best icebreaker.

"You really feel better now? How's your throat?"

"Fine," I replied. "Chest pain's all gone, too."

"Good."

"I'm alright. Stop worrying."

"Okay." Mykaela sighed and nodded faintly, like the way her dainty fingers massaged her temple.

"Sorry."

"Why?"

"Made you worry for nothing."

"No. We still have to be thorough all the time."

"Yeah. I know." I yawned, keeping up a casual tone to keep the mood light. "How's everyone at work holdin' up?"

"Exhausting last shift, but," she muttered with drooping shoulders, "what's new..."

"You're definitely free till Monday?"

"Um... I hope so."

Shite. That didn't even sound half-certain.

"Everyone in Florence doin' okay?" she asked with creased brows.

"Yeah."

"And Rafa?"

"Doing fine. Keeping busy. Don't worry about him."

Mykaela stretched her neck and back. "Did you meet with Dr. Chen and Graham again?"

"No. But we did a video con. Second meeting with the new researchers."

"Oh."

"Yeah. They're pretty stoked to pick up where the old team left off." I itched my stubble and restrained a sigh. The last thing I wanted to talk about was my busy work schedule and confusing list of responsibilities, but I knew why she was stalling.

Perhaps she just wasn't ready to talk about the real issue...our last argument on the phone.

The main trigger: that filthy rich son of a drug lord she once called her "eldest brother". Another pretentious, scheming prick she shouldn't be talking to. A complete stranger claiming to have her best interests at heart.

An obvious lie. But Mykaela didn't seem to care. Nor did she believe she had to avoid every person affiliated with that arrogant knob. For her and her family's sake.

"So they're highly qualified?"

"It seems like it," I sighed.

"They'd probably do a much better job than the previous team. Show off a bit." Her eyes narrowed when she chuckled.

"Badly hope so."

Millions of other people's money depended on our new team of vaccine scientists and researchers. A hundred grand shy of ten million dollars. Mostly investors' money, with some of my own savings in the mix. Money I'd try my best to double if our ambitious business plans worked out.

Still a huge 'if' for now. "And Graham wants to hire a new legal team."

"Team? How plural?"

I shrugged. "Dunno yet."

Mykaela tilted her head and squinted at me with creased brows. "You said you don't have the budget for that right now."

"We definitely don't."

"Tsk. What's he worried about? He really thinks you should hire more lawyers? Like, this quarter?"

"Yeah. It's just..." Pinching my nasal bridge until it hurt, I flumped down on the right side of the couch. I shook my head, my brain just imagining the worst again. "We don't even know if we'd still have enough to pay for Liev's retainer next month."

"Ouch. That rough?"

"Rest of the board was ready to walk. But I talked 'em out of it. Somehow." I raked my fingers across my scalp until the pressure made me wince.

"Because they trust you more now."

"Pfft. I guess."

"I mean, why wouldn't they? You've been the most transparent since day one." Mykaela sat on the other side of the couch.

We stared at each other, maintaining a safe space. I was trying my best to curb my excitement. If only she'd let me, I would tear the stupid mask off her face right now so I could kiss her. Smell her. Taste her.

After torturously long days and nights of being apart, it was something that still made perfect sense in my head. Unfortunately I couldn't even give her a hug from behind. Or touch the back of her hand. Her latest test results were my only hope at this point.

The heck's taking them so bloody long?

"It's just for now," she promised over the phone this morning. Of course she wouldn't let me break the rules. Too risky. And she already told me why. At least a dozen times and in impressively thorough scientific detail.

For the next few days, we shouldn't even be sleeping in the same room. Not that I expected she'd be staying here all week, in my house, alone with me. To her, work always came first. Then her family. And then me—which I understood.

No arguments. Just like I'd promised from the start. Although hard and frustrating, I'd always tried to keep the complaints to myself. No matter how much I craved her company. Her affection. Her time.

With the uncontrollable chaos happening around the world, I'd be lucky if she spent a whole weekend alone with me without the hospital bothering her practically every hour. "You were talking to your boss?"

"No." Mykaela reclined and gave a faint shake of her head. "Jess called."

"Ah... How's she doing?"

"She caught another infection."

"Another?" I nearly shouted.

"Yeah. But the latest tests still say it's bacterial, so, it's not the virus. Or plain old flu."

"But she's alright? Or back in isolation?"

"Yeah. She's home and doing fine, considering. She was crying, though."

"Where's Jess now?" Growing more curious about her new friend's condition, I leaned closer, my knee wrinkling the cushion and touching the tip of Mykaela's finger. "Still with her parents?"

"Yeah. I think she wants to move to Raleigh."

"That's in another state. Right?"

"Yeah. Her dad wants to do business there. I told her to stay home for now, like his GP said. But they're doing okay."

"They're sure it's not a case of reinfection?"

"I thought so." Mykaela shrugged. "Or it could be a secondary infection, but... Nah. It's weird."

"Is she taking something? New meds?" I got up from the couch. "Shit. Almost forgot I gotta clean up. Sorry."

“Okay. Then we'll eat. Are you staying all week?” Mykaela followed me into the master bedroom on the second floor.

“Four days max.”

"Oh." She paused by the door, shoulders drooped. When I didn't explain why, she let out a sigh. The sheer disappointment that flickered across her green eyes soothed my ego a great deal.

Did she expect me to stay much longer? If only I could, I wouldn't hesitate one bit.

Problem was: it wasn't up to me. Or her. Like fucking always.

Bigger things beyond our control just kept coming between us whenever we'd attempt to take things to another level. Always messing with my timing. Messing up our plans. Our future.

It almost felt like the universe wanted us to fail or something. "What's up?" Keeping up a calm tone, I stood beside the closet and unbuttoned my shirt.

“Nothing. I just thought we could...” Mykaela absently toyed with her phone, her gorgeous, ever-inquisitive eyes almost twinkling under the lights. “I just thought you'd...” Her voice wavered. She rubbed her brow and wouldn't look at me. “Stay till next weekend at least.”

Darn. Another knife of guilt and regrets straight to the heart. "I can't." I kicked my pants off my ankles.

"Or this Sunday at least?"

"Sorry, love," I murmured. "My calendar's a bloody mess."

"Okay."

"We have to check up on the labs this week, and I told Zia I'd be there. In court."

Mykaela nodded weakly. "Right."

The resignation in her hushed voice just crushed the need to further explain my early departure. I wouldn't see her for another couple of days. Weeks. Or months.

Might be the catalyst to another depressing heartbreak, too. But it wasn't a foreign thought at all.

1) New business.

2) Big risks.

3) More priorities.

4) Bigger responsibilities.

Some days I just hated my job and how much people expected from me. Including my family. Lately it pissed me off more than my family of egotistic mafia boss wannabes—quite a feat, actually. Factor in a burgeoning public health crisis and her equally demanding schedule...

The guilt slicing through me almost always kept me up at night. Incredible how she hadn't tried to leave me yet. Or get back with Maximiliano.

Her best friend. Her first love. First real boyfriend. First real kiss. First pretty much everything.

He was the only guy she cared about even before she moved back here. The only man she thought could just as well give her the companionship, security, and stability she needed.

Perhaps Mykaela chose me over Maxim just to avoid bruising my ego again. She'd always been kind and forgiving. More often than not just selfless to a fault.

I wished she was brutally honest with me 24/7. But it just wasn't her style. "You heard from Maxim?"

"No." The look in her eyes showed concern and a bit of sadness.

I sighed. "I'll phone Eleana."

"Tell me if she picks up." Mykaela cleared her throat. "Hey. Lele said there was a black SUV outside the other day."

"Where?"

"It was, um, parked near the corner."

"Ah." No doubt it was her half-brother's errand boy, spying on us again.

"Lele told you?" she asked with furrowed brows.

"Yeah." Keeping up a poker face, I flung my clothes into the hamper. "I was in a meeting with Zia and the lawyers."

"Oh."

"You were at work, doing that simulation training with that pregnant epidemiologist."

"Oh. Right." Mykaela stared at the ceiling, head slightly cocked to the side, her arms crossed below her chest. She looked paler. Skinnier.

It wouldn't be the case if only I had more time for her. I scowled. A fresh rock of guilt just settled in my gut.

With the bathroom door wide open, she dithered beside it as I stepped into the dim shower area. "Um... It might've been Jenson. Again," she muttered.

"Maybe. They can't say for sure." Most likely Jenson Ross, her shady half-brother's on-call hound dog. "Well, they know what to do to trespassers."

"Tsk. Enzo..."

"Just saying."

Mykaela rolled her eyes.

"What?" All naked, eyelids heavy, I turned on the shower to rinse my hair. The warm gush shut my eyes as I waited for her.

Her quiet, tentative steps forward made me lean against the cold wall. I studied the look in her eyes.

Worry and probably terrible mental images crinkled the skin between her dark brows. The pesky mask still hid half of her face.

"Somethin' wrong?" My voice echoed.

"Nothing."

Lie. With my hands busy rubbing soap on my torso, I kept my eyes on her. The water heated my nape and back. Her steady gaze, pretty hair, bare legs and her natural curves kept my loins closer to scorching levels. "Someone gave him your new number?" I asked.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Jenson's not bothering me. Relax."

"Good." But why did she look anxious? "So what's up?"

"Nothing."

Another lie.

"I mean, it's nothing to worry about."

"What?"

"To be fair, he's just doing what he's told. He's not dangerous. Okay? He's not a hitman. Jeez..." She faked a breathy laugh. "The new guys you hired scare me way more, actually."

"Can't be so sure. You hardly know the bloke."

"I know. But just, tell the guys to be civil at least, if he shows up again." Mykaela palmed her forehead, unable to maintain eye contact.

Not because I wasn't wearing anything behind the misty glass. I blamed her unspoken fears.

She must be imagining Lele and the rest of my security staff beating up that Hollywood star (and part-time stalker) if ever the sneaky bastard tried anything bolder. One of these days, he just might.

Her filthy rich brother owned big, influential companies and people. Just the type of scum who loved money, had the brains and enough resources, and didn't take no for an answer. A rather lethal mix.

"Hey." Mykaela took a step closer to the shower area, the annoying mask still muffling her voice. "Maybe I should just text him. Or email him. I can call him on a burner phone or something."

"Jenson?"

"And Magnus. Just, y'know, to get it over with."

Shite. That one sounded quite serious.

"It's just a few calls," she murmured. "They don't even have to be a minute long."

Highly doubt it, I should say. I went on with my shower and put on a blank face.

"I'll use a burner phone. I won't tell them where we are."

Darn it. Not this again.

The awkward silence that filled the bathroom nearly made me cringe. But the seriousness of her words and gaze said she'd made up her mind. And perhaps this time, she just wanted to know whether I'd let her deal with the issue by herself. Or if I'd be willing to have a calm, healthy, mature conversation about it. Unlike last time.

"I'll talk to Jenson, and then have Magnus call me," she went on, her tone hopeful. "Or Ilya. Or both."

Oh fuck no.

"I'll just tell 'em I can't be there 'cause of work, and, everythin' else that's going on."

"No."

Her eyes closed. "Enzo..."

"Nope."

"Come on... It's just a phone call—"

"You know I won't say yes, and we don't need to discuss again why."

"Ugh! I'm serious."

"Yeah? Same."

"All I need is a burner phone and a different location. But I'm not going anywhere," Mykaela said in a calmer tone. "I just wanna talk to them."

"I know. But still no."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're overreacting again."

"No." I turned the shower off. "Just avoiding risky situations we're not exactly prepared to deal with. Because it's what your family expects me to do. And in case you forgot, the world's about to implode any day now."

"I'm just gonna talk to Jenson and my brother on the phone, to explain and... I-I'll ask them to stop bothering us. That's it."

"Er, pretty sure they're not the reasonable type."

"How d'you know? You haven't even met them."

"Exactly."

"I just wanna get it over with."

"Mykaela, we talked about this." To hide my scowl, I turned my back to her and finished my shower.

Her response was a loud scoff. Then she dashed out of the bathroom without a word.

Shite. "Hey. Could we not do this right now?"

No answer.

"Hey. Still there?" I held my breath, but I got nothing. "Mykaela?"

Complete. Utter. Silence.

I slammed my palm on the wet tiles. "Shit."