The silence between you and Mattheo is suffocating. His chest rises and falls rapidly, his hands curled into fists as he glares at you like you’ve just crossed a line you shouldn’t have.

“What am I afraid of?!” he shouts, voice hoarse, filled with something between anger and desperation.

You swallow hard, looking him straight in the eye. “You are afraid of me! You are afraid that I won’t love you back. You know what? I am afraid too. I wanna give it a shot, and at least I am honest with you.”

Mattheo exhales sharply, shaking his head. “I am not honest with you?”

Your voice softens. “No, you aren’t… You have never told me about your brother.”

Mattheo scoffs. “You want to hear that I’m an orphan? Nah, you don’t wanna hear that.”

Your breath hitches. “I didn’t know that.”

Mattheo clenches his jaw, his shoulders stiffening. His voice is quieter now, but no less sharp. “My past wasn’t easy… you don’t wanna hear that.”

You take a step toward him, your fingers twitching at your sides, wanting to reach for him but unsure if he’ll let you. “I do—”

But he cuts you off. “Don’t tell me you wanna hear that for real… I don’t need to be saved.”

The way he says it, like he’s convincing himself rather than you, makes your chest ache. You take another step forward, your voice barely above a whisper. “I just wanna be with you—”

Mattheo scoffs, but there’s no malice in it. Just something broken. “That’s not true.”

Your breath catches, but you don’t hesitate. “Yes, because I love you.”

Mattheo stares at you, his face unreadable, but his eyes—his eyes betray him. They flicker with something fragile, something he’s too afraid to name. “No, it is not true.”

But it is. And he knows it.