A loud knock on your door waked you from your half-asleep state. It was late—too late for anyone to be showing up unannounced. But then you heard it—his voice.

"Please… just open up."

Damiano.

You rushed to the door, unlocking it without hesitation. He stood there, hood pulled over his messy curls, eyes kinda red, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like it hurt. Yeah, he was definitely crying.

"Jesus, Dami, what happened?" You stepped aside, and he didn’t need another invitation before walking in.

He didn't answer at first, just ran a hand through his hair, pacing like he didn’t even know what to do with himself. His breathing was uneven, chest rising and falling in sharp bursts.

"It’s—fvck, it’s nothing," he muttered, but you could hear the way his voice shook.

You crossed your arms. "If it was 'nothing', you wouldn’t be here at—" you glanced at the clock "—1:43 in the morning, looking like you’ve just been through hell."

He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Nah, hell would probably be easier."

You felt your stomach twist. You knew things with his girlfriend weren’t good. You saw the way she spoke to him, the way she pushed and pulled until he was too exhausted to fight back. You’d tried to tell him, to make him see it, but Damiano was always the type to love with everything he had—even when it destroyed him.

"She—" he exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his face. "She just… I don’t even know anymore. One second she’s fine, the next she’s screaming at me, telling me I’m fvcking useless, that I don’t care about her, that I don’t try hard enough, I—" his voice cracked, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

Your heart ached for him. "Dami…"

"I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. You probably think I’m pathetic for putting up with it."

"I think you’re hurting." You stepped closer again. "I think you need to get the hell out of that relationship before it destroys you completely."

He let out a shaky laugh. "Easier said than done."