?Chapter 0482


    *Could you pass the salt?"


    Enzo''s voice snapped me back to reality, pulling me out of the deep train of thought that I had been stuck in; constant questions of what-if, anxiety, maybe even a little fear.


    "Sure," I said, handing him the salt shaker from across the counter.


    Our hands brushed briefly, and it was enough to stir my wolf within me, making her aware, alert. She had sensed that something was off, although neither of us could make out what it was. But right now, I didn''t want to think about it.Belongs to N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Not now, with Enzo about to leave for a critical weekend that could set the future path of his career. I decided to shake off the feelings of anxiety, instead attributing it to the lingering sickness in my stomach that still had yet to fade fully.


    We finally sat down to eat, the dining room lit by the warm glow of candles. The food looked delicious-a mix of veggies, grilled chicken, and a side of freshly made garlic bread. Enzo eagerly took a bite, his face lighting up with satisfaction.


    "Mmm, this turned out perfectly," he said, looking at me. "What do you think? Not bad, hm?"


    "It''s perfect, as always," I responded, but my fork only dabbled with the food like a child who didn''t want to eat their peas, my mind stuck on the idea of bing sick from a single bite.


    Enzo had turned out to be an excellent cook, and I always loved his food. And yet, my stomach churned at the very thought of swallowing a tiny bite. Still, I tried to force myself, but wound up pushing the food around on the te more than anything.


    "You''re barely eating, Enzo observed, his eyes narrowing with concern. "Are you okay?"


    "Yeah, I''m fine," I lied, keeping my voice steady. The half-truth felt like a betrayal of our trust. But what was I supposed to do? Tell him that I still felt awful, that something was wrong, and that I wanted him to stay? couldn''t bring myself to do that.


    "You sure?" he asked.


    I nodded, forcing a smile as I reached across the table to give his hand a squeeze. "I''m sure. Actually, I''ve been feeling a little bettertely."


    He searched my eyes, looking for any hint of a mistruth in my face. Enzo was always a human lie detector, tuned into the subtleties of my expression, the tone of my voice, even the way that my eyes darted around when I lied. But I managed to keep my face steady, driven by the desire to see my husband follow his dreams.


    "If you''re sure..." he finally said, though his voice trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. The doubt in his voice was almost palpable.


    "I am," I insisted, mustering a smile.


    Enzo paused for a moment, eyeing me, before he returned to his food. "Fine," he said. "But if anything happens, you had better call me right away. I don''t care if I have to drop everything ande home. Promise me, okay?"


    The earnestness in his voice made my heart ache. I wanted to tell him the truth about my trepidation, but I decided not to. I couldn''t get in the way of his dreams, not after everything he had been through.


    And besides, it was just a stomach bug. Nothing more, nothing less. It was sure to pass in time.


    *I promise," I said, choosing to ignore the fact that the words sounded hollow in my own ears.


    *Sure you have everything?" I asked, looking up from the paperback novel I was pretending to be absorbed in. I tried to keep my voice light, casual.


    "Yeah," he said, zipping his suitcase closed with a triumphant grin. "I think I''m set. You sure you''re okay with me going? You seemed a little offst night."


    "I''m fine, Enzo," I said for what felt like the millionth time in thest two days. It was a half-lie, but I wasn''t about to reveal that. And I really did feel the tiniest bit better. I just felt... uneasy.


    He looked at me, his eyes searching my face for a hint of insincerity. My wolf was nudging me, just as uneasy as I was, reminding me that she had sensed that something was off, although I didn''t know what.


    But I wasn''t about to tell Enzo that. Not yet, at least. And hopefully not ever, as I hoped that it would just pass and tum out to be a culmination of my anxieties.


    *Alright," Enzo said, clearly not fully convinced but obviously choosing to let it go. "But like I said: call me if you feel sick again."


    "I will," I assured him, though I had no intention of doing that in the slightest.


    The drive to the airport was a blur. With each mile we covered, the knot in my stomach tightened. It wasn''t just about this weekend trip he was going on; it was what this weekend signified. If things went well, Enzo would be leaving for six months in the fall. And then what? More separations? More weekends, weeks, months apart as he moved from team to team?


    We pulled up to the parking lot, and the weight of the moment finallynded squarely on my shoulders. I took a shaky breath as Enzo got out and retrieved his bag from the trunk, and then we were standing there, looking at each other, the final seconds ticking down before his departure.


    "I''ll miss you," I said, pulling him into a tight embrace.


    "I''ll miss you too, Nina," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "But I''ll be home before you know it. Promise."


    We held on for a few seconds longer than usual, and then, with a final kiss, he turned and walked away, disappearing through the front doors of the airport. I sat in the truck for a moment as a pang of loneliness and worry overcame me.


    The house felt eerily silent when I got home. This wasn''t the first time that Enzo and I had been apart, but something about it felt different. Maybe it was the implications of his weekend away, or maybe it was the unease settling in my stomach.


    Either way, I decided to drown my sorrows in what I knew best:fort food and scary movies.


    I ordered some takeout, then settled in on the couch to lose myself in a crappy scary movie where people always made the dumbest decisions to get themselves killed. My wolf was restless, pacing in the back of my mind. She knew that something wasn''t right, but I ignored it, choosing to drown it out with the movie unfolding on the screen. The doorbell rang, and I picked up the food from the delivery guy, thanking him with a tip. The aroma of the garlic and cheese filled the living room as I unpacked my little feast. For a moment, I felt good, normal even.


    I dug in, relishing the first few bites. But then it hit me a wave of nausea so intense it knocked the wind out of me.


    I froze, my fork halfway to my mouth, as a sharp, almost unbearable pain seized my stomach.