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    Chapter 0595


    Nina


    I pulled up to the airport, my heart pounding with anticipation. Even though it had only been a few days, it had felt far too long since Ist saw Enzo, and I couldn''t wait to wrap my arms around him and feel his warmth against me.


    I think, after everything that happened with Jessica and Lori, I needed it. The engine of the car idled as I scanned the arrivals area, my eyes searching for that familiar face with an excitement that couldn''t be contained.


    And then, there he was, stepping out of the terminal, looking tired but unmistakably familiar. I climbed out of the car to greet him.


    But as he approached, his eyes locking onto mine, my breath caught in my throat. He looked tired; really tired. More tired than I had seen him in a long time. Time seemed to slow down as we closed the distance between us.


    "Enzo!" I called out, unable to contain my excitement any longer.


    His face broke into a tired but genuine smile as he reached me, and in an instant, we were in each other''s arms. I let him hold me close between his muscr arms, feeling the warmth of his embrace, the familiar scent of his cologne. It was as if we hadn''t seen each other in months.


    "God, I missed you," I whispered, chuckling a bit. "I can''t believe it''s only been a few days. It feels like ages."


    Enzo held me just a little tighter, his breath warm against my ear. "I missed you too, my love," he replied, his voice husky.


    We stood there for a moment, lost in each other, before finally pulling away. As I looked up at him, I couldn''t help but notice a faint smudge of red on his lower lip.


    "Enzo, what''s that on your lip?" I asked, reaching up to touch his face.


    He blinked and quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand before I could get to it, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. "Okay, you caught me," he said, a touch of embarrassment in his voice. "I was feeling a bit high-strung this morning, so I had a ss of wine on the flight."


    I raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. "Wine?" I asked.


    He nodded. "Yeah. Didn''t sleep wellst night, and there was a lot of turbulence. With everything going on, I guess I needed to calm my nerves."


    It was a bit out of character; Enzo wasn''t usually the type to drink so early in the morning, and his exnation seemed a bit off. But I decided not to press the issue. He had just returned after a long trip, and maybe he needed a drink to unwind. I couldn''t judge.


    "Well, just as long as you''re okay now," I replied, giving him a reassuring smile.


    Enzo seemed to rx a bit at my words, and he turned his attention to his luggage. I watched him load his bags into the car, feeling a bit relieved that he was finally home.


    But then, as he was lifting one of his bags into the trunk, I noticed a bruise on his wrist. It was a deep shade of purple, and it looked painful.


    "Enzo, what happened to your wrist?" I asked, my concem mounting once again.


    He quickly pulled his sleeve down to cover the bruise, avoiding my gaze. "Oh, it''s nothing," he said dismissively." Just a hockey injury. You should''ve seen it yesterday; I had to hide it from the team before they saw the healing process begin. God, what a pain."


    I wasn''t convinced. Enzo did have the ability to heal himself just as I did, but this looked fresh. Most wounds healed fully within a day, unless they were really bad.


    But I decided not to press. Maybe it was really bad; or maybe he just did something clumsy and was embarrassed.


    "Alright, if you say so," I said, deciding to let it go for now. Enzo had just returned, and I didn''t want to bombard him with questions. We still had a long day ahead of us, and now wasn''t the time to pry if he wasn''t willing to part with his stories.N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.


    With Enzo''s bags safely stowed in the truck, we headed back home. The familiar streets of Mountainview passed by in a blur as I drove, my thoughts drifting to Lori and Jessica. I hated the fact that Enzo and I were leaving, but we had no choice.


    When we arrived back at the house, Lori was still there, sitting on the couch with a distant look in her eyes. She looked up as we entered, her expression a mix of relief and sadness.


    "Enzo," she said, standing, her voice trembling slightly. "It''s... good to see you."


    Enzo crossed the room in a few long strides and pulled Lori into a tight embrace. "I''m so sorry about Jessica," he breathed. "I wish I could see her at the hospital, but..."


    Lori pulled away, her eyes glistening with tears. "That''s okay. I know you and Nina have things of your own to deal with."


    Enzo smiled, although it was a sad smile. "Lori, if you want toe to the werewolf realm with us so you''re not alone, you''re more than wee."


    Lori''s eyes filled with tears once more, but this time they were tears of gratitude. "Thank you, Enzo," she said softly. "But I think I''d rather stay here, just in case anything changes."


    Enzo nodded with understanding. "Of course," he said. "And you''re wee to stay at our house while we''re gone. It might be easier for you than going back to your apartment without Jessica."


    Lori''s eyes lit up at the offer, and she nodded. "If you don''t mind..."


    "Of course we don''t," I interjected. "Seriously, Lori, stay. The house is all yours while we''re gone."


    "And hopefully we won''t be gone for long," Enzo said, giving my hand a squeeze as he looked at me."


    We spent a little more time with Lori, making sure she was okay and assuring her that we were just a phone call away if she needed anything. It was a bittersweet reunion, knowing that Jessica was still fighting for her life, but at least we were together for the moment.


    Finally, it was time to leave. Enzo and I stood in the middle of the living room, ready to return to the werewolf realm. I couldn''t help but feel a sense of trepidation. We were leaving Mountainview in such a hurry, and I couldn''t shake the feeling that there was something we were missing.


    But then, just as we were about to open the portal, Lori''s phone rang. Her eyes widened, and she fumbled with the device, her hands trembling. She listened for a moment. And then...


    The phone slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor with a tter.


    We both turned to look at her, our hearts racing. Lori''s face had gone pale, and her eyes were filled with something unreadable.


    "What is it, Lori?" I asked, my voice trembling.


    But Lori just stared at the fallen phone, her voice barely a whisper. "It''s Jessica," she said. "She''s... She''s awake."