"I don't know," I admit. "I used to. Before. I used to feel everything. Too much. My father beat it out of me. Taught me that emotions were weakness."
"And now?"
"Now I'm empty." I look down at my useless legs. "I'm empty and broken and I don't know how to be anything else."
Antonella stands.
She crosses the space between us.
Kneels in front of my wheelchair.
Her hands rest on my knees.
"You're not empty," she says. "You felt something when your mother cried. You felt something when I kissed your cheek last night. You feel things, Bruno. You're just terrified of what happens if you let yourself."
I stare at her.
This stranger who sees me more clearly than anyone has in years.
"Why are you doing this?" I ask. "Why do you care?"
"I don't know." She smiles. Sad and soft. "Maybe because underneath all that armor, I think there's someone worth saving."
"There isn't."
Antonella
Bruno believes it. He's convinced himself he's hollow. Empty. A shell of whoever he used to be.
But I watched him at that party. I felt his pulse racing under my palm when I touched his shoulder. I heard him laugh in my room at two in the morning, a sound that surprised him as much as it surprised me.
He's not empty. He's terrified.
And right now, I make a decision.
I rise slowly from my knees. Bruno's eyes track my movement, dark and wary. He doesn't move. Doesn't breathe. Just watches me like I'm dangerous.
Maybe I am.
I step closer. The space between us shrinks to inches. His jaw tightens.
"What are you doing?" His voice comes out rough.
I don't answer. Instead, I lift my hand and touch his cheek.
His skin is warm under my fingertips. Stubble scratches my palm. I trace the line of his jaw, feeling the muscle clench and release beneath my touch.
Bruno's eyes fall closed.
He leans his head into my hand. Just slightly. Just enough.
I lean down and press my lips to his.
For one terrible second, he goes completely still. Frozen. I think I've made a mistake. I think he's going to push me away, wheel backward, disappear through the door like he did after I kissed his cheek.
Then his hand shoots up and grabs the back of my head.
His fingers tangle in my hair. He pulls me down to him, and suddenly he's not frozen anymore. He's consuming me.