Chapter 29 Nina
NINA
“Hope you guys aren’t afraid of heights.”
Alessio opens his apartment door, and I immediately understand why he asked. Two massive walls of floor-to-ceiling windows stretch from corner to corner, making me feel like I’m floating above the city. The view is probably gorgeous at night, but right now it just makes me dizzy.
Austin rushes past me to press his face against the glass. “Whoa! Look how tiny everything is!”
The place screams money. Black leather furniture arranged around a TV that could double as a movie screen. Wet bar in the corner like something from a penthouse magazine. Dark hardwood floors that look expensive as hell.
Everything’s sleek and masculine and cold. Hardly kid-friendly, but Austin doesn’t seem to care.
I wander toward the kitchen, mostly to give myself something to do besides gawk. White marble countertops feel cool under my fingers. The appliances are spotless, and there’s a six-burner gas stove that makes my heart skip a little. I’ve always dreamed of cooking on something like this.
“You cook much?” I ask.
Alessio’s watching Austin with this soft expression I’m still getting used to. “A couple times a week. Not always worth the effort when it’s just me, so I order takeout a lot. Might be worth cooking more often now that you guys are here.”
Something flutters in my chest at the casual way he says it. Like we belong here already.
“What do you think, bud?” I call to Austin, who’s now pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring down at the city below.
“This place is awesome!”
Alessio grins. “Want to see your room?”
Austin turns from the window, eyes bright with excitement. “Yeah! Let’s go see it!”
“Come on then.”
We follow him upstairs. Only two doors up here, and when he opens the first one, Austin lets out a gasp that puts an immediate smile on my face.
The room is incredible. A twin bed sits against the far wall, covered in a Captain America bedspread that looks like it came straight from Austin’s dreams. Matching curtains frame the windows, but it’s the mural covering one entire wall that steals my breath.
Professional artwork depicting every superhero Austin has ever mentioned, locked in epic battles with their villains.
Batman versus The Joker. Thor fighting Loki. The detail is stunning.
He did this in two days. Listened to every random comment I made about Austin’s obsessions and turned it into this.
Austin rushes to explore, finding a toy chest overflowing with action figures and stuffed animals, a Lego table loaded with hundreds of colorful bricks, and a chalkboard mounted perfectly at his height.
I catch Alessio glancing between Austin’s excitement and my expression. There’s something almost vulnerable in the way he’s watching, like he needs to know he got this right.
“This is the coolest room ever!” Austin shouts, already digging through the toys.
“Glad you approve,” Alessio says, taking my hand. His fingers intertwine with mine as we watch Austin examine the mural like it’s the Sistine Chapel.
I can barely speak. When’s the last time anyone went to this much trouble for my son?
“You outdid yourself,” I manage.
“My boy deserves it.”
My boy. Those two simple words make my throat tight.
“Ready to see our room?” Alessio asks.
Our room. Right. I hadn’t thought about the logistics.
“We’re sharing?”
“Only got two bedrooms. Unless you want to bunk with Captain America over there.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ll pass on the superhero sleepover.” I follow him across the hall, leaving Austin to his new kingdom.
The primary suite stretches out before us, impossibly large. A king bed dominates the space with its charcoal bedding and dark wooden frame, matching the expensive furniture scattered throughout. Those same floor-to-ceiling windows stretch along the far wall.
There’s even a sitting area with chairs and a couch. Like a hotel suite.
Alessio opens the bathroom door, revealing something from a magazine spread. Soaking tub, glass shower, double sinks. His toiletries cluster around one sink, leaving the other completely empty.
“That one’s yours,” he gestures. “Cleared out space in the closet and dresser too.”
I stare at the empty sink. He’s not just letting us crash here temporarily. He’s making room for us to actually live.
The thought should make me happy, but it scares me instead. I’ve built my life around someone else’s generosity before. When they change their mind, and they always do, you’re shit out of luck.
“You don’t have to do all this,” I say carefully.
“Want to.” His voice is matter-of-fact. “Besides, I told you I’d take care of you both. I meant it.”
The words hang between us, weighted with a promise I want desperately to believe. Before I can respond, Austin wanders in, glancing around with curious eyes.
“It’s really dark in here.”
He’s right. Despite the sunlight streaming through those massive windows, the dark floors and furniture make everything feel like a cave.
“Good point.” I nod. “Very vampirey.”
“Feel free to change whatever you want,” Alessio says.
I study his face for signs he’s just saying what he thinks I want to hear. “Seriously?”
“I want you to be comfortable. Besides, I like your style.”
“You’re just saying that.”
“Not at all.”
His hands settle on my hips, but he keeps space between us with Austin in the room. Austin’s picked up a book from the nightstand, already absorbed in whatever he’s found.
“So, will you?” Alessio asks, tilting his head in that way that reminds me exactly of Austin when he’s curious. “Redecorate?”
“Maybe.” I want to see how the first few days go before I start thinking about making this feel like home.
My phone alarm cuts through the moment. “Austin’s medicine time.”
We head back to the living room where our suitcases sit by the door. I dig through one for the pill dispenser, acutely aware of Alessio memorizing my every move. Like he’s learning the routine.
“I want to talk about Austin’s medical care,” Alessio starts as I count out pills. “I know I handled it wrong before, trying to tell you what to do.”
I pause, bracing for his usual bossiness, the kind that shuts down any argument. If this turns into another lecture, I’ll cut him off before he even starts.
“I’m not trying to control you,” he continues carefully. “But I want to help. With the bills, the medication, all of it. Let me take care of this part.”
I freeze with the pills in my palm, caught off guard by how different his approach is this time.
“You wouldn’t have to strip anymore if you didn’t want to,” he adds quietly. “But that’s your choice. I just want to make sure you have options.”
The relief that floods through me is overwhelming. It’s not that I want to keep stripping. I never wanted to do it in the first place. But I needed it to be my choice.
What he’s offering represents everything I’ve wanted and never thought I’d have. Security. A real partner. Someone who gives a damn about my son’s health without trying to control my life.
A sob tears out of me before I can stop it.
Alessio moves fast, taking the pills and pulling me against his chest. His hand rubs circles on my back while I fall apart, embarrassed but unable to stop.
I’ve been carrying everything alone for so long. Making impossible choices, sacrificing pieces of myself to keep Austin healthy and safe. Having someone offer to share that weight without demanding I surrender my independence feels like I can finally breathe.
When the tears stop, I wipe my face with shaking hands. Alessio cups my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. No judgment there. No impatience. Just understanding.
“I’m sorry. I just...” I take a shaky breath. “I’ve never had someone offer to help without strings attached.”
His smile is soft. Genuine. “The only condition is keeping you both safe. That's not negotiable. But the money, the help—that's not leverage. It's just what family does.”
I want to believe him. But depending on someone and trusting them are different things entirely. I’ll take his help and be grateful for it, but I won’t forget how to survive on my own. That’s a lesson learned in blood and tears, and I’m not unlearning it for anyone.
Even him.
“Thank you.” The words feel inadequate but genuine.
Whatever this becomes, whatever happens between us, he’s giving me hope. And for Austin’s sake, that’s enough.
For now.