Chapter Five
“YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO be resting at home at this hour, not working overtime.”
Payton was still screaming inside of her head when the world around her rebuilt itself until everything was perfectly clear.
She was back in Fairscale.
And not just that.
She slowly looked at her wrist.
No more marks.
She had used up all of her extra lives, but she didn’t regret it one bit.
Because this time, it wasn’t just her who was reborn.
“Payton?”
Niccolò had also been reborn even though he clearly didn’t know it, and that was why—
She threw herself into his arms with a sob.
Thank You.
Thank You.
Thank You for keeping him alive.
Payton didn’t think she could ever forgive herself if Niccolò—
Oh!
She realized too late she was still in her boss’s arms, and even worse, she had soaked his shirt with her tears.
Eep!
Payton sprang away, and well...
Her cheeks were still wet with her tears, but they were also on fire, and her boss...
No, don’t think that!
It’s not what you think.
Niccolò only looks like that because...
Because...
Payton started fanning herself. “I think someone turned the A/C off. D-Don’t you think so?”
But her boss, though...
“Enough with the lies,” he said tautly. “Something’s clearly wrong.”
“N-Nothing’s wrong—”
“Stop lying to me, Payton.”
“I’m n-not lying.”
“You just burst into tears for no reason,” he bit out, “and you want me to believe—”
“It w-wasn’t for no reason.”
She had gotten him killed, and now he was alive again. How could she not cry over that?
“Then tell me why—”
“It’s because of you, okay?” The words just flew out of her. “I’m crying because of you, and I...I don’t want to cry again because of you, so just stop—”
No. No. No.
Payton finally noticed the way he was looking at her. “M-Mr. de Vindice—”
“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you?”
Pain was haunting his gaze again.
“My feelings for you,” he bit out. “You’ve figured it out. Haven’t you?”
Because she had hurt him.
Again and again.
She kept causing this man pain.
And now—
Payton swallowed hard. “I...”
If Niccolò had asked her this a rebirth ago, she would have been able to deny it in all honesty. But after what he had revealed the last time—
She found herself shaking her head even though she knew how much she sucked at lying. “I never—” All she wanted was to stop him from hurting.
“Basta così!” That’s enough!
But instead, she seemed to have made everything worse.
“When I ask you what’s wrong,” Niccolò said harshly, “I’m not expecting anything for myself.”
And now...
“When I tell you I want to help, it’s not to destroy your marriage.”
All she could do was cry.
“I’m asking...because I don’t like knowing you’re hurting. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
That was what she wanted, too.
Because even now...
She couldn’t get it out of her mind.
The sight of Niccolò bleeding to his death.
And that was what she wanted to prevent at all costs.
She didn’t want him hurt again, least of all because of her, and so...
“I w-wasn’t lying at all,” Payton heard herself choke out. “I’m r-really okay. And I’m s-sure you were only joking about your f-feelings.”
Silence.
And Payton found herself clutching her chest because it was hurting so, so bad.
“That’s your way of saying there’s no chance for us at all.”
Her head jerked up at his words.
“Isn’t it?”
And her tears...just wouldn’t stop falling as she made herself nod.
Because what he said was true, and it wasn’t just because she was married.
There was no chance for them at all...since Payton seemed destined to die, no matter what.