He grabbed the collar of Adrian’s shirt and ripped it open with one violent move, sending buttons flying across the hardwood floor.

Adrian froze for a second, panic rising in his eyes. Then the smell hit him a sharp, suffocating mix of heavy liquor and acrid smoke.

"Matteo... hey, hey, babe, calm down," he said quickly, trying to steady him. "I’m sorry... just take it easy."

But Matteo wasn’t listening. His movements were erratic, driven by a rough energy. His touch had none of its usual gentleness. He moved with a frantic intensity, his eyes wide and glassy.

It wasn’t until his grip tightened to the point of pain that Adrian truly saw him.

The realization hit hard.

Matteo wasn’t just drunk. He wasn’t just angry.

He was high.

"Please, baby... stop. We need to talk."

Matteo didn’t hear him. He buried his face in Adrian’s neck, his teeth grazing skin with a roughness that made Adrian wince.

"Baby, stop! You’re hurting me!" Adrian gasped, pushing against Matteo’s chest. The muscle felt like stone beneath his palms.

Adrian looked into Matteo’s eyes. His pupils were blown wide, swallowing the color, turning them into dark, empty voids that didn’t seem to recognize who was beneath him.

"Look at me," Adrian pleaded, grabbing Matteo’s face to force him to make eye contact. "Matteo, look at me! This isn’t you. What did you take?"

Matteo let out a rough, strained sound, part growl, part sob. He leaned his forehead against Adrian’s, his breath coming in short, uneven bursts.

"You’re going to leave," he murmured, the words slurring together. "He’s taking you... the wedding... You didn’t say no."

"I’m here! I’m right here!" Adrian murmured, guilt crashing over him all at once.

He realized, too late, that his silence had pushed Matteo to this point where he had to poison himself just to escape the thought of him walking away.

Adrian reached out, gripping Matteo’s face to force him to look at him, but Matteo shoved his hands away with a sudden, drug-induced burst of aggression. His strength was terrifying and unfocused. Before Adrian could react, Matteo gripped his wrists and pinned them above his head against the headboard with a force that made the bones ache.

"If I can’t have you... if she’s taking you..." Matteo rasped, his voice a jagged edge of pain and intoxication, "then I’ll just take what’s mine now."

He lowered his head, his mouth marking Adrian’s neck with a punishing intensity. Adrian winced as he felt the sting of a hickey being forced onto his skin. Matteo’s touch was rough, his grip tightening until Adrian could feel the bruises already beginning to form on his wrists.

"I’m sorry," Adrian whispered against Matteo’s lips, his voice breaking into a sob. "I’m so sorry, Matteo. I’m not going anywhere... please, just come back to me.

What did you take?"

The sound of Adrian’s panic cut through the haze. Matteo froze, his grip loosening slightly.

He blinked, his eyes searching Adrian’s face as if seeing him through a thick fog. The frantic energy drained out of him, leaving behind a heavy exhaustion.

He collapsed against Adrian’s chest, his body trembling as whatever he had taken ran through him.

Adrian wrapped his arms around him immediately, holding him close, finally understanding that protecting Matteo meant never staying silent again.

As Adrian stroked his hair, Matteo tried to calm his breathing. He pressed his face into Adrian’s chest and whispered, "I’m horny, baby."

"I’m here for you," Adrian said softly.

Matteo shook his head. "It will take too long. It might be too intense for you."

"If you promise to be gentle, then let’s do it," Adrian replied.

"No, I can’t," Matteo groaned, shaking his head again. "I’ll be rough. I can’t control it right now."

Adrian pulled back slightly to look him in the eyes. "What did you take?" he asked again. "Tell me the truth, Matteo."

"I think I drank too much," Matteo murmured. "I’ll be okay."

Adrian knew it was a lie; he could see the tremors in Matteo’s body and the unnatural darkness in his eyes. "How can I help you?" he asked.

Matteo groaned, holding Adrian tighter. The substances were a storm inside him, making his skin feel too tight and his thoughts scattered like broken glass.

"I can’t... I don’t want to hurt you again," Matteo managed to choke out, his muscles twitching with every heartbeat.

He fought the urge to be rough, his body shaking as he resisted the chemicals demanding movement and release. Adrian tried to guide him, offering himself to help ease the tension, but Matteo refused. He didn’t trust himself to be the man Adrian deserved while his mind was this clouded.

The struggle lasted for hours. Matteo lay against Adrian’s chest, clinging to him while one hand gripped the bedsheet, his breath coming in jagged gasps as the high slowly began to break.

Gradually, the frantic energy drained out of him, leaving him hollow and exhausted. His eyes fluttered shut, his grip loosening as he finally fell into a heavy sleep.

Only then did Adrian move. With careful, steady strength, he shifted Matteo back onto his side of the bed. He pulled the duvet over them, tucking it in to keep out the chill.

Adrian settled beside him, holding him close, listening to his breathing even out as the chaos of the night slowly faded away.

The next morning, Adrian woke to a cold, empty space beside him, the place where Matteo should have been.

He frowned, sitting up as he looked around the room.

"Matteo?" he called softly. "Babe?"

No answer.

Then he noticed it.

A faint trace of Matteo’s cologne still lingered in the air... fresh enough to tell him he hadn’t been gone for long, but he was definitely not in the room.

Adrian reached for his phone on the nightstand, but instead, his fingers brushed against something else.

A handwritten note.

Adrian picked it up.

Good morning, baby.

I’m sorry about last night. I’m sorry I hurt you. You didn’t deserve any of that.

Please take care of yourself. Call for breakfast if you need anything.

I’ll be back soon.

Adrian’s eyes moved to the last line.

I went to meet your father.

He jolted upright, his sleep completely gone.

Below it, another line had been added.

Don’t try to leave the room. They won’t let you. Stay inside, or anywhere in the house, but don’t go out.

Don’t be stubborn. I’ll be back soon.

Adrian stared at the note, his grip tightening.

The apology... the warning...

And the decision Matteo had already made.

For a moment, he wanted to get up, get dressed, and force his way out, go after Matteo, stop whatever he was planning before it went too far.

But then... his sister’s words echoed in his mind.

Trust him.

Adrian exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay where he was, even as anxiety twisted in his chest.

At the same time, Mark had already left the house early that morning.

He drove straight to Charles’s place, intending to pick him up and drive him to work.

Mark knew perfectly well that Charles usually drove himself, but he was determined to start somewhere.