CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Where the Clinic Ends15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNrnLonESe
(Matteo’s POV)
He stood in front of the clinic for the last time.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdx97PVkkD
It looked smaller now.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJs9e1ObgI
Almost harmless.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNgkRJwvyT
Like a place that hadn’t broken people inside its walls.
But he knew better.
He had become this place once.
And now… he was going to destroy it.
She was in the car.
Watching him from the passenger seat.
No words.
Just eyes full of silent understanding.
He held the key in his hand.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgsCBbHqYPL
Then dropped it to the ground like it was poison.
Inside his jacket: a flask of lighter fluid.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedG4v7dUmJ
A Zippo.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaGTU0tsvG5
And an old, burnt patient folder with his name blacked out.
He walked inside.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Room by room, he poured it.
On the desk where he used to take notes.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUCl8EFMrlE
On the couch where women wept.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6f44gcOicm
On the floorboards that creaked from too many secrets.
And finally—on the bed in the back room.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKAJO1qzIiR
The bed where she first told him "I’m not here for sex."
He lit the match.
Dropped it.
Watched the flames kiss every inch of his sin.
He walked away as the smoke curled into the night sky.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8ZclpDSWb
Didn’t look back.
Not even once.
She rolled the window down.
Said nothing.
But when he opened the door and got in beside her,15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTXWVeCx9G
she reached for his hand.
He didn’t speak either.
But he held it back—15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHTFKn9aQI
like it was his anchor.
Five hours on the road.
They didn’t talk about the fire.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1WHQSI1LEI
Didn’t talk about where they were going.
Instead—
They stopped at a gas station.
Got fries.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH3gQh58FOc
Ice cream.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfAIPQz5Nj
Water bottles.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPnXNs48RX
And a pack of mints.
By 3 AM, they were at a roadside motel.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnTNFCJoS1
Cheap.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENPb856bsV
Quiet.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hN0u4QX4Y
With flickering signs and a vending machine that didn’t work.
He paid in cash.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Fk4YgFlqD
No ID.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPNx4lOxZM
No trace.
The room was cold.
She took a hot shower first.
He followed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiUyY3RvIh
Stepped in behind her.
Didn’t touch her at first.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3OR1czAxg
Just watched the water trace her spine.
Then—
“Do you regret this?” he asked against her neck.
She didn’t answer.
Just turned.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp0obAY1cz
Pulled him down by the jaw.
And kissed him.
It wasn’t gentle.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgj2sc6lK8
It wasn’t soft.
It was claiming.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLWiHeq7Ugr
Raw.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzdDqYhjus
Wrecked.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb0C1N4CLw
Needed.
Like two souls trying to forget what the fire had burned away.
Hands on backs.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwZH6AoYxU
Fingers in wet hair.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPucdMcJ24l
Moans swallowed between lips.
Water dripping.
Steam rising.
Bodies pressed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8X0D8EY7Td
Flesh remembering flesh.
“I don’t regret you,” she whispered, trembling.
“Then don’t leave me,” he choked.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
They made love like sinners begging to be saved.
And for once—
It felt like they already were.
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