Page 34 of Lost Room Lawyer (Room #4)

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Nico

“What’s going on here?” Leo asked as soon as the door was closed.

“Forgot already? I’m gay,” I said with effort, suppressing all the overflowing emotions that Hector’s appearance had stirred up in me.

“Right … um … no … Of course.” Leo stepped closer to the bed and glanced back at the door. “But … Hector?”

I could hear it in his voice: Hector’s refusal to shake hands was taken personally. Surprisingly, this sparked an almost absurd sense of happiness in me. It felt like a concession from Hector—he had chosen me over his mentor. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had already finished reading my book

“Can we talk about something else?” I sighed.

The situation was already incredibly stressful—unbelievable that Hector had even been here before my father.

Totally sweet. I could hardly believe it myself.

I had written him off, sure that he had done everything he could to save his marriage in the last few days. But then he was suddenly here. With me.

“And … um … how are you?” Leo asked stiffly. His gaze briefly wandered to the chair next to my bed, but he preferred to stand.

The grief over my mother weighed heavily on me, and yesterday, the clearing out of her apartment still felt like an iron chain dragging me underwater. Knowing that Hector was outside made everything easier, yet I felt this burning fear inside me.

What if he suddenly changes his mind again?

Can I handle losing my footing once more?

“I don’t know how I’m doing,” I answered honestly, while I eyed my father with suspicion. “It’s been a bit much.”

“Understandable,” he said.

I furrowed my brow in irritation. “Really?”

Leo hesitated.

“If you had even the slightest understanding of how I’m feeling, you wouldn’t have been so determined to clear out my mother’s apartment yesterday.”

My father’s empathy mask vanished, and his usual cold demeanor reappeared. “And then you go home and try to kill yourself? With pills? Are you out of your mind?”

His words hit me like punches to the gut. My muscles tightened, and I gasped for air. But why was I surprised? Blaming me was Leo’s specialty. Whether he truly cared about me, I couldn’t say. Maybe he was just so oblivious that he didn’t realize how deeply he hurt me each time.

For a moment, I sat still on the bed, a numbness creeping over me. My skin tingled, and my swollen eyelids felt heavy.

I knew what Leo was getting at and knew that I only had this one chance to stand up to him. Now or never. I was fed up with being belittled by him.

In his world, it was unthinkable that I didn’t pursue a legal career, so I took the wind out of his sails before he could slowly build his power to crush me in one blow.

“Everything I said, I meant it.”

Maybe I was imagining it, but I was sure I saw Leo shudder. But he quickly composed himself.

“Writing,” he scoffed, brushing it off. “You won’t achieve anything with that.”

“I suppose that’s a matter of opinion,” I countered defiantly.

I was starting to feel cold, so I adjusted the blanket up higher and sat up straight. It took all my energy to fight this battle against him, but this time I was determined to see it through to the end.

“You studied law. Did a master’s degree. You can’t be serious about this?”

Hearing Leo’s voice rise was a sign that he was becoming aware that he was talking to a wall. Anger had always been his weapon to control and undermine me. I was young and intimidated by him. But now I was fed up with the constant disagreements.

For years, I had held back my thoughts because my hands had been tied. As long as I had writer’s block, I could only take the path of least resistance. Now I was overflowing with ideas. There was nothing else I wanted to do but write.

“I’m actually very serious,” I replied. “And this time, you won’t stand in my way. I’m not hiding anymore. There’s no contract that could forbid me from writing my next books. I’m no longer a minor and ignorant. Yes, I studied law and know the laws. You have no power over me anymore.”

My heart raced so wildly that I feared it might burst through my chest. Desperate for some relief, I rested an elbow on my knee and tugged at my hair.

Leo pressed his lips into a thin line and observed me for a while. “You know I only ever wanted the best for you, and that never included visiting my son in the hospital because he took an overdose of pills.”

Ashamed, I lowered my head. I couldn’t even explain to myself how things had come to this. It wasn’t like me. Sure, there had been moments when I’d lost control, but maybe seeing the psychologist wasn’t such a bad idea.

“I just want you to be happy.”

“Stop it, Dad. I don’t buy that anymore—even if you mean it.”

Leo blinked in surprise but found no words.

“Stay out of my life,” I said quietly but firmly. “Yes, we can talk on the phone now and then if you’re really interested in how I’m doing. But when it comes to my job, contracts, or anything else—none of it is your business.”

I was curious about what would happen next. Even though he had briefly nodded to reassure me, he didn’t seem to be leaving. “Alright, but … Hector?” he asked incredulously. “He’s been married for seventeen years and has two kids! Isn’t he way too old?”

“Stop it, Dad,” I groaned. “Not much older than you were with Grazia.”

“Are you serious about this?”

“Stop already!”

I felt myself nearing my limits, just craving some peace. Yet the question of how serious I was about Hector lingered in the back of my mind.

Yes, I was serious, but my father didn’t need to know that.

He was well aware I’d enjoyed my freedom and had my share of fun in recent years.

My doubts were minor compared to the bigger fear that Hector might pull away again.

But the way he had burst through the door earlier and hugged me like I’d narrowly escaped death gave me hope.

I had truly fallen in love with him and couldn’t wait to see him again and pick up where we had left off after Victoria’s visit to the apartment.

“Please go now,” I said in a hoarse voice, making every effort to hold his gaze. To my surprise, I noticed a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Leo adjusted his jacket and said, “You have no idea how much you remind me of Rina.” His voice was neither accusatory nor petulant. Instead, there was a sadness in it that even surprised me.

I opened my mouth but said nothing. The pain at the mention of my mother flared up in my chest.

“Take care,” Leo said, giving me one last nod before leaving the room.

A chill ran through me, and for a few seconds, I trembled all over. It felt as though the tension had lifted off me, a shield I had worn every time I had such conversations with my father. My breath hitched, and I wiped my forehead in disbelief.

Had I just confessed my love?

Had I won the battle against my father?

I didn’t know, but judging by the way my hands were shaking, it seemed that I had.

A heavy exhaustion washed over me, making me sink deeper into the bed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, longing for rest and maybe get some sleep. Above all, I wanted to see Hector.

When he walked in with Dominic, I felt relieved. Dominic couldn’t stay long, but Hector remained by my side for the rest of the day.

He lay down beside me, wrapped me in his arms, and whispered incredibly sweet things in my ear. We kissed repeatedly, and I nestled against his neck while he gently stroked my head.

“I have to look after the kids tomorrow. Victoria works on Saturdays,” he said with a note of regret. “I would have loved to pick you up and take you home.”

“It’s okay.” I kissed his neck and breathed in his wonderful, resinous scent.

“This is serious to me,” Hector said, seeking my gaze. “You should know that. I will do everything to prove it to you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m just glad you’re here now.”

“Yes, I do, because … what I said last week … about you … to excuse myself with Victoria … that was … I was confused. An idiot. Completely lost.”

I snuggled closer to him, sliding a leg between his and holding him tightly. My body was exhausted, but I resisted sleep, wanting to savor every moment Hector was here. I couldn’t recall ever being this happy. Why hadn’t I fallen in love sooner? It felt incredibly good.

“Sleep a bit,” Hector whispered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“But the visiting hours,” I murmured with my eyes closed.

“I’ll wake you before they kick me out,” he said, lovingly combing my hair with his fingers.

“Hmm …” I murmured in response.

I savored every last second of feeling safe in Hector’s arms until I drifted into a deep sleep.