Chapter 10 — Things He Didn't Say Aloud
Kairo sat alone at the long dining table, staring down at the empty plate before him. The toast was gone. Cold now. But it wasn't the food that stuck to his throat—it was the memory of Elián's soft footsteps disappearing down the hall and the echo of his words.
> "You made me a ghost in my own life. I'm just learning how to float."
Why did that sentence feel heavier than every merger and million-dollar deal he'd ever faced?
He stood abruptly, chair scraping against the floor. Grabbing his coat, he walked out, pretending the silence didn't follow him like a chain around his neck.
---
Elián was curled on the balcony when he left—knees to his chest, hoodie too big, hair tousled by the morning wind. He watched the door close behind Kairo, not expecting a goodbye. Not anymore.
He used to wait.
He used to hope.
Now, he just counted how many steps Kairo took away from him each day.
The city stretched out before him in shades of grey and gold. He pulled the sleeves over his hands and pressed them to his lips.
He remembered when he first saw Kairo in person. Sharp suit, sculpted jaw, voice like frost. That was the man who became his husband—and the man who never once called him that.
Just "you."
Just "stay out of my way."
And once... "Don't embarrass me in front of Ayden."
He closed his eyes. The ache was quiet now. Familiar. But it still burned when he breathed too deep.
---
That evening, Kairo didn't return until late. Not that Elián was waiting this time.
Still, when the front door opened, his chest tightened like it always did—like a reflex he couldn't unlearn.
But this time, something was different.
Kairo walked in alone, face pale under the soft glow of the entry lights. His coat was still buttoned. His phone clutched in his hand, screen dark.
He didn't speak. Just… stood there.
Elián glanced at him from the couch, then looked away. "Did you eat?"
"No."
"You should."
Kairo didn't move. "Why do you keep doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Acting like you care."
Elián laughed, but it was a brittle thing. "It's not acting. I just do."
"But why?" Kairo's voice cracked, barely noticeable.
"Because no one cared when I was young," Elián said softly, standing up. "I learned to do it even if I didn't get it back. Even if it hurts."
Kairo flinched.
And then, he said something he never thought he would:
"Ayden cheated on me."
Elián froze.
Kairo's eyes were hollow. "With a girl."
A strange silence settled between them. Not pity. Not triumph. Just… silence.
Elián swallowed. "I'm sorry."
Kairo chuckled bitterly. "Don't be. You hated him."
"I didn't hate him," Elián said honestly. "I hated how you changed when he was around."
Kairo met his eyes for the first time in weeks. "And what am I now?"
Elián hesitated. Then, "Alone."
The word hit harder than expected.
Kairo walked past him, toward the balcony, the same spot Elián had sat that morning. He leaned against the railing, the city lights reflecting in his eyes.
Elián stood at the threshold, watching him. For the first time, Kairo looked… small. Like the tower of ice he'd built was beginning to melt.
"I don't expect you to forgive me," Kairo said, his voice low. "For the things I did. The way I treated you."
Elián stepped forward, slowly. "Then why are you telling me?"
"Because you're the only one who stayed," Kairo whispered.
The wind tugged at their clothes, their silence full of things neither had the courage to say aloud.
"I'm tired of being angry," Kairo admitted.
Elián sat beside him, careful not to get too close. "Then stop being."
"But I don't know how to… be with you," he confessed. "Not when I—when I don't deserve—"
"Don't finish that sentence," Elián said, finally meeting his gaze. "You don't have to be perfect, Kairo. Just... don't lie anymore. Don't hurt me and expect me to smile."
Kairo looked away, jaw clenched. "I won't."
"I don't need you to be someone else," Elián said quietly. "Just stop pretending you don't see me."
For the first time, Kairo reached out.
His fingers grazed Elián's.
Not a full hold.
Just a touch.
But it was more than either had offered the other in weeks.
It was real.
And it made the night feel warmer