Matteo smiled to himself and turned his attention back to the road, gently stroking Adrian's back as they continued toward the hospital.
Meanwhile, Mark and Charles had already returned home. Both had showered and changed into their nightwear, ready to put the long day behind them. As Charles turned onto his side, pulling the blanket up to settle in for the night, Mark's voice broke the quiet room.
"Honey."
Charles didn't turn around, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Please, let's talk in the morning. Right now, I'm already so tired."
"You're tired because you know exactly what I'm about to ask you, right?" Mark countered, his tone laced with accusation.
Sighing heavily, Charles sat up and turned to face Mark in the dim light. "Yes, I know where Adrian was. And I did not tell you because he explicitly asked me not to."
"So you're keeping secrets from me now?" Mark asked, scoffing. "You can't even tell me a simple thing like that anymore?"
