Gael loosened his tie when they landed back on the ground floor of the Bunk. The underground level felt suffocating the entire time they stayed there. Seeing that man again brought memories from that day—August 30—his birthday. He tried to push the haunting thoughts out of his head so his father wouldn't see how that day still affected him. They mourned over losing their soldiers and feared nearly losing his grandmother and sister that day.

His uncle and father—heck, the whole family told him it was not his fault. But he couldn't help feeling guilty over what happened. The names of the men they lost that day floated in his head. If only he knew better. If only he was a better leader. He pushed the door to the bathroom and closed it behind him. Splashing his face with water, the coldness hit his skin, and he was calmer.

Looking up, Gael stared at his reflection through the mirror. He saw a man he barely recognized. A year ago, he wouldn't have had to question what he was doing. Now, all he could think of were the decisions he made and the repercussions he gained.

If he didn't get stranded on the island, he'd come back to New York earlier. He would've probably been able to prevent any of that from happening. But no; who was he kidding? He wanted to be on that island, just like three years ago. He wouldn't have done anything any other way.

As he got out of the bathroom, his father was outside waiting for him.

"Everything okay, son?"

He nodded. "I didn't get enough sleep."

Alessandro pulled out a handkerchief from the inner pocket of his coat and handed it to his son, pointing at the water dripping from his forehead. Gael received it and dabbed it on his face. "No. What's really going on with you?" Alessandro probed.

Leave it to his father to be doubtful. Alessandro could read someone like it was his job. Gael got that from him. There were times when his father could sense that something was wrong with him, even before Gael realized there was. He found it a little annoying when he was a teen because his father analyzed his behavior.

"Just tired."

Alessandro chuckled as he placed an arm over Gael's shoulder and led him towards the front door. He squeezed his son's shoulder a little as if he was telling him, 'I know what you mean.'

"I've been doing this for…" Alessandro huffed. "For far longer than you did, son. 'Tired' is an understatement."

And with that, Gael was sure that his father already knew what he meant. He was tired of all this, and he couldn't imagine how his grandfather, his father, and his brothers did it all their lives. Alessandro was right; he had been in the family business far longer than Gael. But that didn't mean Gael wouldn't feel as drained.

"Come on, your Nonna's cannoli is waiting for us."

Gael's hand flew to his chest. "Ah. Now that! That I'll never get tired of."

They stepped out of the house and as they headed towards the car, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the notification and saw Angela's name.

[ Angel: I feel like I should apologize. I didn't mean what I said earlier. ]

His brows furrowed in confusion and he tapped out his response.

[ Gael: Apologize for what? Me getting shot and disappearing? You didn't mean when you said you don't want that to happen? ]

[ Angel: No! I meant what I said about you not having any business coming here… ]

Oh. She did say that, but he got over it quickly. But Angela wanted to apologize for that? Had she been thinking about their conversation this whole time?

[ Gael: Want me to call? ]

Her reply came fast.

[ Angel: We're about to watch something in the family room. ]

[ Angel: I just wanted to say… you can come to Mayne anytime. You don't need a reason. ]

A smile ghosted his face as he read her text. And he couldn't help but tease.

[ Gael: But I do have a reason to come back. ]

[ Gael: Honey will miss me. She can't part with me for a long time. ]

[ Angel: Tough luck. Dad's already adopting her. She's now a Su. ]

A peal of laughter rumbled through his throat, and then Giovanni interrupted him.

"Hey, lover boy! Hurry up, it's cold!"

"Shut up," Gael fired back without giving him a glance as he typed on his phone. He wanted to hear her voice again, but he couldn't be too greedy.

***

Oakwood, outside of Mayne, Esmea

Angela woke up with Honey sleeping in the crook of her neck that morning. The little fluff ball must have been cold and Angela was too scared to move because it might wake Honey up. She took a picture to show it to Gael later. The thought of him and the notifications on her phone made her check his message. She was still sleepy and had one eye open as she navigated the screen.

Her eyes widened and then they narrowed at the gibberish text in Italian. He must've forgotten that she didn't speak the language. At first, she thought it was a mistake, but her name was there. Angela highlighted the text and chose the option to translate it to English. Her cheeks burned when it was decrypted. It was too early for her to feel this giddy. What was she supposed to say to that?

Before she had the chance to respond, her phone died. She needed to replace it as the battery dies on her more often these days. It wasn't until a few hours later when she was able to send him a text message and he ended up calling her. Her heartbeat raced upon hearing his voice on the other line. Was it crazy that he had so much effect on her even over the phone? It had only been about twelve hours since she had last seen him.

The weird emotion she felt while talking to him made her say something she didn't mean. Although Angela was a good writer, she sometimes found it hard to convey her thoughts through speaking—especially towards Gael. It was easier to write on paper than tell him what she wanted to say. She felt guilty when their call ended, thinking that she should have said it better. She did try to say something nicer at the end, but her thoughts still went back to the other one—about him not having any business to come back to Esmea.

Knowing that he was already busy, Angela decided to forget about it and move on. However, a couple of hours later, she was still bothered about what she said. So she decided to pull up her big girl panties and clarified it with him.

Of course, Gael had to throw in suspense and a joke, making her grin. He probably didn't think much of it compared to her. Still, it was nice to get it out of her and receive his response.

Just when she thought their conversation had ended, her phone buzzed again. Two messages from him.

[ Gael: I want to be clear. Like I told you earlier, I'll come back to you and for you, Angel. You. ]

[ Gael: I should've told you this in person. No need to apologize. It's my fault for not making it clear. I'm trying, Angel. Whenever you feel uneasy, just read the message above again. ]

"Well, shit," she muttered to herself. Her chest felt as if warm and cold swished inside and swirled towards her stomach. Gael was sweet. And because she wanted to hold on to the little hope she had, she smiled.

[ Angela: It's crystal clear. I believe you, Gael. ]