“That’s not what I asked,” she said, her voice sharp.
I bit into my lower lip, my heart beating a little harder than it should have. I didn’t have any way of finding Kyle anyway. The likelihood that I’d run into him again was nil. “I have no ties to him whatsoever. No number, nothing. I’m not going to even run into him.”
“Good. I’ll get back to you as soon as I have something.”
“Lyublya tebya,” Nadia said.
My lips curved into a slight smile. “I love you, too, sis.”
The click of the line made tears sting my eyes. I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring down at it. Without anyone else on the other end, I was alone again.
I felt so removed from everything. And I hadn’t been used to that. I was used to people constantly being around me. Servants, staff, friends, family. My life had been full, and now it was empty.
I pulled my legs up underneath me, curling into a smaller form as I sought to escape my reality.
My fingers tapped the side of my phone before I selected the browser and typed Kyle’s name into the top. I scrolled through the overwhelming number of results. Apparently, Kyle Carter was a popular name in the States.
With a sigh, I clicked on a few false leads, pouting as I didn’t stumble across anything. I normally had someone else do this for me. I wasn’t equipped for this. But I’d have to learn to be scrappy and smart.
With narrowed eyes, I added Alex Stone’s name to the search bar along with Kyle’s.
A series of results popped up. Alex Stone’s name dominated much of the search results, but most of them indicated that Kyle’s name wasn’t mentioned. That didn’t help me at all.
I knew all about Alex Stone. We hadn’t met before, but we’d moved in similar circles ever since his success with the Stone Phone. I had nearly declined the dinner invitation, afraid he would recognize me. But since we’d never actually spoken, I’d lucked out.
I clicked on the News tab, expecting that to contain all recent news items Alex Stone-related.
My heart skipped a beat as one of the results mentioned both of their names. My trembling thumb tapped it, and I held my breath as I waited for the page to load.
The article came from a Hamptons’ paper society page. At the top, a picture of Alex and Ava in wedding finery. I scrolled down, skipping the details of who the bride wore and other wedding details until I found a picture. Alex and Kyle grinned at the camera, and the caption readAlex Stone with best man Dr. Kyle Carter.
I tapped the picture, zooming in on Kyle’s face. For some reason, it made my heart ache.
I rolled my eyes at my own silliness.
Was I so starved for attention that I was seeking it anywhere? That had to be the explanation for that instant connection I felt to this man.
I stared at his smiling face. Had he already forgotten about me?
He’d called to me as I’d left. Maybe I should have waited for him, given him a way to contact me–or at least gotten a way to contact him.
But Nadia was probably right. I couldn’t afford to be careless—not now. I had to stay away from Dr. Kyle Carter until we were sure he was safe.
And yet, I wasn’t sure I could.
That scared me. Because deep down, I worried it would be my downfall.
CHAPTER 3
KYLE
“Stop!” I shouted, slicing a hand through the air, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Alex’s eyebrows shot up as his thumb hovered over his phone.
“Doc? Something wrong?” Ava asked before she took another sip of her soda, her demeanor completely calm.
I, on the other hand, suddenly felt like I was on the verge of committing seventeen different crimes.
