And in love.
I couldn’t take it. Spinning on my heels, I ran, ignoring the startled looks and Gabreilla calling out my name. My sister was going to die, and instead of comforting me, my husband was dancing with another woman.
He hadn’t even given me a second thought.
Chapter Nineteen
Amy
I woke up groggily, and at first I didn’t remember where I was. Then it all hit me in a rush, and the just-woken-up contented feeling disappeared as everything about last night came rushing back.
The disastrous party, my sister. Violet.
I had so many questions about the woman who had spent the night hanging on my husband’s arm.
Alexei had said we would talk today, and boy, did we have a lot to talk about. I wanted to know who Violet was to him, and if I had anything to worry about, and more than anything, I wanted to know why he didn’t send the paperwork off for my sister’s transplant.
I turned, ready to reach him, but the sheets were cold and empty. His side of the bed was completely unrumpled. My heart sank. He hadn’t been to bed, not with me anyway.
Smoothing my hand over the cold sheets, I felt tears prick behind my eyes and closed them quickly, squeezing them together to stop the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. I wouldn’t cry.
I had to be strong, not just for my sister, but for myself as well. Plus, I was sure he would have had a good excuse as to why he didn’tcome to bed. Maybe he had gotten drunk and instead of waking me up had slept somewhere else.
He was probably downstairs, completely hungover and in need of looking after. I swung my legs out of the bed, my heart filling with fresh hope. I could look after him and take him breakfast before I went to the hospital. I could do that for him because he would do the same to me.
I was halfway down the stairs when I heard them. Alexei said something, and a female voice giggled.
“Oh, Alex. You are terrible. I think she’s adorably sweet. But I know you love a bit of experience between the sheets.” Violet giggled, her voice carrying around the quiet house.
More laughter floated up, and I froze halfway down the stairs. Were they talking about me and my lack of experience in the bedroom? The blood drained from my cheeks.
“She’s enthusiastic,” Alexei said gruffly. “And yeah, she is adorable.” A hint of softness entered his voice, but it might as well not have been there. They were talking about me, laughing at me, actually. Alexei had told her the most intimate details about our love life, and they were both laughing about it. Laughing at me.
My heart did a weird sort of lurch.
“Well, I think she’s a little dove. A little naïve, maybe, but—” she lifted her head and smiled as her eyes landed on me.
She knew I was there, I realized with a start. She had known the entire time.
“Amy, come and join us for breakfast.”
Alexei almost fell out of his chair, standing so quickly that it almost fell backwards. He turned towards me. A look of shock tightened his features
“Amy, I didn’t expect you to be up so early. We were just having breakfast.”
Slowly, I made my way towards them, my eyes taking in the spread on the table, which was already half eaten.
“I can see that,” I said, and by some miracle my voice came out normal. “You guys must have got up early as well.”
The gentleman, Alexei, pulled out a chair for me, and I fell into it with a sigh. Maybe it wasn’t our usual breakfast in bed, but at least he was still acting like my husband. I couldn’t expect him to spend the morning with me if his old friend was visiting, could I?
“Good morning, Amy.” He pressed his lips to my hair.
“Oh, we haven’t been to sleep yet.” Violet giggled and my happy feeling evaporated. “We have been up all night reliving old times.”
I threw Alexei a startled look as he took his own seat and poured himself another coffee.
What did she mean, reliving old times?
