Roman stays quiet, listening.
“Inside my head, I went to parties, shopped at the mall all the time. I also went on dates.”
“I like everything except the part where you’re dating.”
I slap his arm playfully. “None of my dates were as cute as you.”
Roman laughs and draws me closer. “Tell me another one.”
“Okay, but don’t judge me.”
Roman laughs, dipping his head. “Imagine me judging you. That’s not happening. Let me hear it.”
“Okay. I told you I have a sister. Kayla. She’s smarter than I am. I don’t mean because I didn’t get to go to school. She’s younger than me, but she was always smarter.”
“Nala, you’re smart too.”
I smile, knowing he’s trying to make me feel better. “I’m learning. But we were talking about my fantasies.” I take a breath. “In this one, my parents are always proud of me. I don’t have to go to a private school because my parents keep arguing with my teachers about my bad grades. I’m so smart. I do everything right and my sister gets jealous of me sometimes. Not all the time, but just enough to make me feel good about myself.”
His arm tightens around me.
“I never go to London on that class trip. I live my life. I go to high school and college. I get a job. It’s different all the time, but still normal. I also meet a guy.”
‘A guy,” Roman repeats.
“He never has a face,” I admit. “I couldn’t picture him.”
“This kept you sane?”
I nod. “I spent hours inside these fantasies. They neverchanged. No matter how many times your father came to see me and made me read so many people. None of them stayed in my mind or memory unless he forced me to talk about them again. Until you.”
He looks at me with one brow raised. “You told me you fantasized about me coming to you. Why me?”
“I saw you in that picture and something inside of me changed,” I say quietly. “I told you lying for you was instinct. It was, but it was more than that. I knew you were plotting. I shouldn’t have known but I did. I wasn’t guessing or using logic, Roman, I just knew.”
Roman doesn’t interrupt.
“That was also the first time my fantasies changed. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I kept seeing your eyes. Every time I imagined being rescued, it was always the same. You coming down the basement stairs. The faceless guy in my fantasy wasn’t faceless anymore. It was you. In every version. Every time.” I touch his jacket. “I know why you rescued me, but I don’t care. You came to me and now you’re mine.”
“Nala…”
“I can’t lose you,” I whisper. “I won’t. I willed you to come to me once and I’m willing you to come back to me tomorrow.”
Roman is quiet, thoughtful, then I hear him, his voice low. “I wasn’t supposed to find out about you.”
“I know.”.
He shakes his head. “That’s not what I mean. The brothel you were in, it wasn’t Bratva owned. It's my father's. I hardly ever step foot in that place. As a rule, I don’t go near his businesses if I don’t have to. I didn’t want to go there, but did anyway, as a favor.”
I watch his face as he speaks.
“One of my associates forgot something there. He knew Iwas on that side of the city, so he asked me to pick it up. I was about to leave. Couldn’t wait to get out.” His gaze darkens. “Then I heard them. Two girls whispering about you being down there.”
“I didn’t think anyone talked about me,” I say, quietly. “I didn’t think I was important enough for them to think about after seeing me.”
“I know why I was there that day,” he continues. “I was supposed to find you. You’ve always been mine; I just didn’t know it yet. I wish I’d found you sooner.” His voice lowers. “I’m sorry,pchyolka.I really am. I hate it that I never suspected anything.”
“Roman, you saved me. That’s the only thing that matters. You couldn’t have known.”
