“I’ll make the next round.” Artyom jumped to his feet. “Now we’re talking!”
“Oh, he’s always been a sulk!” Alek jumped up to help Artyom. “Remember when he tried to throw Alena her eighteenth birthday party surprise, and one of us let slip what we had planned? Alena didn’t mind, but he was furious and said ‘We had ruined her day.’”
“Oh, how can we forget?” Alena laughed as Arko chuckled beside me.
“You threw her a surprise party?” I asked Arko, something in my heart softening at this sweet snapshot into who Arko was as a brother. I’d seen so many sides of him, the softest one this morning in bed. Just thinking of that made me squeeze my legs shut. But I hadn’t yet seen this kind of softness, the kind that had him being grumpy because someone spoiled the fun for his sister on her birthday. I couldn’t imagine it. This impulsive, pain-in-my-ass man, throwing a fit over a surprise party.
“Well, I tried to,” he shrugged. “Until our siblings ruined it.”
“She was going to rush off and meet her friends that night!” Anton protested. “We had to tell her to get her to stay back!”
“We could have just invited those friends too!” Arko protested.
“They weren’t that close to me,” Alena giggled. “It’s just that all my good friends said they were busy, and you guys said you were busy, and I was so pissed that none of you cared about my birthday!”
“We had to tell her,” Anja agreed. “Alena was about to blow a fuse.”
“You all just don’t know how to keep a secret,” Arko said.
“But we gather you must already know that.” Anja smiled at me. “Please tell me he at least got you a ring.”
“A ring?” I clicked my tongue and rose from my seat as Alena motioned me over to come sit by her. “No way.”
“We’re going to have to talk to our brother about that.” Alena and Anja exchanged looks, muttering under their breaths and shooting visual darts at Arko. Arko looked like he had woken up and landed up in some alternate reality.
Somewhere in my heart, I felt a wrench. Just this topic of conversation, a god damn ring, triggered in me what Arko took from me when he forced me to marry him. A chance at a normal life, a chance at love. But despite that, I didn’t want to disrupt this morning any further. I didn’t want to use his siblings against him all to make a point at his expense.
“Nah,” I said, settling in deeper on the couch between the sisters. “I think he’s struggled enough the past few weeks.”
“We still can’t believe what happened.” Alena turned to me, speaking softly so only Anja and I could hear. “It must have been a harrowing ordeal. Our world…it can be brutal for us women.”
Something in her words was so simple and true that I felt my throat form a knot. “Yeah,” I said, my voice coming out hoarse. “It was really hard, and I know my siblings must be going crazy not knowing where I am.”
The sisters must have heard the pain in my voice, for they both exchanged startled looks.
“You haven’t spoken to them yet?” Anja asked.
I shook my head.
“Damn Arko,” Alena hissed, glaring at her Arko, who was across the room now, deep in conversation with his brothers.
Anja leaned over and squeezed my hand. “I know we’ve only just met, but if there’s anything we can do, just call us.”
Alena nodded.
For the first time in days, I felt the knot in my stomach loosen. Their friendship, this small kindness they extended, was a gift I hadn’t even known I’d needed. I was so lonely, and in the chaos of all that happened, I barely noticed it.
“Thank you,” I whispered, nodding at them.
“Come on now.” Anja gave me an encouraging smile. “Enough moping. I’m starving! Should we bring out the food we got?”
“Food sounds amazing!” I smiled, jumping to my feet. The three of us headed to the kitchen and instructed the maids to heat the quiches and croissants while we put together the smoothie bowls and toasts.
The staff followed us back and laid out everything on the large coffee table in the living room. One by one, everyone drifted over, filling their plates.
“Leave something for us, will you?” Andrey joked as he watched Anja pile her plate up with toast, eggs, avocado, quiche, and salad.
“I’m starving,” Anja said through a mouthful.
