I grabbed it with trembling hands and marched out of my room, straight to where I knew I’d find Arko at this hour: His office.
I didn’t even knock before bursting into his study.
Arko looked up from his desk, and I saw the flash of surprise and hope in his eyes as he rose from his chair, like he couldn’t believe I was here.
“Beatrice…you’re feeling okay?” He cracked a smile.
I marched up to him and slammed the lighter down in front of him, right on his desk. “What the hell is the meaning of this? Is this some kind of sick joke?”
I saw the confusion on his face as he eyed the lighter, then me, before he shook his head vehemently. “No…of course it’s not a joke, Beatrice. I thought it would…help you,” he finished, trailing off with uncertainty.
If I was livid earlier, I had now reached a level of volcanic disruption. My entire body shook as I slammed my hands down on the table, bracing myself for what I was certain would be a terrible explanation on his end.
“You’ve lost your damn mind, Arko! After you know I could have died in a fire, you had the audacity to send me this? What are you even trying to do here?” I shrieked, trembling with rage.
“I’m trying to help you, Beatrice!” his voice rose as he leaned over the table too, his dark blue eyes so dangerously close that I felt my anger dip and dim, like it forgot why it existed. I shook it off, reminding myself of why I was even here in the first place.
“How? How can this possibly help me?” I hissed.
“This is a tool.” He picked up the lighter and held it out to me. “You’re afraid of fire because it was used against you when you were trapped in that warehouse.”
I stared at him, confused and still angry, but curious enough to see where this was going. “So?”
“So take control back.” He flipped open the lighter but didn’t ignite it. “This is yours now. You decide when to use it, if ever. You control the flame, not the other way around. Ihateseeing you live in fear, Beatrice,” he said, his voice hoarse and dry and full of truth. “Aren’t you tired of it, too?”
I froze, stunned. I looked at the lighter, still resting in his palm. The idea was so unexpected, so contrary to what I’d assumed, that I didn’t know how to respond.
“I thought it might help,” he said hesitantly. “I thought if you faced your fears, you’d see you’re stronger than you think.”
I hadn’t spoken to him in five days, and still, this whole time, he’d been thinking of how afraid I was. His pride and what he wanted didn’t matter when it came to helping me get stronger. He wasn’t a foolish man. He must have known gifting me this lighter could have gone either way.
Yet, he took the risk. He’d rather have me furious at him than terrified of fire.
Slowly, hesitantly, I reached over and took the lighter from his hand, my thumb brushing against his. He didn’t let go, and I let my hand just rest there, once again plummeting into the depths of his blue eyes.
“I know I should have told you about the club,” he said softly. “I know I can’t undo what I did, but I am truly sorry.”
He let the lighter go, and I pulled it back, my thumb resting on the flint wheel. I just held in, not yet brave enough to fiddle with it.
Despite everything, I felt a small smile tugging at my lips. I wasn’t yet ready to forgive him, but something about this gesture of his made me feel like forgiveness wasn’t too far off.
I closed my hand tighter around the lighter. “I’m keeping this,” I said. “But I’m not using it yet.”
“Like I said, that’s your choice,” he smiled.
I smiled back. “By the way, do you think I can still go shopping with your sisters tomorrow?”
Chapter 13 - Arko
“Good morning, sir.” My driver tipped his hat at me as he opened the door to the back of the Bentley.
“Morning, Rus,” I nodded as I slid in. We pulled out of the compound, and I smiled to myself as we drove toward the exit gates, noticing that the car assigned to Beatrice wasn’t in its usual spot.
Beatrice told me she’d be leaving for her shopping trip with Alena and Anja straight after breakfast. Turns out, she stuck to the schedule. Something told me the girls planned to have a long day spending on my dime.
I didn’t mind. The fact that she was speaking to me at all seemed like a miracle.
I had a few meetings planned for the day and had already told my secretary to keep the evening short. I wanted to be home in time for dinner, hoping to spend some time with Beatrice. I knew she hadn’t completely forgiven me from how civil she had been at breakfast.
