Glass had been brushed off to the sides and the windows had been boarded up but the house was still in shambles. I was in the middle of sweeping up when I received security’s alert. The house wasn’t exactly fit for visitors, but I didn’t care all that much. I had bigger concerns than whether or not Mr. Sumner was comfortable.
I entered the theater room to find Anastasia splayed on her side, fast asleep. Kneeling down on my knees in my expensive slacks was not an idea that I ever would have entertained before. But that was before Anastasia.
“Anastasia?” I gently shook her shoulder. I hadn’t really wanted to wake her, but under the circumstances, I wasn’t left with much of a choice. “Anastasia? There’s someone here to see you.”
Her eyes opened wide, a sleepy shine to them. I could tell the millisecond my words registered, her face lit up like the sky on the fourth of July. Immediately I regretted my words. “No, it’s not what you think. This isn’t a good visit.”
Eyebrows furrowed, she arose from her curled up position on the sofa. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders first, to lead her to the living room, but also because I knew what was to come and the guilt had quickly started to eat away at me. I was a coward for not telling her myself, but I couldn’t do it.
I couldn’t break her heart in such a way, I couldn’t have her hate me for doing it either. That was a feeling that I couldn’t ever see going away. The damage from something like that could’ve been irreparable.
I wouldn’t risk it. So instead, I took my place beside her.
“What’s going on? Nikolai, who is it?” Yes, the situation was odd but the biggest indicator that something was wrong was Nikolai’s inability to meet my eyes. His face was a mask shielding me from his expression. It scared me. “If this is about the other night, Nikolai, I forgive you. I know that it wasn’t your fault.”
The arm that hung around the back of my shoulders tightened its grip, pulling me further into his side. “There’s a lawyer here to speak to you.”
“A lawyer?” I echoed, suddenly very curious. I didn’t know any lawyers, not personally anyway, only the few that had passed in and out of my fathers’ office.
We halted outside of the living room as if he didn’t want us to enter. I waited for an explanation but didn’t get one.
“I’ll be right there with you, all the way. But if you need space, I’ll give you that as well.”
“You’re scaring me,” I whispered as we waited in the hallway.
He didn’t apologize, he didn’t say anything as he led me into the living room. I noticed the middle-aged man, the lawyer, straight away. He was seated in my chair, the only comfy seat in the living room. Immediately, I didn’t like him.
“Miss Exley. Your aunt told me so much about you.”
“And you are?” I took the seat on the loveseat opposite him. Nikolai sat down next to me, so close you’d have thought he was glued to my side.
“I’m Steven Sumner, your aunt’s lawyer. And friend, we used to play bingo together on Sundays. Sweetheart, I’m afraid I have some bad news for you.”
I knew it before he even spoke. He didn’t need to say the words, they were a blur. I kneeled over, hugging my knees as I began to wail. Tears flowing freely down my face couldn’t compare to the havoc that wracked my insides. Arms wrapped around me, and I let them. Everything around me slowly disappeared.
Black ebbed at my vision. I was too weak - too broken - to fight. It wasn’t long before I gave in to the darkness.
The next thing I knew, I was lying down in bed. I looked around the room, the afternoon light shining in through the windows was blinding. I found a glass of water on the bedside table and almost lunged for it. My lips were dry and cracked, my throat scratched angrily - the dryness irritating my skin.
I took a sip of the cool water and it was like a taste of heaven. Moving my eyes beyond the bedside table an amusing sight greeted me, Nikolai’s figure squashed into a chair. He was so big, the chairs he sits in must be custom-made for the sheer size of him.
“Hey.” Seeing I was awake, he leant forward in his chair. His voice was soft as if not to startle me, for which I appreciated. My head was pounding with the onslaught of a raging headache.
“Hi.” I croaked.
“You passed out.”
“I remember.” If I’d had any fluids left in my body, tears would have been welling up in my eyes. Apparently I was all cried out, I didn’t know how that happened - I passed out pretty quickly.
“You were crying in your sleep, I figured you’d need some water when you woke up.” Nikolai, always the knight in shining armor. Sometimes, I could swear he was psychic but I think that was just his charming personality showing itself.
“You didn’t have to wait for me.”
“I waited to make sure you were okay.” His face took on a look of pity. It made my stomach turn.
“Do you want me to lie? Or do you want the truth?” The truth was, I felt fucking awful.
My aunt died. I’d just found out that my aunt had died. I didn’t know when or where, or how. I probably didn’t want to know all the details. I knew I couldn’t handle anymore right now.
