“It’s like putting a band-aid over a severed limb. It’s not going to hold forever.”
“It’s holding for now. So don’t fuck up,” he snaps, hanging up on me. My dad always loves getting the last word in.
Between my dad, my job, and now my new wife, nothing is going right. Something is going to break eventually. I just don’t know when.
Natasha
I can only breathe after Maksim leaves the house. Seeing him shirtless this morning, in nothing but his underwear, caused me to panic. He’s incredibly handsome that I don’t know what to think about him. Yet, when I saw all the muscle he possess, it only reminded me of the power he has over me and how he could use it against me if he wanted to.
The doorbell rings. I set my book down on the coffee table, confused. Who’s coming here in the middle of the day? Other than me and Maksim, only Kira and Gregor can reach the penthouse and I’m not sure I want to deal with Kira right now. She’s sweet but she’s a lot.
Except, it’s not Kira I see when I look through the peephole.
It’s Alexandra.
With a frown, I open the door. “Yes?”
“Natasha? I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. I thought I could come in.”
“How did you get up here?”
“Maksim never changed the code after we broke up.”
I shiver. For some reason that thought upsets me. Was Maksim waiting for his ex-girlfriend to show up in the hopes of getting back together? No. That’s ridiculous. Maksim told me it was over with Alexandra and I have to believe him. I have no other choice.
“Can I come in?” she asks.
“Sure.” My father always taught me to be polite.
Alexandra waltzes right past me into the apartment and sits down on the couch. “Just as comfortable as I remember.”
I try not to let that sting. Alexandra has been in here before. Most likely she’s slept in the bed I’m sleeping in now.
Most likely she did more than just sleep with Maksim in this very house.
“Did you need something?” I ask her.
She snuggles in deeper. “Just thought we could become friends. You’re married to Maksim now, which is still crazy to believe, and I’m still a part of his life. It just makes sense.”
“Right,” I say slowly. “I’ll be honest. I’m not sure I’m comfortable being friends with my husband’s ex-girlfriend.”
Alexandra narrows her eyes and stands up, towering over me in her heels. “What is that supposed to mean? I came here of myown free will to make an effort with you. The least you can do is be grateful.”
My mind flashes back to the night Maksim saved me from those men in Greece. How he told me I should be grateful to him. How scared I was.
The room feels like it’s spinning suddenly and I back away from Alexandra with a gasp, bumping into the wall.
She scoffs. “What’s your problem?”
I can’t breathe. I’m brought right back to that night. Those men pushing me against the wall. Those men with their smelly breath and their hot hands on my skin. Those men who wanted me to be afraid and I was.
Alexandra approaches me. “What is the deal with you?” She reaches out for me and on instinct, I push her away. I can’t have anyone touching me right now. Trying to attack me again. Trying to hurt me.
“What the hell?” Alexandra hits my arm. “I was just trying to help. You didn’t need to push me.”
The sting in my arm only draws me in further to the darkness. I’m scared. Scared of those men. Scared of Maksim.
Scared of my father and what he did to my mother.
