He’s dead.
My spine stiffens.
Oh… shit.
Wait a minute…
My fingers are shaking, scrolling to read the rest. Searching for more, eyes burning eager. That’s when I see it…
Reznikov was killed when police attempted to take him into custody.
Shot and killed by police.
I feel like my legs are going to give out. I can’t breathe… I can’t think. I’m just… aching inside. Aching for someone I don’t even know. A criminal… A killer.
A cold-blooded murderer.
I don’t know him… And he’s clearly… evil.
I swallow hard. I shouldn’t be fuckingbleedinginside the way I am. I shouldn’t be crumbling… But I am.
Leaning up against the wall, I close my eyes tight and struggle to pull in ragged breaths.
I’m in pain right now, and it makesnogoddamn sense.
How can you mourn the death of a killer you’ve never met??
Fuck, this hurts.
A pain reminiscent of the time my father threw me down the stairs…
Like a reflex, my fingers brush the scar on my collarbone. My hand grips my chest, like I’m trying to apply pressure to a fresh wound.
Objectively, it’s sad. He’s just so young…No onedeserves to die young.
Not Karly Clayton.. Not Dash.
Fuck, Dash…
Why’d you have to go and die before I could… Before we could…
Scoffing, I shake my head at how foolish I am, and how pathetic this reaction is. I don’t know Dascha Reznikov, and even if I did, I’ve never so much assmiledat a guy I thought was hot, let alone spoken to one.
Let alone tracked one down after seeing his picture in the paper.
It’s not something Ieverwould’ve done, whether Dash was still alive or not.
I haven’t made a move on a guy since high school—when I kissed my best friend and was nearly killed by my father for it.
I’ve gone through my entire adult life only ever dating dudes in my mind, and it’s exhausting.Miserable. But it’s also safe, and comfortable.
Just like my sham marriage.
That’s why I married Nikki. Pretending is easier than pain.
Running and hiding is easier than the fight that comes with courage.
Sniffing, I tuck my phone away, wiping my eyes. So what if my crush is dead? It doesn’t matter, becausenothingmatters.
