I was on my feet, wrapping her in my arms before I could think twice about it.
“Catnip,” I breathed against her hair.
“I changed my mind,” she mumbled into my chest, and my heart stopped. My fingers curled into her hair, and I tried to remind myself to breathe.
“About what?” I rumbled.
She pulled back from me, and there were fresh tears on her face. “I think we should chase up my visa application. I need to know how long until it’s approved.”
I swallowed back the bitter disappointment, telling myself I’d beenstupid to entertain hope that she’d changed her mind and wanted to scrap the rules, for good this time.
Because Irina wasn’t an irrational, lovesick idiot.
“Alright … yes. We can make a call about it now, if you’d like?”
She wiped at the wetness on her cheek. “Can you make the call? I’m … tired. Big night with the bestie and all that. I need sleep.”
She was already turning for the door when my hand shot out to grab her wrist. She stilled but didn’t turn.
“Is everything alright?” I asked through a thick throat. Her chin dropped to her chest, her shoulders rising and falling with a huge breath.
“I’m just PMSing, Henry. And all I want to do is curl up in my pyjamas and try to catch up on sleep.”
“If there was something on your mind, you’d talk to me about it, wouldn’t you?” I pressed.
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She tugged her wrist from my grip, and I let her slip out of the room once more. The door clicked with a soft finality.
“Shit,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. I turned back to my desk and the pressing contract. Sitting down, I picked up my phone and googled the Department of Home Affairs.
A much louder knock roused me from the whirring in my brain that not even my vape was calming. I grunted, and Lucian let himself into the room.
“Did you manage to find out what the hell is up her arse?”
A surge of anger filled me. “What makes you think that I have any ability to untangle her mysteries? I’m utterly useless when it comes to people!”
Lucian sat on the edge of my bed, rubbing his forehead. “Because you two are … you know …” He flushed, refusing to look in my direction.
“It was one night. And sex doesn’t mean I suddenly have some magical insight into her inner workings!”
“I’m not talking about sex,” Lucian argued. “I’m talking about thefact that she trusts you … and you trust her … and there’s something going on that’s got her rattled.”
I slumped back in my desk chair. “I know. I thought it was …” I stared up at the ceiling, trying to find the right words. “I thought that maybe she was uncomfortable because we’d been … intimate, even though we’d agreed that we shouldn’t. I probably made things awkward for us both.”
Lucian grunted. “But you don’t think it’s that anymore?”
I shrugged, frustration and worry and a sickening feeling of impotence swirling in my stomach. “It’s probably still a factor, but it’s not the only one. I just don’t know how to help her!”
I reached for my vape and took a long pull with shaking hands.
“Bax. You’re already helping her. And … I don’t know why you won’t just let things happen between the two of you, but?—”
“I’ll tell you why—because what she needs is stability. Two years of it, while we secure her visa. Not an emotionally stunted man who’ll ruin everything and force her to choose between a future in Australia and escaping me.”
Lucian shook his head. “Cadence did one hell of a number on you. You are theleastemotionally stunted man I know. And the way you are with Irina … it’s more than just stability you’re providing her. You give her empathy, and patience, and support. You give her all the things a partner should provide, and that’s not even considering the fact that you’reinsanelyattracted to one another!”
I threw my hands up in the air. “And none of that makes a scrap of difference, does it? At the end of the day, I offered her a contract marriage with an expiry date.” I sighed heavily, flexing my fingers. “Which I’ve just discovered is going to be made much more difficult for us. They’re not going to approve her temporary visa because the application was made after her student visa expired.”
Lucian blew out a breath. “Fuck.”
