How she survived, what she had to do in order to become who she is, more about her brother and her life and her passions and her dreams. It’s like a craving that nestled under my ribs, and now that I’ve acknowledged it, it surges forward with the power of raw hunger.
I do like her.
It crept up like a whisper and now it’s a siren in my brain. So I follow it and walk straight to Zira’s room, knocking twice before entering.
Zira’s pacing up and down in the middle of the room, but she freezes the moment she sees me, and both her hands clutch together at her abdomen. “Bradley.”
“I came to check on you and see how you’re settling in. I didn’t… consider how overwhelming this might be for you, and for that I apologize.”
Her eyes widen. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Oh. Thanks. Yeah, this has been kind of…” Her mouth twists briefly to the side. “I feel I’ve been thrown into how the other half live.”
“The other half?”
“Yeah, I mean…” She starts toward me and then thinks better of it. “The sheer number of rooms you have here overflowing with luxury? You could fit my apartment in this place five times over and then some. The library, the gym, and I overheard someone talking about a medical center? It’s uhm…” She laughs softly but it lacks warmth. “It’s kind of surreal.”
“Does it make you uncomfortable?”
“No!” Her eyes widen and she hastily tucks her hair behind her ear. “It’s not that. It’s just a lot. I mean, even this bed looks and feels like it cost about six months’ worth of my rent. It’s cool and all but it’s like… just another thing that makes me feel out of place, y’know?”
I step forward and she flashes me a nervous smile. “Is that all that’s worrying you?”
“Mmhmm.” Her smile brightens but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, as if she’s forcing it. “It makes me want to go home. Is that weird?”
“No. You’re craving stability and comfort. I can’t fault you for that. I also can’t send you home so if it helps, I need you to know that you are safe here. No one gets in without permission and no one here will harm you in any way. You can rest and recover.”
“Hardly.” She lets out a soft snort. “All I can think about is my brother.”
“You miss him, don’t you?” I say gently, easing into giving her an opening to tell me about the messages.
“I do.” Suddenly, the emotions on her face become genuine and sadness melts across her face. “I always feel responsible for him.Always. And he’s out there somewhere and I’m scared for him. If someone else finds him first, then I?—”
Approaching her, I place my hands on her shoulders and grip gently as her words catch in her throat. “Not to brag,” I say with a gentle smile. “But the people I have here, the ones I work with? They’re the best. The second Peter makes himself known, we’ll be there.”
Zira stares up at me and her glistening eyes dart back and forth between my own. There’s a second where her lips part and her chest rises as if she’s taking a breath to speak, but whatever exists behind her eyes doesn’t make it past her lips.
“Thank you,” she says instead. “For believing me. And letting me stay here.”
“You’re welcome.” I squeeze her shoulders once more and step away, but as I walk toward the door, it strikes me that Zira might need something far more normal in her life to ease her stress by even a fraction. Reaching the door, I turn back toward her as she retreats to the bed and sits.
“Want to go to a party?”
Zira’s brows dart up to her hairline and she stares at me wide-eyed. “What?”
“A party. Ruslan’s having a birthday party tonight. Do you want to go?”
Her jaw works back and forth as if multiple decisions flood her mouth at once, then she nods quickly. “I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I’ll sort that.”
19
ZIRA
“Hold still.” Ivy gently places her fingers under my chin and peels off the last part of the lip stain, then she stands back to admire her work. “Perfect! Do you want to see?”
