Poppy meeting someone inside a hotel room...
And Poppy texting him later on, saying that she “knew” someone who might be able to help him.
It was like the fucking past all over again, only this time she was much luckier than his ex. Camelia’s lover had been a dirty old man. Poppy, on the other hand, had Misha Grachyov.
Why, dammit?
Why did women in his life always end up whoring themselves just because they could never trust him enough?
****
POPPY TRIED TO STAY up as late as she could. But even her excitement was no match against the lure of sleep. By the time she woke up, a groggy-eyed glance at her phone showed it was already five in the morning.
“You’re finally up.”
Poppy nearly jumped out of her skin. “V-Valerian?”
She finally noticed him standing by the window, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
“I told you I’d be home late.”
His words reminded her of the news she had been dying to share with him since last night, and Poppy quickly sat up on the couch with renewed excitement. “Did you get my text? There may be someone I know who could help you—”
“I appreciate the kind offer. Truly I do—”
“Then—”
“But that only makes what I have to say a lot more...awkward.”
“Awkward how?” Was his pride the issue here? Did he think it would make him less of a man if he accepted her help?
“I don’t think there’s any right way to say this, and you know how much I hate wasting time, so...I’ll just get it all out in the open then.”
Poppy’s chest started hurting for some reason. She finally realized something was wrong. And she had no idea why.
“I came here to end things between us.”
I don’t understand, God.
“You’re a nice girl, Poppy. You really are. But the way our relationship began wasn’t exactly typical, was it?
I just don’t understand.
“I was drunk, for one. And at a particularly low moment in my life. I genuinely wanted things to work between us. But I just don’t think it’s possible.”
Poppy could barely breathe now.
“That was why I had to go to the office last night. I needed to speak with my lawyers.”
Her chest hurt. So, so much.
“We talked about the kind of image I needed to present, once this all blows over, and we all agreed that you won’t cut it as my wife.”
Poppy could only stare at him.
“Do you have anything to say?”
She slowly shook her head.