Page 184 of Cashmere Cruelty

Then I realize he isn’t alone.

“April!”

June comes hurtling out of the car like a bullet. She crashes into me, but gently, without once touching my belly. “Jesus Christ, Apes, you almost killed me with worry!”

“Sorry,” I mumble. “If it helps, you didn’t miss much. This year’s pieces were very boring.”

“Missed yourOcean’s 8moment, by the sound of it,” June sniffles in my hair.

I can’t believe it. I just finished crying. And yet, with June here in my arms, trembling with fear at the thought of something happening to me and Nugget…

It’s useless. The floodgates burst open again, and I can’t do a thing to stop them. “I’m sorry,” I mumble again, holding my best friend tight.

“I bet you are. Don’t ever scare me like that again. I mean it.” Then she turns to Matvey. “You kept your promise, Baby Daddy.”

Matvey clears his throat, somewhat uncomfortable. “I always keep my promises.”

Something warm spreads into my chest then. Because I realize, with sudden clarity, the one thing that truly matters:

This time, Matvey came for me.

We drop June off at the Brooklyn apartment and head back to the penthouse. All the way there, Matvey treats me as if I’m made of glass. It’s… new. Endearing, in a way.

But when he goes so far as to try to help me out of my shoes, I shake my head and laugh. “It’s okay, Matvey. I can do that.”

Matvey levels me with a look. “You heard Dr. Allan. No unnecessary efforts.”

Then he slips off my kitten heels.

His movements are careful. Gentle. Once again, I’m stunned at the sight of this man—this powerful man with thousands of men and billions of dollars at his command—treating me like I’m something precious. Something that shouldn’t be so far as nicked, let alone broken.

It’s the first time anyone’s treated me like that.

A yawn escapes me. After this hellish day, my exhaustion is finally catching up.

“Lie down,” Matvey barks. From his mouth, everything sounds like an order. “I’ll get you some water.”

“No,” I whine, catching the edge of his sleeve. “Stay.”

Suddenly, I remember what happened the last time I did this. How quickly Matvey left the room the second that word slipped out of my mouth.

“Sorry,” I hurry to say. “I?—”

“Alright.”

Without another word, Matvey lies down next to me.

For a long time, we just lie there, facing each other. Me, Matvey, and our baby in between. Matvey’s fingers come up to my hair, stroking in slow drags. Before long, my eyelids grow heavy again.

As I drift off to sleep, I wonder to myself where this Matvey has been all this time.

And I think, heartbeat slowing to a crawl, that I wouldn’t mind if he really did stay.

Forever.

58

MATVEY

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