Page 157 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

I hope she doesn’t mock me.

Sitting next to me, Kai’s lost expression shows he doesn’t understand Russian.

“Shit, Riri, what happened? Did your fucktoy break?”

My emotions overwhelm me, and tears start streaming down my face. Maybe I’m scared. “I messed up, Ari. I’m in a weird situation.” Of how thrilling this is.

“Go ahead,” she responds. “I’m listening.”

Inhaling deeply, I pour out my predicament to her without holding back. I trust her with my life, and she reacts with laughter, shouting, sighing, and more laughter. Arietta is always energetic, intense, and fearless when it comes to life. Within minutes, I shared everything—Kai, myself, Eric, Victor, and even the SUV that I blew up and the man I killed.

Everything.

Then there’s a long silence. It’s torture.

“So, he confessed his feelings for you?” Arietta finally speaks up.

“Yes.”

“Do you think he was sincere?”

“I believe so.”

“And he’s good in bed?”

A giggle escapes my throat at the mental image of Kai’s stubble between my legs. “Yes.”

“Can you imagine waking up without him tomorrow?”

My heart sinks at the thought, and tears start flowing again. “No, I can’t. But what if I never come back?” I ask through sobs.

“You’ll have a new home. In a year or two, I’ll come and visit you. This isn’t the end; it’s just a new beginning, like one of your silly fiction stories.”

My crying subsides slowly. Since I was fifteen, I’ve been writing stories like this—stories that are not real, that don’t involve me. They’re just fantasies of an unloved girl.

“I know it’s a strange situation,” Arietta continues. “But you’re not obligated to stay in it for a long time. If things don’t work out or you don’t want him anymore in a few weeks, you can end it or take things slower.”

Donovan protests in the background at those words.

Yeah, that man would die if Arietta ended their thing.

“Set the ground rules for your relationship early on. Clearly define what you won’t tolerate and give him a chance to prove himself.”

“Doesn’t it make me a coward for running away? What about him?”

“It depends. If you truly want this, be selfish for once and claim him. Listen to what he wants, too. You deserve to be happy, no matter how absurd it may seem.”

Arietta is my voice of reason. Behind her playful temperament, she’s the least naïve person I know. She always has three hundred solutions to a single problem.

I love her.

“I can’t believe you blew up a car. That’s spectacular!”

Our conversation ends there. Arietta isn’t one for seriousness. She takes everything lightly, a refreshing contrast to my tendency to overthink.

“Thank you, Ari. I adore you.”

“Me too, Care Bear. I’ll see you when you can.”

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