Page 75 of Deceitful Vows

I whip around so fast my hair slaps my face. “Why? Because you get pleasure tormenting me?” When he remains quiet, guilt stealing his words, I thrust my hand in the direction I came from. “He’s married, Mikhail, so why do you keep dangling him in front of me like that doesn’t matter?”

“Because it doesn’t.” For someone with one nut now larger than the other, he talks remarkably fast. “She doesn’t mean anything to him. He doesn’t love her. He?—”

I jump the gate with my reply to ensure he can’t try to convince my heart that any of its foolish notions over the past month are plausible. “Then he should leave her.” I get two steps away before the man-hating devil on my shoulder demands the chance to be heard. “Or better yet, she should leave him. Even if there is a prenup, they rarely protect adulterers. She could take him to the cleaners, and I’ll be more than happy to testify on her behalf to make sure she gets every penny she deserves.”

Mikhail smiles, and it instantly conjures up memories of the man I’m endeavoring to hate.

Bastard!

“You don’t mean that, Sunshine.”

“Wanna bet?”

After hitting him with a scorn hot enough to burn, I recommence my travels.

I barely get two steps away when four short words immediately end my campaign to escape. “Zoya. Is that you?”

I crank my neck to the voice so fast that I almost give myself whiplash. Unfortunately, the platinum-blonde locks and unblemished face I am seeking don’t belong to the voice’s owner, but she is a very close second.

“Shevi?” I murmur, unsure if my rummage through the tumbleweeds in my head is up to the task so soon after a near orgasmic eruption and mental meltdown.

Shevi has been Aleena’s best friend since kindergarten. The last time I laid eyes on her, she had braces and pigtails. She wasn’t the exotic beauty standing across from me now.

“Yes.” She gleams. “I can’t believe you remember me.”

I’m taken aback when she races for me before throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tight. The only female affection I’ve received in the past twelve years is from Nikita, and she’s stingy when it comes to friendly PDA.

After embracing me long enough for Mikhail to make a full recovery, Shevi inches back until we’re eye to eye. “I’m sorry we missed you at the fitting. Aleena…” Her pause gives my heart time to recover from the mention of my baby sister’s name. “Gosh. Not even those handful of times we managed to sneak out tainted how angelic she looked in her dress.” She bumps me with her hip. “The dress fitter didn’t even ask if she should consider an ivory gown instead of the pure white Dina demanded.” She rolls her eyes like I do anytime I mention my mother’s name. “Even though I despise her more than chicken strips with no ranch dressing, I couldn’t disagree with her decision. The dress she picked for Aleena is perfect. She is going to be the most beautiful bride.”

“Aleena is getting married?” The words shoot out of my mouth before I can stop them. I’m too shocked to play the cool cucumber I’m meant to be when associating with my little sister’s best friend.

“Yeah… ah…” Shevi’s sigh rustles the hair clinging to my neck. It isn’t hot. I just haven’t cooled down enough from my exchange with Andrik just yet. “I’m sorry. I assumed you knew. It’s new. Her fiancé is…”

I wait and wait and wait for her to continue.

It is a very long thirty seconds.

“He’s handsome,” she eventually settles on. “And rich. And?—”

“Is she happy?” I interrupt, more concerned about Aleena’s well-being than a stranger I will most likely never meet.

Shevi’s eyes flick past me for the quickest second before she faintly nods. “Yes. She’s happy.Veryhappy.”

The weight of a mountain shifts off my shoulders, and tears prick my eyes. Those last two words are all I’ve ever wanted. They bring so much closure and make up for the horrible things I had to endure to achieve them.

“I’m sorry, Zoya, I have to go.” Shevi signals to a man at the end of the lot that she won’t be a minute before she gives my hand a gentle squeeze. “But we will talk more soon.” She smiles. It is full of hesitance. “We have a heap of wonderful events coming up, so I am sure we will bump into each other again.” After a final squeeze, she murmurs goodbye before hotfooting it to the dark-haired man waiting for her.

I’m so stunned by her confession that my sister is getting married that I don’t object to Mikhail butting shoulders with me to watch her exit. We stand in silence for several long minutes, the quiet only ending when a truck driver sounds his horn, requesting we move from the middle of the dusty lot so he can exit without running us over.

“Can I?—”

“Nope,” I answer before Mikhail can finalize his question, walking away from him.

“He’ll—”

I silence him with an action this time instead of words. I hold the dirtbox he gifted me last month in the air before clicking the button.

I told myself I was being neurotic when I put it in my purse. Andrik hadn’t made a single effort to find me.

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