Page 88 of Stolen Seconds

My hair. . .

The sound of my blood pumping sounded harshly against my ears; my breathing labored as I ran my fingers through my hair.No.

“Wha-what. . . ” I couldn’t breathe, my vision darkening as I kept touching the uneven strands.

Hands circled my wrists, stopping my movements but I was too far gone in my own grief to see or hear anything else.

“Hey. . . hey. You’re okay.”

I thought I had no tears left in me but I did, my sobs echoing against the four walls of the room.

After some time, weak and tired, sleep overtook me assoothing words and touches anchored me in place, away from unbearable nightmares.

The next time I woke up, the curtains were drawn closed, the room dimly lit.

I was pressed down by something heavy—someone. Luca had his arms wrapped tightly around me, and he was very much asleep as he cuddled me.

A large, tattooed man in a bed too small for him yet he slept so peacefully with our limbs intertwined. Even I couldn’t help but crack a smile as a surge of warmth spread though me at the sight.

“I warned him to stay away from you, you know.”

My head snapped toward the familiar voice.

Aurora sat beside the bed on a chair, her face dragging in clear tiredness with puffy eyes.

“Luca is the type of man who doesn’t settle down and I was scared of the consequences of his actions if he pursued you.”

I knew Roman warned off Luca but hearing Aurora confess to doing the same shocked me. She’d never interfered with my relationships, not that I’d ever settled down either. I guess Luca and I were the same in that sense, though I wasn’t sure of his reasoning.

“But I was wrong.” She looked between the two of us before holding my gaze. “I’ve never seen such suffering and torment on anyone as I have on Luca since you were admitted.”

I inhaled a shaky breath, my heart thundering so fiercely, I thought I might pass out from the sheer force of it.

“I don’t deserve his empathy.” It was the truest wordsI’d ever spoken. “I haven’t done a single good thing for this man to earn his undivided attention.”

“I know what love looks like Irina...”

“Don’t,” I cut her off. “That’s not what this is.” The backs of my eyes stung as I whispered, “You weren’t there to hear what I’d said to him before I left.”

The pain was still fresh from that moment in the rain, perhaps worse than the throbbing ache of my body now.

“I repulse myself, Aurora. Now, tell me, how can he love someone as unpleasant as me?”

Aurora’s expression filled with pity, and I had to turn away from her or it would destroy me further.

“Ilove you,” she said with raw emotion. “You’re worthy of love, and I won’t be convinced otherwise.”

“Even though I lied to you?”

When she didn’t respond, I built up the courage to stare back at her, feeling my chest cave in a little.

“Even though you lied to me.”

My lips pursed as I tried my best to not break into a million more pieces.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you were thePakhan’sdaughter? You could’ve trusted me.”

Rummaging through the many reasons I could give her; I knew none of them could sugarcoat the true reason I had never allowed myself to admit until now.

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