Page 148 of Vendetta Vows

"Ruslan does care about me." The defensive edge in my voice surprises even me.

"Not like I do." Hannah's response is immediate, cutting. "I'm your friend, Aurora. Let me help you."

"I'm okay, Hannah. Really."

"Stop it!" Her voice explodes through the phone. "Just stop! Stop pretending like what you're saying is normal! Stop pretending this is fine! None of this is okay!"

I close my eyes, the weight of everything crashing down on me.

"You're right," I whisper. "It's not okay."

Hannah goes silent on the other end of the line. The absence of her voice feels like a final punctuation mark to everything that's happened between us. Maybe she's hung up. Maybe she's tired of all this.

"I can't lose you." When Hannah finally speaks again, her voice is completely changed. Tiny. Frightened. "So don't push me away."

There's something about the tremor in her words that reaches past the numbness. A sliver of feeling wedges into the hollow space inside me.

"Hannah, please don't cry."

But she does. The soft, muffled sobs cut through the fog surrounding me. Real tears for the real me, whoever that is now.

"You won't lose me." My voice feels steadier now, more present.

"Then let me see you."

"I'll talk to Ruslan," I say finally. "I'll ask him to send a car for you."

"A car?" Hannah's voice rises with disbelief. "What are you, the mob now?"

The irony of her words punches me in the gut. If she only knew.

"It's safer this way. Trust me."

"Fine." A heavy sigh travels through the phone. "But I swear to God, Aurora, if I get into some black SUV with tinted windows and never see daylight again."

My fingers grip the phone tighter. "I'll explain everything when you get here. I promise."

"You better." Her voice softens slightly. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I know." The words feel inadequate for everything she's done for me. "I'll call you back with details."

I end the call and sit there for a moment, gathering my thoughts. My legs feel unsteady as I push myself up off the floor. I need to find Ruslan.

I step out from my room, wiping the last traces of tears from my face. The hall stretches before me, oppressively silent after the emotional storm I've just weathered.

And then I see him ascending the stairs with purposeful strides, his face set in hard lines.

Our eyes lock. His jaw tightens further, golden eyes flashing with something dangerous that should frighten me but somehow doesn't.

"You saw it," I say.

Ruslan closes the distance between us, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. "Are you okay,zarechka?"

"I'm fine."

His thumb brushes my cheekbone. "You don't have to lie to me."

I lean into his touch, drawing strength from the warmth of his skin. "I'm not lying. I think there's a part of me that always knew this day would come eventually." My shoulders lift in a small shrug. "At least I'm not alone when it happened."

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