Page 54 of Vicious Hearts

“By that logic, shouldn’t you pinch yourself?”

“Tell. Me. Everything.”

Her ass jumps up and down on the sofa in excitement, and she waits, like a child anticipating their bedtime story.

“Where’s Michael?”

“Not here. Stop changing the subject. Tell me.”

I haven’t shared with Nina anything about my time in Guatemala. As far as she knew, I was off in Mexico chasing another surprise exposé. She did know about the interview I did with him on his boat – the one which resulted in the article that shot me to superstardom for all of fifteen minutes. But that’sallshe knew. I wasn’t sure that I was ready to share Guatemala with anyone.

“There’s nothing to tell, Nina.”

“What was that obscenely gorgeous man doing in my living room? And why was he looking at you like he could devour you whole then go again.”

“Nina, please…”

I try to beg off, but Nina’s persistent. And then when a fine film of liquid pools in my eyes, she goes quiet and looks at me sympathetically before she pulls me into a hug.

It all comes out in a mad rush. I babble. I cry. I share. I pull back. I babble some more, until I’m a massive messy heap in front of her. I tell her how about the false fire alarm and how I was taken in the middle of the night. The plane ride and travel to Guatemala, then waking up in Caleph’s world. His revelation about the bounty and explaining why he did what he did. Our time together. The car accident, and the subsequent events which led us to here. By the end of it, she is mostly swooning.

“But I don’t get it,” she says, frowning in confusion as I swipe a hand under my eyes. “If you like him and he likes you, what’s holding you back?”

“He killed a man, Nina. And I watched him do it.”

“He did it for the right reasons.”

I lean away from my friend and look at her like she’s grown two heads. Is she condoning what Caleph did?

“Come on Ariadne, the world is not as black and white as we like to think it is. He meted out his own kind of justice. Someone tried to hurt you and he hurt them in return. The recurring theme here in all he’s done is that he was trying to protect you.”

“He’s a criminal,” I argue.

“So were those politicians. I didn’t see them get punished for what they’d been doing. Instead, they built on their crimes and tried to kill you. Don’t blame Caleph for taking things into his own hands; he’s obviously a man that understands justice is a dish best served cold.”

“I can’t believe you’re defending him.”

“Honestly, Ariadne. I can’t believe you would even be second guessing this. You spent two years with a man who tried to shape you into his vision of what he wanted you to be. Then you met a man who just wanted you to ‘be’. I know which man I’d choose.”

“The man is flawed.”

“Every man is flawed, honey. But his flaw is he happens to be obsessed with you.”

* * *

We all havea Michael in our lives. He’s that irritating big brother type that has a strong desire to know everything that’s going on around him. I swat him away as he follows me around trying to find out who I’m going to dinner with. No doubt to let Rand know and keep him in the loop. Honestly, I don’t know how Nina puts up with him most of the time.

Michael has some misguided delusions that Rand and I will end up back together again, regardless of how I feel about him. He just can’t see past our history fraught with ego and narcissism.

Sometimes I look at him, and I just can’t see how he and Rand could actually be friends. They’re as different as night and day. But they must be doing something right, because apparently, they’ve been friends forever and a day.

“But who is he?” he whines, following me around like a puppy.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” I tell him. “And it’s actually just a business dinner.”

“Dressed likethat?”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” I ask, looking down at my pantsuit. I might just need some tape to hold the blazer to my skin, so I don’t flash any nipple, but I actually think I look very decent.

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