Page 72 of Triplet Babies
I turn to look at her, noting the worry lines around her eyes and the way she’s been tiptoeing around me like I might shatter. “You think I’m being stupid.”
She shakes her head. “I think you’re scared. There’s a difference. I also think you deserve to be his wife, or at least his number-one instead of someone he hides in a corner of his life.” She sounds intense when she adds, “I’m on your…their side. I always have been and always will be.”
My phone vibrates against the table, and we both freeze. I reach for it slowly, expecting another call from Yarik that I won’tanswer. Instead, I see an unknown number and a text message that makes me shiver.
Still thinking about you. You can’t hide forever.
I away toss the phone like it burned me, and Nina lunges to grab it before it hits the floor. She reads the message, her face going pale.
“That’s the third one this week,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around me. “They’re different numbers every time, but I know it’s him.”
Nina screenshots then deletes the message with sharp, angry movements. “We should call the police.”
“And tell them what? I’m getting texts from unknown numbers? They’ll ask if the messages are directly threatening, and technically they’re not.”
“Sarah—”
“He’s playing games, just like he used to. He’s making me feel crazy and paranoid while staying just on the right side of legal.” I stand and pace to the window, looking out at the parking lot below. The apartment that felt safe a week ago now feels like a trap.
“We could leave,” she says quietly. “Tonight. Let’s pack everything and disappear.”
The suggestion makes my chest tight with relief and terror. Running feels like the smart choice, the safe choice, but it also feels like admitting defeat. “Where would we go?”
“Anywhere. Maybe the West Coast, or somewhere in the middle of the country. I have some money saved, and you must havesomething put aside from working for Yarik.” She hesitates. “This time, I think we need to figure out how to get new names and new identities, so we can start over entirely and make it harder for him to find you.”
I turn back to face her, noting the forced casualness in her voice. “What about your job? Your life here?”
She shrugs, but I catch the way her shoulders tense. “It’s just a job.”
“Nina.” I settle back on the couch, studying her face. “What aren’t you telling me?”
She looks down at her hands, twisting her ring around her finger in the nervous gesture I’ve known since college. “Emil offered me a promotion to Head of Catering Operations for their corporate clients.”
The words make me flinch. Nina has been working toward something like this for years, building her reputation and proving herself in an industry that doesn’t make room for mistakes. She left behind that clout a year ago to come with me to Greenwich and has now rebuilt it. Giving it up would be starting all over again. “When?”
“Yesterday. I haven’t given him an answer yet.” She meets my gaze reluctantly.
The thought of her sacrifice makes me shake my head. “This is everything you’ve worked for.”
She reaches for my hands, holding them firmly between both of hers. “So is our friendship and keeping you safe.”
The generosity of her offer brings me to tears that I blink back. She’s willing to sacrifice her dreams to run away with me, tostart over somewhere new yet again with fake identities and the constant fear Alex might find us anyway. The least I can do is be honest about how impossible that scenario really is.
I squeeze her hands, memorizing the warmth of her touch. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
Her voice grows fierce with determination. “You’re not asking. I’m offering.”
I pull my hands free and stand, pacing to the kitchen as I work through the implications. “What about the babies? How do I raise three children while looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life? How do I explain to them why we have to keep moving, why they can’t make friends or put down roots?”
Nina follows me, leaning against the counter with crossed arms. “We’ll figure it out.”
I turn to face her, letting my frustration show. “Will we? I’ve been thinking about it for days, and I can’t see how this ends well. Either I keep running forever, or I stay and fight for the life I want.”
Nina studies my face with careful attention, her expression growing more hopeful. “Which one feels right?”
My phone buzzes again before I can answer. This time, it’s an unknown number calling, and I make the mistake of answering without thinking.
“Hello?”
