Page 34 of Dark Desires
She lets out a long sigh. “I don’t even know what to think about this.”
“Be happy—you’re marrying a hero. He might not be the man of your dreams, but I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for him.”
Her eyes flash, and I can tell she’s picking up on my anxiety about the marriage.
“Isa,” she says quietly, “I know you’re worried. But everything’s going to be OK.”
I force a smile. “Yeah, Steph. You just focus on getting better. Let me worry about everything else.”
She looks over at the roses on the table and sighs. “I know it’s strange… all of this.”
I don’t trust myself to say much, so I just nod. “If anyone can make it work, it’s you, Steph.”
She smiles, then closes her eyes again, clearly worn out. I stay by her side, my head spinning. Alexei and his roses. Stephania and her optimism. And me, somehow in the middle of all of it, carrying a baby no one else knows about yet.
I squeeze her hand, grounding myself.
“You’re sure about this?” I ask. “Marrying Alexei?”
Her expression turns just like that. Tears form in her eyes, and she starts sniffling.
“Honestly, I’m not sure about anything anymore, Isa. I don’t want to marry him. I can’t.”
Suddenly, she’s sobbing.
“Oh, hold on.” I scan the room, spotting a box of tissues and bounding out of my chair to get them and bring them over.
She takes one, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. I give her a moment to gather herself.
“I know this is for the family, and it’s what needs to be done.” She wipes her nose again. “But I can’t! I love Omar.”
My heart breaks for her.
“I know you want to help the family, but this is your life. If you really don’t want to do it, tell my dad. He might be disappointed, but he will understand. I know he will.” I’m not so sure about that, but I will say anything to stop Stepania from crying right now.
She smiles, her eyes still red. “Thanks, Isa.”
“I hear someone’s up.” One of the nurses pokes her head into the room.
“I think that’s my cue to leave,” I say. “I’ll be around, alright?”
She nods confidently. “Alright. Don’t go far. Please.”
“I promise.”
With that, I slip out of the room as the nurse enters.
Once I’m back in the hallway, relief hits me hard, followed immediately by dread.
Alexei. What a freaking mess. Part of me wants to go right to Dad, to tell him that this sham marriage needs to be stopped. Is he really going to force his blood to marry someone she doesn’t love?
And what about me?
I owe it to this little one growing in my womb to sort this shit out, to figure out how to get his or her dad back into our lives. And I need to get ahead of the fallout that’s sure to come down when the secret gets out.
CHAPTER 11
ISABELLA
