Page 88 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

“Our bodies are just vessels,” he murmurs, remembering.

“Exactly. We put her body to rest, but honestly, I think she was at rest long before then. She’s having new adventures now.”

“She hated when you used to say that,” he snorts. I can hear his smile. “‘Heaven isn’t about adventures, honey.’”

“Seems boring, don’t you think?”

“I’m still surprised you feel that way.”

“Why? Because I’m so boring in real life?” I ask.

“No,” he says quietly. “That’s not what I meant.”

“It is,” I push back. “It’s okay. I’ll concede I’m pretty boring.”

“Maybe you were once upon a time,” he says. “But not anymore.”

He sounds sincere. No backhanded anything, no underlying meaning. He’s just saying what I’ve feared about myself for a while now: that I’m not the same scared, sheltered, awkward Liv I used to be.

“Is that a bad thing?” I ask honestly. “Because for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m actually being myself.”

“That… that makes me sad to hear.”

“I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. Or blame you,” I say.

“I know. But I know I have a part to play in it.”

We let that sit for a moment. I listen to the sound of his breathing on the line, and he does the same with me. Neither one of us ends the call and neither one of us breaks the silence, either.

For once, I’m okay with that.

“Are you okay, Liv?” Rob finally asks. “Like, truly okay?”

“Yeah, I think I am.”

“I just… I was worried. In your condition…” He stops short and takes a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Are you alone right now?”

“In my apartment,” he says. “Mia said she was going to spend the night in the house. She asked me to come, too, but I don’t think I can deal with that today.”

“Oh,” I say. “I guess my invitation got lost in the mail.”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“About spending the night at the house?” I ask. “No. She wasn’t very happy about me being at the funeral in the first place.”

“That’s not true.”

“You weren’t there, Rob. You don’t know what she said to me.”

“Oh God,” he mutters. “What did she say?”

I shake my head, even though he obviously can’t see me. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Liv.”

“Seriously, forget I said anything. Bottom line, I wasn’t invited to the slumber party tonight. And that’s okay. I don’t mind being left out.”

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