Page 45 of My Dark Horse Prince

“The electrician called, actually,” Aleks says. “Yours are operational. Now we just need to get that wind blowing.”

When he beams, his already perfectly symmetrical face only becomes more breathtaking. “Excellent news.” He turns back toward me. “If your appointment isn’t too long, maybe you’ll be up to going for a bit of a drive afterward and holding my hand for a little stroll?”

I roll my eyes. “I’m sure I can manage it.”

“Great.”

“You’re sure you can make enough wind to power all those wind turbines?” Kris asks. “And won’t that be tiring, always standing around making it blow?”

Aleks and Grigoriy share a glance. “It’s fine,” Grigoriy says. “Aleks explained what I need to do. Don’t worry about it.”

“Fine.” Kris pushes past the boys and out into the hall.

The ride to the surgeon’s office is a little tense. Partially because Aleks is going one point seven million miles per hour, but mostly because I can’t seem to understand how they can all be insisting the money for the surgery doesn’t matter.

Kris didn’t even care that I might not be able to pay her back.

It can’t be because she’s rich now. I know plenty of rich people who won’t share so much as a stick of gum with others. Finally, Kris turns around. “If I needed a surgery,” she says. “And you had the money in savings—”

“I’d loan it to you,” I say, “but I’d be nervous that you’d never be able to pay me back. That’s how I expected you to feel.”

Before she can reply, her phone starts to ring. Loudly. And it just keeps on ringing.

“Are you going to answer?” Kris asks.

I realize the ringing is coming from my new phone, not Kristiana’s. “Only my mom and Adriana even have my number.”

“Is it one of them?” Kris lifts her eyebrows.

I swipe to take the call. “Hello?”

“So is she loaning you the money? Because if so, I could really use my thousand euros back.”

“Adriana, it’s not a good time.”

“For me, either,” she says. “I really did want to help. I mean, I still do, but if you can, like, wire me the money or something, that would be great. I have a race tomorrow, and I’m sure I’m going to win this time.”

Adriana is always sure she’s going to win. She does, occasionally, but she loses just as often. Only her optimism never changes. I sigh. “It wasn’t a thousand, which you well know, and the thing is—”

“No, don’t tell me the thing. I’ll text you with the wire instructions.” She hangs up.

And that’s my sister. My real sister. Is it a shock that I feel guilty for taking advantage of Kris? This is what I’m used to. Although, I should be grateful. She did loan me five hundred euros when I had nothing.

“She needs money.” Kris’s voice—the woman who was just telling me that she won’t let me repay her—is totally flat. She’s not Adriana’s biggest fan.

I don’t really blame her.

“She’ll be fine,” I say.

“Forward the wire instructions to me,” Kris says. “If she loaned you money, we’d better pay her back quickly.”

Luckily, we reach the surgeon’s office before I get anything from Adriana. Hopefully with all the distractions, she’ll forget. Of course, it didn’t occur to me that we’d sit and wait for over an hour.

Aleks finally gets fed up and marches to the front counter. I half expect us to get thrown out, but instead a lady in a bright green set of scrubs shows us back to a room. “The doctor wants all the tests done before he sees you.”

I signed the release they sent yesterday. They should have them all from my doctor back home. “But my records—”

“Dr. Hubert only trusts tests he’s had done himself.”

---