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I swallowed hard, feeling a knot form in my stomach as Christy's words sank in. "I know, Christy. I know," I murmured. "But... I'm safe now.”
"But Alissa, everyone in town is freaking out," She continued, her concern for me palpable. "They've all been leaving flowers at the bakery. People are scared for you. We all combed this town street for street searching for you when we caught wind of what happened."
?I choked with emotion at the community’s support, and I whispered, "I... I don't know what to say."
"Where are you now?" Christy urged, and I could sense her anxiety growing.
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "I'm... I'm okay, don’t worry about me." I replied evasively, not wanting to reveal to her my story or my real identity over the phone.
"How can I not worry?" Christy's voice cracked. "Your sister killed someone. We all thought you were murdered in a ditch."
My blood ran cold at Christy's words, my brain had blocked the memory of the guard. Now that she mentioned it, immense guilt plagued me. "I'll explain everything when I see you," I promised her shakingly, still battling the chill of the guilt.
“Then I’ll see you today,” She rushed to say.
As I started to offer an excuse, unsure if it was a good idea, Christy cut me off abruptly. "No excuses, Luna. We're meeting tonight," she insisted firmly, leaving no room for argument.
I sighed, knowing that Christy wouldn't take no for an answer. "Alright," I relented, resigning myself to the inevitable meeting.
"Good. Send me the location of where you're staying," She instructed.
I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "I will," I said.
"Take care of yourself, Alissa," She told me before hanging up.
I closed my eyes, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside her. I knew I had to meet with Christy, but I dreaded telling her my secrets, not because I didn’t trust her, just because it still felt too raw. With a heavy heart, I sent the location and whispered, "I'll see you," to no one in particular. I also shot Simon a text telling him that I was safe, I knew Adrik wouldn’t stomach the idea of me calling him right now.
In the hours leading up to Christy's arrival, I ended up spending a lot of time in the kitchen, baking cakes. It wasn't just about satisfying a sweet tooth or killing time; truth is, I was a bundle of nerves after that phone call. Baking seemed like the only thing I could do to keep my mind off things.
As I watched the fifth cake bake in the oven. Adrik stood beside me, a silent pillar of support, his presence helping calm me down. With each passing minute, my fear of confessing to Christy grew heavier. I was so scared that she would hate me after she finds out my truth, that almost everything she knew about me was a lie, right down to my name.
As I reached to pull out the last cake from the oven, the sudden ring of the doorbell startled me, causing me to nearly burn my fingers on the hot tray. Wiping the sweat off my palms on my pants, I hurriedly made my way to the door, jitters fluttering in my midsection. I swung open the door to let Christy in.
Christy's face lit up with relief, and before I could utter a word, she flung herself into my arms, enveloping me in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're really okay," she whispered, burying her face in my hair. Feeling the warmth of her embrace, I prayed that she would still love me after I lay down all my cards.
I felt the atmosphere shift, awkwardness settling over us like a heavy blanket when she noticed Adrik. I caught her glancing athim wearily, the subtle fidgeting of her hands, the hitching of her breath, all signs of her discomfort in his presence. I understood her trepidation, Adrik isn’t a small man, he’s six foot four and burly, he got that reaction from strangers all the time.
"Come on in, Christy," I invited, despite the nervous fluttering in my chest. "Would you like some coffee? I baked a cake too. Well, lots of them."
Christy's eyes darted to Adrik, her gaze lingering on his imposing stature for a moment too long. She was intimidated, but walked in and sat down on the couch nevertheless. I poured her a cup of coffee and sliced a piece of chocolate cake, her favorite.
As we settle around the table, the conversation flowed hesitantly at first. Christy's curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn’t help but ask the question burning in her mind once Adrik left, giving us some privacy.
"Who's the man?" she asked, gesturing towards Adrik’s retreating back.
"He's... my husband," I said, faltering slightly as I met Christy's gaze. "Adrik."
The silence that follows was deafening, but I gathered my courage to continue. "I'm not Alissa," I admitted. "My real name is Luna Petrov."
I watched Christy's expression morph from confusion to shock. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her mouth opening and closing as if searching for words that refuse to come.
"Luna?" she stuttered. "But... but why? How?"
“I ran away after I found my husband and sister together, I thought she was pregnant with his child.” I paused for her to process my trauma, and her eyebrows raised to her hairline.
“I changed my identity and moved far away from them. Adrik followed me to tell me the truth, turns out my sister drugged him. When she found out we were back together, she kidnapped me.” I went on to say, bracing myself for Christy's reaction, my heart pounding in my chest as I waited for her response, the fear of judgment and rejection threatening to overwhelm me.
Closing my eyes, I prepared myself to face whatever anger or disappointment Christy may throw my way. But to my surprise, when I finally gathered the courage to open my eyes again, I found her looking at me with an expression that I can only describe as empathetic.
