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This is not going anything like when I told Mariya. Yakov’s sister pulled me into a hug, demanded to see the ring, and asked for a play-by-play of everything Yakov did and said last night. For her sake, I left out everything after the proposal. There’s no need to traumatize the poor girl.
“Yakov is not Benjy,” I say.
“You say that, but this feels kind of like Benjy,” she says. “I’ve barely seen you for months, we hardly talk, and Yakov clearly doesn’t want you hanging out with me.”
“That’s not true!”
“Which part?” Kayla asks. “Because from where I’m sitting, it’s all true.”
“Okay, so some of it is true. But the only reason I’ve been MIA recently is because Yakov was trying to keep me safe. And it’s not that he doesn’t want us hanging out.”
“He kicked me out the last time I was there. With no explanation.”
I sigh. “That was… that was not great. I’m sorry about that. But he’s having a hard time with what happened and his brother being in the hospital.”
“You’re making excuses for him the same way you did for Benjy,” she says softly.
“The difference is that Benjy isn’t sitting behind the phone feeding me lines!” I snap.
Kayla gasps. “He did that?”
I never told her that. I’ve never told anyone. Now, I remember why. My face flames with embarrassment.
“Things with Benjy were… worse than you know,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. “I know you’re looking out for me right now, but I need you to know that I would never put myself back in that kind of situation. Not after I fought so hard to get out.”
“I didn’t know,” Kayla says softly. “I didn’t realize?—”
“And that’s okay. The only thing I need you to realize now is that I’m capable of determining when I’m happy. I don’t need you to do it for me. Yakov makes me happy and I need you to trust that.”
“Of course I can trust that, Loon. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
There’s a long pause before she says, “So do I still get to be your maid of honor or…?”
I cackle. “There’s the Kayla I know and love.”
When Kayla and I finally hang up after thirty minutes of her walking me through the tackiest wedding trends I must avoid, I’m exhausted.
Partially because I never went back to sleep after Yakov left this morning. But it feels like more than that. I’ve barely eaten anything all day because of constant nausea and my eyes burn with the need to sleep.
I lie down on the bed and am asleep almost before my head hits the pillow.
When I wake up, the world beyond the windows is streaked with afternoon light and there’s a small pink box on the end of the bed.
I sit up immediately. “Yakov?”
I listen, but I don’t hear him. His shoes aren’t by the closet and his phone isn’t on the nightstand. There’s no sign of him.
I crawl across the bed and rip the lid off of the box. This time, it isn’t a ring or a box of sex toys; it’s a necklace. A delicate golden chain with a rose gold pendant hanging from the center. It’s beautiful.
“Yakov?” I call again, but no one answers.
He must have stopped by to give it to me, but wanted to let me sleep.
I put the necklace on and reach for my phone. Thank you for the gift, Yakov.
I fall back asleep before he responds.
