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I step back, trying not to crumble. The scent of his cologne reaches me. It’s crazy what a simple scent can do, how it can intensify a pain that’s already there.
“You and your damn obsession with keeping up appearances,” I say.
“Alma.”
“Are you ashamed of me? Is that it?”
“What are—”
“Tell me, Vadim. Am I not smart enough, pretty enough, young enough? I don’t have a horde of fans chasing me. I’m not an influencer with millions of followers. Am I not special enough for you to want to be seen with me?”
“Don’t talk like that. I missed you. I miss you all the time.”
He comes closer, and tries to take me in his arms.
“No! You always think you can say something sweet to me and get away with everything.”
He stops in his tracks, his outstretched hands still hovering in the air.
“Why do I let you do this to me?” I whisper.
“You know why I lie, Alma. I’m only trying to protect you. Once the world knows we’re together, we won’t be able to go back. We’ll be scrutinized, spied on, followed constantly. Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know. Is it either that or not existing at all? It seems like there’s no other choice.”
“I’m not exactly easy to be with, am I?”
His sad smile breaks my heart. And I let him pull me into his arms.
“In a perfect world, everyone would know how much I love you, Alma.”
And because I love him more than life itself, I choose not to fight him. Instead, I bury my face in the crook of his neck. The storm can wait.
***
I finally discover what Vadim has planned for me: a romantic dinner on a private barge he’s hired just for the two of us. Enchanted by the city lights reflected on the Seine, and pressed tightly against one another, we talk and laugh nonstop, only pausing to admire the bridges, the quays, the Haussmannian buildings, and the Parisian monuments gliding past.
Vadim gently blows an eyelash off my cheek, and I make a wish. It’s obvious what I’m hoping for: that You + Me can always be this. Just this. Always this.
It’s almost midnight when we arrive at the hotel. Hand in hand, we cross the lobby toward the elevator. Vadim presses the button, and the light comes on. He kisses my neck, just below my ear, and his warm lips send a shiver down my spine.
Behind us, a familiar voice rings out in English. “So, someone changed their name and forgot to tell me?”
I turn around to find myself looking at Felix. Vadim’s former best friend has just resurfaced from the past. My former enemy.
47
Alma
“Hey, Frenchie, sleep well?”
I wake with a start. Felix Alonso is standing right there, looking ridiculous with his arms crossed over his chest, only a few feet from the bed I’ve just woken up in.
“Vadim is probably in his office,” I mumble, wriggling back under the covers.
“I know, he’s the one who let me in. He’s on the phone, so I took the opportunity to come and see what a Lancaster princess looks like when she wakes up!”
“Felix, can you get out of this room, please?” I don’t bother hiding my irritation.
