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“You never told me you were back with Kirill!” she shrieked when that little tidbit slipped out.
“Because I’m not,” I explained. “He’s just back in town. That’s it.”
“Is that what you’re calling your vagina now?” she asked. “‘In Town?’”
Leave it to Harmony to squeeze in an inappropriate joke at a time like this.
“You’re disgusting… and, unfortunately, correct.”
My friends made it crystal clear I was never to scare them like that again. I promised, mostly because if roles were reversed, I’d be just as upset as they are.
“But also,” Natalia hedges, swirling the mop around in the same spot she’s been mopping for the last sixty seconds, “hear me out.”
“No,” I snap. “I don’t want to hear whatever it is you’re going to say. Because I already told you that you-know-who is fully off limits.”
“It’s not fair. You can’t stifle my opinion, Rayne.”
“I can when your opinion is wrong.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” she argues. “You’re making gross assumptions and not letting your best friend freely speak her mind. It’s dismissive and rude, especially given what you put me through this weekend.”
Damn her. Guilt twists in my gut. It doesn’t help that Natalia has a pouty face that could win awards. Her lower lip is jutted out and she looks beyond pitiful.
I sigh deeply. “Fine. Out with it. But after this, no more. I’m a big girl and I make my own decisions.”
Natalia spins to me and leans on the top of her broom handle. “I am your best friend and I want what is best for you. You know that, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay,” she says. “So, it also goes without saying that I’ve been with you every step of the last five years. I watched you struggle to afford diapers and formula. I scoured thrift stores and secondhand shops with you for all of the baby necessities and toys and books. Raising Yuliana has never been easy. You’ve worked your ass off to scrape by, but things are only going to get more expensive from here.”
“Is this going somewhere or are you just trying to depress me?” I ask.
“The point is that Kirill is wealthy and powerful. He has more than enough resources to take care of the two of you. Plus, massive bonus, he’s practically begging to be in Yuli’s life.”
“That’s not a good thing. You know how controlling he is.”
“Sure,” she admits. “He can be stubborn, but guess what—so can you. Do you know how many single mothers out there would kill for a man like him to care that much about their kid?”
“What if he cares too much?” I blurt.
Natalia frowns. “What does that even mean?”
“He could take her from me. You said it yourself, he’s powerful and rich. If he hires lawyers to get custody of her, what am I going to do about it?”
“You’re her mom. He wouldn’t do that.”
I arch a brow. “Really? You don’t think he’s capable of it?”
Surprisingly, Natalie actually considers the question. Finally, she shakes her head. “No, I don’t think he is.”
“You’re crazy. How can you think that?”
“He’s capable of something like that, most definitely. But he won’t do it.”
“Why?”
“If you haven’t figured that out then you’re more hopeless than I thought.” She must see the confusion still on my face because she rolls her eyes. “He loves you, you idiot.”
