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I gape at her. “If I had a drink in my mouth right now, I’d spew it all over your partially mopped floor. Are you insane?”
“Are you?” she fires back. “That man has been in love with you since the moment you two met. That’s what I’ve been trying to show you. I mean, just look at what happened that night at the bar. I sent you out to dance with the loser and make Kirill jealous, and it worked even better than I imagined. He couldn’t stand the sight of you touching another man so much so that he picked you up and—”
“Wait.” I hold up a hand to stop her. “You told me to go dance with that guy because you wanted to make Kirill jealous? You said it was to help me move on!”
Natalia has the decency to look a little guilty. “I was testing a theory. The theory was that Kirill was still in love with you. Evidence suggests a firm ‘yes.’”
“Well, that settles that. You’re a traitor.”
Natalia flings the mop at me and I catch the handle before it can knock me in the shoulder. “Hey!”
“‘Hey!’ yourself,” she snaps. “You know I love you, Rayne. Which is why I’m going to be honest with you. It’s incomprehensible to me that you aren’t hitching your wagon to Kirill Zaitsev.”
I toss the mop back to her and stand up. Suddenly, there’s too much energy buzzing through my body to stay still. I busy myself straightening the books and marble coasters on the coffee table. All the while, I feel Natalia staring at me.
Finally, I turn and face her. “Do you remember when we first met and you found out I was messing around with Kirill?”
She nods. “I remember.”
“Do you remember what you told me?”
“I told you to steer clear of him. He has a lot of ties to dirty business and could be dangerous.”
I plant my hands on my fists. “Exactly. What has changed since then?”
She leans forward, her voice low and serious. “Back then, I was worried he’d use his power and influence to hurt you. Now, I’m positive he’ll use his power and influence to hurt anyone who ever tries to hurt you. That is the difference.”
Goosebumps bloom across my skin as the truth of her words travels through me.
I know she’s right. I do.
“But for how long?” I ask, biting back the sob creeping up my throat. “When will he change his mind?”
“Rayne—”
“What happens when Yuliana throws a major tantrum in front of him?” I continue. “He’s going to realize she isn’t like the other kids at some point. He already has, a little bit. What then?”
She shakes her head. “He’ll love her as much as we both do, faults and all. That’s what you do with the people you love.”
“It isn’t love. Whatever this thing between us is—chemistry, biology, geometry—whatever it is, it can’t be love. I don’t think either of us are capable of it. Not for each other. Not anymore.”
“That’s not true!”
“It is,” I insist. “At some point, he’ll realize that I’m the girl people leave. My dad—both of them. My sisters moved away and left me behind. Even Kirill did it without a second thought. He’ll go back to the kind of women who were made for this life, and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces. I refuse to do that again.”
Natalia’s face is creased in a sympathy I can’t bear. It makes me feel far too pathetic. Before she can say anything, the front door opens.
Kirill has been out all day, so of course he’d choose now to come back. I swipe quickly at the stray tear rolling down my cheek. Natalia and I hurry and make it look like we’ve been working this entire time.
Then I hear faint voices growing louder along with the click of heels on the floor.
“God, look how streaked this marble floor is,” a familiar voice hisses. “Kirill’s maids are absolute shit. He should have let me hire them.”
I glance up and Natalia’s mouth is open in obvious offense. She spent an hour cleaning that floor on her hands and knees.
“What is that bitch doing here?” she whispers.
“Staffing is one of your strengths,” a male voice croons.
