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“Don’t worry.” Fredericka managed a wan smile. “I promise I won’t do anything stupid. I just need some time alone to clear my thoughts and figure out...stuff.” It was the most coherent excuse she could manage when honestly all she could think about was running to the closest garbage bin so she could puke her guts out.
Alyx impulsively reached for her cousin’s hand. “Just call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
And then she was alone.
She walked and walked, unmindful of where she was going, and she only stopped when her legs were aching too much and her throat was dry and parched. Casting a tired look at her surroundings, Fredericka realized she was at a park, and just a small distance away was someone selling hotdogs and drinks.
She paid for a sandwich and bottled water, and taking a seat on one of the benches, she drank thirstily, emptying the bottle by half in mere seconds. She forced herself to eat after, knowing that now was the worst time to go on an impromptu diet.
An indefinite amount of time must have passed when someone joined her on the bench, and without even looking up she already knew who it was.
“How did you find me?”
Sergei didn’t answer right away. It had been over a month since the last time he had seen her. And that was the morning she had run out on him, and leaving nothing but a hastily scribbled note that told him she needed some time and space.
It was the first letter of its kind that the billionaire had received in his entire life, and he was honest enough to admit that the letter was more a serious blow to his ego than anything else. And for the first two weeks he had allowed his hurt ego to dictate his actions, staying away from her like she asked, even knowing that what they both needed and wanted was to be together.
He knew her far better than she knew herself, but unfortunately that was more the problem than the solution. Because he knew her, he knew that staying away would be more a punishment for Fredericka than for himself. Him staying away would make Fredericka think that she might have made the same mistake as her mother did, and that she had slept with a younger guy who couldn’t be trusted to understand any kind of commitment beyond what a one-night stand entailed.
He had known it would hurt her, and that was why he had stayed away.
And now he bitterly regretted it, after what Alyx had told him.
“I’m sorry I stayed away for so long,” he said quietly.
“You don’t have to be.” Fredericka stared down at her worn pair of ballet flats, unwilling to raise her gaze to the billionaire’s. If she did, she had a terrifying suspicion her hormones would get the better of her, and that would be too embarrassing. “I asked you to stay away.”
“But I still shouldn’t, and the only reason I did was because I know it would hurt you more.”
Ah.From there, she could easily add one and one to get two, and her lips twisted in a humorless smile. “There are really times when I think you’ll make the better prosecutor between the two of us.”
“Without a doubt,” Sergei agreed affably, “if I had cared as passionately as you did about seeing justice served.” He paused. “But I don’t. I can only care for a few people in the world – and you’re one of them.”
“Yeah right.” But her voice shook horribly, and she squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment.
“I missed you,pchelka.”
She pretended not to hear it, needed to act like the words didn’t exist so she wouldn’t end up crying. “You still haven’t explained how you found me.” Her voice came out thin but high-pitched, but at least she was still managing to hold her tears back. “Was it because of magic again?”
“Not quite.”
“I never did get to ask you. When you do magic, does it take the form of rubles or dollars?”
“Neither. I use checks.” He looked at her, noting how pale and thin she looked, and his remorse grew. “But in today’s case, I didn’t find you by magic.”
“You didn’t?”
“Alyx followed you and then she told me where to find you.” This time, he could no longer bear the distance between them, and the billionaire slowly reached for her, cupping her chin as he made her lift her face to his.
Her gray eyes were filled with terror, and his heart squeezed at the sight of it.
“I’m scared,” Fredericka whispered. It hurt to say the words because they made her feel like everything she had achieved until that moment was worth nothing.
Sergei released her face and when his hand slowly pressed against her stomach, her eyes stung.
“Is it because my child is inside of you?”
