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“Trust me; we’ll get it back. Do you want to tell me how you feel about Ilya?”
“What’s there to tell?”
“You obviously have a crush on him. Is there more?” She gives me a knowing look.
I stand up, tossing my pillow onto the bed. “What’s the point? He only sees me as his godsister.”
“Does he?” she asked as if that seemed like a surprise.
“Yes.” It hurts to let the one word slip past my lips.
“Are you sure?” She reaches out and takes my hands in hers, rubbing them.
“Yes. Of course.” I huff, unable to hide the truth.
“How did you learn of that?” Does she think we had some illicit meeting that she’s unaware of?
I take a calming breath and then confess, “When we danced at my party, I let my emotions slip.”
“You told him how you felt.”
“Not quite. I kind of told him I liked the way he smelled, and he couldn’t get away from me fast enough. If that isn’t enough to tell you someone doesn’t like you, then what is?”
My loving mother reaches up and brushes away a strand of my hair, tucking it behind my ear. “I suppose you have a point, but, my sweet girl, he’s much older than you. Too old to be dating an underaged girl. You’re only going to be seventeen tomorrow. He’d have to wait a whole year before approaching you.”
“It’s not like he wants me anyway. I’m sure he’s got women left and right. It’s not fair that I’m not allowed to date yet.” I pout and stomp my foot, not making a very good case for myself.
She dips her head and stares with a piercing, knowing gaze. “Do you want your father murdering any boy that breaks your little heart?”
“No.”
“Because you know that’s exactly what he’ll do. Hell, he loves Ilya to pieces like he’s his own son, but even he’s not allowed to break your heart.”
“It’s just a stupid crush. It’s not like I don’t have crushes on other boys.”
“What boys?” she asks, digging for more information.
“None that I’d tell you about so Father could interrogate them.” It’s a total lie because I hardly know any boys outside of family friends, and that’s intentional on my father’s part. Still, not a single boy I’ve met could ever match up to the feelings I’ve caught for Ilya.
She pats my thigh. “Okay. Well, keep it that way. You’re young, and once you lose your heart to a man like your father, there’s no going back.” She kisses my temple and stands. I know there’s no going back. I love Ilya Semyonov, and I don’t know how to make that feeling go away.
****
My alarm goes off, waking me from one of the most intense dreams of my existence. It wasn’t even close to reality, but then again, a girl can live in her dream land. My damn alarm continues to blare, reminding me that there are a hundred and one things to do for my birthday party. “I’m seventeen today; one more year to go.” I sit up and rub my eyes, seeing the sun is already up. Standing and stretching, I turn to find a present on my nightstand.
There’s a little note card from my father.To my sweetheart.
I open it up, and it’s my necklace. My heart nearly stops because he managed to get it back for me. Tears fall from my eyes as I hold the box in my hands. Rushing to my dresser, I put it on and gasp. Looking in the mirror, I’m unable to stop smiling at the sparkling piece on my chest.
Suddenly, something catches my eye, and I freeze for a moment. The shape is a bit off, making it appear a bit different. Maybe the metal around the stone got bent in the drain, which makes me sad, but at least I have my gift from Ilya back. I run out of the bedroom, looking for my dad.
“Where are you going, sweetling?” my mother asks as I run in the second-floor hallway.
“Where’s Dad?” I ask, coming to a halt.
“Right here,” he answers, stepping out of their bedroom with a suit on.
“You found it,” I squeal, throwing my arms around him. He hugs me tight.
