Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“MJ, I’m here.” His voice broke. “Please come back to me. Please.”
But she had no answers except for more screams.
Chapter Twelve
“YOU’RE LOOKING STRONGER every day,” Katya said with a smile as she kissed her half-sister on the cheek before sitting next to the bed.
MJ forced a smile. “I’m glad.” But a part of her thought that the truth was the opposite. The stronger her body was, the weaker her mind became. Every day, the nightmares got worse but she did her best to keep it hidden from everyone, swallowing her screams to herself.
It had been a month since she had been taken to the hospital. A month of trying to forget the time she had spent with Manolito Chavez...and failing. A month of refusing to see or even hear from Helios Andreadis...and succeeding. But until when?
It was that question which troubled her the most, which was why MJ was determined to talk to Katya today. “Katya?”
“Yes?” She tried not to show how startled she was that MJ had taken the initiative to speak to her. It wasn’t that MJ felt awkward with her now that she knew they were half-sisters. It was only that MJ had changed, and most of the time she would spend her days staring and saying nothing.
“Do you think you...you and Ioniko can take me away from here?”
Katya started at the request. “Yes, but...is there a place you want to go?”
Looking away, she whispered, “Anywhere...any place that Helios wouldn’t be able to reach me.”
Katya’s heart broke at her sister’s words.
MJ squeezed the hem of the covers lying in a bunch around her waist. “I know it seems ungrateful, but I just can’t...” She closed her eyes. “All I can see is his face, watching me as another man...” A gasp tore out of her throat as she found herself unable to complete the sentence.
Hand shaking, she reached for MJ’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m sorry,” Katya whispered. “God, I’m so sorry for what happened to you.”
She choked out, “Sometimes, I ask Him that, you know. Why did it have to happen to me? What did I do so horribly wrong that had to happen to me?”
“I don’t know,” Katya said brokenly. “I wish I knew what the answer should be for that, but I just don’t know. All I know is that...things happen for a reason. They always do.”
“There’s no reason for this,” MJ said bitterly.
Katya didn’t speak, knowing whatever she had to say wouldn’t be able to heal her sister’s pain.
“Will you and Ioniko take me away, Katya?” Her voice caught. “Please?”
“Of course. Anything you want. Anytime.” She hesitated. “But MJ, don’t you think you should let Helios at least know what you’re planning? I know you...you no longer feel the same way about him, but he loves you terribly.”
She wanted to say no, but she knew she was only being selfish if she did. “All right. I’ll speak to him...and then after that, we’ll go?”
Katya nodded. “As soon as you’re ready.”
HELIOS KNOCKED ON THE door twice, his heart constricting when he heard MJ’s lovely voice call for him to come in. She looked up the moment he entered, violet eyes meeting gold. Hers were wary and haunted, his were inscrutable.
He had dressed up for this, MJ realized with a pang. No plain round-collared shirt, he had on something gray and elegant with a collar. No jeans, too. Instead, he had on a pair of corduroy pants. He was probably the fanciest-dressed student of Christopoulos University right now, second only to perhaps Kellion or Derek Christopoulos himself, who everyone teased as Greece’s manliest fashion plate.
“These are for you,” Helios said unevenly, presenting her with a bouquet of flowers. He had chosen it himself, making sure nothing about it would remind her of the bouquet she had held...that time.
“Thanks.” She was careful not to accidentally touch him as she accepted the bouquet and placed it on the bedside table. When Helios lowered herself to the seat next to the bed, she tried her best not to flinch at how close he was.
When she looked up, she realized that he had noticed her tension anyway.
His lips twisted. “Is it just me or is it men in general?”
She shrugged.
Helios’ face became grimmer. “Just me then.”
At his words, her head jerked up.
Seeing the shock on her face, he asked rawly, “Did you really think having us spend time apart would make me know you less?” He told himself not to continue after that, but he couldn’t help it. Every day he wasn’t able to hold her in his arms was killing him, and he demanded hoarsely, “And did you really think what happened would make me love you less?”
She pressed her hands to her mouth, trying to keep herself from crying. “I’m sorry,” was all she could say.
He shook his head. “Talk to me.”