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“There was no plan for the reunion,” I admit. “Which is a good thing, because it seems Laila’s plans involve avoiding me indefinitely.”
“She’s hurt and angry, Arsen. Can you blame her?”
“She’s punishing me.” My jaw flexes. “She’s my wife. My one job is to keep her safe. She had a ten-million-dollar bounty on her head?—”
She taps a finger on her bed rail, lips pursed, eyes thoughtful. “I know all this, Arsen. It took me a little while to see the light, but once I did… Well, I happen to think you did the right thing by sending Laila away.”
It felt nice to know Marie was on my side these last couple months. I only wish it made any difference where Laila was concerned.
“You and I are the only ones who agree on that. Even Dominik and Gedeon keep making snide comments about how I’ve been treating her.”
“I would have thought you could take a few jabs, Arsen. You’re a strong man, aren’t you?” She smiles, but it turns into a wince as she readjusts herself. There’s a clammy sheen to her skin. She looks waxy.
“Am I a fool to think she could forgive me one day?”
Despite the window being sealed shut, Marie shivers. I jump to my feet, grab the blanket folded on the end of the bed, and wrap it around her shoulders.
She accepts it without any fanfare. She’s gotten used to me being around the last couple months. At first, it was all for Laila—so I could update her on her mother and prove I was taking care of Marie.
Now, I can’t quite imagine a day without one of our little chats.
“You’re no fool, Arsen. But you’re delusional if you think you can get anywhere with my daughter without being honest with her.”
“Ihavebeen honest with her.”
Marie arches a thin eyebrow. “She knows all of your deepest, darkest secrets? The things that make you most vulnerable? You’ve bared your soul to her with no expectation of personal gain, just to give her the fullest picture of who you are as a man?”
I sigh. “Marie?—”
“Don’t ‘Marie’ me. You need to tell her why you sent her away in the first place.”
I slump back into my chair and stare out the window. It’s dark out, the sky a mottled smear of indigo, with the lights of the city vomiting a dull gloom on the undersides of the clouds. “I didn’t even plan to tellyouwhy I sent her away.”
“But you did,” she reminds me with a gentle touch to my wrist. “Claim it as a mistake all you want, but I think you wanted me to know. You wanted me to understand your choices.”
“I just didn’t want you to think I was an evil bastard with no soul.”
“Who says I still don’t?” Marie smiles, and for one fleeting moment, she looks perfectly healthy. She almost looks like my mother. Then she sighs and the teasing grin disappears. “No, of course not. I never thought that, Arsen. I always knew you?—”
“You’re not going to get all sappy and sentimental on me, are you?”
“Sometimes, you tough men need a little sentimentality in your life. Now, are you going to let a dying woman talk or not?”
I hold up my hands in defeat. “My apologies. The floor is yours.”
“You’ve lost so many people in your life—to death, to betrayal. You don’t know how to let people in because you’re afraid they’ll disappoint you,” she explains softly, as if every word isn’t a thudding blow to my gut. “But if you don’t let Laila in, you’ll lose her.”
“The ship might have already sailed on that one.”
Marie chews at her lip. “I know my daughter. She loves you, but she’s going to see her exile as abandonment. Her father did a number on her, as you know.”
I grit my teeth. “I should’ve taken care of him when I had the chance.”
“Taking care ofLailais what you need to focus on. This is a problem you can solve with love, not more violence.”
“Violence is more my wheelhouse.”
“Then find a new wheelhouse,” she scolds. “If not, you risk losing your whole family.”
