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He slowly closes the distance between us, as if deliberately drawing out the moment. And I drink him in despite myself.

“No, I don’t want you to leave, Vadim,” I say. “But I would really like you to explain what that woman is doing in your car.”

“What, I’m not allowed to have ‘friends’?”

His smirk makes me want to scratch a huge line all the way down his precious car.

“Don’t mess with me…”

“I don’t know anything about Raphaël, so you don’t need to know anything more about May,” he replies with a shrug.

“Pretty name,” I remark.

“Not just the name.”

“Are you going to introduce us?”

“Not tonight.”

“She’s shy, is that it?”

“She’s many things.”

“Are you sleeping with her?”

Our little standoff is getting more tense by the second. And Vadim is getting closer and closer.

“And you, Alma? Are you still sleeping with him?” His voice comes out as a low growl.

“Which part of ‘we didn’t stay in touch’ wasn’t clear enough for you?”

My answer seems to satisfy him. His devilish smile stretches a little wider, but I can’t hide my fury any longer. I let out a groan and start to rummage through my purse for my keys, but I can’t find them. My bag ends up on the asphalt, and it’s back to the standoff.

I mean, I tried to put an end to it, but the universe decided otherwise.

“You brought a stranger to my building just to make me jealous? How old are you, Vadim?”

He watches me in silence for a moment, then bends down to pick up my purse. He dusts it off with the back of his hand before giving it to me.

“I have better things to do, Alma. Just like I have better things to do than listen to your brother’s bullshit.”

“It’s not my fault if you and Basile are incapable of—”

“I thought your family was going to leave me the hell alone this time. That you had changed, that you wouldn’t let yourself be influenced anymore.”

“You’re mixing everything up.”

“And what are you doing? You still haven’t built up the courage. When are you actually going to stand up to them? Live your life without constantly justifying yourself to others? When are you going to start fighting back when someone comes after us?”

The anguish in his voice cuts through me. And my Vadim from before comes back to me. The one I betrayed. The one I had to leave behind, even though he was the most precious thing I had in this world.

“I should have defended you when Basile started losing it. I’m sorry,” I murmur.

“Do you really think I need you to defend me? Believe me, Alma, no one walks all over me anymore. What I want is for them to stay away from me. And for you to stop being their good little soldier!”

“Listen to yourself, Vadim! You’re doing exactly what you accuse them of doing. You’re trying to control me!”

“No, dammit, I’m trying to set you free! But I guess you’re still not ready for that. Not ready for me.”