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“June, babe, I’m kidding.”
I almost choke on my mango. “Oh. Duh.”
She grins. “Kolya and I have only ever been friends. We met so young, you know? We established the kind of relationship that was so platonic that it never occurred to either one of us to make a move on the other one.”
The relief I feel is so freaking obvious that I just choose to ignore it. “So you’re saying the two… you’ve never… you know—”
I’m interrupted by Milana’s laughter. She’s got quite a raucous giggle. It clashes with her ladylike appearance, but that just makes me like it all the more.
“No,” she says, when she finally stops laughing. “We’ve never. Will never, either. I promise you that much.”
I can feel my blush get deeper. “I mean, it’s not a big jump to make. The two of you are obviously close. And you’re both very attractive… and, um… yeah.” I button my lips up before more nonsense spills out.
Milana’s gaze is direct and searching. No, not searching—she looks like she’s already found what she’s searching for. “He’s a good man, June,” she says quietly. “He’ll try to deny it, but take it from someone who knows: he is.”
“It doesn’t really matter to me.”
She raises her eyebrows and smiles at the same time. “Doesn’t it?” she asks. I feel like she’s catching me out without actually coming right out and catching me. I should be grateful for the subtle difference, but all I want to do is get out from under her gaze. Like Kolya, the woman sees too damn much.
“He may have been your savior,” I say. “But he’s my abductor.”
My words don’t really land right. They sound weak, rather than accusatory. Milana shrugs them off and pours herself another cup of coffee. “As far as abductions go, you have to agree—this is one of the better ones.”
“A gilded cage is still a cage,” I point out.
I wait for her to agree with me, but she doesn’t. “You’re here for a reason, June.”
“I’m here forhisreasons,” I correct. “And they’re not noble ones. They’re selfish. Self-interested.”
“Do you really mind that much?” she asks politely.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
She smiles knowingly. “It’s just—the way you look at him.”
I flinch back, indignant and defensive, and desperate to correct her insinuation. “I don’t have feelings for him, if that’s what you’re getting at. Well, that’s not true. I do have feelings. But they’re anger and resentment and frustration and irritation and anger and hate and… and…”
“You said anger twice.”
“Well, that’s how angry I am!”
She nods with a soft grin, and we lapse into silence. I spend the rest of the morning trying to figure out how I managed to get the last word in, but she still had the last say.
31
JUNE
When I come out of the bathroom that evening, freshly showered and smelling of lily and lavender body scrub, I see a packaged dress laid out on the bed for me.
First, I’m struck with excitement. Second, curiosity. And thirdly—annoyance.
From anyone else, it would be a sweet little gesture. Endearing. From Kolya, it’s just more manipulation.Dance, June, dance.
“What a complete asshole,” I mutter to myself as I approach the dress and unzip the bag it’s in. “What a pompous, arrogant, self-righteous—
The insult dies on my tongue when I catch sight of the dress he’s picked for me. I pull it out like the stuff it’s made of could cure cancer and drape it carefully across the duvet.
Okay, maybe I can deal with being dressed. Just for tonight.
