Mend (Care Duet, #2)

19 | mend lies

"SHE CAN'T STAND me," Natasha complained to her brother as he cooked. He was only half-listening to her as he was far too focused on the classical music playing in the house's speakers. If anything, he yearned for her to stop talking because he wished for nothing to interrupt a Beethoven masterpiece, but it was like the more he ignored her, the more she spoke.

"I miss that small moment in time when we were actual friends. I mean, I get I shouldn't have lied, but I was truly and authentically myself around her. The only thing I really lied about was my name," Natasha ranted. "Is it really so bad for me to want a good relationship with someone who is carrying my niece or nephew—someone my brother loves—someone who could possibly end up becoming my sister-in-law? I just wanted to meet her and the baby. I just wanted to be present."

Adrik continued to ignore her, focusing on flipping over a pancake—a dish that he wasn't entirely fond of, but it was something he learned Avelina loved. Ever since her pregnancy, it was the only thing she ever asked for. It didn't matter if it was early in the morning, deep in the afternoon, or late at night... she always wanted pancakes.

"I know what you're thinking... why didn't I just do everything the right way, right?" she asked no one in particular. "Well, I couldn't. I knew the moment she found out I was Natasha Zolotov, she would forbid me from ever seeing your baby. She would hate me forever just like Vincent. God! Don't even get me started on him!" she exclaimed.

Natasha began to pace up and down the kitchen, sometimes ruffling her hair with her fingers in frustration.

"Vincent has changed so much. This whole vendetta thing he has going on is literally killing any personality he ever had. He's so emotionless now, and so hung up on revenge. You should see the way he is with his own sister—he's ice cold. The Vincent I know would never treat her that way. And even with me, he locked me up in a room, threatened to sell me as a slave. He—" her voice cracked, grasping Adrik's attention.

She looked up at the ceiling before shutting her eyes for a moment or two.

"He's just so different now," she whispered. "It's a miracle I made it out, you know? If I wasn't trained for that kind of thing, I don't think I would've."

"I would have liked to help—"

"No. You need to stop prioritizing me, Adrik. I put myself in this mess... I did this! Not you! You have a family now with a beautiful woman that loves you. Stop ruining your life to fix mine," she stated. "It just doesn't even feel right anymore."

"I am sorry," Adrik expressed, never truly understanding the reason behind the words. However, he knew, based on social interactions that he observed, it was the perfect time to say the three words that would somehow heal invisible wounds 'I. Am. Sorry.'

"Don't be. You made the right call. You had to get her out before you lost her forever," Natasha said.

"I do not understand," Adrik said, turning back to the breakfast he was making.

"Sorry. I meant that you had to do all you could to keep her and your baby safe," she elaborated.

"Yes," Adrik agreed.

Adrik loved his sister. She was there for him since the very beginning. Even when the rest of the world gave up on him, Natasha remained by his side, doing what she needed to do in order to keep them afloat. He loved her, but he also loved Avelina.

He wished it wasn't always a choice between them. They were the only two people in his life that he cared about. He wanted nothing to happen to either of them, but it was like the more he held onto one, the likelihood of the other slipping away increased.