Chapter 8

She didn't say anything after I told her that. She just kept crying, still wrapped around me like if she let go, I'd take her back to her father. I kept soothing her, running my hand gently through her hair, trying to calm her down. We stayed like that for several minutes.

I knew it meant nothing to her.

She had no idea that the pounding in my chest was just as loud as the rain hitting the car. 

Alina... if I hadn't been taken to America, would we still be the same? Would I still be the one you run to every time your father says something you can't take? The one who listens to all the things you can't tell to anyone else? The one who sees the real you?

I could feel her sobs slowly starting to fade, the trembling in her body calming down by the bit. But even then, she had no intention of letting go. I gently brushed away the strands of hair covering her face and saw that she had fallen asleep again. I let out a deep breath and carefully adjusted her position. She had shifted slightly in her sleep, her head now resting on my lap, but her arms were still loosely wrapped around me, like she had finally found a place to rest.

I made sure not to move too much, afraid I might wake her up again.

Once she seemed comfortable, I quietly started the engine and drove off, keeping the car steady, not just for the road... but for her.

"Leon..." I glanced down at her, still asleep with her head on my lap. Her eyes were still closed.

"Yeah?" I answered softly.

"Please stay..."

"Please stay, Leon..."

I froze for a second. Those were the exact words she used to say every time I had to leave her back then. 

Alina.... do you remember me? Have you started to remember... us?

Cut the crap, Leon. There's no way she remembers you. She's just drunk... yeah, that's all this is... Just drunk. She doesn't even know what she's saying.

But even if this wasn't the real her speaking right now.... I wished she were.

I didn't answer her, I simply covered her with my coat, then put my hand to her head.

"I'll take you somewhere safe... You don't have to go back there tonight."

The rain kept pouring as I drove, steady and unrelenting. I went back to what I had been doing earlier, stealing glances at her every now and then, making sure she was asleep... and still resting peacefully.

And honestly,  I was starting to get pissed at myself. No matter how much time had passed, I still couldn't forget her. Not even back then... not even when my father thought the girl I used to meet every single day at that park came from a normal family.

He had no idea. And maybe it was wrong that I never told him who she was... that she was Aaron Allard's daughter. But I kept that secret for a reason. I was trying to protect her. I knew what kind of man my father was, how obsessed he was with power and wealth. If he found out who Alina really was, she would've become just another piece in his game.

But now? This?

This is what the world throws back at me?

She's getting married... not to me, but to my own brother. To Lance.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, turning left at the intersection, then headed straight toward the one place no one knew about. The condo I kept hidden from everyone. Not even friends. It was meant to be my place to escape.

The only place that still felt like mine.

I felt her stir just as I entered the underground parking. She let out a soft sigh, shifting slightly in her sleep. I parked, turned off the engine, and just sat there for a minute, staring at the steering wheel like it might have the answers I've been looking for.

What the hell am I even doing?

I glanced at Alina again. She was still asleep... her grip on me had loosened a little, but still holding onto a piece of my long sleeve.

Yeah. I know exactly what I was doing.

I carefully leaned her toward the passenger seat and stepped out of the car to go around to her side. The moment I opened the door, I saw her move, her brows furrowing as the cold air rushed in. Her eyes fluttered for a second but never really opened.

"Alina..." I whispered softly. She didn't respond.

I let out a sigh.

She wasn't waking up anytime soon... so I had no choice. I had to carry her.

I bent down and slid one arm under her legs, the other around her back. She was light just like before, back when I used to give her piggyback rides and we'd run around chasing dragonflies together.

She murmured something under her breath, but it was too soft to catch. Still, the way she buried her face into my shoulder told me everything.

She trusted me.

Even if she didn't remember everything yet... even if this night would end and she'd wake up tomorrow pretending none of it happened... right now, in this moment, she trusted me.

I carried her inside, letting the elevator do its slow, quiet climb. My reflection in the mirror caught my eye. I looked... wrecked. Not from exhaustion but from everything I was trying not to feel.

Once we got inside, I laid her gently down on the couch. I fixed the pillows behind her head and pulled a blanket over her. She mumbled again, eyes still closed.

"Leon..." My hand stopped halfway through brushing her hair again.

"Don't go..."

I swallowed hard. I sat down beside her, leaning back into the couch as I tried to breathe through the pounding of my chest.

"I'm not going anywhere..."