Page 30 of Twisted Prince

“Mel give you any grief?”

He shakes his head, and though that should bring me a small sense of relief, suddenly, I’m on guard. Knocking to give the girls a heads-up that someone’s coming in, I turn the brand-new knob and step into the entryway.

Someone’s bedroom TV is on, the laugh track of a sitcom making its way down the hall toward me. And though Mel’s room is upstairs, I head toward the kitchen—the familiar place where the girls seem to gather naturally.

I recognize Annie’s soft voice before I even reach the doorway, and Tori’s barking laugh follows a moment later. Sounds like they’ve settled back in pretty well considering they just made it home today.

“Ladies,” I greet, half expecting Mel to be seated at the table with them as I step onto the black-and-white tiles of the kitchen.

But she’s not here, and when Annie pales visibly, the smile falling from her face, I know immediately what’s wrong.

“Where is she, Annie?” It takes all my self-control to keep my voice steady, and I flex my fingers to manage the tension that ripples through my body.

“Sh-She made me promise not to say anything…” she stutters nervously, leaning back in her chair as if frightened of me, though I haven’t taken a single step toward her.

“Annie,” I say calmly, infusing my voice with a patience I don’t possess. “Where did Mel go?”

Tori looks between us, her expression stunned. “She didn’t come down for dinner…” she observes, as if suddenly realizing something’s wrong. “I thought she was just tired.”

I nod, silencing her when I don’t break eye contact with the trembling, doe-eyed girl who I know has the information I need.

“She didn’t say,” Annie breathes. Then, slowly, she gets to her feet. “But here. Come with me.”

Heart in my stomach, I follow the petite honey-blonde girl through the house to her room. Inviting me in, she opens the drawer of her dresser and shuffles beneath the layers of clothes until she finds what she’s looking for.

Then she slowly withdraws Mel’s phone. And a plain white envelope.

“What’s this?” I ask as she hands them to me tentatively.

“She asked me to give them to you,” she whispers, tears pooling in her eyes.

The phone is communication enough. She doesn’t want to talk to me. And she doesn’t want to give me a way to find her. Sliding her phone into my back pocket, I turn my attention to the sealed envelope. Swallowing the bile in my throat, I take the paper in both hands, weighing the significance of it.

And though I feel as if the oxygen has been sucked from my lungs, I steel myself and slip my finger beneath the fold to tear it open.

Gleb,

I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye, but it’s better this way. Because I know you would have tried to stop me. But I need space. I need freedom. And I think we both know those are things you can’t give me.

I will always cherish our time together. You’ve made my life better in so many ways. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. And I hope someday you can forgive me and will think back on me fondly.

But please, don’t follow me. Don’t look for me. I need to find my own way, my own life, and I have to do this without you. It’s my only chance of escaping your world, and I think we both know that if I don’t get out, I’ll never be happy. I’ll never truly be free.

I love you always,

Mel

It would have been less painful if she’d reached into my chest and physically ripped out my heart. Distraught and furious, I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that Mel would leave without talking to me.

She’s gone.

Just like that.

Mel burst into my life like a meteor. She struck me with the same force and forever changed my world. And now she just wants to walk away.

I replay every word we’ve shared in the past twenty-four hours, every moment together, searching for the moment I should have known I went wrong. I can’t believe it has to do with our night together. I don’t think I’ve ever shown that much restraint in my fucking life. And everything about my situation growing up was about discipline and control.

No, this is in response to our argument this morning. I told her she couldn’t leave the house. I all but pinned her against the fucking counter because when I’m around Mel, my emotions take over my common sense.

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