Page 101 of Between Us

Reaching the top of the stairs on the first floor, Alessandra stopped, her nails digging into her palm. “You're going to have to explain them to me.”

“I will. But not now.”

“This is ridiculous.”

A muffled voice broke through the line on his end. Someone was speaking to Roman, although she couldn't' hear what the person was telling him.”I have to go. Find an excuse for your mother. We'll talk more when I get home.”

He hung up, and Alessandra stared at the phone in her hand, the urge to fling the thing across the hallway making her skin itch like a bad rash. She reined in the impulse, making her way to the bedroom instead.

She paced the length of the room, not knowing what to make of Roman's behavior. He'd been acting strange ever since Vitaly's attack, and she couldn't figure out why. After a minute of nearly walking a dent into the carpet, she stopped in front of the windows and startedchewing on her recently painted thumbnail as her mind buzzed with intrusive thoughts.

Sometime later, movement in the hallway drew her attention to the open door.

“What?” she asked Vladimir. He stood with a hand in his pocket, watching her with little emotion on his pale face.

“Tatyana is here.”

She hadn't even heard the doorbell ring. He turned her head, and sure enough, another car had materialized in the driveway. “I'll be down in a minute.”

With a nod of his head, he disappeared down the hall, leaving her alone once again.

Alessandra didn’t think she could deal with her sister-in-law at the moment. The girl's emotions were all over the place, and she just needed some time alone to drown in her own self-pity.

The ugliness of that particular thought festered somewhere deep inside her chest and left her feeling like a horrible person. Tatyana needed her. She needed a shoulder to cry on in a time when her only surviving parent's existence faced an uncertain future.

Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped away from the windows and texted her mother.

Sorry, Mamma. Something important came up and I can't make it to lunch today. Rain check?

Gabriella replied a minute later.

Sure,cara. Is everything alright?

Yeah. Don't worry. I'll talk to you soon.

When Alessandra made it back downstairs, she found Tatyana sitting on the couch in the living room.

“Hey,” Alessandra said, her voice softening when she saw the pitiful expression on the other girl's face.

“Hope I'm not bothering you,” Tatyana told her. “I just had a pretty lousy morning and needed some company.”

“You're not bothering me. I just got off the phone with Roman.”

“Is he okay? I haven't seen him since Monday morning.”

“He's... dealing with stuff.”

Tatyana nodded as if she understood all too well. “What's up with you? You look upset.”

Alessandra tried to smooth out the tense lines around her mouth with a forced smile. “I'm good. Do you want some tea? I'll ask Nika to make it for us.”

Not waiting for confirmation, she turned around and headed for the kitchen.

???

Roman arrived home well after midnight. He gave her a brief, brooding glance as he entered the bedroom and started to remove his clothes without addressing a word to her.

One look at him and Alessandra recognized the darkness brewing behind those glacial eyes. Whatever willingness he'd had to discuss about their earlier phone call was now gone?she could see it plainly on his face.

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