Page 12 of Cruel Russian Monster
I knew he heard me. Of course he did. But the silence that answered made me want to scream. He was ignoring me on purpose, the bastard.
Five agonizing minutes and a sore fist later, the slit finally opened. My fingers latched onto the frame of the opening, and Icaught a glimpse of his tense profile. His eyes met mine briefly in the rearview mirror before refocusing on the road.
“Let me guess,” he said sarcastically. “You need to use the bathroom?”
I sighed. “No. I just want us to talk.”
“About what?” His tone was detached, but it carried an edge to it.
“I’m sure we can both come up with a solution to what's going on,” I said, forcing my voice to stay calm. “We can work on it together. Something that helps both factions.”
His jaw twitched. “I already have a solution. Why do you think you're here? To drink wine and eat cheese?”
“If I'm part of the solution, then I deserve to know what the plan is.”
“So you can run off like you did with Lev?” he shot back. “Not happening.”
I tried not to snap at him, barely.
I forced my voice to soften. You catch flies with honey, not vinegar and all that.
“We’ve always been able to talk about things in the past. Why can’t we do the same thing now?”
Suddenly, the truck screeched to a halt. My forehead slammed into the metal wall, and the world spun.
I heard Jaroslav swear under his breath as I sank to the floor. I leaned against the wall, head tilted to the side, and closed my eyes, hoping the dizziness would pass soon.
“Vera, are you okay?”
Jaroslav’s voice didn't come from the cab; it was right in front of me. The tenderness in his voice made my heart flutter.
Slowly, I opened my eyes, watching the concern flicker in his.
“I’ll be okay,” I whispered.
As I sat there with him crouched in front of me, I saw it: the slight change in his breathing, the shift in his eyes, from blank to growing desire. He lifted his hand to my face, then dropped it abruptly.
He started to stand, but I reached out and held his arm. He froze at my touch.
“Jaroslav,” I said gently, as my thumb rubbed circles on his arm. “Please, if you've ever loved me, let's talk about this amicably. Let's find a solution.”
Every ounce of tenderness that was in Jaroslav's eyes vanished like fog on a hot day.
“IfI ever loved you?” he spat bitterly. “And where did this sudden urge to talk come from? You didn't want to talk to me when you walked out on us, Vera. You didn't want to find a solution then. So now, you don't get a say.”
He yanked his arm free and stood. He stepped out of the U-Haul and slammed the door shut. Seconds later, the engine roared to life, and the partition slot slid closed with a snap.
I pulled my knees to my chest, my heart cracking open in my ribcage. He hated me. He truly hated me.
Once upon a time, he would have crossed oceans just to see me smile. Now? His veins ran black with spite.
Can you blame him?
I couldn’t bend him to my will with soft words and tender touches.
I had sealed my own fate. And now I had to pay the Pied Piper.
Maybe…if I had gone to Delaware back then, if I had shown up at the hotel, if I had told him that I knew who he was and told him who I was…
