Page 40 of Ace of Hearts

Rose

June

Las Vegas, USA

There’s only one thing I want: for this day to end so I can see Levi tonight.

I know; it’s pathetic. Since when have I been so addicted to a guy? After yesterday, something’s changed. The way he looks at me isn’t the same. The gentleness of my hands when I touch him isn’t the same. It’s real .

I glance for the millionth time at the ring on my finger, and my chest tightens. Am I truly falling in love with Levi? That would really be the greatest irony yet.

“That’s a pretty rock,” Li Mei observes. “Your man’s got taste.”

“He’s not my man. Not really.”

I hate hearing the note of regret in my voice. Li Mei hears it, too, because she smiles mockingly as we walk past the Bellagio fountains.

“Are you sure about that?”

I don’t reply, and I avoid her gaze. I’ve only ever lost my heart to one man in my whole life, my first boyfriend, Marco.

We lost touch after we finished school, and since then, I’ve only had brief encounters.

I’ve had other things on my mind. Things that don’t leave room for love.

And anyway, I’ve had other priorities. I suppose it’s true what they say: it happens when you least expect it.

I thought Levi was my ticket to freedom—a cash machine, or at least a way to pass the time.

Karma just happened to catch up with me.

Now here I am, caught in a game of my own making, unable to tell the truth for fear of everything I’ll lose.

“The problem with Levi ... is that we’re too similar,” I say, screwing up my eyes against the sun. “We’re both too selfish, too manipulative, too emotionally unstable ... We’d destroy each other.”

“That’s not true. I’ve known Levi for a few years now, and I know this is going to sound like a cliché, but ... I’ve never seen him like this.”

I’m not convinced. And anyway, that’s not my biggest problem. There’s a much bigger reason I can’t be with him.

My lies.

I can never be with Levi, because the moment I tell him who I am, he’ll end it without thinking twice. And there’s no way I’m starting anything without telling him the truth. That I’m an imposter.

“What about you?” I say, to change the subject. “I’ve seen the way you look at Lucky.”

“Pff, rubbish.”

I stare at her, raising one eyebrow, and link my arm with hers.

“Oh please! You know what I think? I think you love him, but you don’t want to love him.

Because he’s young, and sensitive, and high strung, and all those other things you hate.

But ... our hearts do their own thing.

Believe me; I know what I’m talking about. ”

She groans, proof that I’m right. I ask what she plans to do, but she just shrugs.

I envy her. Her problem is so straightforward compared to mine. I’d like to talk to her about it and ask her advice, but Levi has to be the first to know. I owe him that much, at least.

We do a little shopping—I even find a souvenir key ring for my mother—then head back to the hotel.

“Oh my God, there you are!”

We turn to see Judith, one of the gossip queens, running toward us and looking horrified. I’m about to pretend I don’t see her and turn away, but she’s already reached us, and she’s grasping at my arm.

“How is your fiancé? I was just coming back to the hotel when I heard the ambulance, but it was already driving away! One of the valets told me Mr. Ivanovich was inside!”

I turn white, and my smile vanishes. At first I think there must be some misunderstanding, but when I ask what she’s talking about, she frowns.

“Oh Lord, you didn’t know? Your fiancé’s in the hospital!”

My heart stops. “What?”

“What happened?” Li Mei asks.

“A car ran into him as he was crossing the road. So tragic ...”

I don’t stop to think. Li Mei calls me back, but I’m already off, my heart pounding. Fear seizes my throat. My friend catches up with me and grabs my hand.

“Come on. We can take my car!”

Oh. Yes. She’s right. She has a car. I follow her like a robot, utterly stunned. I’m trembling with fear. I should have asked Judith for more details before running off. Is he OK? Did the car run over him, or did it knock him down? What state was he in when they put him in the ambulance?

“I’m sure he’ll be OK,” Li Mei reassures me, but there’s a tremor in her voice. Levi would never fail to notice a car. He sees everything.

I don’t say anything, because I’m too afraid of what will come out if I open my mouth.

I try to call Levi, but it goes straight to voicemail.

I try Thomas and Lucky, but they don’t answer either.

The fact that none of them answers frightens me even more.

Li Mei drives so fast that we reach the hospital in five minutes.

There are lots of people milling around, but I make a beeline for the reception desk.

“Hello, I’m looking for Levi Ivanovich. He was brought here after a car accident, I think?”

The woman types something into her computer and asks me a question I don’t understand.

I’m so confused and disoriented that the English words mix themselves up in my head.

I know all the words she’s using, but I’m completely incapable of remembering what they mean.

I ask her to repeat what she just said, but I still don’t get it.

Just as I’m starting to get angry, Li Mei intervenes.

“She’s asking if you’re family.”

I don’t hesitate for a second.

“I’m his fiancée.”

Thomas is pacing up and down outside the room, looking at his phone. I feel a little relieved to see him safe and sound.

He hears us coming and looks up. His tone is hard as he says, “I was just trying to call you ...”

“How is he?” I cut him off abruptly. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I get the sense there’s real anger in his eyes. He puts his phone in his suit pocket and replies coolly, unmoved by our anxiety.

“Fine. They’re both out of danger.”

Li Mei startles at that. “What do you mean, both ?”

“What happened?”

Thomas explains that they were heading to a nearby bar for a drink. As they were crossing the road, Levi got distracted and didn’t see the car coming straight for him.

“Is it serious?” I breathe.

I keep my cool despite my fear. Thomas shakes his head, keeping his eyes on Li Mei. He studiously avoids looking in my direction. What’s he hiding, exactly? Why does he look so furious with me?

“No. Lucky jumped in front of him. He took most of the impact.”

Li Mei gasps and claps her hands to her mouth.

“He’s OK. He’s broken an arm and a few ribs. Probably has a concussion, too, but he was lucky. Levi came away with only a few scratches.”

Before I’ve even had time to register my relief, Thomas opens the door to the room, and we crowd in. I see Lucky lying on the bed, wearing a hospital robe, one arm in a cast. My heart leaps when I see Levi standing near him, his arms folded. All in one piece.

He turns to look at us, and his eyes meet mine. I tremble, resisting the temptation to throw myself into his arms to reassure myself he’s really alive. His face is expressionless, as usual.

“Lucky!” Li Mei exclaims, rushing past me and taking her ex’s hand. “What were you thinking, you clumsy idiot?”

I look away from my pretend fiancé to make sure Lucky is all right. He looks shaken but in good form despite the cast. He’s smiling as though everything were going brilliantly.

“I saved Levi,” he says delightedly.

I raise my eyebrows. Thomas explains that Lucky’s been high on adrenaline for a while now. Li Mei asks him what happened, and Lucky gives us his version of the story.

“Levi crossed the road and didn’t see the car until it was too late.”

“Weren’t you looking?” I ask, turning back to him.

This comes out sounding more like an accusation than I mean it to. Levi just smiles and looks at me, still not showing any emotion. I guess he must still be a little in shock. It’s Lucky who replies.

“In his defense, the car came out of nowhere. The road was clear when we started to cross. The light was red. Then all of a sudden ... there it was! It was a completely instinctive reaction—I jumped toward him, trying to push him out of the way.”

“Were you both hit?”

“Yes. But not badly, to be honest. We were already almost out of its path, so it was just the front light that hit us. We were lucky!”

Thomas nods, his jaw clenched. He’s standing near Levi, who still hasn’t said anything. I notice the scratches on his face, and a Band-Aid on his left cheekbone.

“Levi fell over because Lucky knocked into him,” Thomas says.

I can’t believe it. If Lucky hadn’t been there, Levi would probably be in a far worse state. If I’d known that one day I’d be thanking Lucky for saving my fiancé ... I’d never have believed it.

“You were ... really brave,” Li Mei admits, holding both his hands.

“Me, brave?”

“Yes. You acted without thinking.”

“Anybody else would have done the same,” he says with a shrug.

“That’s not true.”

Li Mei smiles and shakes her head, her eyes wet. Lucky looks lost, as though not understanding the importance of what he’s done.

Levi speaks up for the first time since we’ve been there, looking directly at his friend. “I owe you one. I really do. Thanks, man.”

I can see he really means it. He’s incredibly grateful.

I step forward and ask the question that’s been nagging at me for a few minutes now. “What about the car? Did it stop?”

Thomas shakes his head grimly. “Hit-and-run. We spoke to the police, but I didn’t even have time to get the license plate. I was just ... scared.” He says that as though the very idea comes as a surprise to him. The whole story seems completely crazy to me.

Thomas murmurs something into Levi’s ear, and Levi nods. His eyes meet mine again and don’t look away. I don’t feel good. I need to touch him, to feel sure he’s really there. I go over to him, still holding his intense gaze, and wind my fingers around his.

“Are you OK?”

Thomas draws back, still looking straight ahead.

Levi looks at me and nods. “I’m OK.”

Li Mei asks Lucky when he can be discharged, and he explains that the doctor was more than happy to sign his release, but Levi insisted on his staying another night so they could keep an eye on him. Li Mei decides to stay too.

“We’ll go, then,” Levi says.

He tells his savior to get some rest, and the three of us leave, closing the door behind us. The silence is bizarrely heavy. The two men are talking as we get into the lift, but I don’t listen. I feel groggy.

We take a taxi back to the hotel, riding in silence all the way. Levi is completely ignoring me. When we reach the door to the suite, he surprises me by slipping his hand into mine. I glance at him in surprise, but he’s looking at Thomas.

“Can we have some time alone?”

Thomas seems unwilling, but he purses his lips and nods, before heading back down the corridor. Levi leads me into the suite, his fingers still entwined with mine. As soon as he closes the door behind us, I feel as though I might fall apart.

I follow him to the living room, my legs trembling and my heart beating incredibly fast. I don’t understand what’s happening to me. It must be the stress taking its toll, because I suddenly break down. I can hardly breathe, and I hide my face in my hands, sinking down onto the floor.

He’s alive. Safe and sound. Everything’s fine.

I collapse completely, my throat seizing up. For a while I really thought ... I thought ... It was as though the world were crashing down around my ears. For a nanosecond, I thought, If I haven’t got Levi anymore, what have I got?

“I was so afraid,” I mumble into my hands. “I thought you ...”

I can’t finish my sentence, or stop the tears running down my cheeks. I’m probably more surprised by this than he is. I haven’t cried for years, but here I am bawling, paralyzed with relief.

That’s when the truth hits me.

I can’t deny it any longer. I love Levi Ivanovich.

I knew it already, deep down, of course. I realized I loved him when his face became the only thing my fingers ever painted.

I hear him come over and crouch next to me, and I finally uncover my face. He’s directly opposite me, as beautiful and perfect as ever.

He smiles ever so slightly and tilts my chin upward with his long fingers. His touch is extremely gentle, as though he wants to reassure me, but his eyes, just like his words, are icy.

“You can drop the act now, lyubimaya .”