Page 72 of Rapunzel Is Losing It

“I think you were right. And she was right.”

“About?”

“I’m allowed to have fun.”

“Yes.” The word shot over my lips way too fast. She wasn’t just allowed to have fun. She deserved to have fun. She deserved so much more than that.

“But this isn’t my idea of fun.” She looked around, crinkling her nose at the bleak and icy park. “I don’t care for it.”

“Let’s get you home.”

“The fun way, please.”

“What’s the fun way?”

She grinned and put the plastic lid back on her ice cream. “Piggyback ride.”

I laughed. “As you wish.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The morningafter I decided to venture outside, I walked down to the kitchen for breakfast- and froze in the doorway. There was a girl at my table, chewing on a pencil and staring down a sudoku pad.

“Who are you?” I asked, voice surprisingly unwavering.

Her head snapped up, brown curls bouncing. “My name is Irina, ma’am.”

“Ma’am?” I narrowed my eyes at her. I blamed my lack of panic solely on the fact that she had big brown doe eyes - and I clearly wasn’t quite awake yet. I should have called 911.

“I’m Victor’s cousin, ma’am.”

My tired thoughts slowly started piecing her words together. Irina. Victor had told me about his cousins: Luka, Natalia andIrina. She was the youngest in the bunch. “Why are you sitting in my kitchen?”

“I’m waiting for you to wake up, ma’am.”

“Okay, cut the ma’am. You’re making me feel old.” I took a few tentative steps into the room and crossed my arms in front of my chest. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one, ma-, Miss Montgomery.”

“Just call me Cordelia, or nothing at all. And please explain why you’re in my kitchen.”

“Victor asked me to look after you when he’s away,” she replied as if that was logical.

Look after me? That girl looked like a puppy sitter at best. “No offense, but…”

“I have a black belt in Karate. My aim with a gun is the best in my family,” she interjected. “I’m currently carrying five concealed blades, two of which can cut through bone. I can look after you, trust me. Better than Victor, I dare say.”

“Okay…” I swallowed and tried not to stare too openly as I tried to figure out where her tight sweater and jeans were supposed to hide any knives. Victor had plopped his cousin in my house tolook afterme - and her definition of that seemed slightly violent. I tried to recall the first time I met Victor. Had he been just like that? Was that just how the Yelchins were raised? “Can you cook?”

“I can order from any of the 23 Victor-approved restaurants I have saved in my phone.”

“Okay.” I bit my lip. Part of me wanted to send her back home. Victor was clearly sending me a message. I’d been able to breathe through my panic attack just long enough to send Victor a GPS ping. And now I had a babysitter. Despite that, I felt the muscles between my shoulder blades unclenching. Irina’s presence did that.

“Can I ask what we have planned today? Need to drive anywhere?”

“I have a lot of work to get through. So I’ll be in my office most of the day.” I awkwardly pointed over my shoulder to where my office was.

“Do you prefer for me to be in the same room as you or do you want me positioned outside, by the door?”