Page 73 of Rapunzel Is Losing It

“Just within earshot is fine.”

She gave a curt nod, and turned back to her sudoku. Well, that warm spirit was definitely a Yelchin family trait then. I grabbed a smoothie from the fridge and disappeared in my office - where I firmly closed the door behind me and Fitzi.

That day,I got through so much work that had been piling up, just because I avoided leaving my office. I barely looked up from my computer until Victor knocked against the door and opened it to peer in. It took me three, four, five furious blinks to even get my eyes to focus on him. Maybe I should invest in some blue light glasses. I’d probably break them within a week though. They seemed like a great little thing to fidget with whenever my hair was up.

“You didn’t take your meds today,” Victor grunted, and it took me a moment to realize he’d been talking.

Yeah, well, I hadn’t had breakfast and I hadn’t had lunch, so there was no meal that I took my meds with. And once I’d started looking into providing car services for women who couldn’t get to our centers themselves, my day just rushed past.

Instead of explaining all of that, I just said, “You could have given me a heads-up regarding Irina.”

“You need someone here. I took care of it.”

“I don’t know her.”

He raised his brows in a silent question, because of course my argument didn’t make sense. I hadn’t known him either before I’d hired him.

“That’s besides- I just-“ I huffed, grasping at the fleeting thoughts as I tried to verbalize. “You didn’t- Gah.” I flexed my fists until my nails dug into my palms.

“You’re angry with me,” he realized.

“Yes. I guess.”

He nodded. “I’ll get started on dinner.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

He lifted his arms in awhat do you want me to sayshrug.

“God, you’re frustrating. This is all- You can’t- Fine. Have it your way. Go make dinner.” I let out a strange sound, caught between a grunt and a scream and a sigh.

Victor didn’t move away from the doorway, eyes still on me.

“Stop staring at me!” I yelled a little too loud, and got out of my chair a little too furiously, sending it crashing into the wall. It startled Fitzi enough for him to jump off the window and run from the room. Great. Even the cat that viciously attacked everyone was scared of me. I clasped my hands over my face, trying to still my breathing, to calm the blood rushing in my ears. “I’ll get used to Irina, okay? I’m fine.”

“Cordelia.”

“Go!”

“Cordelia.”

“Go make dinner.” I lowered my hands just enough to see him standing still and staring at me. “What?”

“I hate being away from you. Trust me, if I had a choice, I wouldn’t be further than ten feet from you at any given point in time. Once I’ve taken care of my family, I’ll be by your side everysecond of every day. You’re going to wish that you could get rid of me.”

“I’d never wish that,” I breathed, deflating even at the thought.

“Cordelia.” This time his voice was laced with defeat, but he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “I need to figure out what Petya wants in Paris. Then I use that to get out of the fight, out of this stupid arrangement.”

“How? How do you plan to get out once you have leverage?”

“I’ll figure that out when I know what it is. A person can be killed. Money can be burned. We’ll see.”

“That’s a horrible plan.”

“I’m working on it.” His fingers hooked into the belt loops of my skirt, pulling me closer. “Zhizn’ moya?”

“Hmm?” I hummed, my eyes fluttering shut when his thumbs traced the sliver of skin between my skirt and my top. It was such a simple touch, but it stilled every thought in my mind. Everything zeroed in on the twin curves he was drawing.