Page 6 of The Runaway

“If you were on time, we’d be drunk right now. Maybe give that some consideration next time.” My cousin guffawed at my clipped tone as I skirted around him. Joci zipped up her own coat, a light grey, fluffy-looking coat, before I made it to her, and the sight of her all bundled up just hit me out of nowhere. She fluffed out her hair, and I pursed my lips thinly. Caleb glared at my back on the way out, and I glanced over my shoulder to shoot him a dirty look.

“Your cousin is an asshole.” Barking a laugh, a puff of white wafted into the frigid air, and I stuck my hands into my pockets. Starting southwards, I inhaled deeply through my nose, letting that faint smell of rain cool the heated parts of me. For the first time since I noticed Joci walking into the bar, my pants weren’t so tight. “My dad was an asshole, too.”

“Yeah— like I said. I’d rather not spend too much time with him. He’s a fun guy in small doses. Are your friends eating somewhere around here?” Joci pointed vaguely in front of us, her lean brows furrowing in concentration. “You’ve only been here a few hours. What do you think so far?”

“It can be great.” Satisfaction blossomed in my chest at that deeply layered admission. Wobbling light to nudge her with my elbow, I smiled when her rosy cheeks brightened. “What?”

“Nothing. I’m tipsy. Honestly… I don’t remember the last time I drank so little. Caleb and I usually get hammered. When he moved in with me, he didn’t work Fridays, so he’d convince me to go out on Thursday night. Now, we only do it every couple weeks or even longer. I don’t get fall over drunk, though— it’s embarrassing.” I’d drunk my way through college, sure, but there was a time just after graduating that I decided I was done. Even during my 4-year stint, I wasn’t much of a partier. Caleb, on the other hand, wouldn’t stop until he got cut off by the bartender.

“I can’t get drunk— I’m Russian. Only men are always drunk.” Snorting a laugh at that, I shook my head roughly to get rid of the beer sloshing in my ears. Joci smiled wide when I glanced over, and it helped me sober up a little— she had a beautiful, soft smile. “Do you have not very much drama?”

Flopping my head back to inhale a cold, crisp breath, I stared into the darkness hanging above us for a moment. Did I have a lot of drama in my life? My cousin was an asshole— that’d already been established. My mom wished I’d move back home. I had a crappy boss at my dream job.

“No, I don’t have a lot of drama. It’s pretty boring, and I like having a boring life.” Pausing when Joci stopped walking, I twisted as an intense longing morphed her entire face. Her shoulders bunched up, her hair puffing out as she stared through blank eyes at the gum-pocked pavement. “You okay?”

“Yeah… I should’ve drink more.”Thatsobered me up entirely, and Joci shook her head as she sucked in a sharp breath. Cleaning up her expression, she caught up with me to take her turn to nudge me with her elbow. “I’m fine.”

“Now that you’re here in America… you can give me a little of your drama, and I’ll give you a little of my boring.” Her eyes widened, flashing hazel in surprise, and butterflies fluttered in my chest.She’s so damn pretty when she’s caught off guard.The cold air made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as the warm bubble around us began to crack. “If you want.”

“… We’ll see. Maybe.” Those eyes flickered past me, and I silently berated myself while Joci cleared her throat roughly. In an instant, everything about her changed— her posture, her expression, and she even took her hands out of her pockets. Walking off before I could get out of my own head, she waved out of the corner of my eye. “Ophelia! Hey!”

Even her voice was different— strong and sure and lilted. Blinking hard, I turned my gaze while Joci caught up with her friends. The faces she made seemed so guarded and carefully thought out, and the butterflies in my chest transformed into an ache. I was far enough away that the two men and woman didn’t notice me, and I rocked back on my heels.

Joci didn’t try to draw attention to me before following her friends, only casting me a look over her shoulder. That glance was so heavy, but so brief, and my cheek twitched withsomething ugly. Not necessarily irritation, though.I guess that ends that.

Which sucked, because I wanted to keep talking to Joci, but the topic obviously meant the universe would send someone to interrupt it. Reaching both my hands to rub my head roughly, I messed my hair even as my eyes stayed on her.She walks different.

So… was she real with me, or was she real with them?

“She’ll probably not call me, anyway.” If there was one thing that sucked ass about New York City, is was that a person can go their entire life without seeing the same stranger twice. Scuffing my shoe against the sidewalk, I turned to backtrack towards my street. “Damn.”

6

Joci

Throwing myself onto the bed, I gasped as pain engulfed my spine from tail to neck. Heat flared at my lower back, and tension weaved between my ribs. A whimper escaped me to get stuck in the thick comforter, my lips twisted in a nasty grimace.Note to self— bar stools suck.

I held my breath as I waited for the throbbing to pass, but my throat tightened when the softhitchof a door opening sounded through my room. Panic slammed into me, intensifying the pain gripping my spine, and insecurity immediately flooded my veins. Goosebumps blanketed my body under my clothes, and blood drummed n my ears. So gently, the bed dipped, and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly even as the shift sent prickling pain up my back.

“I didn’t know it was so bad.” Aleksander Makovich sounded heavy— burdened— and some of the tension seeped out of me and into the mattress. “Ishouldhave killed you— now I feel guilty for not.”

“Guilt? You?” Disbelief mingled with disgust in my scoff, and I pulled my arms up to force myself onto my side. He frowned darkly under furrowed brows, but somewhere between there… was guilt. “Don’t lie. You never gave me a second thought— not once until I was put in your face.”

“That’s what I said—nowI feel guilty. It’s impressive you manage to function considering how degenerated your spine is.” Sitting back to hold himself on his arms, Aleksander’s brow orbs flashed brightly as he arched a brow. Honestly, I couldn’t be surprised that he’d contacted my doctor. Mine was a Makovich employee, after all. “I’m not here to argue semantics, Joci. I came to talk about your out. I’ve given you my offer— now, it’s time to negotiate.”

“I want an English tutor.” Licking my dried lips, I gulped down the cotton that stuffed my mouth. Wordlessly, Aleksander hoisted himself up to walk off, and I arched my back experimentally. Staring at the rumples in the comforter, my mind whirred in circles around my dilemma.

Negotiation.No doubt, Aleksander had come here knowing I would ask for a tutor, but what else was there? Money— I would need some, probably. How much would ‘some’ constitute? How much did living in America cost? What could possibly substitute the precarious financial situation I find myself in?

“Here.” I strained to push myself up, a hiss escaping through my clenched teeth. Aleksander held out a water bottle, and my skin prickled up my arm while he sat. A bulging envelope sat in his lap, the orange drawing my gaze against the black of his pants, and my expression soured. “You were saying, Joci?”

“I want an apartment of my choosing, with all my expenses paid by you for one full year.” Twisting the cap off the bottle, I took a big gulp as my gaze swung to Aleksander’s face. His expression didn’t reveal anything at all— blank and a little creepy, the weight of his eyes on me despite nothing be in them. My mind whirred a frenetic pace, misfiring on ideas that were too risky— like asking for money outright. “… I think that’s it.”

“Really?” Stroking his chin, Aleksander’s eyes narrowed into fine points on me as I nodded hesitantly. I didn’t want to push my luck— I’d already done that when he didn’t kill me.Although, I don’t consider myself lucky.“Here’s my counter. I’ve already arranged you for a tutor— I don’t consider that a point of negotiation. Your English is terrible, Joci. I’llbuyyou an apartment no more than $500,000 American dollars, and pay your expenses for one year. If you have a job more than 6 months during that year, I will pull out, and you’ll be on your own. Once that year is up, I will pull out, and you’re on you’re on your own regardless. Now— when you sayallexpenses, does that include medical care?”

My brows rose in surprise— I had topayfor healthcare? But, even then, Aleksander’s face didn’t so much as twitch as I slowly lifted my water bottle to my lips. The multiple screws and plates holding my skeleton together weren’t what caused my pain. They didn’thaveto be removed and doing so could actually make things worse. If I did get sick somehow else, I needed to be able to get treatment, though. My joints were concerning, but I could get the flu or something.

Ugh…