“Eva?” Alek rasped, his voice thick with sleep.
“Alek,” I murmured, suddenly full of nerves.
“Are you all right?”
“You know what? I’m sorry, this is stupid.” And I hung up, feeling like a fucking idiot.
My phone rang a second later. “Malyshka, what’s wrong?”
I burst into tears again.
“Oh, baby girl, I’m so sorry.”
“You don’t even know what happened,” I muttered through my tears, and the fucker laughed.
“I don’t, but I know you didn’t deserve it, whatever it is.”
His words were a balm to my soul. Tristan said them all the time, and to hear Alek say the same silenced the voice in the back of my head whispering that maybe, it was my fault.
“Where are you?”
“My room,” I said through my sniffles.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes, but?—”
I stopped, embarrassed, feeling like a child.
“But what, baby girl?”
“I don’t want to be alone,” I whispered. Not tonight. Not after watching Cole and his fiancée be a perfect couple as they swept across the dance floor.
Not after I’d had to ask Tristan for help setting up a meeting with Cole.
Not when I was being such a fucking coward about it.
“I’m coming to get you,” Alek said. “At this time of night, it’ll only take me fifteen minutes.”
I nodded.
“Take a deep breath for me, baby girl.”
I breathed in then let it out slowly.
“What are you wearing?”
I laughed through my tears. “I just came from a fundraiser.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he rumbled. “Go put on comfortable clothes, wash your face, and wait for me. I’ll text you when I get there.”
I opened my mouth as if to speak, then shut it, remaining silent.
“Eva? What is it?”
“I don’t—”Don’t hang up. Don’t leave me alone. Don’t make me sit here with my thoughts.“Never mind.”
“I’m taking the elevator down to my car, all right? If the signal cuts, I’ll call you as soon as I pull out of the garage.”