Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 71595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 358(@200wpm)___ 286(@250wpm)___ 239(@300wpm)
“Exactly,” Lace says again, but this time growling the word out. “We have so much, so why—-”
“Lace.”
“Hmph.” But Lace finally continues, grumbling, “Because I know how unreasonably stubborn you can be, that’s when I had this idea of asking Sheikh Malik for a favor. He’d pretend to offer you a scholarship—-”
“Oh, Lace.” I’m touched, horrified, and embarrassed all at the same time. Now Sheikh Malik is involved, too?
“It was the only way,” Lace says defensively. “And besides, it turned out better than I expected. He ended up paying for the scholarship himself.”
“He what?”
“Okay, now I’m confused.” Lace’s frown is audible in her voice. “First you’re mad that my family wants to pay for your scholarship, and now you’re still mad that someone else paid for it? Who do you want to pay?”
“No one! I should be the one paying—-”
“But you can’t afford to, remem—-” Lace breaks off mid-speech. “Shit. Was I just tactless there?”
“Yes. You kinda were.” But I’m grinning.
“Sorry.” And in Lace’s voice, I hear her grinning, too.
I start to tell her there’s no need to apologize when she clears her throat.
“Also...”
I wait.
“That might not be the only thing I need to say sorry for.” Lace’s voice becomes small. “I kinda...pulled some strings to find out where Yuki’s studying.”
Oh.
“And that’s why you ended up there.”
“I s-see.”
“Did I do the right thing?”
“Yes,” I hear myself say. “You did the right thing.” I take a deep breath. “And speaking of those strings – is it okay if you pull a couple more for me?”
Forty-five minutes later and I’m back on the streets, a girl with a mission. The address that Lace provided for Yuki’s place is at one of the most prominent neighborhoods in Tokyo, far enough to take a cab but close enough for those who enjoy long walks. I’m not really one of the latter back at home, but I’ve heard that walking can help clear one’s mind, so I’m giving it a try. Also, cab fares in this city are way out of my budget, so there’s that, too.
The night-shift concierge greets me with a polite smile as I step inside reception. After apologizing for the three-am-intrusion, I tell him I’m hoping to speak with Yuki Himura at Unit 1808 and when he asks for my name, I hear myself say—-
“Could you tell him it’s Vivi Anderson? I’d like to speak with him about Katerina.”
It’s both a lie and a gamble. I suck at doing both, to be honest, but it’s also my last resort, and so I fight hard to keep my smile as the concierge makes the call.
A moment later, the older man puts the phone down, saying politely, “Mr. Himura will be waiting for you at the 18th floor foyer, miss. Would you like one of our attendants to accompany you?”
My knees knock against each other in relief, and I have to clutch the edge of the counter to keep myself from swaying. “I think I’ll be fine on my own, thanks.” I turn around...and then I run. I can feel the concierge staring at me in palpable confusion, but I pretend not to notice. He might seem like a nice guy, but he’d also be the first one to toss me out on my arse once he realizes I lied to him about my identity.
The elevator ride to the eighteenth floor feels unbearably slow and intimidatingly quick all at once. It gives me an eternity to dwell on all the worst things that could happen, but at the same time it feels like I only have a second to compose myself before the doors start to slide open.
An expansive, luxurious foyer greets me, but all I have eyes for is the boy sitting alone on the velvet sofa, his dark head bent, his hands clasped before him. I step out, and he looks up.
Ah.
Our gazes collide, and my heart shudders to a stop for one painful second.
Yuki.
He jerks to his feet, and the spell breaks as his furious voice reaches me. “Why the fuck are you here?”
His tone makes me flinch, and my first instinct is to run away. But somehow, I find the courage to do the opposite. I start walking towards him, one clumsy step at a time, and the closer I get, the stiffer and tenser Yuki becomes.
I only stop when I’m inches away from him, close enough to hear him suck in his breath, and the memory of Lace’s words flash in my mind.
He called your parents, told them he had done something unforgivable so you’d leave him and stop...worrying about him.
I slowly look up, and this time I see beyond the coldness of his face. This time, I’m close enough to see the haunted look in his eyes—-
He asked...that they be there for you, to make sure you’re okay, and to never...never let you think of him in a good way.