It was only one night, but tonight of all nights, she really wanted to sleep in his arms. She wanted him to hold her close and keep her safe. He’d be there for her if he knew about the note. No matter how angry or disappointed he was, he’d be there. At least, she thought he would. She chewed her lip wanting to call him, but she was on the fence about his reaction.
There was a knock at the door, which drew the gazes of Sylvia and Talya, but Yuri looked sheepish.
Her heart sank.
Before Yuri opened the door, she knew who was on the other side—a furious Eric.
“I called him,” Yuri admitted.
Her belly ached as she saw the hurt and disappointment in his eyes when he entered and br
iefly met her gaze. He wouldn’t look at her and he stayed close to the door.
“We will give you some privacy.” Yuri took hold of an unwilling Talya and closed them inside her bedroom.
Sylvia stared at Talya’s door, she really wanted to follow them and not stay in the room that was thick with tension.
“I don’t know what to say to you.” He paced behind the sofa, so she stayed quiet knowing he had more to say. “You promised me, Sylvia. You promised to stay away from that place,” he hissed. “I thought you’d had the fear knocked into you about Poles and the sick bastard who wanted you.” He stopped in front of her. “You went fucking back,” he shouted. “Do you want him? Is that it? Do his words turn you the fuck on?”
Sylvia gasped at his sharp words and tone as the tears welled in her eyes. She fought back the sob but she couldn’t, and it issued from her as a broken sound before her tears rained freely down her face. She swiped at them in agitation. She didn’t want to cry, but her nerves were already shot to hell. Why couldn’t he show some concern for her? He practically accused her of asking for whatever was going on. She tried to tell herself he was angry because of his feelings for her and it was his way of letting out the frustration at his inability to protect her, but it didn’t stop the pain in her heart. Nothing she rationalized worked well, because she just wanted him to hold her and he, obviously, had no intention of doing so. Instead, he decided to really lash out at her with hateful words.
The sobs racked her small frame, and she realized he’d finally stopped and stood watching her with his hands on his hips.
She hiccupped and stood.
Not meeting his gaze, she slipped into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. It was the cowardly way, but she couldn’t talk to him while he shouted and ranted at her. She couldn’t sit there and listen to the accusations.
Climbing on top of her quilt, she pulled one side over herself, curdled up into the fetal position and let the silent tears fall.
Chapter Twenty-One
“You asshole!” Talya shouted, flying out of her bedroom. “Get out of our fucking apartment, and don’t ever come back.”
Yuri wrapped an arm around Talya’s waist and hauled her back against him as she flailed toward Eric. He deserved those words after what had come out of his mouth to Sylvia. They were uncalled for, but they couldn’t be unsaid no matter how much he wished they could be.
He was angry that she’d gone back to Poles. She’d promised she would stay away and breaking a promise was the same as lying to him. But to accuse her of wanting the fucker, he’d been out of line and it was certainly nothing that he truly believed.
He backed up and dropped his butt into a chair because he had no intention of leaving until he’d talked to Sylvia. Apologized. First, though, he needed to let what he’d done sink in. Sylvia was the last person he wanted to hurt, and he’d hurt her badly with his angry words.
He glanced up, and Talya continued to glare at him, although she’d calmed down after her outburst. He probably had Yuri to thank for that.
“I didn’t mean what I said,” he admitted. “I was angry that she broke a promise to me. She means the damn world to me and I wasn’t there.”
“I understand,” Yuri said quietly, but his eyes searched out Talya.
She turned her head to look at him, Talya’s eyes spitting fire. There must have been something in Yuri’s because she calmed and moved out of his embrace.
“I need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Nyet.” Yuri gripped Talya’s wrist. “Let Eric make sure that she is okay.”
“He’s not going anywhere near her right now.”
“Da, he is. He is sorry, and she needs him more than she needs you right now, as much as you hate to hear that.” Yuri for a big tough Russian, surprised the fuck out of him.
While he had Talya distracted, Eric made his way to Sylvia’s room and didn’t bother to knock before he just pushed his way inside.
He felt like a teenager sneaking into his girlfriend’s home to get his rocks off. As he closed the door, he waited a minute for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before he found Sylvia curled up in the middle of her bed.