SASHA’S POV
The cool evening breeze hit my face as I stepped out of the hospital, a stark contrast to the sterile chill inside.
The air smelled faintly of rain, earthy and grounding, but I barely noticed. My mind was still replaying the events from earlier in my father’s ward.
The emotions in that room had been overwhelming, and a part of me still felt like I was floating between relief and uncertainty.
Roland walked a step behind me, his heavy boots scuffing against the concrete. I turned to face him, my voice softer than I intended.
“Roland, I just… I don’t even know how to thank you for what you did back there. That meant everything to me.”
He shook his head, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. “You don’t need to thank me, Sasha. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was,” I insisted, my words a little firmer.
I wanted him to understand how much it mattered, how much it meant that he stood up for me, for Sebastian, and for the complicated situation we were in.
My father might not have reacted the way I’d hoped, but Roland’s calm words and presence had helped diffuse what could have spiraled into something much worse.
Roland shrugged again, his shoulders tightening slightly. “I only said what needed to be said. Your father…” He hesitated, his dark eyes scanning my face.
“He’s protective, and I get that. But Sasha, you’re going to have to tell him the truth about Sebastian eventually.”
My stomach tightened at the weight of his words. I lowered my gaze to the pavement, tracing a crack with the toe of my shoe. “I know,” I whispered, almost to myself.
“The sooner he knows, the better,” Roland continued, his tone steady but insistent.
“Your father isn’t stupid. He’s going to piece it together at some point, and it’s better if he hears it from you.”
I bit my lip, my chest tightening at the thought of that inevitable conversation.
Telling my father about Sebastian’s world, about the danger that shadowed his every move, felt like stepping onto a minefield. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face the explosion that might follow.
“I just… I don’t want to lose him,” I admitted, my voice trembling.
“You won’t,” Roland said firmly. “But keeping secrets will only make it worse. You love Sebastian, and your father needs to understand that-”
“I do love him,” I interrupted, my voice stronger this time. “But my dad…” I trailed off, shaking my head.
“He’s old-fashioned, Roland. He won’t understand. And if he thinks Sebastian’s world is a threat to me…”
“He’ll fight it,” Roland finished for me, his expression grim. “But Sasha, your father also loves you. He’s stubborn, sure, but he’s not unreasonable.”
“If he sees how much Sebastian means to you, he’ll come around. Maybe not right away, but eventually.”
I inhaled deeply, letting the crisp night air fill my lungs. Roland’s words made sense, but that didn’t make them any easier to accept. The thought of laying everything bare, of exposing Sebastian’s secrets to my father, terrified me.
“Thank you,” I said softly, my voice almost breaking. “For everything. I don’t know how I’d get through this without you.”
For a moment, Roland didn’t say anything. When I glanced up at him, I saw something in his eyes-an emotion I couldn’t quite name.
Before I could overthink it, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. The gesture surprised even me, but it felt right.
Roland had been a constant source of support, a steady presence in a storm that often felt like it would swallow me whole.
It took him a moment to respond. His arms hung at his sides for a beat too long, as if he wasn’t sure what to do. Then, slowly, he brought them up and patted my back awkwardly.
“You don’t have to do this,” he muttered, his voice gruff.
“I wanted to,” I said simply, my cheek resting against his chest.
We stood like that for a moment, the sounds of the city humming softly in the background. My thoughts swirled, a chaotic mix of gratitude, guilt, and something else I couldn’t quite pin down.
Realizing what I was doing, I stepped back quickly, my hands dropping to my sides. “I’m sorry,” I said, my cheeks flushing. “I didn’t mean to-”
Before I could finish, Roland’s arms tightened around me, pulling me back into the hug. This time, his hold was firm, almost desperate, as if he were holding onto something he couldn’t bear to lose.
“Just a few minutes,” he murmured, his voice so low I barely heard it. “I need this… just for a few minutes.”
I froze, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. The vulnerability in his voice caught me off guard, and for a moment, I didn’t know what to do.
“Roland…” I began, but the words died in my throat.
His grip didn’t loosen, and I felt the tension in his body, the way he seemed to be holding something back. I stood still, unsure of how to respond, unsure of what this moment even meant.
The world around us seemed to fade, the hum of the city dimming as we stood there in silence. It was only when I heard the faint sound of a camera shutter clicking that reality came crashing back.
I pulled away quickly, my eyes darting around the dimly lit parking lot. “Did you hear that?” I asked, my voice sharp with alarm.
Roland’s expression darkened, his eyes scanning the shadows. “Stay here,” he said, his tone firm.
“No,” I said, grabbing his arm before he could move. “Don’t. It’s not worth it.”
He hesitated, his jaw clenching. “If someone’s watching, Sasha, we need to know who.”
“We don’t even know what they saw,” I argued, my heart racing. “Let’s just go.”
Reluctantly, Roland nodded, his eyes still scanning the darkness as we walked to the car.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching us, that whoever had taken that photo was still there, lurking in the shadows.
As we drove away, my mind raced with questions. Who had taken the picture? What would they do with it? And what would Sebastian think if he saw it?
I didn’t have any answers, but one thing was clear: nothing about this night would be simple.