Episode 62

Naomi

I woke feeling empty for the first time since Gavril had kidnapped me. Not even when I’d thought that my life was on the line had I felt like I was missing a piece of me.

All that had changed when Gavril didn’t come to my bed last night. I had stayed up well past midnight, rubbing my stomach and hoping that Gavril would walk through the doors and give me some indication that I still mattered to him.

That he wanted to change.

But he didn’t. The door had stayed closed, and I wasn’t brave enough to go after him. A part of me was afraid of the rejection that might follow if I did.

So, I’d cried myself to sleep, worried about all sorts of things that I couldn’t control: me in Gavril’s life, the child we had made, his businesses, and Gavril’s soul.

I couldn’t do anything about them, but I also couldn’t leave. I was tied to Gavril, whether I approved of his business dealings or not.

After a warm shower, I dressed in a pair of stretchy capris and a T-shirt, leaving my hair down to dry.