When We Were Young

Ninety-three: Present Day

Ninety-three:

Present Day

Aleksander stayed the night and he snuck out early in the morning. He kissed Alina before he left. "I'll see you at the wedding," he told her, stroking her cheek.

Alina groaned. "Do you really have to leave?"

Aleksander chuckled. "You were the one that thought that it would be safer for us not to show up together."

Alina reached out and took his hand. "I told you that I was serious about taking this on with you. I've spent a lot of time hiding, and I'm done doing it. I want to be with you, Aleks. I don't want to waste anymore time not being together. I want to claim the future that we were supposed to have together. I'm not backing down from us being happy this time. I promise. I want you. I love you."

He smiled, and he kissed her again. "I know. But I have to change for the wedding anyway, but I promise, I'll come back. Then, after the wedding, I'm all yours. Besides, I suspect that the person that has been trying to ruin you and keep us apart is going to make an appearance, and we're going to be able to be together and get the ending we deserve. I promise you."

Alina smiled. "Alright, well if you promise."

"I do."

This time, she kissed him, threading her fingers around his neck, through his hair. It was hard to say no when the feeling of her lips against his was what he had wanted for so very, very long. He breathed in her smell one more time, and then he pulled away. "I'll be back for the wedding. I promise."

"You had better," she said with a pout.

Aleksander laughed. "Don't worry sweetheart, I will."

He dressed and slipped from her bedroom. It was early enough that the rest of the wedding party was also asleep, and they were probably sleeping off their hangovers from the rehearsal dinner. He didn't think that he would run into anyone as he was leaving, but as he slipped on his jacket he found himself bumping into someone.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized.

"Morozova?" a surprised voice said. Aleksander looked up and saw Zoya standing there.

"Nazyalensky," he said, "what are you doing here?"

Zoya laughed. "I could ask you the same question. I was invited."

"You were invited to your exes wedding?" Aleksander said.

Zoya narrowed her eyes. "He was only my ex because you forced us together, Aleksander. I never really wanted to date him. You know as well as I do that you were who I really wanted to be with, but then you had to go and fall for Little Orphan Annie."

Aleksander glared. "I talked with Mal about the wedding guest list. He told me that Nikolai was coming, but that you weren't because you thought it might be too awkward. Why are you here, Zoya?"

Zoya flinched. "I changed my mind. Anyway, you're the one that isn't even supposed to be here. You're not part of the wedding party. My boyfriend at least is the best man. Whose room were you sneaking out of?"

Aleksander stared at Zoya, something coming together that he had never thought of before. "You hooked up with Nikolai."

Zoya rolled her eyes. "Are you high again, Morozova? Obviously, I did. We're dating."

Aleksander shook his head. "No, I'm not talking about now, Zoya. I'm talking about----shit----why the fuck didn't I see it? The necklace came from you. You were the only other person that could have had access to Genya and Alina's room. You knew her history, because I'd told you everything. You...fucked Lantsov during Harvest Weekend, didn't you?"

Zoya stiffened and started to back away from him. "Look, we weren't together."

"No, but you were with Mal."

Zoya glared at him. "You brought me into this mess, Aleksander. You told me to seduce him and so that you could ruin the girl and then you went and you got damn feelings for her. I had to do something. I wanted my fucking boyfriend back, and I thought if you---"

Aleksander's eyes widened. "YOU paid me to ruin her."

"You were obsessed!" Zoya said. "And that was the plan. I just thought if I could get you back on track, then the two of us could get back together."

Aleksander shook his head. "You're coming with me."

"Coming with you where?"

"You are going to come with me, and you're going to tell Nikolai, and then you're going to tell Alina exactly what you've been doing. You're going to stop trying to keep us from being together---"

Zoya raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you are the one that has been sending me pictures to keep us from being together."

Zoya laughed. "Listen, I'll own up to being a bitch in college, but I'm with Nikolai now. Aleks---don't make me tell him. I actually---"

Aleksander rolled his eyes. "You expect me to believe that you care about him?"

"Yes!" Zoya said and she pulled out her hand, revealing a glittering emerald on her finger. "We're engaged. Look, I know I fucked up when we were younger, and I'm sorry but I've not given a shit about you and Alina for years. In fact, considering how miserable she's been without you, I've been rooting for the two of you to get back together. I'm not the one sending you those pictures."

"You swear, Nazyalensky?" Aleksander said.

Zoya nodded. "On my life, I swear it's not me. And you know I love my life."

Aleksander sighed. "Who the fuck would try to keep us apart?"

Zoya laughed. "Oh, come on Aleks. You can't be that dense. Where do you think I was getting my money from to fuck with you? Who do you think gave me the idea?"

Aleksander grimaced. "My mother."

"Yeah," Zoya said, "your mother. She gave me the idea to mess with you and told me she'd pay me for the privilege. She didn't want you messing up your whole life for Alina. Your beef is not with me. It is with your mother."

"Fucking Saints."