Once Upon A Lie

Twenty-seven:

Twenty-seven:

As much as everyone tried to hide things from her, Alina wasn't as naïve as everyone wanted her to be. She had heard the stories of Vasily Lantsov. She knew the kind of person that he was. She had known that Vasily's death hadn't been as simple as the Lantsov's had made it out to be. They hadn't even pressed charges, because they didn't want word getting out about what Vasily had been doing. She remembered Nikolai getting mad about it because Petyr kept on saying that it, "wouldn't be good for the company."

Alina had heard that line so many times in her life. So, when Mal looked at her with his blue eyes and asked her if she hated him, she couldn't get too mad. "I knew Vasily. I don't hate you."

Mal let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Saints! You don't have any idea how much I was worried about that. But uh----don't tell Genya I told you. She doesn't want you looking at her any different. Vasily didn't manage to actually do anything; he just wouldn't take no for an answer and things got out of hand. She already knows that there's people at the school that don't want her there. Aleksander, for instance."

"Aleksander...Aleksander knew about you?"

"Yeah. He was there the night of Vasily's death."

"I knew that. I didn't know..." Alina wrapped her arms around herself. "Can you take me home?"

"Are you okay? Did I do something to upset you?" Mal asked.

Alina shook her head, and smiled sheepishly. "It's not you, Mal. It's the same thing it always is."

He sighed. "Aleksander?"

She bit down on her lip. "Aleksander," Alina replied.

"I'll take you back."

He took her back home. The whole time, she thought of Aleksander and wondered when the last time he'd been truthful with her was. When they arrived at her home, Alina got off, and she handed Mal her helmet.

"Thank you," she said, "for the date."

Mal shook his head. "Keep the helmet. Got it for you anyway. Besides, you'll need it for next time. I mean, if there's going to be a next time. If you want a next time."

Alina smiled. "Yeah. I'd like a next time."

"Good," he told her, "good. Um...so is the part where you storm over to Aleksander's and kick his ass?"

Alina laughed. "Possibly. I haven't decided yet."

"Well, if you do, send pictures, alright?"

She shook her head. "I most definitely will."

Mal waved at her, and then he roared off on his motorcycle. When he was gone, Alina turned to look at the Morozova mansion. She shouldn't have gone over there. She should have stayed away. But she needed answers, and there was only one way that she was going to get them.

Alina didn't go through the front door though. She suspected if she tried to, Eric or Baghra would keep her away from him. So, Alina climbed up the trellis to Aleksander's room and she knocked on the balcony door. He was there within moments.

"Alina," he breathed, "what are you doing here?"

"Why did you lie to me?" she demanded.

"You're going to have to be more specific. About what?"

"About everything."