Once Upon A Lie

Thirty-four:

Thirty-four:

Alina had spent a lot of time in the Opera House growing up. Her mother was one of the largest donators, next to Aleksander's. When they'd been children, Aleksander had been a concert pianist. He had played all over the world. Sometimes, he'd be gone for months had a time. Other times, Baghra ask Makhi to follow him around if she couldn't for whatever reason. Alina would go with them.

She remembered being seven and watching him play in front of a room full of people in Paris. He hadn't even been nervous at all. They used to spend their time running wild in fancy hotels. Ordering so much room service that they made themselves sick. Alina would listen to him play as he practiced. She'd sit on the bench right next to him while he watched her carefully, never missing a note.

When he'd started high school, the piano had stopped. And the girls had started. And everything had become a mess. He was no longer the sweet, piano player boy that she knew. He was Aleksander Morozova, heir to the Morozova Fortune, future CEO of The Fold. It was like he was playing a part and he didn't even know who he was anymore. As they sat there at the piano together, she saw a glimpse of who he used to be.

The boy that she knew.

Not the rich boy personality that he put on for people.

"Alina," he said, "are you okay? You've been quiet."

They were still sitting on the piano bench together. Their fingers were laced together. She didn't want to let go. She didn't want to get off of the piano bench. She wanted to stay there, trapped in this moment with him forever. She didn't want to let the rest of the world in. "I'm fine. I just...it's been so long since I've seen you....be you. I feel like I'm staring at a ghost right now. There was a time when the piano was the only thing you loved."

Aleksander reached out and brushed away a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Alina, there has never been only one thing that I loved. It was you, and then the piano. Always."

"Did your dad know that you were practicing?" Alina said. "I know that he was pretty hard on you for a while. He thought that it wasn't going to take it anywhere."

"I think he was angry enough at me that he didn't care. He hasn't said anything, anyway. Besides I um.... I didn't practice in the house."

"What do you mean, you didn't practice in the house?"

"I mean, I never really stopped playing the piano. I've been sneaking in here ever since he gave me the ultimatum not to practice. He's been pretty intent that he owns me. And this was the one thing that he couldn't take away from me."

He was being honest with her, for a change. She couldn't remember the last time that he had been so honest.

She reached out and cupped his face in her hands. "Aleks...."

"Yes?" he whispered.

"I want you to fuck me," she told him, "please."

"Alina, I don't have any protection...."

She bit her lip. "I'm on birth control. My mother made me go on it when we were engaged. She was convinced that I was going to get pregnant."

He chuckled. "Makhi had that little faith in me?"

"She knows you," Alina reminded him, "she's known you since you were little. She didn't think that you were going to be able to keep away from me once we were engaged."

"Well," he said, "she was right. I can't keep away from you. You are the only thing that matters to me in this world. Are you sure that you want to do this now? Here? I want to be with you, but if you're doing this because---"

"Aleks, the only reason I am doing this is that I want to. You were honest with me for a change. It's been a long time since I've felt you were honest."

"And that gets rewarded with sex?" he waggled his eyebrows. "Perhaps I should be honest more often."

She laughed. "You showed me parts of yourself that you haven't shown anyone else. I just...I want us to remember this. I think it's the perfect time, don't you?"

"Personally, I'm of the mind that almost any time is the perfect time for sex. But if that's what you want, Princess, I will happily oblige. I'd do anything that you asked me to, Alina."

Alina did know that. Even though there were times when it seemed like Aleksander didn't care about her, because he sometimes did only what he wanted for her, she knew he would always do what he could to keep her safe. "Then, I want to be with you, Aleksander. I want you to be my first."

"You haven't been with anyone else?" he said. "Not even Mal?"

She shook her head. "All we did on the date was kiss. I know he wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to. It felt wrong. He wasn't you. He's never going to be you."

"Are you still going to see him?"

She winced. "Please don't ask me that. I don't even know."

Aleksander ran a hand through his hair. "I know. I said that if you wanted to be casual, we could be casual. You're the one that's making the rules this time."

"Then," she said, "are you going to fuck me or not?"

He grinned. "Yes, Princess. I am going to fuck you because you asked so nicely." He stood up, her hand still in his. "Come with me. I know the perfect place for us to do this."

"We're not going to do it here on the stage?" Alina asked.

Aleksander chuckled. "What do you take me for, an exhibitionist? Just come with me." They went backstage, and he didn't stop until they reached a closed door. He pulled out a key that Alina pretended she didn't see, then opened a door.

Alina let out a gasp. "The prop room?"

He nodded. "Come on."

Aleksander pulled her inside, closing the door behind him. They didn't stop until they had reached a large bed that Alina recognized from last summer's production of Antony and Cleopatra. It was a large, four-poster bed made of gold that still had all its sheets and pillows. Red, with gold thread.

Alina laughed. "Aleks, you can't be serious."

"I most definitely am." He jumped onto the bed. "Now, the only question is are you going to join me?"