Page 38 of Ghost Ribbon

We needed the money. Mom’s treatments were expensive, the hospital visits and medications adding up faster than we could keep up with. My own medications weren’t cheap either. I had already skipped three doctor appointments just to avoid adding more bills to the pile. I could feel myself weakening lately, the dizziness that came out of nowhere, the fatigue that made my limbs feel heavy, the way my body sometimes just… gave out for a few seconds. It wasn’t a good sign. But it would be okay. It had to be okay. I just needed to keep going a little longer.

I decided to ignore Alexei’s threats. I knew it would probably bite me in the ass later. He wasn’t the type to make empty promises. But I still needed the money. At least enough for my treatments so my parents wouldn’t have to pay for those on top of everything else. I couldn’t let them carry more than they already were.

So I got dressed, grabbed my bag, and slipped out of the house before anyone else woke up.

The store was quiet when I arrived. I clocked in, put on my apron, and started the usual morning tasks. The work was mindless, which was good because my mind was anything but.

My arms felt weaker than usual today, but I ignored it. It would get better. It always did eventually.

By the time the afternoon rolled around, the store had gotten busier. I helped customers find items, rang up purchases, and tried to smile through the exhaustion. My boss, an older woman named Mrs. Rivera, noticed me moving a little slower than usual and asked if I was okay.

“I’m fine,” I said, forcing another smile. “Just didn’t sleep great last night. I’ll be alright.”

She nodded but looked a little concerned. “Take it easy today, okay? You work hard. Don’t push yourself too much.”

I nodded and went back to work, but her words stuck with me. I couldn’t afford to slow down. I skipped lunch to keep working, ignoring the way my stomach growled and the dizziness that kept creeping in at the edges of my vision.

My shift had dragged on forever. All I wanted was to walk home, collapse on my bed, and sleep.

But the moment I stepped out onto the sidewalk, I felt it. That stare. I didn’t even need to look up. Two feet away, leaning against the sleek black car like he owned the entire street, was Alexei. Arms crossed, dark eyes fixed on me with that intensity that always made my stomach twist. I took a breath, trying to calm the flutter in my chest, and started walking toward him.

“Why are you here?” I asked, keeping my voice quiet and even. Gentle. The way I always tried to speak to him, even when everything inside me felt tangled.

Alexei’s expression didn’t change at first. Then he pushed off the car, straightening to his full height. “Why weren’t you at the academy today? I thought I made myself perfectly clear yesterday, little star.”

I swallowed, stopping a few steps away. “I never said I would come. You can’t just decide my schedule for me.”

His eyes darkened, that stormy look I was starting to recognize too well. He took one step forward, closing some of the space between us. “Since when do you work? Is this why you’re not attending classes?”

I nodded, tired but honest. “Yes. Now that you know… can you let it be?”

He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he refused to leave unsolved. “Why are you working at all?”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, rubbing the bridge of my nose instead. “Because not everyone is born with millions sitting in their bank account, Alexei. Some of us need money to help out at home.”

“I can give you money,” he said immediately, like it was the simplest solution in the world.

I sighed, running a hand over my face and then through my curls. They were probably a mess after a full shift, but I didn’t care. “No. Money is earned, Alexei. You can’t just throw it at people like it fixes everything. It doesn’t work that way.”

“You’re not ‘people,’” he replied. “You’re mine.”

“Oh my god,” I muttered, the words slipping out before I could stop them. My face heated, and I rubbed my hand over my face again, harder this time, then tugged at my curls in frustration. “Can you let it be? Please? I’ll come back eventually. I just need a bit more time. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“Time for what?” he pressed, stepping forward again. His presence felt bigger than the sidewalk, bigger than the whole block.

I stepped back instinctively, keeping distance. “I won’t tell you. It’s personal. Family things. Things I have to figure out on my own.”

He followed. “Personal. Family. You keep drawing these lines like they will keep me out. They won’t. Tell me what is keeping you away.”

I stepped back again, trying to create space, but my foot caught awkwardly on the curb. The world tilted for a second. Exhaustion and the late hour made my balance shaky. I nearly fell, heart lurching.

Alexei moved fast. His hand shot out, catching my arm firmly, then sliding to my waist to steady me. He pulled me upright, eyebrows furrowed in genuine concern as he scanned my face. “Are you dizzy?”

“A bit,” I admitted, breath catching at how close he was now.

“Why?” he asked, not releasing me right away. His thumb brushed lightly against my side, almost absentminded, but I knew better. Nothing with Alexei was absentminded.

I let out a shaky breath. “Because I’m tired. I’ve been working extra shifts, handling things at home, and you - you keep cornering me like this. Like an animal you’re trying to tame. You won’t let me breathe. You show up everywhere, decide everything. You kept your distance for a year and now you’re all in my space and I’m just… confused.”