I make it to the end of the alley before I look back. Aleksei is still standing in the doorway, watching me. Even from this distance, I can see the slump in his shoulders.
He raises one hand in a small wave. As he does, a drop of blood falls from the tip of his pinky.
He made his choice that night—to protect me by pushing me away. To shoulder the darkness alone so I wouldn’t have to.
And I made mine, too, even if I didn’t fully understand it then.
I chose to let him.
1: the act of removing the outer layer of fruits or vegetables.
2: the act of removing clothes.
I spend the next two days buried in Frank’s damage assessment like a truffle pig looking for gold. Shockingly, I don’t find anything that glitters. It’s mostly just one issue after another.
Bastian is barely in the building.
