“THERE IS NO other way,” Pavel says bluntly, drinking his morning coffee calmly like he didn’t just tell me that giving Ella to Santo is the only solution.
“I will not,” I reply in an irritated whisper, not wanting to wake a sleeping Ella.
We ventured back inside after our outdoor tryst, and when I went to lie in my makeshift bed on the floor, Ella pulled back the covers, offering a place beside her. I accepted as staying away from her seems impossible, and although she fell into a deep slumber the moment I settled in beside her, I didn’t sleep a wink.
When the sun rose, I left her sleeping soundly to take a shower and then went for a walk. The fresh morning air did nothing to clear my head, and when I returned and saw Pavel was awake, I’d hoped he’d been struck with an epiphany.
He ha
