Chapter Six
10 YEARS AND 1 MONTH EARLIER, MOSCOW
Two weeks at home. That’s all I have to tolerate this summer, thank f**k. Now that I’ve turned fifteen, Mama lets me travel with my friends—and our bodyguards, of course—and I spent all of June, July, and half of August exploring Italy, Greece, Spain, and France. I would’ve gladly continued on to Iceland with Natasha, but for some reason, my parents insisted that I return to Moscow—probably so I could witness more of their epic fights.
I try not to dwell on that, on the animosity between them that seems to grow every day, but it’s impossible to ignore. I’ve been home less than a week, and I’ve already caught Mama crying twice. Papa isn’t much better. He’s drinking. And not the kind of drinking he’s always done, where it’s a glass or two o
