Chapter 2 : Alina
1052 Words
I pulled up in front of Bella's one-story building and turned off the engine.
Bella's house had always felt small and comforting. It was just her and her older sister living there, yet somehow, the place was always full of life.
Mine was completely different.
A huge mansion with high walls, expensive decorations, and my father's men constantly up in my business.
Sometimes, I envied Bella.
She had freedom.
I had bodyguards.
I grabbed Bella's present from the passenger seat and made my way to the front porch. I was just about to knock when the door swung open right in my face.
“Hi, pookie. Here so early, or did you miss me too much?” Bella asked, a teasing smile spreading across her face.
“Nothing of the sort,” I replied, smiling back.
Bella rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Liar.”
We hugged, and just like that, some of the anger I'd been carrying since breakfast began to fade.
“Alright, get inside.” She stepped aside.
I walked in and immediately caught the smell of food.
My stomach growled.
“Wow, is that pelmeni?” I asked.
The entire house smelled delicious.
“It is,” Bella said proudly. “My sister has a day off, so we decided to make it together.”
She laughed.
“Come on. Let's go to the kitchen.”
I'd honestly thought I'd lost my appetite after the argument with my parents.
Apparently, my stomach hadn't received the memo.
We walked into the kitchen, where I found Natalie, Bella's older sister, arranging plates on the table.
She looked up and smiled.
“Hi, Alina.”
“Hi, Natalie.”
“How's college? Enjoying the summer?”
“Yes, I am.”
Natalie and I weren't particularly close , but she had always been kind to me. And, well, she was my best friend's sister.
The table was filled with food, and for a moment, I forgot about everything waiting for me at home.
No arranged marriage.
No family expectations.
No Semyon Arsenyev.
Just food.
And peace.
Bella and I sat down while Natalie placed the last dish on the table.
“You know,” Bella said, eyeing my plate, “for someone who came so early ,u look like u didn't eat this morning.”
I glared at her.
“Mind your business.”
She laughed.
Natalie shook her head, clearly amused.
After we finished eating, Natalie cleared the dishes while Bella and I headed upstairs to her room.
Bella's room was exactly what I'd expected.
Messy.
Comfortable.
And filled with random things she swore she'd organize one day.
One day never came.
Bella dropped onto her bed while I took the chair near the window.
“So,” she said, studying me carefully. “How's the fam?”
“Vexing.”
She immediately burst out laughing.
“That bad?”
“You have no idea.”
“And your future husband?” she asked, her tone turning teasing.
“Bella, don't piss me off.”
“Alright, alright.” She raised both hands in surrender, but the grin on her face told me she wasn't done.
“So you still don't know what he looks like?”
“Nope.” I popped the p.
“And you don't want to know?”
“Not really.”
Bella stared at me like I'd just announced that I wanted to become a nun.
“Come on, Alina. You don't want to know if he's hot? Or not hot?”
“Not really,” I repeated dryly.
She narrowed her eyes.
I already knew that look.
Trouble.
She reached for her laptop.
“His name?”
“Why?”
“Alina. His name.”
I sighed.
“Semyon Arsenyev.”
I hated what that name does to me.
It wasn't fear.
It wasn't excitement.
It was irritation.
The kind that settled beneath my skin simply because his name reminded me of everything I hated about my life.
Bella started typing.
She searched his full name first, then tried different variations. She checked social media and several other results, but nothing useful came up.
A few minutes later, she closed the laptop.
“Your future husband is anonymous.”
“Okaaayyyyy,” I said slowly.
Bella looked genuinely offended on my behalf.
“You don't want to know who you're marrying? What if he's ugly? I'm not becoming a godmother to ugly children.”
She raised both hands dramatically.
“Firstly, I'm not marrying him. I still have time.”
Bella snorted.
“Secondly, I'm not giving birth to someone's children if I don't love him.”
She nodded solemnly.
“Reasonable.”
“And thirdly...” I paused.
“He's not ugly.”
Her eyes widened.
“Ohhhh.”
I already knew where this was going.
“He's not ugly?”
“Don't start with me.”
“Interesting.”
“Bella.”
“Very interesting.”
I grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at her.
She burst out laughing.
Honestly, sometimes I wondered how we'd stayed friends for so long.
Then again, I knew exactly why.
Bella made things lighter.
Even the heavy things.
“So,” I said, changing the subject, “I bought you your present.”
Bella sat up immediately.
“Where's mine?”
“I didn't get you anything,” she said apologetically.
I stared at her.
She stared back.
“I—”
I was already preparing to curse her out when she quickly raised her hands.
“I'm sorry! Things are really expensive in the USA. I promise I'll take you somewhere nice. You'll love it.”
I pretended to think about it.
“Fine.”
I handed her the gift.
Her face immediately lit up.
“Awwwn! You bought me shoes!”
She opened the box, her eyes widening.
“Oh my God! These are gorgeous. I love them!”
“I knew you would.”
Bella hugged the shoes dramatically.
I laughed.
For the first time that day, I felt okay.
We spent the rest of the afternoon talking, laughing, and teasing each other until it was finally time for me to go home.
For a few hours, I'd forgotten about everything waiting for me outside that house.
I almost wished I could stay.
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