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One look at her forlorn appearance, and my heart hurt for her I aardly uttered, “I’m sorry”

She looked confused “For what?”

“For winning, I guess”

Anika took in a deep breath and walked over toher head “You didn’t win him” Just as my back arched, she added faintly, “You saved him From me”

My brow puckered “What do you mean?”

And just like that, Anika atteo”

But I could seeAnika needed this purge That she needed to have it with me

“Ani,” I said, and she stalled, peering down at the floor in an atte in her own “You can talk to me,” I offered It surprised the hell out of me when I realized I meant what I was about to say to her “I’d really like to be friends with you”

Anika looked torn Her pretty face cruret “You won’t understand You couldn’t possibly”

Maybe not, but I was happy to lend an ear “Try me”

A long silence settled between us, and just when I was sure she was done with this conversation, Anika picked at her thumbnail, an absentan to speak “We’ve been together a long tiether We were always… together I guess you could say it was only a matter of time before someone went and fell in love” Her eyes turned sad as she explained, “I only ever saw h she revealed too much, she shook her head and uttered, “Well, that’s beside the point I’ off topic” She then looked up into my eyes and started anew “When I found out that Lev had inated Irina—” She paused a second, and then her voice shook “—I found hope”

Lev knocking up Irina gave her hope?

My broered in confusion That made zero sense

Anika hands began to treh exhale left her as she struggled with the words She blinked rapidly “Because…” Tears welled in her eyes, and she put on a watery smile that reeked of shame “Because if he could love a piece of shit like her, then there was hope for me too”

My chest ached at the unexpected statement It had stunned me into silence