Love Me Long (Love Me Book 4)

Chapter 20

It would have been easier to move on if Valentine Juric and the war in Drevniye hadn't been all over the news. The war had escalated, and it was the only thing people were talking about. Every television at the hospital had a news station on which was continually reporting on it. Chloe couldn't escape it or Valentine's name. The worst was when she saw the capital on fire and fighting in the streets.

Chloe sensed it was the push for the end, but it felt as if it would never end.

No one at the hospital but Silas, Faye, and Lia knew her father was in Drevniye, and that his safety and the safety of Valentine were always on her mind. Even when she went home at night, she had to fight turning on the television to watch the same news over and over again.

By the end of November, she was exhausted, by December, she had lost weight, and the shadows under her eyes had taken up permanent residence. Lia and Faye did their best to take her mind off of things with dinners and outings on their days off, but it was all futile.

It was late January, and Faye had made dinner at her house for the five of them. She was an excellent cook and had made them a pot roast with potatoes and carrots and fresh rolls. Chloe did her best to do the dinner justice, but once again, her appetite failed her.

"How are your brother and sister doing?" Chole asked when she noticed they were all shooting her concerned looks as they moved into the living room.

Faye frowned. "Hayes has run out of money and is insisting that he move back here."

"I hope you told him to get a job," Lia snorted into her glass of wine.

"I suggested it, but he is adamant that there is more money that I'm keeping from him." Faye shook her head sadly as she thought of her brother. "Either way, this isn't his house anymore, he chose to sell it."

Chloe was pleased that Faye was standing firm. She had taken care of her brother and sister after her parents had passed, and they had been thankless kids who took advantage of her every chance they got. Then, when they were old enough, they made the decision to sell the house. Faye had tried to tell them not to, that it would be their safety net, but they had wanted the money. Thankfully, Faye had married a caring and rich man who knew how much the house meant to her, so he had bought it for her. The only problem was Hayes was now insisting it was still his house too.

"But Alyssa is doing well. She has a job teaching, and she has invested her money wisely." Faye said with a pleased smile.

"One out of two ain't bad," Lea said as she raised her glass.

"Maybe one day, Hayes will get his act together," Chloe said to soften Lia's words.

"It's time," Ben softly said to Faye, who looked at the clock, then moved over to the television and turned it on.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked, looking at all of the serious faces in the room.

"Now, don't be mad at us, but we thought you shouldn't watch this alone," Faye said as she sat on the sofa next to Chloe and took her hand.

Chloe felt her heart rate triple, and her hand started to shake. Sitting her wine glass down, she turned to Silas, knowing he was the only one that would give her a direct answer.

"Valentine is now in PR mode. He wanted to do an interview and asked me if I knew anyone. I suggested Ben, who suggested Rainer Stevens. The interview is airing tonight." Silas responded to her earlier question.

"Don't be mad, we knew there was a chance you hadn't heard about it, and we didn't want you to hear about it later and be mad you missed it or decide to watch it on your own," Faye said, squeezing her hand as he words came out in a jumbled mess.