Broken

.26.

"Ani. She's a new friend." I watched as Ani fluttered her eyelashes and pressed her hands to her chest as if I had said something touching. I smiled at her slightly, holding the phone tighter to my ear.

"Did you meet her at the Learning Centre?" Rhex sounded hesitant and I nodded despite the fact he couldn't see. I wondered if he knew what dangers were lurking for me while I learned about his culture.

"Yah. She helps me with my work." I was getting better, I knew a few more words of Orrian but it was slow going. Ani told me I was improving greatly and I knew all the thanks went to her for it. She was a patient teacher, a very patient one who dealt with me bursting into tears over my homework assignments because the feeling of missing Rhex became unbearable.

"That is good. You need allies." His voice was gruff but I could hear the notes of relief in his voice. He was relieved that I had someone else in my corner, that I would have someone here to protect me when he couldn't possibly reach me.

"Her face is red!" Ani said it loudly near the phone and I jumped. I hadn't seen her move closer. I gave a small groan as I shoved at her again, wanting her to move away before my face flushed even more with embarrassment.

"Go away!" I hissed it at her and I could hear Rhex chuckling. It was a rough and relaxed sound that had me relaxing as well.

"She is keeping you occupied?" There was a faint teasing note in his voice that had me scrunching my face up at Ani. She made a face at me in return before twirling around the room as if she were a ballet dancer.

"Yes." I watched her for a moment, she certainly kept me occupied with numerous things. There wasn't a day she didn't have me doing something to keep my mind occupied.

"She has my thanks." He said it with a note of serious respect and I knew Ani had made an ally with my mate. He respected her for what she was doing for me, for keeping me occupied when he was gone.

"You are welcome!" Ani stuck her head over my shoulder and I glared at her even as Rhex gave a bark of laughter.

"You're a pest." I shoved at her again and she slowly rolled down to the floor, moving in slow motion and making drawn out noises. She was making it seem as though my shove had a serious effect on her as she gave a long groan and pretended to die on the carpet.

"She seems happy." Rhex seemed amused and I grinned as I stuck my tongue out at her as her eyes cracked open.

"She's an obnoxiously happy individual." I made a face at her and she propped her head up on her hand with a rather shit eating grin on her face.

"Does that... does it help?" Rhex said it carefully and despite him not elaborating I knew what he was asking and I wondered if he had found someone to help him with how he was feeling. If I didn't have Ani I didn't know what I would do or how I would feel.

"It keeps it at bay for the most part." There were still moments when it got too much and I almost broke down but she helped keep most of it away from me. I was glad for it as well.

"For the most part?" He sounded uneasy and I let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm not going to lie, Rhex. This is hard. Really hard for me at times." There was no explanation for how it felt without him, as if half of my soul was gone. Like I was missing something important, like I had an important limb or organ taken from me but I wasn't sure what it was, I was just aware that it was gone.

"Fifteen weeks left, Liviya. That is all." There was a faint strain to his tone and I closed my eyes. Fifteen weeks might has well have been a lifetime away.

"That's a long time." It was too long to be away from the man who was my husband, the man who the Source had deemed was my one and true partner. The only one that would ever be for me. If I lost him I would lose the other half of who I was, it was how the soulmate system was.