Chapter 45 —It's not life, it's survival

Narrator:

Aylin felt a chill run down her spine. The distant noise from the street, the faint whirring of the fan moving the thick air in the room, even the sound of her own breathing... everything faded away with those two words. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She couldn't have heard right. It couldn't be. She swallowed, feeling her own voice tremble when she spoke.

“What did you say?”

Roman settled into his chair with that deadly calm that exasperated her, that disarmed her. He looked her straight in the eye and, without a hint of doubt, repeated himself.

“We're getting married.”

Aylin stood up abruptly, almost knocking the chair over in her haste.

Roman didn't move. He just followed her with his gaze as she began to pace around the room, crossing her arms, pressing her lips together, shaking her head over and over again.

“Have you gone crazy?” she blurted out, with a nervous, incredulous laugh. “Get married? That's crazy!”

Roman t