The room is quiet now. The storm between us has burned itself out, leaving only the sound of our breathing and the faint hum of the night beyond the windows.
Lev lies beside me, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm that almost lulls me. His hand rests on my stomach—heavy, warm—like a silent vow he doesn’t know how to speak.
The silence between us isn’t soft; it’s thick with everything we didn’t say. I should still be angry—part of me is—but it’s hard to hold onto fury when his presence anchors me like this.
For the first time since all of this began, I don’t feel exposed or hunted.
I feel…safe.
Safe because he’s here. Because I know, deep down, that whatever comes next, Lev will burn the world before he lets anyone touch me again.
And that terrifies me just as much as it comforts me.
I turn to him, my fingers tracing the line of his jaw, rough and shadowed. He looks exhausted—more than I’ve ever seen him—but still impossibly steady, like he’s holding the whole world together with his bare hands.
Before I can stop myself, the words slip out, raw and trembling.
“I’m falling in love with you, Lev.”
His body stills. The air changes. His hand on my stomach freezes, and when his eyes find mine, they’re wide—startled, almost disbelieving.
I swallow hard, forcing the rest out before I lose my nerve.
“I just…need you to take care of me. Like you promised. I can handle almost anything, but not if it means losing you in the process.”
For a long moment, he doesn’t speak. Just looks at me, as if he’s trying to decide whether I really said what he thinks I did. Then, quietly—like the words taste strange in his mouth—he says,
“You’re sure? You’re sure you love me?”
Something flickers in his eyes—fear, wonder, maybe both.
I nod without hesitation. “I am.” My voice doesn’t shake this time. “I know what I feel, Lev. I love you.”
For a moment, he just looks at me, his throat working as if the words caught somewhere deep. Then he exhales, almost like a man surrendering after a long war.
“I love you too, Sasha,” he says quietly. “More than I ever should.”
Something inside me cracks open at those words. I reach for him, and he gathers me against his chest, his body warm and solid, his heartbeat steady beneath my palm.
We don’t say anything else. We just hold on—tightly, desperately—as if the world outside that room no longer exists.
Sleep comes slowly, with his breath on my neck and his hand still tangled in my hair.
For the first time in forever, I feel untouchable.
Chapter 20 – Lev
I wake to warmth.
Sasha is still in my arms, her breath soft against my chest, her fingers curled near my ribs like she’s holding on even in her sleep. For a while, I just lie there and watch her—the way her hair spills across my skin, the faint crease between her brows that doesn’t fade, even now.
Something tightens in my chest, slow and deep.
I can’t imagine life without her.
The thought hits harder than it should.
I pull her closer before I can stop myself, my arms locking around her like I’m afraid she’ll disappear if I loosen my grip.
