“You really are your father’s son. Cluelessly stupid,” my mother tells me.
“I’m right here,” Dad grunts.
Mom turns and smiles at him. “I always know where you are, Mikhail,” she says. “Now, Caitlyn, I’m sorry. I really did try to teach my son to be better. But you’re his first girlfriend so he’s going to need some training.”
“Ah…” Caitlyn looks up at me, waiting for me to correct my mother. I don’t. “We’re not… I mean, I’m not…” she stutters out.
“You are,” Mom says. “You can stay here. You don’t need to be living in some snobby apartment by yourself.”
I groan. “Mom? Seriously?”
“Izzy, leave them be,” my dad finally says.
“She’s going to be my daughter-in-law. I’m not having her live in one of the Petrov apartments. They’re cold and sterile,” Mom counters.
“Okay. On that note, we really are out of here.” I lean in and kiss my mother on her cheek.
“Thank you for having me in your house, Mr. and Mrs. Petrov,” Caitlyn says.
“This is your home now too, Caitlyn. You’re always welcome.”Thiscomes from my father.
I groan. “I’m sorry. My parents have no idea what boundaries are,” I tell Caitlyn as we walk out of the house. Aleksi is standing out front with my car ready. He has another family car behind mine.
“I’ll follow you,” he says. I nod my acknowledgement and open the door for Caitlyn.
“They love you,” she says. “But you also could have corrected them.” Caitlyn folds herself into my car.
I close her door and walk around to the driver’s side, sliding in behind the wheel. “Correct them on what?”
“The whole girlfriend thing. You could have told them I’m not your girlfriend.”
“I don’t lie to my parents, Caitlyn.”
Her eyes bug out of her head but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns her focus to the window, watching the neighborhood pass us by. When I pull into the Petrov building, my heart pounds. I don’t want to fucking leave her here. Aleksi pulls in behind me.
I also know I don’t have much of a choice. I can’t force her to want to live with me. She needs ownership of her life. I can give her that. I think.
“You ready to see your new apartment?” I force a smile on my face.
“Mhmm.” She nods her head.
I jump out of the car, round the hood, and open her door. Caitlyn takes my offered hand, and I guide her over to the bank of elevators.
Aleksi meets us just before the doors close. “I need you to put your palm here,” he tells Caitlyn.
“Um… why?” She leans closer to my side, and I smile for real this time. I like that she’s using me for… comfort? Security? Whichever one, I’ll take it as a small win.
“It will put you into the system so you have access to the building. All you have to do is place your palm on the reader here and select the floor you want to go to,” Aleksi explains.
“Okay.” She lets go of my hand and does as he instructed.
“I want her added to my house as well,” I tell him.
“Done. Thanks, Caitlyn.”
When the doors open, I take her hand and lead her out, leaving Aleksi inside the elevator.
Chapter Twenty
