Maksim sighs. “We should really talk about this, Natasha. I mean, most people would be grateful I saved their lives. They wouldn’t be this traumatized.”
“I was attacked,” I whisper. “Am I not allowed to be traumatized?”
Maksim winces before nodding. “You’re right. I can’t say anything right. I’m sorry. I’ll,.. let you be.” Awkwardly, he walks away and while I’m grateful, there is a part of me that wishes he would have stayed with me.
Maksim
“I think it’s best that Natasha and I come home early,” I say on the phone to my dad.
“No. You and Natasha have a honeymoon planned for the entire week. You’re staying. Lev won’t be happy about you coming home yet.”
“Dad, it’s not working with me and Natasha. A few extra days in Greece isn’t going to change anything. I think it’s best that I come back to New York and get to work again. You were telling me about the Italians. How they’re trying to get our territory. I can come back and help.”
“Maksim…”
“Dad, you know I can help. Natasha and I are married. That’s final now. Lev will help us. There’s no risk of a war between us now. I’m coming back to New York. I’m an adult. I can make my own fucking decisions. This is final. Natasha isn’t happy here. She doesn’t feel safe here.”
“Why?”
“She was attacked by two men. One of them got away. It’s best we get out of Greece.”
“Things are going well between you two then.”
“We just can’t seem to get on the same page.”
“Well get on the same page,” he snaps. “You have to make this marriage work for Lev’s sake. We need him on our side. If you piss him off then I don’t know what will happen.”
“I can just lie to him and say that I got food poisoning and I needed to come home sooner. Simple as that. Natasha and I arecoming to New York. Besides, Lev is in Chicago. He’ll only know what we tell him.”
“I don’t like lying to an ally.”
“I’m your son, Dad. I’m not happy here either. Yet, you don’t seem to care.”
“What I care about is you doing your duty. If you return to New York early, I won’t be happy with you but I can’t stop you. Just make this marriage work.” He hangs up without a goodbye.
I return to Natasha, who’s still curled into a ball in the living room. Her eyes seem lifeless. Never before have I felt this helpless.
“Natasha?”
She blinks and looks up at me. God, she is fucking pretty. It makes me want to pull her into my arms and make sure she’s all right. But Natasha clearly doesn’t want my touch right now. If she’ll ever want it.
“We’re going to New York. It’s better we get out of Greece. You need to be away from that man who hurt you. I don’t want him getting his hands on you again. So we’ll go back.”
“I’ve never been to New York before.”
“It’s not like you were going to live in Chicago with your dad. You’ll live with me.”
“I know that,” she says in a hard tone. “I’m not stupid.”
I wince. Fuck. Why can’t I say anything right when it comes to her? “I never said you were. I don’t think this honeymoon is the best idea.”
“Are you giving up on us?”
Her question surprises me. She sounds almost… hurt. “I think it’s just best we return to New York. Get into our new lives together. I have work I need to attend to. You can spend time with my sister. She seemed to like you at the wedding. She tends to befriend anybody. So you won’t be lonely. Sound good?”
“Is our marriage failing?”
“I mean… we haven’t even really given it a chance. But it feels that way, doesn’t it?”
