Page 125 of Lilies from Hell

I can’t answer. I feel like I can’t breathe, but there’s nothing blocking my throat. My eyes and lungs burn, and cold sweat drenches my forehead.

“Try to breathe with me.” His eyes remain on me as he does so, paying special attention to my chest. I try to copy him, but the tightness in my chest won’t let me.

“I-I can’t,” I whisper, my words broken.

“You can, sweetheart. Just do what I do.” He does it again, making sure I do it too with his hand still over my chest.

After a couple of attempts in which I almost feel like I’m suffocating to death, I hold my breath and release it more easily. When I start breathing normally again, the pressure in my chest and the headache are still there.

“Everything will be alright,” he whispers in my ear. His arms hold me so close I almost feel like we are one.

“I love you so much,” I whisper snuggling into his chest.

In the morning, we are still in the same position. He is sitting with his back against the headboard, his arms haven’t let go of me for a minute, and his head is thrown back. He wakes up when I move a little, and I smile when I meet his sleepy eyes.

“Good morning.”

“How are you feeling?” I grimace, remembering last night.

“Fine… I had a nightmare.”

“About what?” He asks, brushing the hair away from my face.

“We were in a house fleeing from a fire, I think, and we could hear gunshots in the background. Then you told me to hide, so we split up and I went into a room. There I found…” I pause for a moment as I remember the conversation we had on the beach. “James.” His muscles tense up as soon as he hears the name. “He told me to go with him, I said no, and he started hitting me.” I finish speaking with a lump in my throat, without taking my eyes off his.

“Don’t you remember anything else?” I shake my head, furrowing my brow. He kisses my lips before getting up and leaving me on the bed. “I’ll bring breakfast.”

“Alek.” After turning his head, he curves his lips into a sly smile. The hairs on my arm and the back of my neck stand on end at his strange behavior. “Your brother, what’s his real name?” My heart begins to beat fast with uncertainty.

“Viktor.”

“And did he have blue eyes when you were younger?” When he nods his head, I feel a chill run down my spine. That was the definitive answer I needed to know that this isn’t just a dream, that it could have really happened. That it did really happen and my mind somehow gave me back those pieces I lack in my memories.

At one point, the sheets start to feel suffocating, so I push them aside. He then enters the room. When he sees my bare breasts he almost drops the tray in his hand. My face flushes red and I quickly cover myself with the sheets again. From the way his lips curl, I know he didn’t like that gesture very much. He puts the tray on the other side of the bed and roughly pulls the sheets off my body, leaving them on the floor.

“You’ll stay like this for the rest of the day,” he murmurs, sweeping his gaze brazenly over my body.

“Day?” I repeat doubtfully.

“You’ll stay with me today. We have a lot to talk about, lyubov’.”

“You know I can’t,” I murmur, trying to sound as smooth as possible.

“You’re my wife, Lena. Give me one fucking reason why you can’t.” I part my lips, but he doesn’t even let me get the first word out. “I don’t give a damn about your parents.” I lower my head, not knowing what else to say. “I’m sorry. I spent too long looking for you. Stay with me today, please.”

I’m still wet from the bath, but he plans to keep his promise not to let me wear any clothes all day, not even underwear.

“Is that why you get along so badly with your brother? Because of my dream,” I murmur once I swallow the piece of strawberry. He puts his fork down on his plate.

“No.”

“And… Do you think it’s true? I mean, it could just be a dream…”

“It’s not.” He says before cupping my face in his hands. His blue eyes exude iron determination. “I swear on my life that I’ll make him pay.”

“He’s your brother.”

“In the eyes of others, yes, but to me he stopped being my brother when he tried to separate me from you.”