AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She rolled her eyes at me, putting on a front of mock annoyance. "Please. As if I’d be intimidated by that."
"Alright then," I said, my grin widening. "Your turn."
She thought for a moment before asking, "What's the highest risk you've ever taken?"
This was one of those questions that could get a man like me in trouble—I wasn’t exactly known for playing it safe. But I wasn’t about to back down now; after all, I had suggested this absurd form of distraction.
"Probably suggesting a game of strip twenty questions in a hostage situation." The words left my mouth more serious than I would’ve liked. We both fell silent for a moment as the weight of our situation sunk in. But then she laughed—a soft, genuine laugh that made me almost forget where we were.
“Absolutely not,” she said. “You have to take a piece of clothing off for that one.”
I laughed, the deep rumble echoing around the stone cell. “Fine, but I’m keeping my pants on, princess.” I started to remove my shirt, trying to ignore the twinge of discomfort from the various scrapes and scratches on my skin.
“For now,” she said. “Your turn.”
"What's one thing you wish you could change about your past?" I asked her.
She thought for a second. “Wish I’d gone to the dentist more often.”
I shook my head. “That’s such a cop out,” I said. “Your turn to take off some clothes.”
She looked down at her clothes, a playful smile dancing on her lips. "But what if I'm cold, Victor?"
"Then you better think of better answers."
She sighed dramatically, but reached for the hem of her shirt nonetheless. As she pulled it over her head, a wash of pink spread across her cheeks, making me chuckle low in my throat. “Happy?”
“Yes. And impressed, too.”
"Okay... your turn," she said, crossing her arms and giving me a challenging stare. "What's been the most difficult decision you've ever had to make?"
I froze for a second, caught off guard by her question. A flood of memories came rushing back; past choices that were too painful to dwell on, those that I'd rather bury deep in the recesses of my mind. But I needed to answer truthfully.
"Leaving my family," I admitted softly, keeping my gaze focused on the cold, stone floor beneath us. The words hung heavy in the room like a dark cloud. “It was necessary, but..." My voice trailed off as I swallowed hard. "It still haunts me."
Her face softened. “You were close?”
“Well, no. But I had to leave Snowball behind too, and that hurt.”
“Your cat.”
"Yes, my cat," I confirmed with a small nod. A ripple of laughter vibrated against my chest and I glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow in question. She shook her head and I could see her biting back further laughter.
"You," she said between soft giggles, "the tough-as-nails capo, missing his cat."
"We all have our weaknesses," I retorted, trying to maintain my dignity, but her laughter was infectious and soon we were both laughing heartily. It felt good, it felt normal. It momentarily made us forget the danger lurking beyond our cell walls.
Eventually, our laughter ebbed away and silence filled the room again. Sofia sat next to me; her shoulder pressed against mine, sharing warmth in the cold dungeon.
"Alright," she started, adopting a more serious tone. "Your turn."
I considered my options, wanting to keep this light atmosphere for as long as possible. "What's something that never fails to make you smile?"
She considered that for a second. “The way you look at me,” she said quietly.
I stilled at her words, my heart pounding in my chest. "And how is that?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice casual.
She gave me a sidelong glance, her eyes sparkling in the low light. "Like you've seen the stars for the first time," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
