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I had hopes that maybe Ayla would open up. If not to me or Maddie, maybe to Nikolay. But she clearly didn’t.
“Nothing at all?” Taking a step back, I leaned against the table and crossed my arms across my chest.
“No, boss. I tried, but she isn’t ready. I don’t think she will be ready any time soon,” Nikolay responded.
I sensed a hint of understanding from his tone. It took him years to finally overcome his PTSD and even now, he was not fully recovered.
“We just need to give her time,” he continued, his voice softening slightly. If there was someone who understood Ayla to the core, then it was Nikolay.
I swore under my breath, running my hand through my hair in frustration.
“We can’t push her too hard.”
“I know that,” I said, glaring at him.
“What are you going to do now?” he asked curiously.
And that was a question that I didn’t have an answer for. I was lost at what to do or how to deal with Ayla. She was so fragile that I was scared of taking a step that would end up hurting her. Or worse, have her shutting down further.
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. He grew silent at my response. The room was filled with tension and I turned my back to Nikolay, facing the large window that overlooked the back garden.
“But I will figure it out,” I said with conviction.
“Do you need me for anything else?” Nikolay asked
Shaking my head, I dismissed him. “No. You can leave.”
I placed both of my hands on the table and leaned forward. “What am I going to do with you, Ayla?” I whispered, my eyes fixated on the window.
After a few minutes of staring into the distance, I straightened up and shrugged on my suit jacket before leaving the room. My plan was to go downstairs for dinner, but instead, as I got closer to the stairs, my steps faltered.
Looking to my right, I stared at the hallway that led to Ayla’s room. It was tempting. I spent the whole day away from her and now I was standing just a few steps away.
But what if she didn’t want to see me?
Feeling frustrated at the uncertainty, I tightened my fingers into fists and took a step down the stairs, but then stopped.
“Fuck it!” I hissed before moving back and walking toward Ayla’s room. Stopping in front of her door, I took a deep breath and released it quickly before knocking at the door. My heart started to beat a little faster as I waited for her response.
Damn it! Was I nervous?
Swallowing hard at the realization, I started to think that this was a bad idea. I took a step away from the door and was about to leave when I heard her sweet voice.
“Come in.”
That did it. Those two words and her soft voice was enough to stop me from leaving. Placing my hand over the handle, I slowly opened the door and walked inside.
I found Ayla sitting on the bed, the comforter covering her legs as she stared at the walls thoughtfully. Her head snapped toward me when I entered the room.
“Alessio,” she whispered, her lips barely moving.
“Ayla.” We stared at each other, both of us lost for words.
Instinctively, I took a step forward and walked closer, stopping beside her bed. Her green eyes blinked up at me surprisingly and she licked her lips nervously.
Clearing my throat, I asked softly, “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she replied quickly. I was surprised she even answered. I didn’t think she would. Cocking my head to the side, I stared at her questioningly. She shifted her eyes away from mine and looked down at her lap, her fingers twisting in the comforter.
“Did you eat yet?” I questioned when I felt the air growing awkward around us. I wanted to see her, yet I didn’t know what to say. Nothing about this woman made any sense to me and my reactions toward her made no sense either. She confused me. And my conflicting feelings only made it more confusing.
Ayla nodded. “I ate lunch a little late. So I am not hungry.”
“Okay.”
Ayla grew silent again and this time, I didn’t know what to say. So I cleared my throat one more time and started to back away from her bed. Her head snapped up and I saw her body slightly move forward. Her mouth opened to say something but then she closed it.
“I just wanted to see how you are doing,” I said gently, keeping my eyes on her. “I should go. You need to rest.”
Ayla’s shoulders sagged and she nodded, her eyes growing sadder.
My brows drew together at her expression. Did she not want me to leave? But when she didn’t say anything, I sighed and turned around.
As soon as I took a step away, her voice stopped me. “Wait,” she called softly. Swiveling around, I faced her again.
