Page 96 of Fractured Ties

“Yes, but this, too, right? This bothers you—thinking I am upset.”

Kolya’s tongue snaked out to sweep across his lower lip, but he nodded. “I don’t like it when you’re upset, no? That bothers me.”

So she was coming to learn.

Maya was a hot button for Kolya. Her mood or reactions seemed to easily influence his as well. Even when it seemed like he wasn’t feeling or thinking a single thing, he still searched her out in a room to gage her emotions at any given time. Then, he reacted accordingly.

Like at the Compound.

Maybe that was why Maya decided to be … as he put it … unusually quiet. She was still scared; still too fucking anxious to breathe or think right. Except those feelings weren’t going to do anything good for her, but for upsetting Kolya or sending him into a fit. Not that he meant any harm, but when nothing could be done, why bother getting him worked up?

So, no … she forced herself to be calm.

Quiet.

Collected.

Even if inside, she was anything but those things.

“I don’t think it’s unusual for me to be quiet,” Maya said.

Kolya’s gaze drifted to her before going back to the road ahead of them. The edge of his mouth curved upward with the most sinful smirk before he let out a dark scoff. “Oh, yes it is.”

“Not really.”

“Maya, if you started vomiting rainbows and glitter, it wouldn’t even be a surprise. You’re loud even when you think you’re being quiet. Do you know you hum when you eat? Hum a fucking song, girl. And when you brush your teeth, you do these little dances. They’re cute; still, you do them. You walk about like there are clouds under your feet. Are you a fairy, yeah? Because you move like it. You smile all the time—rarely ever frown. And you find good things in everything. It’s fucking odd. So yes, when you are quiet, it is unusual.”

Maya blinked, silenced.

Something warm and hot and cloyingly sweet clenched around her heart and took away her words. With it went her breath and any lingering doubts that may have been buried somewhere inside her body about this man. Gone was her rationale, and in its place was an adoration so strong, it could blind her.

“What?” Kolya asked, glancing to the side.

“I didn’t say anything.”

Did she have to?

Should she?

Didn’t he understand that he had just outed the fact that he paid far more attention to her than she even realized? That he apparently knew things about her that she hadn’t even knew about herself?

“Yes, but you made a little noise.” Kolya tried imitating whatever noise he thought Maya had made, but his sound came off more like a dying mouse. He shook his head and waved a large hand, saying, “You did, though; you made a noise.”

“I was … just thinking,” she said lamely.

Kolya’s brow dipped. “About what?”

“You.”

“Don’t think about me, yeah? I’m a sure thing. It’s a waste of time.”

Maya smiled and said softly, “Far from it, I think.”

“What was that?”

“I said, I was thinking that you shouldn’t worry about me being quiet,” she lied. “Sometimes, I just want to enjoy the silence.”

Kolya chuckled. “That’s me, no? Not you.”