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“Then stop avoiding the conversation,” Cyrille concludes. “He’s admitted that he loves you. Use it.”
I laugh nervously. “He may love me. That doesn’t mean he’s going to handle me pushing back any better than he used to.”
Cyrille shrugs. “Hey, fighting isn’t all bad. It can lead to some really great sex. The best sex, actually…”
“Ew!” Niki scrunches up her nose with distaste. “I think I’m done with this conversation now. I really need to get some new friends.”
“Hey!” I lightly slap her arm.
“I just mean that my only two friends can’t be my brothers’ wives,” she explains. “It’s not like we can really talk sex lives now, can we? Because I definitely do not want to know what goes on between—”
“What don’t you want to know?” Misha asks as he walks in.
Niki’s eyes widen in panic. “About giving birth. I’d rather not know the gory details of dilating and—y’know. The biology of it all.”
“Pity. I was going to send you the birth video,” Misha teases.
She flips him off and then gives me a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay, P?”
“Does that mean you aren’t coming by tomorrow?” I know I sound pathetic, but I’m so lonely I’m past caring.
Cyrille bites her lower lip. “Sorry, love. I’ve got an event I need to plan.”
“Yeah, and I’m looking at houses across town,” Niki adds.
Misha crosses his arms and turns to his sister. “You’re really striking out on your own?”
“It’s time, o brother of mine. And no, I will not be convinced otherwise. I even spoke to Mom about it. She’s cool.”
“Or so she would have you believe,” Misha rumbles.
“Mom is not gonna miss me. She’s perfectly happy living in this house with her precious baby boy and her new favorite daughter.”
“Her stay here is temporary,” he growls. But none of us are fooled—Mama Orlov is here as long as she damn well pleases.
Niki laughs as she leaves. Cyrille waves and follows her, shaking her head and still chuckling.
Misha eases the moment they’re gone. He drops a kiss on my cheek and joins me on the floor. He plucks a grape from the snack tray, pops it in his mouth, and asks as he chews, “How was your day?”
“I can’t stay in this house any longer!” I blurt out.
Misha pauses his chewing and swallows with effort. “And here I thought things were going so well between us.”
“Ha. Ha. Ha. You know what I mean.”
It’s nice that I know Misha really does know what I mean. The last few weeks have changed everything. No more pretending. No more playacting.
He and I are together. A real couple. Which is why he knows what I mean.
And why I know he isn’t happy about it.
“And I thought you understood—”
“I’ve been cooped up in here for over a month, Misha,” I interrupt, softening my tone. “We are no closer to knowing when Petyr is going to emerge. I can’t be expected to stay holed up behind these walls forever, can I?”
His eyes are steely. Any hope I had withers in the face of that icy determination.
“Petyr has made several attempts on your life, Paige. Lest you forget.”
