AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. For real. I’ll behave. I promise.”
Ivan knew of an acupuncturist, and she was able to come to the penthouse that afternoon. I gave them privacy in one of the spare rooms, but I was close by. I heard a few painful cries from Sephie and wanted to go in the room, but Ivan stopped me. “She’s okay. The pain is short-lived.”
I refrained from barging into the room. Sephie was quiet the rest of the time. Well over an hour later, the acupuncturist came out of the room, closing the door behind her. “She will be out in a minute. She’s a strong woman. Her body has been through a lot, but she’s healing.” She looked at me. “You’re her boyfriend?” I nodded. “You’re helping her more than you know. Her qi would spike when she talked of you. You make her even stronger than she already is.”
I ran my hand through my hair, not knowing what to say. I looked to Ivan and back to the acupuncturist. “What do I do? How do I help her more?”
She smiled. “Keep loving her.” She grabbed my hand and pressed on roughly the same spot as Ivan had used on Sephie yesterday. She closed her eyes while she pressed, then said, “She’s doing the same for you. You two make each other stronger. You each have what the other needs. You are the yin; she is the yang. Together you find balance.” She let go of my hand, still smiling at me.
I stood, speechless. Ivan looked at her, “How often does she need acupuncture to help with her concussion? The pain pills they gave her at the hospital make her sleep for days and make her nauseous so that she can’t eat. We don’t want her to take them, but she had a crushing headache the other day after going out,” he said.
“She’s got blockages, some from the attack, some from her past. I can come every day for this week, but as she clears she won’t need it as often. She’ll start to feel better right away, and she should have an appetite again.”
I extended my hand to her. “Thank you for making her feel better. Whatever she needs she will have.”
The door to the spare room opened and Sephie walked out, looking more relaxed and yet more alert than I’d seen her since the attack. Her light was coming back. She walked to me, tucking herself in my side where she fit perfectly. Ivan looked at me, he had clearly noticed it too. He walked the acupuncturist out, after Sephie had thanked her once again.
I looked down at Sephie. “How was it?”
“Painful at first. But then it was so much better. I don’t know, I feel lighter if that makes sense?”
I smiled at her. “I can see it. You look more like your old self. It makes me happy. She will come tomorrow again.” I kissed the top of her head. “She says you’re very strong.” She hid her face in my shoulder. “You’re cute when you’re shy, my love.”
We spent the evening together with the guys and Tori before she went back to the house. She cooked for the house staff when we weren’t there, so she was still needed during the week while they were there. Sephie’s appetite was better than it had been in days, making me happy. Misha was also very relieved to see her eating again. He’s been beating himself up since the attack, thinking about all the alternative things he could’ve done. It’s taken a toll on him. He hasn’t been sleeping well.
Of course, Sephie noticed that he was more stressed than usual. She found the perfect moment to go to him when everyone else was busy talking amongst themselves, so they could have a semi-private moment. I saw her talk to him, somewhat sternly it looked like, and then he just crumbled. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held onto her like he was drowning and she was his lifeline.
They both wiped their eyes as they smiled at each other. As always, she knew exactly what Misha needed to help him feel better. She was the only one that could’ve said the words he needed to hear and have him actually hear them. We had all been telling him the exact same thing she likely just said to him, but he wouldn’t listen to any of us. She was the only one that could’ve saved him from his own mind.
She walked back to me, that smile that could stop my heart across her beautiful face. I pulled her to me. Leaning down to her ear, I whispered, “I’m in love with you. Completely in love with you.”
She leaned back, looking at me with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open. I smiled at her, kissing her gently. “You have my heart, Persephone. It’s yours.”
“Adrik…I…” she stammered.
I smiled down at her. “You don’t have…” She didn’t let me finish my sentence. Her lips were on mine, her passion for me the only thing I could feel. I knew she felt the same for me. She didn’t need to tell me. I know I surprised her with my declaration, but after what the acupuncturist said earlier today, watching Sephie’s light return, and watching her with Misha, I needed to tell her. I’ve loved her since that first night I saw her in the restaurant. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.
She broke the kiss, pressing her forehead to mine, breathing heavily. “Adrik…”
I loved hearing her say my name. For someone who rarely used it, I loved hearing it roll off her tongue. My name was one thing that not many people knew. Even Tori didn’t know my name and she’d worked for me for a few years now. I preferred to remain anonymous. It allowed me more freedom. But thinking back to that first night in the parking lot of the restaurant, talking to Sephie, I didn’t hesitate to tell her my name.
She was the only one I wanted. For as long as she would have me.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Sephie
The second week of my bed rest went much better than the first. With the daily acupuncture, I felt so much better. I felt stronger, more like myself. My appetite had returned, even though I was still slightly paranoid about eating too much. I still had a week to go before the ball and fitting into that dress.
Adrik was on the phone with Armando. He was pacing back and forth in the kitchen as he talked to Armando. Not because he was angry, it was just his habit to walk back and forth on long calls. I watched him from the couch, where I was waiting for the acupuncturist to show up for my session of the day.
I smiled, thinking about the events of last weekend. We had spent Sunday night together with all the guys and Tori. It was a nice time, but I noticed that Misha was struggling. Adrik hadn’t told me that Misha had been beating himself up mentally about what happened. I managed to catch Misha slightly away from everyone else so we could have a private conversation.
“Misha, you look like bloody hell. You’re beating yourself up over what happened, aren’t you?” He just nodded, without saying a word. “Misha, look at me. Listen to me. Stop it. Stop it right now. Nothing about what happened was your fault. Stop replaying it in your mind. Stop keeping yourself in a mental prison because you feel responsible. You did everything right. I’m grateful you were there. I’m grateful you were at the hospital with me. I’m grateful for you, Misha.” I saw him struggling to keep it together, so I reached up and hugged his neck. He latched onto me tightly. Poor guy. I didn’t know he’d been struggling all week while I was mostly sleeping. I should’ve had this conversation with him sooner. “You’re my favorite. Don’t tell the others.”
He laughed and stepped back slightly. He wiped his eyes as he stood up, which made me have to wipe my own. “Thank you, gazelle.”
“Anytime, kiddo.”
