DAHLIA WESTBROOKE
Aleksei was quiet for a bit, his jaw slightly slack, and a look of bafflement in his eyes. That lasted for about five seconds, and then he was folded over, cackling loudly like a hyena.
I stood awkwardly in place, watching as his shoulders shook with laughter. Was I not supposed to let it slip to his cousin that I didn't know his name? Was this different from the image we were supposed to portray as a couple, and would I get into trouble for it later?
"I'm sorry," Aleksei apologized as he straightened himself, dull traces of laughter racking through his frame. "It's just hilarious that he had the most to say about my marriage, but his wife doesn't even know his name. Karma is a sweet bitch, no?"
"It's really not his fault," I said, the weird urge to come to his defence winning over common sense and self-preservation. It really wasn't my business what he had going on with his cousin, but I found my lips moving, anyway. "I'm not sure if he told you, but I suffered from a traumatic head injury that landed me in the hospital."
"And you were there for nine months. I know the details. I just like to take my shot back at him when I can these days. So, tour?" He walked down the stairs without waiting for an answer, but I promptly followed him regardless.
Something told me the men in this family liked their orders strictly adhered to. Sure, Aleksei appeared less uptight than Viktor, but that didn't make him any less scary or domineering.
"Viktor mentioned you liked spending your days in the garden. Would you like to start from there? Although, I'm sure it's less impressive. I'm not around here a lot, so the staff doesn't bother with it much."
"Oh, I don't mind. It's just nice to be able to be take a walk while surrounded by nature." A statement he made earlier crossed my mind, and I asked, "Earlier, what did you mean when you said it was nice to see me again? Had we met before?"
"Yes. Once in Vegas."
"Really?" I asked, excited for an opportunity to fill gaps of my missing memories. "How did we meet?"
Almost immediately, the air around Aleksei shifted, and his body stiffened. Simultaneously, I watched as a kaleidoscope of emotions played in his eyes in rapid fire, ranging from anger to longing, and finally nothing. In that instance, he strangely looked a lot like his cousin, blank gazes, imposing auras and all. It was like standing in front of a second Viktor.
"Are you okay?" I posed the question tentatively, afraid that I'd hit a sore spot for him.
He cleared his throat, bobbing his head up and down in answer. "I am. My wife was a huge fan. You were playing at a friend's private event, and I'd taken her there."
"Oh."
The piano.
It hadn't crossed my mind once since I'd regained consciousness, and I wondered if that was my brain subconsciously trying to protect me from the trauma and heartache attached to that part of my life.
I swallowed past the thick, uncomfortable boulder lodged in my throat. "And your wife?"
"We're separated," he answered curtly, confirming my suspicion.
The way he referred to her in the past tense let me know she was no longer in his life, but I didn't expect it to be because they were separated. I'd initially thought he'd tragically lost her, judging by the pain in his eyes, but I was so far off the mark.
"And you and Viktor? What going on there with you two?"
"We're still figuring it out." That was the easiest way to say I didn't know what the fuck was going on, either. "It's all still new, you know?"
"Understandable. By chance, has he clued you in on what he does for a living?"
"Um, no?"
The strange question left me feeling even more wary of my supposed husband. Now that someone close to him mentioned it, I didn't even know anything about the man. I'd just chalked him up as another businessman, expensive suits, wristwatches and all. Was he involved in something shady? Perhaps, something his cousin didn't agree with himself? I mean, why else would he ask me that out of the blue?
"You should start asking questions, Dahlia." Aleksei looked concerned. "I won't claim to be an expert on all things Viktor related—I barely know the man, if I'm being honest—but if he senses you're comfortable and happy with how things are currently, he won't want to push you out of your comfort zone or tell you the hard truths. Unfortunately, that means you'll be left in the dark until it's too late to decide if you want to back out. Not that I think he'll let you leave, anyway. He'll be too invested by then, which I suspect is already the case by now."
He mumbled the last part under his breath, but I caught it regardless. "What's he like? Viktor, I mean. Is he...mean?" I didn't know if I'd be able to deal with that a second time.
Aleksei chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Oh, absolutely. He has a reputation back home."
The revelation hit me square in the chest, but at the same time, I wasn't completely surprised. Just slightly disappointed. Why? I had no clue. "Oh."
It shouldn't come as a surprise that all of that softness and care he showed were a facade the entire time, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling hearing his cousin confirm my earlier suspicions. Just when did he intend to let the mask slip? It wasn't like I hadn't been waiting for the other shoe to drop the entire time.
"I can hear the gears turning in your head, but you have nothing to worry about." Alek sounded amused, and indeed, when I met his eyes, mirth was pooled in their depths. "As far as I'm concerned, you're probably safest beside him. And I'm not saying that because he's my cousin."
I halted, my interest fully piqued. "No? Wouldn't you say all of this is weird? His unfathomable..." I hesitated, trying to soften the blow of my words, but in the end, I settled for the truth. "...obsession with me. I wake up from a nine-month-long coma, and I have this big man glued to my side, claiming I'm his wife. It's just..."
"Weird?" Aleksei filled in for me.
"Yes!"
He winced, reaching behind his neck to massage his nape. "Speaking from personal experience, I wouldn't particularly say so. I was completely taken with my wife the first time I laid eyes on her, and for the duration we were together, being in her presence was arguably the best feeling in the world. It calmed me, and I don't think that's a high I'll ever be able to reach, no matter how fast and how much I chase it." He shook his head, and his vision cleared, seemingly pulling himself out of a barrage of memories he probably didn't want to relive. "So, yes, it does sound insane in the grand scheme of things, but when you know, you know, no?"
"And you think Viktor knows that what, we're meant to be together?" Spouting it out sounded odd to my ears. People didn't fall in love that quickly, and if they did, they needed to use their brains more. He didn't even know me that well.
"You being here speaks volumes. Viktor doesn't bring just anyone around family; particularly my father. He holds him in high esteem, and if he's introducing you to my father, I'd say he's pretty serious. But all of that doesn't matter at the end of the day. If you don't want to be here, you should leave."
"What if he doesn't want me to?"
"If he loves you enough, and that's what you truly wanted, I'm sure he would."