5. Yelena
Chapter 5
Yelena
W hen Val is convinced I’ve eaten enough, he and Max do the dishes and then we all move to the living room. We’re a couple hours into a racing tournament when Sasha and Damien walk in. They take one look at the scores on the large, flat-screen TV and decide they want in.
Sasha gets Damien logged in and then hands him a controller before slouching back against the couch, getting ready for the next race.
“She’s still undefeated,” Val reminds them before giving me a wink. I’ve held the highest score since we were kids. My mom is the only one who can beat me, and I’ve heard enough stories to know she used to regularly beat my dad and uncles.
“I’m gonna beat your score one day,” Sasha warns me.
“You keep telling yourself that,” I say, giving him a quick smile.
He grins, even if it doesn’t quite reach his eyes, and puts his focus back on the screen. I’ve never been scared of my cousin because I know he’d never hurt anyone in the family, but if I wasn’t his cousin, I’d be terrified of him.
The men around me attempt to knock me from first place, but after two hours of failure, they admit defeat.
“Don’t worry, Sasha,” I tell him, “you’re still first place in the zombie game.”
“That’s just because he loves killing so much,” Damien jokes.
“Killing in a game is not the same thing as killing in real life,” Sasha says as he switches to the zombie game.
Max laughs and says, “Not as much fun, huh?”
Instead of laughing, Sasha just sits back while the game loads and says, “No, it’s not.”
Max raises a brow at the rest of us while I say what we’re all thinking. “I’m really glad we’re related, Sasha.”
He briefly turns his eyes to mine when he says, “You’re a pregnant woman, Yelena. You wouldn’t be in any danger from me even if we weren’t related. I would never hurt a woman.” He’s quiet for a second and adds, “At least I don’t think I would.”
Not wanting to even touch that last statement, I focus on the first part instead. “How do you know I’m pregnant?”
“Yeah,” Val says. “I’m curious about that too.”
“Don’t look at me.” Max holds up his hands in a gesture of innocence. “I didn’t say a word.”
“You’re pregnant?” Damien’s eyes widen and then drop to my stomach as if he’s looking for evidence.
The corner of Sasha’s mouth quirks up. “I’m very perceptive,” he tells me. “I notice everything.”
“What could you possibly notice?” I ask, wondering if I’m showing some obvious sign of pregnancy that I’m completely oblivious to.
“Val keeps touching your stomach. It’s something he doesn’t usually do, at least not like that, and I heard your dad say you weren’t feeling well the other morning. As much as I hated math in school, I did manage to learn how to add one plus one.”
“Damn,” Damien mutters. “What are you going to do?”
Val pulls me closer. “Tell everyone and get married. The plan is the same as it’s been since we were kids. We just have a definite deadline now.”
Sasha surprises me by looking over and giving me a genuine smile. “Congratulations on the baby. I’m not going to lie and say I understand the need to have one, but I know my sister loves being a mom, and I’m sure you’ll love it too.” He gives a soft laugh. “I’m not so sure Mia will ever want to have any, but we’ll see. She might surprise me.”
I smile at the thought of his wild younger sister getting married and having kids. Some guy is going to have to knock her on her ass, probably literally, before that’s going to happen.
“Thanks, Sasha,” I tell him.
He nods and goes back to killing zombies. I swear his eyes light up a little bit every time he stabs one. I only really like playing the racing games, so I cuddle up against Val instead and watch as they decimate an army of the undead. It’s a perfect, lazy day, and when they eventually leave and Max disappears back into his room, Val picks me up and carries me upstairs.
Convinced I’m feeling well enough to be jostled around a bit, he smiles and starts to undress me. I still get butterflies in my stomach every time he puts his hands on me. There’s a lifetime of memories between us, and every touch, every press of his lips against my skin reminds me of all that we’ve shared together.
When he takes off his clothes, I run my hands up his sculpted chest. “I remember when you didn’t have all these muscles and tattoos.”
He smiles and lets out a soft laugh. Reaching up, he cups my breasts, pulling a moan from me when he pinches the nipples that have become highly sensitive.
“And I remember when you didn’t have these.”
“I still don’t have much,” I remind him.
He pinches harder. “They’re perfect, Yel. Everything about you is.”
I run my eyes over the perfect body in front of me. “Same goes for you,” I murmur while running my fingers along the peaks and grooves of his muscles. He filled out a lot in high school, but I swear his shoulders are even broader now that he’s twenty-one. I watched him get every single one of these tattoos, watched and memorized every change that his body went through, and now I have the man before me permanently etched into my mind. I can close my eyes and see every perfect inch of him.
When I dance my fingers lower and run them over the thick shaft that’s pressed firmly against my stomach, his abs tense and he lets out a soft hiss. I remember every second of our first time. It was perfect, everything I’d dreamed about and hoped for, and it had left me sore for days. If we’re not careful, he still leaves me sore. The man is huge, and my body can only take so much, but sometimes we both get carried away, neither one of us wanting to take it easy. I always pay for it the next day, but I’ll never complain about that. The residual sting is worth it.
“I know that look.” He whispers the words while hooking a finger under my chin, forcing my eyes off his cock and up to his face. The sexy grin he’s giving me has me sucking in a quick breath.
“What look is that?”
His thumb runs over my lip. “It’s the one you give me when you don’t care if you’re sore the next day.” Grinning, he adds, “You gave me that look the night I got you pregnant.”
I feel my cheeks heat up at the memory. Val and I are usually very careful about using condoms, but we did slip up once, the night our families went out celebrating Sveta and Vitya’s marriage. We’d all met at a restaurant, and we’d watched our parents indulge in the bottomless margaritas that I’m sure the owner regretted having on his menu and do improvised karaoke that involved using their phones and singing into breadsticks.
Needless to say, they’d all been sloshed by the time we left. They’d all gone home, and Val and I had snuck off together. We’d been in his car, and he’d looked so damn gorgeous. I couldn’t keep my hands off him. I’d straddled his lap and convinced him that it’d be okay to not use a condom this one time, and then he’d bent me over the hood of his car and fucked me so hard my body had no choice but to become pregnant. In my defense, I honestly thought I wasn’t ovulating, but my quick math must’ve been muddled by hormones, because my eggs were most definitely ripe and ready to be fertilized.
I meet his blue eyes and tell him the truth. “I don’t regret that night, Val. It was amazing and perfect.”
His eyes soften at my words. “It was.” He smiles and leans closer so our lips are almost touching. “You were so fucking horny, Yel, so wet you were dripping all over me.” He catches my bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a soft, teasing bite. “God, you rode me so goddamn hard. You weren’t the only one who was sore the next day,” he admits with a laugh.
Reaching down, he cups my ass and picks me up, but instead of carrying me to the bed, he goes and sits down in the large chair by the window so I’m straddling his lap. He cups the back of my head, pulling me closer, ghosting his lips over mine.
“I want to watch you ride me again. You always look like the sweetest little angel, myshka , and I love that I’m the only one who’s ever seen how ravenous and dick hungry you can be.”
Digging his fingers into my ass, he urges me to lift up. I let him guide me, reaching a hand between us so I can angle him where I need him. As soon as I sink lower and feel his thick head part my pussy, I sigh and rest my forehead against his, slowly taking him in, inch by slow inch. He lets out a sexy groan when I wince at the familiar pain of him spreading me wider than my body thinks it can go.
“I’ll never get tired of seeing that,” he whispers against my lips, “the way you still have trouble taking me into your tight pussy.” Pulling back just enough so he can watch me sink further onto him, he growls my name and digs his fingers into my hips, watching his thick cock slowly disappear inside me.
“Jesus fuck,” he growls when I take him in the rest of the way and he bottoms out, filling me to the point of pain.
Both our hips still. We stay locked together, chests pressed against one another, our lips so close we feel each other’s breaths, with me impaled on his cock. His blue eyes lock onto mine as I run my fingers into his hair, fisting the dark strands while my pussy grips him tight enough to make him groan.
“Ride me, Yelena,” he whispers. “Show me your wild side, myshka , and let me see how much you love my cock.”
He smiles at the soft moan I give. He knows what his dirty talk does to me. I’m usually a pretty quiet person, someone who’s more than happy to be on the sidelines, but Val brings out a side of me that remains hidden from everyone else. I could never be like this with anyone other than him, and when I start to rise and fall, rocking my hips and using him just like he wants, the feral look in his eyes spurs me on, encouraging me to let go of my inhibitions and embrace the part of myself that belongs only to him.
The heat in his gaze is scorching as he drinks in the sight of me. His jaw clenches, veins standing out on his neck and muscles taut, resisting the urge to thrust up into me. He gives me the control instead, letting me ride him as long as I want, so that’s exactly what I do. I lose myself in him, teasing us both until we’re right on the edge and then pulling back before the ecstasy can consume us.
“You’re killing me, baby,” Val groans when I pull back yet again.
I smile and give his bottom lip a soft suck before tracing the seam of his lips with my tongue. “You want me to let you come?”
His deep, sexy laugh makes my smile grow. “Pregnancy has made you feisty, myshka .” He gives my ass a sharp smack. The sting steals the breath from my lungs, and my body instinctively tenses, causing me to tighten around his length.
“Goddamn,” he groans, smacking my ass again just so he can feel me grip him like a vise. The sensations overwhelm me, and when I start to ride him harder, he grins and smacks my ass again. “You want me to let you come?” he taunts, throwing my words back at me. He slides a hand between us, splaying his fingers out along my stomach while he teases my clit with his thumb.
“Val,” I moan, rocking into his touch. He brings me right to the edge and then stills his finger, digging his other hand into my hip to keep me from grinding my way to release.
“Hmm, baby?” He raises a dark brow at me with an amused smile playing at his lips. “Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” I whimper, that one word a plea for mercy and a prayer for more. As soon as he hears it, he growls my name and rocks his hips, thrusting into me while his thumb rubs my clit in a merciless rhythm that has me throwing my head back and digging my nails into his shoulders as I use him for leverage. Our hips work together in the rhythm we both know so well, the one we’ve perfected over the years, and the one that’s as natural to us as breathing.
I feel the wet heat of his mouth around my breast, sucking and licking, teeth scraping delicate skin while I ride the wave, too far gone to care about anything outside of this moment with him. No more stress. No more worries. There’s only me and the man I’ve loved my entire life and a pleasure that’s strong enough to leave me seeing stars.
He tightens his grip on me, growling my name against my skin right as I feel him pulse inside me. I open my eyes to watch him, because I will never get tired of seeing this man come. He’s always gorgeous, but never so much as when he’s buried inside me, giving me a piece of himself that he’ll never give to anyone else. No one else will ever see him come undone. They’ll never see the way he furrows his brow and clenches his jaw, the way his beautiful blue eyes glaze over with absolute euphoria before his face softens and he gives me the sweet smile he always gives me after he’s come hard. It’s sexy, slightly loopy in an adorable way, completely sincere, and all mine.
I cup his face and kiss him while I lazily rock my hips, making us both shiver from the aftershocks that continue to run through us. He keeps his arms around me, neither one of us in a rush to get up, and we kiss until the sun starts to set and the room grows dim.
He grins against my lips while his thumb caresses my cheek and his fingers stay woven in my hair. “Remember when we used to make out for hours?”
“Vividly,” I say, smiling at the memories. “I couldn’t ever get enough of you. I still can’t.”
One of his hands dances along my back—slow, lazy caresses that make me want to arch into him as I melt at his touch. Exhausted, I rest my head on his shoulder and let out a shaky breath.
“I feel the same way about you, Yel. I’ll never be able to get my fill.”
He keeps holding me until I start to fall asleep. Noticing the change in my breathing, he kisses my forehead and slowly lifts me off him so he can carry me to bed. Before we came here, Val said we’d use every second of our time together, and he makes good on his promise. Over the next day and a half, we’re inseparable. He helps me when I’m sick in the mornings, prepares all my meals, and if we’re not downstairs with our cousins, we’re naked and in bed. It’s perfect, and when the clock starts ticking closer and closer to the time we need to leave, a heaviness fills my chest. I know Val feels it too. His smiles aren’t quite as big, and I see the worry settle on his face when he thinks I’m not looking.
When it’s finally time to go, he grabs my bag and we head downstairs together. Max is leaning against the counter with a mug of coffee in hand, and when he sees us, he walks over and gives me a hug.
“You’re welcome to move in whenever you want,” he tells me. “I promise I won’t wake the baby with my music.”
I return his hug and nod. “Thanks, Max.”
Val threads his fingers through mine, leading me out to his car while Max gives me a wave and a hang in there kind of smile. The drive back is a quiet one, but when we’re further into the city, Val looks over and says, “My dad’s not home. Do you want to hang out there for a little bit before I take you home? We could swing by and see Sveta on the way out.”
Grateful for any excuse to spend a few more hours with him, I nod and say, “Yeah, that’d be great.”
Once we’re at his apartment building, we leave my bag in the car and take the elevator to his parents’ penthouse. We do our usual dance of keeping distance between us, but once we step into the apartment and the doors shut behind us, Val closes the distance. One hand cups my face as his other splays out in a possessive grip along my lower back, pulling me closer before dipping lower to cup my ass. His mouth claims mine in a hungry kiss that I quickly become lost in.
“What the fuck?”
The sound of my Uncle Vitaly’s voice has me freezing in place. Terror races down my spine as a chill runs through me. I let out a pained moan, my mouth still pressed tightly against Val’s as my body starts to shake. Even though I’m terrified and we’ve just been caught, Val gives my butt a gentle pat before cupping my face with both his hands. He pulls back, locking his blue eyes on mine.
“It’s okay, Yel. I love you, and it’s going to be okay.” He waits until I give a soft nod before he turns to look at his dad. “I thought you were out with Uncle Roman.”
My uncle is still wearing a stunned look on his face, eyes darting between Val and me like he still can’t believe what he just saw. “What?” he starts to say, and then stops and runs a hand through his hair while letting out a confused breath. He finally settles on, “What the everliving fuck is going on?”
Val wraps his arm around my shoulders, keeping me pressed tightly against him. I cling to him for support, feeling like the ground isn’t quite as stable as it was a few minutes ago.
“I love her, Dad. I always have.”
My Uncle Vitaly waves a hand at us, a stunned look still plastered on his face. “But you’re cousins.”
“Not by blood,” Val quickly says.
“How long has this been going on?”
Val looks down at me and smiles. “I think since birth, but I’m pretty sure I fell in love with her when I was ten.”
I smile back at him while his dad groans and yells, “ Ptichka , I need you, baby!”
My aunt steps out of the room she’d converted into an art studio, splattered in paint and smiling when she sees us. She doesn’t notice the way Val is holding me because her focus is on her husband.
“What’s wrong? Oh no, did you find out they’re closing Get the Scoop? I was really hoping you wouldn’t notice.”
My uncle is momentarily sidetracked at the mention of his favorite ice cream place shutting down. “What? It’s closing? Jesus,” he groans, “is there anything else going on that I don’t know about?”
“What else is going on?” My Aunt Katya looks over at us, but instead of finding answers, she finally notices Val’s possessive grip on me and the way I’m fiercely hugging him. Her mouth forms in a perfect O as her eyebrows raise and she lets out a breathy, “Oh damn.”
“Yeah,” my Uncle Vitaly agrees, waving a hand in our direction. “Apparently they’ve been a thing since Val was ten.”
I’m expecting horror, or at least a look of mild disgust, but my aunt surprises us all by getting a really sappy look on her face before she whispers, “Oh my god, that’s so sweet.”
She runs over to us, wrapping us both in a hug while my uncle mutters, “What the hell is going on here?”
My aunt kisses both our cheeks and then steps back to look at us. Her eyes are glassy when they meet Val’s. “I always wondered why you never showed any interest in anyone.”
“Yeah,” my uncle says, “and all those sleepovers are making a lot more sense now.” He sighs and steps closer, wrapping an arm around my aunt. “Who else knows?”
“All the cousins,” Val admits.
His dad barks out a laugh. “You sneaky little bastards,” he says, but he doesn’t sound pissed. “Do my brothers know?” He looks down at me. “Your parents?”
“No,” I tell him. “Evgeny knows, but not my mom and dad.”
“You have to tell them,” my uncle says. “Like immediately.” He looks between the three of us, and there’s a pleading tone to his voice when he says, “You know I can’t be trusted with a secret like this. I’ll spill it the second I see them.” He looks to Val’s mom. “You know I will, ptichka . Tell them.”
My aunt looks at us. “He will. He’s going to be putting it in the family group chat the second you walk out the door. He can’t be trusted with hot gossip.”
“Please don’t tell them,” I say. “I need to be the one to do it.”
My uncle sighs. “Thank fuck, because as much as I can’t be trusted to not spill the news, I really don’t want to be the one to do it.”
“Do you think he’ll be mad?” I ask, because if anyone knows my dad, it’s the man standing in front of me.
My uncle’s face softens, and he surprises me by pulling me in for a hug. “He’s going to be shocked and hurt that you kept it from him, but he loves you so much, Yelena, and there’s nothing you could ever do to change that.”
“There’s more,” I whisper, still wrapped up in his hug.
My uncle sighs. “Of course there is. What the hell else are you two hiding?”
I step away and right back into the safety of Val’s arms as I say, “I’m pregnant.”
My uncle scrubs a hand over his face with a deep sigh and then reaches into his pocket. Pulling out his phone, he hands it to my aunt without a word. When the temptation to text my dad is removed, he looks at us and says, “Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. Jesus, just give me a second to think.”
Aunt Katya goes misty-eyed again and pulls us in for a hug. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she tells us. “And I couldn’t be happier at having another grandbaby. Samantha’s going to be so excited to have another cousin to play with.”
“Thanks, Aunt Katya.” I wrap my arms around her, grateful that she’s being so kind, but also feeling a stab of guilt that my mom wasn’t the first to know.
She kisses my head and then kisses Val’s cheek. Turning back to my uncle, she asks, “Figure out that brilliant plan yet?”
He raises a brow at her. “That sounded a tad sarcastic.”
She smiles and wraps an arm around him. “Never. I have absolute confidence in you. So what’s the plan?”
He shrugs. “We go over there and tell them.”
“Well, that’s a little anticlimactic,” she admits.
He smacks her ass. “I’ll show you climactic later, ptichka .”
“Jesus,” Val groans.
“Should we text your traitorous twin?” Uncle Vitaly asks.
Val grabs his phone, using one hand to text Sveta so his other one can stay wrapped around me. Since they only live one floor down, it doesn’t take long before Sveta comes rushing in. Vitya’s right behind her, Samantha in his arms and a what the fuck look on his face as he quickly scans the room. Samantha lets out a happy squeal when she sees her grandparents, and despite everything that’s going on, my uncle reaches out to grab her so he can kiss her chubby cheeks.
His smile falters when he looks back at his daughter. “How far does this betrayal go?” His voice is somber when he asks, “Did you know about Get the Scoop closing? Did you hide that from me as well?”
Sveta’s face falls. “Get the Scoop is closing? Dad, I would never keep something like that from you.”
“Wow,” Val whispers while looking down at me. “My family is so fucked up. I’m so glad the tragedy of an ice cream store closing is what’s got them so upset.”
“It’s damn good ice cream, Val,” his dad says. “And you both should be happy that I’m not thinking of your scandalous relationship as a tragedy. I think your mom and I are handling this amazingly well.”
My Aunt Katya smiles at her husband. “We are pretty awesome, aren’t we?”
Uncle Vitaly laughs and kisses her. “We are,” he agrees before looking over at his son-in-law. “I mean, look at how well I’ve accepted him into the family.”
Vitya lets out a disbelieving laugh. “You change your contact info for me yet?”
“Nope,” Uncle Vitaly says with another laugh.
I give Vitya a sympathetic smile. My uncle has his son-in-law listed as Fucker, and his profile pic is of a horse’s ass.
“It suits you,” my uncle says. “It feels wrong to change it now.” He walks over to Vitya when Samantha reaches for her dad. “Oh, don’t pout, Vitya. It was done in love.”
Vitya barks out a laugh. “I’m not pouting, and I really doubt that.”
“I let you marry my daughter,” my uncle reminds him.
Vitya kisses his daughter’s head and says, “Only because you knew you didn’t have a choice.”
My uncle shrugs and smiles at Samantha. “Still counts, doesn’t it, sweetheart?”
Samantha squeals at the attention and my uncle raises a brow in a triumphant case closed sort of way.
“So you guys are okay with everything?” Sveta asks, looking between her parents and then giving me a hopeful smile.
“Yeah, we’re fine,” my aunt says, “but we need to tell Alina and Matvey before anyone else finds out. It’s not fair to keep them out of this.”
“How’d you find out about it anyway?” Sveta asks.
My uncle wags a finger at Val and me. “I caught these two making out in the hallway.”
“We were kissing,” Val says.
His dad smiles. “You had your hand on her butt.”
“Wonder where I learned that,” Val mutters. “I’ve only been seeing you do it to mom since the first moment I was born.”
Uncle Vitaly laughs. “True enough.”
Val says, “And you did say one day you’d catch me kissing someone and grabbing her ass in the hallway, remember? I believe you said something about not making a big deal about it.”
Uncle Vitaly arches a brow at Val. “I believe I’ve kept my word on that one, son.”
“You have,” I say. “Thanks, Uncle Vitaly and Aunt Katya, for being so nice about all this.”
“We do appreciate it,” Val says. “I’ve been wanting to tell you both for a long time, but Yel and I were worried about how everyone would handle it.”
“I was the one who was worried,” I tell them. “Val wanted to tell you all a long time ago, but he kept it a secret for me.”
Val hugs me tighter and kisses my head. “We both agreed to wait,” he says, refusing to let me take the blame for our secrets.
“Well, that plan is obviously ruined,” my uncle says, “so what’s the new one?”
“I’m going to marry her,” Val says without even having to think about it.
“You might want to mention that to my brother first,” Uncle Vitaly says.
“He’s right,” I say. “We need to go over there and tell them, Val.”
He leans down and cups my face. “Are you okay? I know this isn’t how you wanted to do this.”
“I’m fine. I’m kind of relieved we got caught. I needed a kick in the butt. I probably would’ve dragged it out until I was showing.”
Val looks horrified at the thought and shakes his head. “I could never have waited that long.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you decided to make out where I could find you then,” his dad says. “So, what’s the new plan? Are we all going over there?”
Val looks down at me, waiting for me to decide how I want to do this, and as much as I appreciate his family’s support, I don’t want to bombard my parents like this. “I think it might be best if it’s just me and Val,” I say.
My Uncle Vitaly lets out a relieved sigh while Val’s mom says, “If you need us, call and we’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Val says. “We’ll let you know if we need you.” He kisses my head and adds, “I’ll be right back, myshka .”
He walks off to his room while my aunt gives me another hug. “I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather have for a daughter-in-law,” she says, making a lump form in my throat.
“Thanks, Aunt Katya,” I tell her, squeezing her back just as tightly.
“Agreed,” my uncle says. “At least we know what a sweetheart you are.” He gives me a wink. “And I approve of your parents.”
“I hope my dad’s okay with it,” I say, voicing the fear that won’t leave me alone. I haven’t had to worry about much in life. I’ve always been taken care of and surrounded by love, but one of my biggest fears is disappointing my dad. I won’t be able to bear it if he looks at me differently after this.
“Hey, kiddo,” my uncle says, stepping closer and giving my shoulder a soft squeeze. “Your dad loves you and nothing will change that. If he gives you grief about this, you tell him that I remember covering for their asses while they snuck around behind your Uncle Roman’s back.”
I smile at the image. My mom and Uncle Roman are the only two that are biological siblings, but my dad and uncles thought of themselves as brothers, so one of them dating my mom was a bit taboo, just like it is for Val to be with me.
“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess,” I tell him.
He laughs. “It doesn’t, but I can see why you fell for my son. All those charismatic genes, they’re impossible to resist.”
Val walks back out and pulls me up against him again. “Taking credit for this, Dad?”
“I’m just acknowledging that I gave you really good genes,” his dad says.
Aunt Katya laughs. “I did have a little bit to do with this.”
Uncle Vitaly cups the back of her head and kisses her. “You had a lot to do with it, ptichka , but I’m talking about the man bits that are solely my responsibility.”
Sveta groans. “Jesus, we’re not going to start talking about my twin’s man bits. I’m pregnant and hungry and I can only handle so much.”
My uncle perks up. “You’re hungry?”
Sveta pats her pregnant belly. “I could eat, yeah.”
“Wanna get some ice cream before they close down?” my uncle asks.
Vitya looks at his wife. “You haven’t had supper yet.”
She smiles up at him and pats his cheek. “We’ll just do it opposite tonight. Dessert and then supper.” When he doesn’t look convinced, she adds, “You know I’m good for it. You can even fix me an extra large salad, and I swear I’ll eat it all.”
He looks down at her and rubs a hand over his tattooed neck. “Deal, but only if you promise to eat roasted beets and you let me add fresh broccoli to the salad.”
Sveta curls her lip in disgust. “Why do you hate me so much?”
Vitya laughs and kisses her. “You know I love you more than life itself, but beets and broccoli are really good for you and the baby.”
“Fine,” Sveta groans. “I promise to eat your gross food if I get to have ice cream first.”
“Don’t worry, honey,” her dad says, “we’ll get giant cones and hopefully it’ll numb your tastebuds so you won’t have to taste your supper.”
“Oh come on,” Vitya says. “They’re not that bad.” He looks to his daughter for support. “You like beets, don’t you, baby girl?”
She smiles at his attention and reaches for his ear. “Dada,” she says, and then slips into a long string of baby talk that no one understands.
Vitya looks at all of us. “That means she loves them.”
“Uh-huh,” my uncle says, already grabbing my aunt’s jacket. “We’re going to get ice cream, but your mom has my phone, so text if you need us.”
“I feel guilty going to get ice cream while you guys are going through this without us,” my aunt says.
“Nonsense, ptichka ,” my uncle says, holding her jacket up so she can get into it. “You heard them. They want to do it alone, and we’d only be in the way. They need some privacy, and our daughter is pregnant and hungry.”
My aunt shares a laugh with Sveta. “I think we all know this ice cream trip isn’t just for our pregnant daughter.”
“I’m going to let her order first,” my uncle says.
Val’s fingers caress the back of my neck while his family laughs and gets ready to go. Before they leave, they hug us goodbye and make us promise to call if we need them. When the apartment is quiet again, I look up at Val.
“I really hope my parents take it as well as yours did.”
He kisses my forehead and says, “Very little fazes my dad, especially if you can sidetrack him with food, but I’m sure once your parents get over the shock of it, they’ll be fine.” He smiles and strokes my cheek. “It’ll help that your dad won’t be finding out by catching me with my hand on your ass and my tongue down your throat.”
I groan at the mere thought of it. “Yeah, we need to ease them into that.”
“Let’s go, myshka . You’ll feel so much better once it’s over.”
I know he’s right, so I nod and let him lead me to the elevator. I’m quiet on the drive, too nervous to do much of anything except bob my knee and squeeze Val’s hand when he puts it on my thigh. Once he’s parked next to my dad’s Camaro, he turns to face me, brows furrowed with worry as he looks me over.
“Are you okay? Is there anything I can do to make this easier?”
“I just need you next to me while I do it.”
“Of course, myshka. I’m not leaving you. That part of our life is officially over. I’m never spending another night away from you again.”
As nervous as I am, hearing him say that and knowing that it’s true has me letting out a relieved breath. We’ve spent so long hiding how we feel and being forced to sneak in moments to be together, so the thought of not having to do that, of being able to have the luxury of being together whenever we want is exactly what I’m going to cling to when I tell my parents. As scared as I am, I know what’s waiting for me on the other side, and that life with Val is worth any discomfort I might be feeling right now.
“I’m ready,” I tell him.
Leaning closer, he cups the back of my head and kisses me slowly, comforting me as only he can and letting me feel how much he loves me. This is what I’m going to be holding onto when I tell my parents. This is what’s going to give me the courage to say what I should’ve said a long time ago.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough to do this sooner. We spent so much time apart, and it’s all because of me.”
“Don’t say that, Yel. We’re still young, and we have the rest of our lives together. I don’t regret anything with you, not even the times when we couldn’t be together, because it was all worth it. Everything in our lives brought us to this moment, and I wouldn’t change this for anything.”
He kisses me again and keeps his face close to mine when he says, “If we had come out about our relationship earlier, then we would’ve been living together, right?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, not sure where he’s going with this.
“Right,” he agrees, “and that means we wouldn’t have had unprotected sex in the car that night. I would’ve just driven us back to our place and spent the night worshipping you and probably going through an impressive amount of condoms.”
He gives a soft laugh, but he’s not being cocky. He and I both know he’s telling the truth. His hand lowers to my stomach.
“If we’d said something earlier, then maybe you wouldn’t be pregnant right now with my baby, and, Yel, I wouldn’t change that for anything, so please stop worrying. We’re here, and we’re doing it. That’s all that matters.”
I nod and clasp my fingers behind his neck. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
I take a breath and meet his eyes. “I’m ready.”
He smiles and taps his finger under my chin. “That’s my girl. Let’s go tell my aunt and uncle that I’m in love with their daughter.”
I groan at his wording, but it just makes him smile even bigger. “Just think of what a fun story it’ll make for our kids one day.”
“We don’t have to tell them everything ,” I remind him.
“Sure we do.” He smiles and gives me a wink. “We’ll leave out some key moments, of course.”
“I should hope so,” I say, reaching for the door handle before stepping out of the car.
“But there’s no hiding our family from them, so they’re going to figure it out anyway. Besides,” he says, coming over to wrap an arm around me, “it’s possible we’ve started something here. Our kids are going to be raised around a bunch of cousins who they aren’t actually related to, so you never know.”
I look up at him as we walk to the elevator. “Let’s not start marrying them off just yet.”
“Deal,” he says with a grin before pushing the button that will begin our ascent.
My stomach drops when the elevator starts moving, and I can’t tell if it’s from the speed or my nerves. Probably a mix of both. Val keeps his arm securely around me, making it clear he’s not going to be letting go of me anytime soon. When we’re on the top floor and standing in front of the door to my parents’ penthouse, I take a shaky breath and unlock it so we can both step in. That action alone is so monumental that I’m almost disappointed when nothing happens. My parents aren’t standing here waiting for me. They’re still just as much in the dark as they’ve always been while Val and I kick off our shoes and walk further in.
Before I lose my nerve, I holler for my mom and dad and lead Val to the living room. We find them snuggled up on the couch together, watching a movie and looking so damn happy that I feel a twinge of guilt at knowing I’m about to potentially ruin it.
“Hey, honey,” my dad says, while my mom looks over and smiles at us. It takes them both about two seconds before they notice the way Val’s hand is intertwined with mine.
My dad’s dark eyes narrow, but before he can ask what’s going on, Val says, “Uncle Matvey, we need to talk.”
My dad kisses my mom’s hand before disentangling himself from her and standing. She’s not content to sit this out, so she hops up and stands next to him, both of them facing us. My mom’s eyes soften when they meet mine, but my dad’s face is unreadable, and that scares me more than anything. He’s never hidden himself from me before, but I swear I can feel the walls coming up.
“Dad,” I start to say, but he cuts me off with a sharp shake of his head.
“What the hell is going on?” He turns his hard gaze to Val. “Why are you holding my daughter’s hand? Your cousin’s hand,” he clarifies just to drive that point home.
“We’re not really related, and you know it,” Val calmly says, and I’ve never been so grateful to have him standing next to me, because without him, my knees would be buckling and I’d be falling to the floor. “And I love her. I’ve been in love with Yelena my entire life.”
My dad’s eyes widen, and he lets out a shocked breath like he can’t process what’s just been said. He’s quiet for several seconds, looking between the two of us. I’m still trying to decide if he’s furious or just undergoing one hell of a shock when his phone dings. He ignores it, but when it keeps dinging and then Val’s phone joins in, he groans and they both dig out their phones to see what’s going on.
“Fuck,” my dad growls, shoving his phone away before he cups my mom’s face and kisses her. “I have to go, malishka . I’m sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I have to go too,” Val says.
I look up to argue, but the words die in my throat when I see the determined glint in his eyes. He’ll never turn his back on the Bratva, and that’s obviously what’s calling them both away.
“I’m sorry,” Val tells me, and then he proves my theory that he’s the bravest man I’ve ever known by cupping the back of my head and leaning down to kiss me. Even though it’s not a deep, open-mouthed kiss, Val manages to make it feel that way. His soft lips press against mine, long lingering seconds that make everything else disappear. He packs all his love into that kiss, and I feel it in every part of my body. When he pulls back, he rests his forehead against mine.
“I love you, Yel. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I love you too,” I whisper.
We both turn to see my parents staring at us. My mom looks stunned, but underneath that is a hurt that makes my heart ache, because she knows I’ve been lying to her for years. My dad has officially moved from stunned to pissed. His dark eyes narrow when they meet Val’s.
“We need to leave,” my dad says, looking at Val and making it clear that this is a temporary pause and that they’re nowhere near being done with this conversation. He gives my mom one last kiss and then looks at me. I can’t tell what he’s thinking, and it’s killing me, so I let go of Val and walk over to him.
“Dad, say something.” I meet his eyes, the same exact dark shade as my own, and when he sees how upset I am, his face softens before he pulls me in for a hug.
“I love you, Yelena, nothing will ever change that, but I’m pissed and we’re going to be talking about this when I get back.”
I nod while he keeps hugging me. He kisses the top of my head and pats my back before letting me go so he can leave. Val gives me one last quick kiss, joining my dad at the door after he’s returned from getting his gun. I know Val is already armed, he always is, so he’s ready to go when my dad grabs his keys. They leave together, and once they’ve shut the door, I turn to face my mom.