Chapter 7 Lena
LENA
I'm already moving toward the door when Sasha stops me with a hand around my arm.
"Let me," he says, his voice low and commanding in a way that makes my stomach flip.
I nod, stepping back as he moves to the door with the fluid grace of a predator. He doesn't ask who's there, doesn't call out a greeting, just positions himself to the side of the door frame and pulls it open in one smooth motion, his body coiled and ready for violence.
"Oh! Hello there." Pavel Galkin stands on my porch, his arms full of supplies, his wire-rimmed glasses fogging in the temperature difference. "I didn't realize Maya had company."
The tension drains from my shoulders so fast, I feel dizzy. "Pavel. Hi. Come in, it's freezing."
Pavel steps inside, his pale blue eyes darting between me and Sasha with obvious curiosity.
My closest neighbor, which is still quite a distance away, is dressed in his usual practical outdoor gear, a thick parka and worn boots, his prematurely gray hair sticking up in tufts where his hat compressed it.
"I brought your weekly supplies," he says, setting two canvas bags on my kitchen counter. "Extra firewood's in the truck. Figured with the storm and all, you might be running low."
"That's really thoughtful. Thank you." I move to help him unpack, acutely aware of Sasha watching from near the door, his gold eyes tracking Pavel's every movement.
Pavel pulls out canned goods, coffee, and fresh bread wrapped in paper. "I also grabbed those batteries you mentioned last time. The hardware store had a sale." He glances at Sasha again, then back to me. "I, uh, I didn't know you were expecting anyone."
"I wasn't." I gesture toward Sasha, who hasn't moved from his position near the door. "This is Sasha. He's a friend who got caught in the storm. His car went off the road about a mile from here."
"A mile?" Pavel's eyebrows rise behind his glasses. "That's quite a walk in a blizzard."
"I'm lucky Maya found me," Sasha says, his accent more pronounced than usual. He crosses the room with deliberate slowness, extending his hand. "Sasha."
Pavel shakes it, and I notice how his hand trembles slightly. "Pavel Galkin. I live about three miles east. I check on Maya every week, make sure she has what she needs."
"That's very neighborly of you." Sasha's tone is pleasant, but there's something underneath it that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"Well, we look out for each other up here." Pavel adjusts his glasses, a nervous habit I've noticed before. "Especially during winter. It can get dangerous fast."
I finish unpacking the supplies, hyperaware of the tension crackling between the two men. Pavel keeps glancing at Sasha, his gaze lingering on the bandage visible at his collar and the stitched-up wound on the side of his head.
"Can I get you some coffee?" I ask Pavel as I dig cash out of my purse to pay him for the supplies. "You drove all the way out here."
"Oh, I don't want to intrude." But Pavel's already pulling out a chair at my small kitchen table, settling in like he plans to stay awhile. "Although, if you're offering, I wouldn't say no. It's brutal out there today."
I pour three mugs of coffee, adding sugar to Pavel's the way he likes it. Sasha takes his black, wrapping his large hands around the mug and watching Pavel over the rim.
"So, Sasha," Pavel says, his voice a little too loud, a little too friendly. "What brings you to our neck of the woods? Besides the unfortunate car accident, I mean."
"Just passing through." Sasha's response is smooth, practiced. "Needed some time away from the city."
"Which city?"
"New York." I glance at Sasha with a raised eyebrow before I realize he was just throwing out a name since he doesn't know where he lives.
Pavel nods, but his fingers tap against his mug in a rapid rhythm that betrays his nerves. "Long way from home. What do you do there?"
"Security consulting." The lies continue to fall from his lips.
"Interesting." Pavel's eyes flick to me, then back to Sasha. "Must be dangerous work. You look like you can handle yourself."
"I manage."
The conversation feels like a chess match, each man probing for information while revealing nothing. I sip my coffee and try to look relaxed, but my heart is hammering against my ribs.
Pavel turns his attention to me, and his expression softens. "How have you been, Maya? I worried about you during that last storm. The power was out for two days at my place."
"I was fine. The generator held up." I smile, trying to project normalcy. "Thanks for checking."
"Of course." He reaches across the table like he might touch my hand, then seems to think better of it when Sasha's eyes narrow. "You know I'm always here if you need anything. Anything at all."
The emphasis on the last words makes my cheeks warm.
Pavel's crush on me has been obvious for months, manifesting in weekly visits that last longer than necessary and offers to help with repairs I don't need.
I've tried to be kind but distant, not wanting to encourage him when I have no interest in anything beyond neighborly friendship.
"I appreciate that," I say carefully. "You're a good friend."
The word "friend" lands like a stone, and Pavel's smile falters slightly.
He adjusts his glasses again, clearing his throat.
"Right. Well. Friends help each other." He glances at Sasha.
"How long are you planning to stay? I mean, once the roads clear, you'll probably want to get your car towed, get back to New York. "
"I haven't decided yet." Sasha's voice is casual, but his posture is anything but. He's leaning back in his chair, one arm draped over the back of my chair, his body language screaming possession. "Maya's been kind enough to let me recover here. I'm in no rush."
Pavel's jaw tightens almost imperceptibly.
"That's generous of her. Maya's always been the helpful type.
" He turns to me. "Remember when you first moved here?
You didn't know anything about living off-grid.
I spent weeks teaching you about the generator, the well pump, and how to winterize the pipes. "
"I remember." I do remember, and I remember being grateful for his help while also being careful to maintain boundaries. "You were very patient with all my city-girl questions."
"You're a fast learner." Pavel's smile is warm, genuine, and tinged with something that looks like longing. "I always thought you were too smart to be hiding out here in the middle of nowhere. You could do anything, be anywhere."
The comment hits too close to home, and I see Sasha's eyes sharpen with interest.
"It's lonely up here. I know because I'm lonely too. It's nice having someone who understands, someone to talk to." He pauses. "I've been meaning to ask if you'd like to come to dinner sometime. At my place. I make a mean pot roast."
The invitation hangs in the air, awkward and hopeful. I open my mouth to decline politely, but Sasha speaks first.
"That's kind of you to offer," he says, his tone pleasant but his eyes cold. "But Maya and I have plans for the foreseeable future."
Pavel blinks. "Plans?"
"We're working through some things together." Sasha's hand finds mine on the table, his fingers lacing through mine with casual possessiveness. "It might take a while."
I should pull my hand away, should correct the implication that we're together in any official capacity. But the warmth of his palm against mine, the solid presence of him beside me, makes me stay silent.
Pavel's face flushes red, and he stands abruptly. "Right. Of course. I didn't mean to assume." He grabs his coat from the back of the chair, fumbling with the zipper. "I should get going, anyway. Lots to do before the next storm hits."
"Pavel, wait." I stand too, guilt twisting in my stomach. "You don't have to leave."
"No, really, it's fine." He's already backing toward the door, his smile forced and brittle. "I'll check on you next week. Unless you don't need me to anymore."
"It was nice meeting you, Sasha," Pavel says, though his tone suggests otherwise. "Take care of her."
"I intend to."
Pavel's eyes linger on me for a long moment, and I see hurt and confusion and something that might be anger flash across his face.
Remembering the wad of cash I have clutched in my hand, I thrust it out toward him. "I almost forgot to pay you for the supplies. Thanks again for checking on me!"
His cheeks flush slightly, but he nods, takes the money, and then leaves.
I close the door and lean against it, exhaling slowly. "That was awkward."
"He's in love with you." Sasha's voice comes from right behind me, close enough that I can feel his breath on my neck.
"He has a crush. It's not the same thing."
"He wants you." Sasha's hands settle on my hips, turning me to face him. "The way he looks at you, the way he talks to you. He's been waiting for his chance."
"Well, he's not getting one." I look up at him, noting the possessive gleam in those gold eyes. "Not that it's any of your business."
"No?" His lips brush mine, feather-light.
I should argue. Should push him away and remind him that he's a stranger with no memory, that I'm a woman in hiding, that this whole situation is insane. Instead, I kiss him, hard and desperate, my hands fisting in his shirt.
We break apart breathing hard, and he rests his forehead against mine. "There's something wrong with your neighbor."
The statement is so unexpected that I pull back. "What?"
"Pavel." Sasha's expression is serious now, all traces of heat replaced by cold calculation. "Something about him feels off."
"He's just awkward. Lonely. He's been nothing but helpful since I moved here."
"Maybe." But Sasha doesn't look convinced.
He moves to the window, watching Pavel's truck disappear down the mountain road. "He shows up every week like clockwork. He knows your routines, your habits. He's inserted himself into your life under the guise of being helpful."
"That's what neighbors do in rural areas. They look out for each other." I pause. "What do you think is wrong with him?"
"I don't know yet." He crosses back to me, his hands cupping my face. "But I'm going to find out."
Through the window, I watch Pavel's truck disappear down the mountain road, and I realize he kept glancing back at the cabin with an expression I couldn't quite read.