Chapter 34
The next two days are excruciating.
Through all the darkness and pain, though, I do manage to find some solace, and it all comes from the kindness Maksim’s family shows me. And they are his family.
I didn’t really understand just how much they cared about him until I witnessed their collective panic when they realized just how hurt he was.
Rian drove like a madman, racing at the speed of light to get us back to the hotel. By the time we arrived, a doctor and his team were already waiting. They treated Maksim’s wounds, but he’d lost so much blood that he needed a blood transfusion.
Every single person in that room offered their blood—from Rian to Roz—but no one was a match. The rest of the crew volunteered to be tested, too, but still, no luck. I begged them to take mine, but I was no different.
Maksim’s blood type was so rare they had to reach across the country to find someone who could help. That search lasted 24 hours, and every second of that was agony.
But when the blood finally came in, the relief was palpable. Maksim was saved.
So why is he still unconscious?
I sigh, tightening my hold on his hand.
“Don’t worry, Cece. Maksim is tough. He’s just catching up on some sleep. You know, old guys like that need a lot of it,” Roz says with a small smile from across the room.
“You need some sleep yourself,” Rian chimes in beside her. “Uncle Maksim isn’t going to be too happy when he wakes up and sees how worn out you are.”
Sleep? How could I even think of sleep at a time like this. Hell, I don’t think I’ve shut my eyes at all over the past few days. How could I look away from Maksim, knowing I might never see him breathing again?
“I’m fine,” I murmur, brushing off their concerns.
Roz and Rian exchange a glance, then Roz gets up from her seat and walks toward me. I feel her warm hand fall on my shoulder. “At least go soak in the bath for a few minutes. The doctor said Maksim shouldn’t wake up any time soon. Go take care of yourself.”
I look down, noting my disheveled appearance. How am I still wearing the clothes I changed into after we brought Maksim to the hotel? I lift up my hand and give it a sniff. Ugh. “You should’ve just told me I stunk,” I say with a weak chuckle.
Her lips twitch, but she suppresses the urge to smile. “Well, I wasn’t going to say it…” she can’t help but joke. “You’ve been through so much lately. Didn’t want to add to your burdens.”
“No, you’re right.”
Turning my attention back to Maksim, I give him one last lingering look before I finally let go of his hand and stand up. It takes me a second to balance. Rian and Roz both step forward to offer assistance, but I wave them off. “I’m okay,” I insist. “Just please let me know if he shows any signs of waking up.”
“Promise.”
With that, I make my way to the bathroom for a short shower. After drying off, I find a change of clothes in the walk-in: one of Maksim’s shirts, a cozy pair of joggers, and fresh underwear. As I slip them on, his lingering scent wraps around me like a warm embrace. I hold onto myself, cherishing the familiar smell.
When I get back to the bedroom, Tytus and Gabriel have joined Rian and Roz. They all stand around Maksim, their faces etched with concern.
“That was quick,” Roz comments.
“Didn’t feel like being gone too long,” I admit, feeling a sense of comfort settling over me as I return to Maksim’s bedside.
Taking his hand back in mine, we lapse into silence for a few minutes until Gabriel suddenly chuckles. We all turn to stare at him.
“What’s so funny?” Rian asks, slightly annoyed.
Gabriel raises his hands up with a small smile. “It’s nothing… just that it kind of feels like we’ve come full circle, no?”
“What are you talking about?” Tytus asks in a bored tone. He always sounds bored and uninterested. Roz says it”s his way of coping; apparently, he misses his wife, Melina. I hear he’s more lively when she’s around.
“This. It just reminds me of all we’ve been through—like the time Bianca and I had our showdown with Krol. We both got hurt pretty bad. When I woke up, I was surrounded by Kilpatricks. They all hated my guts. Maksim will wake up to the same thing. Kilpatricks. But we don’t hate his guts, do we?”
“We love him,” Roz agrees, before adding. “But I’m still not so sure I like getting called a Kilpatrick.”
“How about being called mine,” Rian suggests, arching his brow.
Roz smiles. “That will do just fine.”
“Maksim is surrounded by people who love him,” Tytus confirms, his voice low. “And he always will be.”
“You know, we didn’t completely hate your guts,” Rian teases Gabriel. “Only a little.”
“Isn’t that nice,” Gabriel replies dryly.
For the first time in days, I find myself smiling. They banter like this every time they’re in a room together. And I realize that’s just their way of lightening the mood.
“I can’t imagine you didn’t completely hate my guts,” Tytus remarks, looking from Rian to me. “Imagine my shock when I woke up after a near-death experience in this asshole’s house.” He nods back at Rian, “And I was still alive?”
“Only because you almost died to save my sister—I mean, even though it was your fault she needed saving in the first place.”
“My angel needed to spread her wings, and you were suffocating her,” Tytus smirks. That earns a glare from Rian.
Roz and I somehow lock gazes, and she slowly shakes her head. “Men.”
I chuckle at her expression, but my heart swells with gratitude as I take in the faces around the room. Once strangers, but in the span of just two days, we’ve learned to get along because of our shared love for Maksim. Though not bound by blood, they are his family. And they’ve welcomed me into their circle, too. They’ve made me feel like I’m one of them.
Still, my smile fades as I look down at Maksim again. None of this means anything without him. Leaning in close, I press my lips against his ear and whisper, “Wake up already… who knew you could be so dramatic.”
As I pull back from him, I swear his fingers entwine with mine. My eyes fly to our hands, and sure enough, he’s holding onto me. “Maksim?”
The room goes silent and everyone jumps to their feet. We all wait with bated breath. Are his eyelids twitching? His hand tightens around mine, and then, just like that, he’s awake, those beautiful brown eyes shining like they haven’t missed a beat.
“Maksim!” I cry out in joy.
“Dramatic?” he muses, lips lifting in a labored smile. “You hurt me, dushen’ka.”
The room dissolves into a flurry of excited voices as everybody rushes over to the bed.
Someone must have called the doctor because he’s suddenly elbowing us out of the way so he can examine Maksim.
Through it all, my heart pounds with relief, excitement, and a torrent of other emotions.
“Hey, are you okay?” Tytus asks, staring at me with what looks like concern.
“Of course, I–I’m–” My voice breaks, and to my horror, I start crying. Tytus takes a huge step back from me, eyes wide with alarm. If I weren’t so emotional, I might have laughed at the terror on his face.
Warm arms encircle me. Roz. “I understand. It’s okay, Cece. It’s all over now.”
I nod against her chest and try to suck in the tears. “I–I don’t even–even know why I’m—I’m crying.” I hiccup and sniff. “I’m happy.”
“There are different kinds of tears. Happy tears and tears of relief. You’re just getting both out of the way.”
Yeah, that makes sense.
I finally compose myself just as the doctor steps away. He talks directly to Rian, but I overhear that his recovery is ahead of schedule.
That’s my man.
I pull away from Roz and make my way to Maksim, who’s already sitting up, his eyes brightening as he sees me. “Hey,” I whisper.
A smile spreads across his lips, and he opens his arms wide, inviting me in. I sniffle and crawl into the bed, snuggling up next to him. “I’m sorry if I worried you,” he murmurs, wrapping me up.
I shake my head against his chest and sniff again. “I–I knew you would make it. I didn’t give you much of a choice.”
He chuckles softly. “No, you didn’t. You refused to let me go.”
I nod. “What else could I do? I finally had a family of my own. You think I was going to let you go just like that?”
He chuckles again, “I’m your family, huh? I suppose this means you meant what you said before… about loving me.”
I push away from his chest, frowning at him. “Of course, I meant it. I don’t just throw those words around. I-I love you, Maksim Smolov.”
“And I love you, dushen’ka.” He pulls me back into his arms, and I go with a happy sigh.
For a moment, I just allow myself to be happy. But then I notice how quiet it’s become. Lifting my head, I look around. And that’s when I realize everyone has left to give us some privacy.
I smile.
“I hope my nephews and niece have been treating you well?”
“The best,” I assure him. “They made it all a little more bearable. I don’t know if I could have survived if I had to go through it alone.”
“Good.” He runs his hand up and down my back in that familiar way of his, and I sigh, sinking back into him.
After a few more minutes, there’s a short knock at the door, and I try to shift away from Maksim, but he won’t let me.
“Hope we’re not interrupting,” a voice comes from outside.
The doctor enters first, followed by the rest of the family. My cheeks heat up at the intimate embrace Maksim and I are sharing, but he doesn’t let me move an inch.
“I want them to know,” Maksim whispers, so only I can hear. “You’re mine… and I’m yours. Forever, dushen’ka.”
I melt into the safety of his words.
“Forever.”
We spend the next two weeks holed up in our Russian hotel, waiting for Maksim to heal enough for travel.
He’s not a big fan of the delay, but his family doesn’t budge on the matter—and neither do I. Eventually, though, it’s time.
“How do you feel?” I ask, watching him carefully as we finally make our way down the plane stairs.
“Happy to be home. Finally,” he smiles.
Lifting his chin, he inhales deeply. I do the same. Smells like home. But it’s not the crisp New York air. It’s the scent softly drifting from the man next to me.
“We were home in Russia,” I note, helping him into the back of our car.
He grunts impatiently, not entirely happy with how I’ve been babying him while he recovers. Still, he doesn’t fight. Instead, he asks, “What do you mean?”
“I mean, even when we were in Russia, I felt at home. Anywhere we go in the world can be home now. Because home isn’t a place anymore. It’s a person. Home is you.”
His eyes soften. “Dushen’ka. You humble me.”
“So don’t be too mad at me for being careful with you. I wouldn’t survive in a world where you don’t exist, Maksim. Not anymore.”
“It’s the same for me, Solnyshko. You’re the air that I breathe. Ya tebya lyublyu.”
“I love you too.” I smile at him.
Then I take out my phone and google the meaning of soleenshko. Google autocorrects me. It’s Solnyshko, and it means my sun.
I’m his sun, and he’s my home.
Forever.