Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85224 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I give Alexei one last glance before I nod and do as she says. “Okay.”
21
Alexei
By five o clock, all of the guests have arrived.
Viktor and his most trusted Vory have come to dine with us tonight. In celebration of my marriage. This party includes Katya and Anatoly as well. Even Nikolai and my own father who dutifully ignores me the way he has always done.
I don’t foresee a happy occasion, and the longer I wait for Talia to come down, the more my nerves agitate me. I don’t know what her mood will be like this evening. If she will prove them all right by ignoring me too. Wearing the same flat expression I am now accustomed to. The same desire to end her life rather than be married to the likes of me.
I should have gone to her. Spoken to her after the incident. But my anger is too much. I cannot look at her without betraying how I feel. Like she has betrayed me.
Viktor is speaking to me when his eyes move behind me. And before I even look, I know it is her. I wait, wondering what version I will get this evening.
She appears by my side, and when I turn towards her, she is reaching up to kiss my cheek. The action surprises me, and Viktor does not miss it. It’s only after a moment that I realize she is too short and I am too tall, so I bend to accommodate her.
Her lips are soft and warm against my skin, and absent of any anger or despondency that I’ve come to expect from her. When she pulls away, she threads her arm through mine and rests her pale fingers against the black of my sweater. She’s wearing her wedding ring. As am I.
My eyes are moving over her, dressed in all black. It’s the perfect accompaniment to her ghostly white skin and pale blonde hair. She looks like a haunted angel, eyes smoked in black and lips painted red. And right now, every pair of eyes in the room is on her.
“Good evening,” she speaks to Viktor.
In my mind, I know I need to turn my attention back to him. To avoid making a fool of myself. Missing any cues in conversation. But I’m having difficulty tearing my eyes away from my wife, who… I don’t seem to recognize at all.
There is a smile on her face as Viktor takes her free hand in his and greets her. She is tucked in close to my side as though she is my partner. As though it is both of us against all of them. When it has only ever been me.
There are so many questions in my mind, but I don’t have time to consider them. She taps my arm and smiles, and I realize she’s trying to get my attention.
I turn back to Viktor, whose eyes are moving between the two of us with a curious expression.
“You have done very well for yourself, Lyoshenka.”
I can’t tell if his words are genuine or not. When only last week he referred to her as a whore, now he can’t seem to take his eyes off of her. I pull her closer on a nod, wrapping my arm around her waist, and he smiles.
“Tell me,” Viktor speaks to Talia, “how married life is treating you.”
When she glances up at me, there is genuine warmth in her eyes. I don’t know where it came from, but I find myself wishing the room were empty now. Instead, I settle for placing my hand possessively on the back of her neck. Stroking the warm skin there and watching her as she answers.
“I would tell you that my husband is a perfect gentleman,” she says. “But we both know that’s a lie.”
Viktor laughs, and when his eyes land on me, there is approval behind them. I pull Talia even closer still, grazing her cheek with my lips. She does not protest. In fact, she leans into me and gives a soft sigh of approval.
“You are happy though,” Viktor remarks. “Yes?”
It’s not a question, even though it is phrased like one. It is an observation. And right now, she does seem happy.
Talia looks to me, her eyes moving over my face when she replies.
“I am.”
And then Viktor holds up his glass, reciting a classic Russian toast to our health and happiness.
Across the room, Katya’s gaze finds mine. Hurt and anger fill her eyes as she moves them from me to Talia. I ignore her and focus my attention on Magda when she enters the room.
“Dinner is served.”
We all move to the dining room, and Talia takes her place at my side.
Throughout dinner, I catch all of the men staring at her. Sergei and Nikolai included. When his gaze finds mine across the table, it is apologetic. And something else.