*Adrik*
We spent the evening together with the guys and Tori before she went back to the house. She cooked for the house staff when we weren’t there, so she was still needed during the week while they were there. Sephie’s appetite was better than it had been in days, making me happy. Misha was also very relieved to see her eating again. He’s been beating himself up since the attack, thinking about all the alternative things he could’ve done. It’s taken a toll on him. He hasn’t been sleeping well.
Of course, Sephie noticed that he was more stressed than usual. She found the perfect moment to go to him when everyone else was busy talking amongst themselves so they could have a semi-private moment. I saw her talk to him, somewhat sternly it looked like, and then he just crumbled. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held onto her like he was drowning and she was his lifeline.
They both wiped their eyes as they smiled at each other. As always, she knew exactly what Misha needed to help him feel better. She was the only one that could’ve said the words he needed to hear and have him actually hear them. We had all been telling him the exact same thing she likely just said to him, but he wouldn’t listen to any of us. She was the only one that could’ve saved him from his own mind.
She walked back to me, that smile that could stop my heart across her beautiful face. I pulled her to me. Leaning down to her ear, I whispered, “I’m in love with you. Completely in love with you.”
She leaned back, looking at me with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open. I smiled at her, kissing her gently. “You have my heart, Persephone. It’s yours.”
“Adrik…I…” she stammered.
I smiled down at her. “You don’t have…” She didn’t let me finish my sentence. Her lips were on mine, her passion for me the only thing I could feel. I knew she felt the same for me. She didn’t need to tell me. I know I surprised her with my declaration, but after what the acupuncturist said earlier today, watching Sephie’s light return, and watching her with Misha, I needed to tell her. I’ve loved her since that first night I saw her in the restaurant. I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.
She broke the kiss, pressing her forehead to mine, breathing heavily. “Adrik…”
I loved hearing her say my name. For someone who rarely used it, I loved hearing it roll off her tongue. My name was one thing that not many people knew. Even Tori didn’t know my name and she’d worked for me for a few years now. I preferred to remain anonymous. It allowed me more freedom. But thinking back to that first night in the parking lot of the restaurant, talking to Sephie, I didn’t hesitate to tell her my name.
She was the only one I wanted. For as long as she would have me.
*Sephie*
The second week of my bed rest went much better than the first. With the daily acupuncture, I felt so much better. I felt stronger, more like myself. My appetite had returned, even though I was still slightly paranoid about eating too much. I still had a week to go before the ball and fitting into that dress.
Adrik was on the phone with Armando. He was pacing back and forth in the kitchen as he talked to Armando. Not because he was angry, it was just his habit to walk back and forth on long calls. I watched him from the couch, where I was waiting for the acupuncturist to show up for my session of the day.
I smiled, thinking about the events of last weekend. We had spent Sunday night together with all the guys and Tori. It was a nice time, but I noticed that Misha was struggling. Adrik hadn’t told me that Misha had been beating himself up mentally about what happened. I managed to catch Misha slightly away from everyone else so we could have a private conversation.
“Misha, you look like bloody hell. You’re beating yourself up over what happened, aren’t you?” He just nodded, without saying a word. “Misha, look at me. Listen to me. Stop it. Stop it right now. Nothing about what happened was your fault. Stop replaying it in your mind. Stop keeping yourself in a mental prison because you feel responsible. You did everything right. I’m grateful you were there. I’m grateful you were at the hospital with me. I’m grateful for you, Misha.” I saw him struggling to keep it together, so I reached up and hugged his neck. He latched onto me tightly. Poor guy. I didn’t know he’d been struggling all week while I was mostly sleeping. I should’ve had this conversation with him sooner. “You’re my favorite. Don’t tell the others.”
He laughed and stepped back slightly. He wiped his eyes as he stood up, which made me have to wipe my own. “Thank you, gazelle.”
“Anytime, kiddo.”
I walked back to Adrik, who was looking at me with even more adoration than usual. He pulled me to him, whispering in my ear, “I’m in love with you. Completely in love with you.” I was shocked that he said it. I knew he loved me, just as I knew that I loved him, but he hasn’t said the words yet. Nor had I.
I laughed at myself for not knowing what to say to him. It didn’t even bother him that I hadn’t said it in return. I just kissed him with as much passion as I could transmit in one kiss. I think he knew that I loved him, but I needed to tell him. I was just waiting for the right moment to tell him and as always, he was giving me the space to be unapologetically me.
That was one thing I adored about him. He was so confident in my love for him. He had five chiseled, handsome men working as his bodyguards that he would leave alone with me regularly and he never once acted jealous. I was allowed to goof around with the guys as much as I wanted and he would just laugh at my antics. I never looked at any of them the same way I looked at Adrik, but not every man would’ve been okay with my goofiness around the guys. He accepted me for me, and I loved that about him.
He had ended his call and caught me staring at him, completely lost in thought. He walked to me, leaning down to kiss me. “What are you thinking about, solnishko?”
I sighed, smiling up at him. “How much I love you.”
His breath caught. He stared at me intensely for a moment, then pulled me off the couch to stand in front of him. His hands pulled me close, his blue eyes never leaving mine. “Solnishko, you’ve made me the happiest man.”
“I can say the same. You make me the happiest woman,” I said, standing on my toes to kiss him. He kissed me passionately, lifting me off the ground without breaking the kiss. As he spun me around, I smiled against his lips, laughing.
I heard Ivan come in with the acupuncturist. Adrik set me down, still holding onto me. The acupuncturist smiled broadly when she saw us together. “You’re feeling better, Miss Sephie.”
I nodded. “Much better, thanks to you.”
She nodded toward Adrik and said, “not only thanks to me.”
I looked up at him and grinned, knowing she was right. I kissed him again, quickly, before walking to the spare room with the acupuncturist.