Chapter 172 172

Chapter 172 172
I don’t have those things… but I do have Nikolai. Doesn’t that outweigh the rest?

“How are you and Nicky Boy doing?” Elise asks, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “And you can keep all of the naked details to yourself.”

I roll my eyes. “We are doing fine.”

All we’ve done so far is bandage Christo. Nikolai said we’d go get dinner, then took off to get some work done. I haven’t seen him in hours.

“Then why don’t you look like it?”

I smooth my face back to neutral. “What?”

“You’re worried. What’s wrong?”

I consider lying, but what’s the point? Some of the early cracks in this marriage are obvious. “Well, let’s see… my baby sister just had to flee the country. I’d say that’s ‘something wrong.’”

“As a precaution.”

“But still. It’s not exactly ideal,” I protest. “And things are just… kind of overwhelming at the moment. Honestly, part of me worries we rushed into this.”

“Into marriage?”

I nod. “Kind of. It’s a small part, but this is crazy, right?”

“Of course it’s crazy,” she laughs. “It’s nuts. Like, bonkers to the extreme.”

“Gee, thanks, E. You make me feel so much better.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel better. I’m being honest.”

I wonder if she has any idea how much like Nikolai she sounds. The two of them are more alike than they know. They both put up walls to keep people at arm’s length. But under it all, they care more deeply than most people could ever fathom.

“So you think I’m nuts then?” I ask.

“Nope,” she declares. “Sane people do crazy things all the time. What matters is why you chose to do it. So let’s hear it: why did you decide to marry Nikolai?”

“Because I love him.” The words slip out easily. I don’t even have to think about them; I know without a doubt they’re true.

And all of the doubts that were just shouting at me go quiet, just like that.

“Wow,” I breathe, impressed. “You’re smart, Elise. Very wise.”

She shrugs. “I know. I’m just glad you finally figured it out.”

“Sorry it took me so long, Oh Wise One.”

She waves me away. “The Wise One forgives you. Where is your husband, anyway?”

“He had work to do, but he should be back soon.” I glance at the clock in the corner of my screen and wince. “That’s actually why I need to hang up and get ready. He’s taking me out to dinner.”

“Ooh. Like a date?”

“Can we even call it that? We’re married now.”

“Sure you can,” she says. “Married people go on dates all the time. You have to keep things fresh.”

“We got married two days ago. I’d say things are pretty fresh.”

Elise ignores me and tucks her legs underneath her. “Show me what you’re planning to wear.”

I look down at myself and then hold my arms out. “Um… This.”

I have on my favorite pair of ripped jeans with a scoop neck tank tucked in. It’s casual, but fashionable. Paired with some delicate gold necklaces and a pair of leather flats, I’ll look positively posh.

But Elise wrinkles her nose. “You’re going to dinner, not brunch. Put on a dress.”

“Since when did you become the fashion expert?” I want to remind her that a couple months ago, she didn’t even own a pair of shoes that weren’t held together with duct tape. When we came to live with Nikolai, he didn’t just upgrade my wardrobe—he also made sure Elise could buy whatever she wanted. Apparently, it’s turned her into a critic.

“I’m not. But I follow people who are,” she says. “And unless you know you’re going somewhere casual, you want to be prepared for anything. That calls for a little black dress.”

“Isn’t that a little cliché?”

“It’s timeless,” she retorts. “There’s a difference. Put on a little black dress with a pair of flats, some basic jewelry, and pull your hair back with that bronze clip you have. That way, you’ll look casual, but if the place you go is really fancy, you can take your hair down easily.”

I want to be a cynic for no other reason than that I don’t want to get fashion advice from my barely-teenaged sister, but the girl knows what she is talking about. It’s a good plan.

“I can tell you want to thank me,” she adds, “but you are just far too overwhelmed and/or hideously ashamed of how washed-up you are. Either way, you’re welcome.”

I snort. “You’re ridiculous.”

“But you love me.” She blows me a kiss just as I hear Howard’s voice in the background calling, “Sandwiches are ready!”

“Ope, my food is ready.” She waves her fingers under her chin. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

“First thing in the morning,” I remind her.

“That’ll be the middle of the night for you, goober.”

“So?” I shrug.

She rolls her eyes. “You’re ridiculous, B.”

“I love you.”

She tries and fails to suppress a smile. “I love you, too.”

As soon as I close my laptop, I fish through my closet for everything Elise said I should wear. And when I pull on the outfit, there is no denying that my sister has an eye for fashion.

I look great.

The black dress cuts way up on my thighs, but the high neck balances everything out so I don’t look too flashy. With my hair up, I could be going to a concert or a bar. But as soon as the hair comes down, I’m ready for a formal sit-down restaurant.

I snap a quick picture and send it to Elise. A millisecond later, she responds.

Elise: Yep. You’re welcome.

I smile and check my messages, but there’s nothing from Nikolai. No word from him yet. As if on cue, my stomach rumbles.

My outfit isn’t the only thing Elise was right about: I’m getting hangry. I consider texting Nikolai to see when he’s coming back, but I don’t want to seem clingy. Instead, I decide to head down to the kitchen to wait for him. And if I just so happen to look in the pantry and grab a small snack while I wait, who would ever know?

With the promise of a packaged blueberry muffin in my future, I hurry down to the kitchen. I’m so busy beelining for the pantry that it takes me a couple seconds to realize the kitchen isn’t empty.

I skid to a stop in front of the island just as Nikolai’s personal chef looks over her shoulder at me.

“Hi there!” she greets. “I am finishing up and then I was going to have one of the maids come get you. But I guess I don’t need to do that anymore.”