Chapter 94 Broken Promises
❦ Rosalind ❦
I stood in our shared closet, my fingers brushing over the mass of colorful fabrics.
My hand paused on a simple but elegant two-piece swimsuit. It had been sitting there for weeks, untouched, waiting for a day like this.
Today, I decided I would finally use the pool I hadn’t stepped into since I moved into this house.
Somehow, Viktor had occupied so much of my life and my thoughts, that I barely had a moment to think for myself. I quietly admitted that I was enjoying it.
But the relief of that acknowledgment was tempered by a prickling unease. He still hadn’t returned home. Hadn't sent a word back in response to the text I had sent hours ago.
I huffed, annoyed at his absence.
A full day.
A whole day after we’d confessed our love. Did he have a reason for staying away? Or was this deliberate? My stomach twisted with worry, but then I reminded myself that Adrian was still here in the house showing no signs of distress. He was in contact with Viktor, of course. So Viktor was safe. That alone should have calmed me.
Still, I couldn’t shake the thought. Was he avoiding me?
My hand moved almost mindlessly across the closet, brushing over his shirts and jackets, when it grazed something cold. I paused, pulling out the object.
The bullet pendant.
The one I had given him weeks ago, before his accident.
My eyes pricked with tears. He had said he would never take it off. Promised. But he had forgotten.
Forgotten me.
Ten years of memories, vanished just like that.
Could I blame him? No. Not when he had lost so much, and it wasn’t even his fault.
I clasped the pendant around my neck, letting it settle against my chest. It was a small reminder that we had survived the worst and found each other again.
Swapping into my swimsuit, I made my way to the back of the house.
The pool glimmered calming under the light, an inviting oasis in the heat of my restless thoughts.
I paused at the edge and let the wind brush against my skin. It was faintly chilly but soothing in its own way. The soft hum of distant insects filled the yard, and I shivered slightly.
A small voice chided that I should have heated the water first. But I ignored it. I needed the shock of cold to clear my fogged mind and jolt me from the constant, aching anticipation that Viktor’s absence had stirred.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The water swallowed me, making my heart leap. I swam a few strokes, feeling the water swirl around me, letting the rhythm calm and awaken me at once.
I swam until my arms ached and my muscles trembled with exhaustion. Then I climbed the short pool ladder and sat at the edge, shivering as the cold water clung to my skin.
My teeth chattered softly, and I realized I had underestimated just how cold the pool was.
I glanced toward the towel rack across the pool, intending to grab one, but then my breath caught.
My heart stuttered.
A silhouette stood in the shadows where the light barely reached. I froze, unsure whether to panic or call out for help.
The figure raised a glass and drank, slowly, and my fear melted into curiosity.
My chest lifted slightly.
Viktor.
A faint smile tugged at my lips, but I pressed it down. I was still angry with him, after all. I forced my face to remain neutral and impassive.
He stepped out of the shadows with a casual stride that made my pulse tick faster. A black long sleeved TShirt hugged his broad chest, dark pants accentuating his long legs.
Dangerous. Sexy. Infuriating. All at once.
He grabbed a large towel along the way and approached me without haste.
By the time he reached me, I was shivering so hard the towel felt like a small promise of warmth in his hands. He draped it over my shoulders and rubbed my arms gently, his fingers warm against my cold skin.
He bent close enough to kiss my cheek, and I caught the sharp scent of vodka beneath his usual intoxicating scent.
My stomach fluttered.
“You’re already an icy queen,” he murmured teasingly, “are you trying to get even colder?”
I pressed my lips together, fighting his delicious heat. My eyes narrowed. “Where have you been?”
“Working,” he said simply as if that explained everything.
I let the words hang.
“Did I… do something to offend you?”
He sucked in a deep breath, but I caught a glimpse of tension in his jaw. “No,” he said, softening slightly. “I’m sorry for leaving. I just… needed to get my head straight. You messed with it.”
I stayed quiet, letting him breathe out the tension as my pulse calmed slightly under his gaze.
I let him pull me up to a standing position, and we turned together. Just as I thought I could put a little distance between us, he grabbed my arm and held me against him.
I felt my pulse pick up again.
He cupped my face gently, his expression apologetic. “I’m sorry,” he murmured, and for a moment the anger I’d carried melted a little.
“You shouldn’t run away from difficult discussions,” I said softly. “It would be better if we communicate and talk things out. Leaving me in the dark just hurts and doesn’t solve anything. It left me confused.”
His eyes darkened, and I took a deep breath.
“I thought we’d rounded a new corner.” I added.
He stiffened, tension rolling off him like heat. Then he asked, “Does that apply to you too?”
My mind flickered to the hotel. I should tell him, I knew that. But I was scared of how he’d react. He hated surprises, and I didn’t want to ruin the progress we’d made. I convinced myself I could fix it myself, buy the hotel back, and he wouldn’t have to know.
I looked into his eyes, steadying myself. “Of course it applies to me,” I said. “I don’t want any secrets between us. At all.”
A dangerous smile spread across his face, and I shivered. “Then I’ll follow your lead,” he said.
I relaxed.
He bent his head and kissed me, and I leaned into him without hesitation.
Our lips met softly at first, then hungrily, and heat radiated through me, making my cold arms tingle. His hands traced my back and neck, his fingertips brushing over the pendant I still wore.
He broke the kiss and stared at it, “Do you like this?” he asked. “You can have it if you want.”
My chest ached a little. He didn’t remember. I forced a small, sad smile. “It was a gift. From me to you, before your accident.”
His expression crumpled into anguish. He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.
I smirked, forcing a teasing tone to the sadness in my voice. “That’s your second offense,” I said. “Your first was ghosting me all day.”
He raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. “How do I make it up to you?”
I tilted my head, a wicked grin spreading across my face. “Like this.”
Before he could react, I shoved him hard.