Chapter ten | Ekaterina
"Calm down." His harsh tone meets my ears and it makes me want to jump from the nearest window.
I get that feeling a lot when I'm around him though, which is fucking concerning.
He raises a brow and I grit my teeth "can you please shut up? You don't get it." I mumble and he rolls his eyes and clutches my shaking hands.
We're still at home since the flight is in an hour but I can't help my racing heart, "look at me." He says sternly and I slowly raise my eyes to meet his.
The sunlight dawns on his face showing off every small detail that I'm trying so hard to ignore, "yes?" I force as I fidget nervously with my fingers.
He closes his eyes for a beat and curses under his breath, "we're taking the train, Ekaterina." He says and my eyes widen as confusion builds inside me.
"What do you mean?" I find myself asking to not crush the spark of hope that's blooming inside my chest, he tilts his head a little, placing two rough fingers on my chin as he raises my head slightly.
"I'm saying that I canceled the plane ticket, we're taking the train instead, even though it'll take three days." He says and an immediate breath of relief leaves my lips.
Just as happiness sparks inside my heart, I grin and I don't think twice as I wrap my arms around him, he freezes, his body completely still and for a moment I wonder if he'll push me away.
But he doesn't, he stays like he is, the asshole doesn't even hug me back, but I'm way too happy to focus on that, "thankyouthankyouthankyou." I mumble into his neck and pull away.
Shock is plastered on his face, he blinks slowly as he studies my face, and for a split second I panic if I forgot to cover my scar, but from the peaceful expression on his face, I don't think so.
His full soft lips are parted, and his eyes are on mine, I don't think I've ever seen such color, they're the lightest shade of gray with pecks of black inside, contrasting well with his dark hair.
"You'll make us late, get ready." He says after a beat and I smile as I get up excitedly, striding away from him with the same smile still plastered on my face.
*:･ﾟ✧*:･
"What are you doing?" I take a peek at his laptop and then face him again, to find him glaring at me as he turns his precious laptop away.
I raise my brows teasingly and lean back in my seat, "should I worry? Are you texting someone....a woman maybe?" I say innocently as I dramatically cover my heart.
That catches his attention as he looks up from whatever he's doing and closes his laptop, he raises his brows, "no women don't worry." He says with ease shrugging.
I narrow my eyes "men then?" I add and he rolls his eyes, "no one, not of any gender, Jesus, I'm married to you, remember?" He says in a fake sweet tone as he flashes his marriage ring in my face.
I bite the inside of my cheek to hold a laugh but I fail miserably as always which earns me a small smirk of his,
"How long have we been here?" I ask and he checks his watch, "five hours, you still have sixty-seven left."
He says in the most nonchalant tone I've ever heard.
As if he's enjoying this, I sigh and pull my hair up in a ponytail, letting my mind wander back to the thought that's been eating me up lately.
Every time I call my sister, she has to bring up the fact that my art is worth being sold, and I can't stop her words from getting to me this time.
I mean when is it going to be enough for me? I don't see an endpoint where I'll stop when I reach it, it's like I'm going after an endless cycle.
A snap of fingers pulls me away from my thoughts and my gaze lands on none other than the person in front of me.
"What?" I ask when he doesn't, "where did you go just now?" He asks, his brows furrowed.
"Nothing, just overthinking my whole existence," I say smiling weakly at him and I think he believes the sentence in a literal way.
"Not technically you know as in-" I start and he sighs running a hand through his hair as he chuckles, it immediately takes me aback and uncontrollably spreads a smile on my face.
"What?" I find myself asking when his glistening eyes meet mine, "you don't have to clarify yourself after every word." He says dryly and I raise a brow.
"Well, your pretty face doesn't give off if you understand me," I say sincerely and cross my arms over my chest.
Pretty face huh, what the fuck is wrong with me?
Amusement flashes over his face as he leans back and raises a brow, I clear my throat awkwardly, "well you know that you have a pretty face don't act all mighty on me." I say boldly and he glares.
Goddamn it.
I roll my eyes and take my gaze off him, "I'd say you....have a decent Face." He says giving me a look.
I raise an eyebrow and narrow my eyes, "so generous." I say, annoyance clear in my tone as I try to focus on anything else.
"Don't worry, if we're being honest, your face is more than decent, sweetheart." He says in a lower tone and I face him.
Frustration is clear on my face from his earlier words as I grab my bag, I don't even know why I care about what he thinks.
"Asshole," I mutter under my breath, he snatches the notebook I'm holding from my hand and I immediately try to take it back but he keeps it away.
Which topples me into the most awkward position I've ever been in, I'm literally in his fucking lap as I finally feel him freeing his hold on the notebook and I snatch it back.
We're so close that I can't breathe anything but his scent, his breath hitches and he clears his throat, and unexpectedly his fingers come up.
Brushing the hair off my face as his eyes stay on mine, "definitely more than decent." He says, his breath landing hot on my neck as I clear my throat.
And when I finally gain my senses back I push his hand away and get back in my seat.
My eyes wide as I recall everything that just happened, "I di-" he starts and I hold up a finger "no, nope, don't talk." I say and his lips close again.
I release a breath and smile awkwardly, "Okay, so we won't ever speak a word about this again." I say glaring at him.
He raises a brow as if he's unbothered, but I don't miss the way his lips are parted, and the flush on his cheeks either.
"Fine." He says in a harsher tone than I expected, grabbing his laptop again as he places it in front of him, typing effortlessly fast in it.
He has major issues.
Genuinely
*:･ﾟ✧*:･
"Stay away." I motion at him with a pointed finger, he narrows his eyes and raises his hands innocently.
"I'm hungry." I murmur after a beat and he raises his brows, "you just ate." His smug reply comes faster than expected and so does the urge to hit him.
I smile annoyingly at him, "well, I'm still fucking hungry, is there a problem?" My defenses build up immediately and he looks taken aback.
Which is definitely one of my favorite things in the world, he doesn't utter another word as he places a granola bar in my hand, I raise a brow as I eye him suspiciously.
"What?" He asks, brows furrowed and confusion clear on his face, I can't tell him what I'm actually thinking so I just stay silent.
Praying that he didn't poison this.
"Nothing." The lie slips out of my mouth and his face turns blank, as he gives me an up-and-down look, making me feel uncomfortable like usual.
Moments of silence pass and my mind wanders through lots of thoughts, but the loudest one still being about my art.
I've always had goals about it, but sometimes I felt like they might just be dreams that I'll never be able to achieve.
I never had the privilege nor the experience of such thing, so I push my stubbornness away and force myself to ask someone who's far more experienced in similar shit than I'm.
Someone who deals with marketing and business, well beside the major dirty work, And this someone might just be right in front of my face,
"Alexander." I say, my tone sounding sure and confident, which is something I'm not feeling at all.
He raises his eyes and they meet mine, "yeah?" He asks, his usual raspy voice clear in the air, "um I wanted to ask you something....or you know what." I add when a crazy idea pops into my mind.
"I want to make a deal with you." I say confidently and curiosity sparks in his eyes as a small smirk tugs at the corner of his lips "anything for you, my wife."