Ava
My head is throbbing.
I pop an Advil into my mouth and tilt the bottle of water in my hand to my lips, allowing the liquid to push down the pill.
I cringe at the surprisingly sweet taste of the pill on my tongue and set the bottle back on the coffee table beside my half-eaten tub of ice cream. There were only a few spoons left.
When Nikolai returns seconds later from placing our sushi order, his dark green eyes flicker to my form perched on the other side of the couch.
He frowns and I pretend not to notice while he shrugs off his jacket and sets it down on the armrest of the empty chair nearby.
My gaze flickers over his broad shoulders, admiring how the fabric of his shirt strains slightly with each movement.
I have to stop myself from salivating when I catch a glimpse of his inked skin beneath his shirt.
How did he make something as simple as removing a jacket look so attractive?
Nikolai’s lips curl into a knowing smirk, the kind that makes my cheeks burn and I quickly avert my gaze. He chuckles and settles in the empty space beside me.
I’d been looking forward to the season finale of Emilia in America all week only for the writers to ruin it by killing off the one man who was actually perfect for my girl Emilia. And for what? So that they could make the entire fan-based cry? Well, they succeeded. The moment James’s character was killed off on screen, I started bawling. I’d managed a moment of clarity through my tears to know that after I was done crying, my head would start to ache, so I shot Nikolai a text asking him to pick up a bottle of Advil on his way back.
Thanks to that quick decision, the pounding in my temples has slightly subsided. However, I wish there was a drug to do something similar to the ache in my chest.
I got to hand it to the writers. They knew how to make a girl weep.
The opening sequence of the new movie I put on for us to watch begins and I force myself to focus on the screen and push away any thoughts of Emilia in America to the furthest spot in my mind.
I’d heard a lot about the movie Falling For You, majorly from Cara and a few other self-proclaimed film critics on social media who went on to label the movie ‘The Rom Com of the Century’. I honestly didn’t buy it which was why I suggested the movie when Nikolai asked me if I had anything else I wanted to watch.
The movie begins and the camera pans to the Male lead stepping into a grand hall, his gaze locked on the female lead as he strides confidently through the ballroom.
The hum of conversation and clinking glasses fade into the background, the swelling music perfectly matching the rhythm of his steps and the mood of the scene. The camera lingers on him, capturing the undeniable power and magnetism the character seems to radiate from the screen as he approaches her.
I steal a glance at Nikolai expecting to find his gaze elsewhere, only to find him staring intently at the screen as the movie unfolds. His eyes are locked on the screen with the type of concentration you’d expect of someone deeply invested in their favourite movie.
Maybe he was being serious about Rom Coms being his favourite genre because the way his green eyes remain fixed on the screen as the scenes play out doesn’t make me believe otherwise.
Isn’t he just full of surprises?
The actress who plays the female lead is stunning and confident, and her character has the same need for control that reminds me of a certain someone.
Faina.
I’d completely forgotten about the god-awful day I had because of her. Until now. Needless to say, her taunting hadn’t grown lenient as the day progressed. As we rode to the sauna, Tatiana explained to me the dynamic of Faina’s and Nikolai’s relationship. Faina had just gotten out of a seven-year relationship and was not looking for anything serious When Nikolai returned to Russia. He had just lost his brother and was too busy taking care of Kira to want anything serious. So they got together.
Two broken people comforted by each other.
Obviously, as such stories go, one never goes unscathed, and in this case, Faina had to bear the burn. While she had fallen in love with Nikolai, he hadn’t returned a single ounce of her affection.
Needless to say that he ended the relationship once he found out about her feelings for him.
Which perfectly explains why she hated me. Because I have the one thing she can’t have or control. Nikolai.
The movie ends on an underwhelming note and I knew I was right not to put my trust in a bunch of strangers on the internet.
“That was…” Nikolai begins, trailing off as he glances at me, waiting for my reaction. I turn to meet his gaze and hope that he sees my disappointed expression.
“Terrible,” I offer dryly and he chuckles, shaking his head.
I pick up the remote and turn off the TV, the screen fading to black. As I set the remote down, I turn to look at him, catching the questioning look in his gaze.
“I was thinking,” I began, “Since we both barely know anything about each other, and with Tatiana’s wedding only a few days away, how about we play a game?”
I catch a teasing glint in his eyes, “Getting curious about me, Solnyshko ?”
I want to say no but that would be a lie. As you can imagine, after what happened last night in Nikolai’s bedroom, my interest in the enigma that is my husband had reached an all-new high. There was so much I wanted to know about him, like why he had nightmares and called out to his mother while he was asleep.
I already knew that he had murdered his father and that he had adopted his brother’s daughter after the fire he thought my father caused.
Yet despite knowing all of this I still felt like I’d barely scratched the surface.
“No, but If we’re going to make this marriage believable to Dmitri and the others as per your request, we need to get to know each other.”
“And a game will help us accomplish this?”
“Yes,” I reply simply, placing my hand on the blanket in my lap. Nikolai runs a hand down his face, smoothing the corner of his mouth with his thumb and forefinger as he weighs my request for a minute.
“And what game do you have in mind?”
“Twenty questions.”
“Twenty questions?”
I nod, “We each get to ask the other person twenty questions. Each question must be answered …”
“I’m familiar with the game, Solnyshko”
“Oh.” I didn’t expect him to know it. “So you’ll play?”
A pause and then, “Fine, but we’ll play by my rules.”
Of course, we will. Because God forbid he plays a game without adding his own conditions.
I lift a brow, “Your rules?”
Nikolai smirks, leaning towards me in his seat. I cross my arms, willing myself not to show how the scent of warm leather and cinnamon affects my senses.
He’s been out all day. How the hell does he still smell so good?
“Five questions now and the remaining fifteen will be reserved for any other time either of us wants to know something about the other. Deal?”
He reaches up and twists a loose curl between his fingertips. I wonder what his fascination is with my hair.
I know I probably shouldn’t agree to this, but how can I not when I can finally get some questions to satisfy my curiosity?
“Deal.”