Jealousy

Nikolai
I’m unable to pull my gaze away from my wife throughout the entire ceremony whereas she has no trouble avoiding my gaze.
Even now, at the reception, she flits around the room like a vision, effortlessly charming everyone she encounters. Everyone loves her, even Tatiana’s grandmother which is a rare occurrence. The old hag hardly takes a liking to anyone but she can’t seem to not laugh at everything my wife says.
To be honest I can’t blame her. We’re supposed to be doing the charming together but my wife drifted off my arm the moment we stepped into the chapel and hasn’t spoken to me since.
She’s still angry about our conversation in the car, and to be honest, her little avoidance trick is getting old.
I miss my wife, and yes, I’ll admit, I shouldn’t have listened to her that night. I knew it then, and I know it now, but I’d come out from my bedroom hoping to get a glass of water from the kitchen when I heard her. At first, I thought I’d imagined it, but then it happened again, and the sound only grew louder the closer I got to her door.
It took every bit of self-restraint I possessed to stay put behind her door and just listen and not give in to the temptation a few feet away.
I’d gone back to bed with a raging hard-on after that, and it wasn’t until I took matters into my own hands I was able to sleep.
Fuck.
I drag a hand through my hair, while the other absentmindedly twirls the champagne glass in my grip.
I have to admit, the venue is stunning. Tatiana always mentioned wanting her wedding to be some sort of fairytale destination if she ever got married and somehow she managed to pull it off.
The ballroom is nothing short of magical-vaulted ceilings adorned with intricate gold detailing and walls lined with blooming white orchids. The scene is almost too perfect, if that’s even possible, like a scene from one of those glossy wedding magazines.
The room buzzes with the chatter and laughter mingled with the sound of clinking glasses. So far, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, except me. Even Dmitri seems to be enjoying himself which is something I hadn’t expected since he isn’t exactly fond of his daughter’s choice.
He hadn’t made a move to get close to my wife yet which made me wonder what exactly was going through his mind. He must’ve noticed her by now, but it’s not like my wife bore an uncanny resemblance to her father; if anything, the two couldn’t look any more different if they tried.
Ava looked more like her mother, from the colour of her hair to the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled.
Much like she’s doing now except those eyes aren’t sparkling for me. Something flares in my chest when I notice the recipient of her smile.
Fucking Boris
What the hell is he doing with my wife?
Boris is Tatiana’s cousin and one of the groomsmen. He was paired with Ava during the march down the aisle, and up until then, I’d never personally had a problem with him.
Irritation flares in my chest when he says something and my wife tips her head back in laughter.
I’ve spoken with Boris during a few meetings before and I know for a fact that he is not that fucking funny.
My jaw tightens when another silvery peal of laughter floats over to where I’m standing. What are they even talking about? There’s no way they have that much in common.
Her smile widens and a flicker of jealousy licks my veins. She’s never smiled at me like that before, or at all for that matter, and I am her goddamn husband.
He steps closer to her, placing a hand on her forearm and a surge of possessiveness rushes through me.
Did he not see the ring on her finger?
I want to go over there and cut his hand off for daring to touch my wife.
Ava grins again and I down the rest of my Champagne, my fingers trembling as I set the glass down on a nearby table.
That’s it. I’m going over there. The only man who gets to make my wife smile like that is me.
I’m about to cross over to where my wife is when a familiar voice stops me in my tracks.
“There you are”
Faina’s voice is smooth, teasing, and far too close for my liking.
Fuck.
I turn, and there she is, grinning up at me with that same goddamn plastic smile she always wears around.
Her hair falls down her shoulder in long waves, and she’s dressed in what looks to be the same dress as my wife, except her neckline plunges much lower, and the fabric clings to her body in a way that’s clearly meant to be distracting. And it might have worked-if this were three years ago and I was still in the same fucked-up headspace I was then.
Hooking up with Faina is one of my very few regrets in life and while I quickly realised our incompatibility outside the bedroom, Faina did not.
She got it planted in her brain that I was her salvation, some kind of perfect fix to the facade that is her life. It didn’t matter how many times I told her otherwise, or how bluntly I ended things.
Normally her appearance wouldn’t bother me. I was used to Faina, and most times, her antics were just that. But she’d upset my wife during their last encounter which is something I can never forgive.
“What do you want, Faina?” I ask, my tone clipped as I try to sidestep her. She moves quickly, stepping in front of me and blocking my access to my wife.
I look down at her, arching a brow, but If she sees the annoyance in my glare, she doesn’t bother to acknowledge it. She steps towards me, plastering what I assume is intended to be a seductive smile except the only thing it does for me is piss me off.
“Relax,” She says, smiling widely, ” I just came to see if you were enjoying the party. I’ve been trying to get your attention all evening but unfortunately, it seems to be directed elsewhere”
Her voice trails, and so does her gaze; they flicker to Ava for only a moment before she drags them back to me.
“Can’t say I’ve noticed” I reply with a casual cool, taking a step back.
“Hmmm,” she hums, her expression twisting into something akin to annoyance.
“Funny I thought you’d be the first to notice”
Her tone is laced with mock hurt which only further irks me.
“I’m sorry to disappoint, Faina, but my attention has been on more important things tonight”, I reply smoothly, my voice as cold as my gaze. I make no effort to hide the annoyance curling at the edges of my words. My gaze flickers towards my wife who is still very much engrossed in a conversation with Boris.
I want nothing more than to make my way over to her and pull her close to me and kiss her so that Boris can know to keep his fucking hands to himself.
The corner of her lips twitch slightly, her smile faltering just a bit. “Really?” She moves, placing a hand on my chest, “More important than me?”
There was a time her words would’ve lit a match in me but now I only find her attempt aggravating.
“Move your hand, Faina. Now.”
She presses closer, her voice dropping to a soft, almost conspiratorial tone. “Why? We used to have such fun together. Don’t you ever miss it?”
“No”, I reply bluntly, not bothering to sugarcoat my response.
She pouts, “Not even a little bit?”
I lift my hands, my fingers curling around her wrist as I tug her forward, close enough that my lips brush against her ears. Desire flashes in her eyes as I lean closer, and I think I see her smile widen.
“I heard you upset my wife”
She freezes. “Make no mistake, Faina, The only reason I haven’t given you the punishment you deserve for upsetting my wife is because of your sister”, I continue, my voice calm but laced with an unmistakable edge. “Don’t mistake my restraint for something else Faina. Upset my wife again and I will kill you”
I’ve killed men for far less so she knows I’m not joking.
The confident mask she wears cracks just enough for me to see the raw fear my words cause in her eyes. I expect her to scary away but she surprises me by asking
“What do you even see in her anyway?”
“For starters, she doesn’t go after married men”
Her face flushes crimson, “She doesn’t suit you Nikolai. She doesn’t fit into our world, she’s too..”
I arch a brow, daring her to complete her sentence.
“Simple.” She looks up at me, her voice pleading, “We were so good together once, Nikolai. I know that we can be good again if you just…”
My eyes catch Ava’s from across the room. At some point during my conversation with Faina, she and Boris had ended their conversation, and she was now very much alone. Her eyes flicker between Faina and me, and something flashes in her eyes that I can’t quite place my finger on.
Her eyes narrow in on Faina’s hand on my chest and something flashes in her gaze.
Rage.
Without a second of hesitation She starts making her way toward us, her steps measured and deliberate, like a queen surveying her court. There’s something electrifying about the way she glides through the room, her back straight, her chin lifted, and her eyes burning with the kind of fire that makes me wonder what is going on in her mind.
Faina doesn’t notice Ava’s arrival until it’s too late
“Is there a problem?” Ava asks the moment she stops beside us. Her voice is calm but there’s a certain edge to the way she says the words.
“Not At All,” Faina replies almost immediately, stepping closer towards me. I try to move away but her grip tightens around the lapels of my suit.
What the hell is she doing?
“Nikolai and I were just talking about the good old days” Her smile widens, “Isn’t that right?”
“oh really? You were talking with my husband about the good old days and you couldn’t do that without touching him.”
Faina’s smile falters.
“How desperate can you possibly get?” Ava asks her, her voice almost curious.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me”, Ava responds, her gaze locking with Faina’s. “You’re desperate, and quite frankly, it’s disgusting. The only reason I’m still entertaining your presence is because I don’t want to cause a scene. But if you think for one second that I’ll stand here and let you paw at my husband like some starved alley cat, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Faina blinks, opening and closing her mouth.
Ava straightens, her practised smile falling from her face as her brows knit together, pinning Faina with a glare, “Get your hands off my husband”
A surge of pride swells in my chest. She was staking her claim on me as her husband, something she hadn’t agreed to until this very moment.
Faina, on the other hand, does not share my sentiment. Her face goes pale for a split second before she manages to pull her composure back together. She presses her lips into a tight smile, before she slowly but surely retrieves her hand from my chest, laughing awkwardly in what seems to be an attempt to salvage her standing.
“Americans have a terrible temper, da?” Faina says, her voice dripping with false casualty.
“If I see your hands on my husband again you’ll find out just how terrible my temper can be. Now, leave.”
The corner of Faina’s mouth twitches “You can’t be serious” She says, before she turns to face me, looking for backup,
“Are you going to let her talk to me like that?”
My reply is instant, “Da” (Yes). Faina’s eyes widen, a flicker of disbelief crossing her face.
Did she really think I’d take her side over my own wife?
I can feel the shock my answer brings ripple throughout her body, but there’s no apology, no backpedalling. She lets out an incredulous huff, taking a step back and shaking her head while muttering something I can’t make out.
She turns on her heel and walks away, her shoulders visibly shaking with barely concealed rage.
Neither Ava nor I watch her leave, our eyes too focused on each other to care. Then, as if something switches in her brain, she snaps out of it.
“Solnyshko- ” I start to say but she stops me with a hard look. Pivoting on her heels, she leaves me to chase after her shadow without a single word.
Yebat’.
(Fuck.)