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Before I can say anything, Dominik walks around the car and opens the back door.
And my breath stops.
She slips out in slow motion. A peek of her foot. A length of calf. Then the rest of her. She’s wearing jeans and a black t-shirt that clings to curves I can’t stop tracing. When she finally turns to face me, she tosses her hair over her shoulder. It’s shorter than it was when she left, framing a face that looks none too happy to see me.
Then she turns away and reaches into the backseat.
She comes back with a rosy-cheeked baby, head full of auburn hair and the brightest green eyes I’ve ever seen.
“Nina…” I whisper.
I stayed busy the last few months—distracted myself with work and lies that what I was doing was best for all of us—but now,the weight of it all comes crashing down on my shoulders. I feel every second of the time we lost hanging from me, dragging me down.
Polina and Kira surround Laila and Nina, swallowing them in a barrage of hugs and kisses and excited squeals.
I stand marooned in the doorway, unwilling to leave, but equally unwilling to walk down there and pull her into my arms like I desperately want to. I’m not prepared for what it will feel like for her to shove me away.
“How’d it go with Marie?” I ask gruffly as Dom and Ged join me.
“Emotional,” Dominik offers.
I roll my eyes. “What vital info. Glad to know I have eyes and ears on the inside.”
But I know exactly what he means. It’s the reason I got her back on the first available flight. There’s no telling how much longer Marie will be with us, and despite what Laila probably thinks, I wanted her to be able to say goodbye.
“She’s drained, Arsen,” he warns. “I wouldn’t try anything today.”
“And what exactly do you think I’d try?”
I’m only partially asking for ideas. I’ve spent so long forcing myself to keep Laila out of reach that I’m truly not sure what to do with her now that she’s back.
He shrugs. “I’m just sayin’.”
As Laila makes it through her crowd of admirers and heads towards the house, Gedeon and Dom have a sudden and violent need for water. They rush past me and into the house.
Cowards.
I could step to the side and give her the choice of breezing past without acknowledging me, but that’s not really a choice for me. So I place myself in her path, blocking the door.
Laila stops in front of me, her gaze slowly rising to mine like she’s giving me time to second-guess my decision and get the fuck out of her way.
“Arsen.” Her voice is cold. An icy, frigid, even-the-penguins-need-fucking-parkas kind of cold.
“You must be hungry.”
“I’m not,” she answers curtly. “I just want to turn in for the night.”
“Polina spent the whole day planning dinner.” No offense to Polina, but I care less about that and more about how much I was counting on that hour of dinner to help break the ice.
“I’ll take something in my room. Is that okay, Pol?” She turns to Polina, and just like that, the ice thaws and the sun comes out.
Apparently, I’m the only one getting the cold shoulder.
Polina nuzzles Nina’s chubby cheek and nods. “Of course, lovely. Whatever you like.”
“You and Kira can join me if you’d like.” Laila turns back to me, the softness in her face disappearing altogether. “Is there anything else?”
“Actually, ye?—”
