Page 133 of His to Own

And that’s when I find my release. My orgasm hits me like a tidal wave and the sound rips its way right through me. “Maxim!” I finally cry out.

He pulls me down harder on his erection right before he comes.

I slump against him and he rubs my back, offering me the comfort I need.

“Everything will be all right,” he says.

“How do you know?” My voice is small and pathetic but Maxim doesn’t snap at me to speak up. He just continues to rub my back.

“Because you’re my wife. And I know you and I know me. I’ll take care of you, Elena. I’ve shown you can trust me. You can trust me to handle your father.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Nothing right now. But we know he won’t be happy about this. He’ll try something and I’ll be prepared for when he does. And I’ll make sure I protect you so you don’t have to go through what I went through. You don’t deserve the darkness, baby.” He kisses my temple and I sink deeper into his arms, right where I belong.

The weight is gone from my shoulders. With Maxim, I believe I can be healed.

I pace outside Professor Burgov’s office. Polina does the same. He’s supposed to post the winner’s name outside his office door at exactly twelve o’clock. It’s currently eleven fifty-nine. Just a minute away.

“Let the best woman win,” Polina says.

“Same.”

I can feel someone looking at me and my eyes flick towards the hallway where I see Alexei, waiting. He also submitted a piece of writing for the internship. Everyone in Professor Burgov’s class did.

We haven’t spoken since that day in the library.

I want to say something but what is there to say?

Professor Burgov’s office door opens and I turn my attention to it. He tapes the paper to his door and goes back into his office, knowing full well that chaos is about to ensue.

I look at the name on the paper. Alexei. Alexei got the internship.

“What?” Polina practically screeches. “This can’t be for real. This actually cannot be real.” She spins around to face Alexei, who isn’t even smiling. He just looks… miserable. “You. You got it? You of all people? You’re not as good of a writer as I am.”

“Writing is subjective,” he says.

“No. Writing is not subjective. You can tell when someone’s a good writer or not and you’re not a good writer. Even Elena is better than you. You don’t deserve this. I have to speak with Professor Burgov.” She knocks on his office door but he doesn’t open it. Polina continues to knock so I walk away. There’s no point in standing around. I didn’t get the internship.

And surprisingly, I feel… fine. It’s not the end of the world. Because I have Maxim. I have something else in my life to make me happy beyond just my writing.

I stop before Alexei. “Congratulations.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t win. But I wanted this.”

“I didn’t even know you wanted it. You never told me you had dreams of being a writer. I thought you were just taking the class because you needed it as a credit.”

Alexei shrugs. “Well… I’ll be honest with you, Elena. I didn’t want you to win.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“I didn’t want you to win because of your husband. After how you’ve stood by and let him treat me the way he has. After you fucked him despite how he’s treated me. You didn’t deserve that internship. You don’t deserve happiness.”

I flinch. “I… I don’t know what you want me to say.” Instead of my spine shrinking, I find myself standing up taller. “You don’t get to judge me for what I’ve done with my husband. Yes, he never should have hurt you. But I’m allowed to have sex with my husband. I’m not sorry that you were only friends with me because you wanted to sleep with me.”

“I never said that.”

“Am I wrong then?”