Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
I keep stacking reckless life choices, one on top of the other.
9
NICOLE
After I agree to help Mrs. Volkova, things move fast. I apply for a leave of absence from the hospital, and it’s approved just two days later. I can’t help thinking Sergei had something to do with the lightning-fast approval. The timing aligns perfectly with his mother’s discharge. Between juggling shifts, tying up loose ends at work, and coordinating with Human Resources, I haven’t had much time to sit down and truly process what I’m about to do.
I’ve been keeping myself busy so I don’t spiral. Even now, rifling through my closet and deciding what to pack for my temporary home, I focus on the task so I won’t overthink the rest.
Mia lounges on my bed, scrolling lazily through her phone, though we both know it’s a ruse. Every so often she glances up, as if about to speak, then thinks better of it. She hasn’t really said anything about my decision, which is unusual for her. When I first told her I planned to leave the hospital to care for Sergei’s mom full-time, I expected her to jump down my throat. But, oddly, she just asked if I needed her to take care of my apartment. I seriously couldn’t ask for a better friend.
“I still can’t believe you’re really doing this.” Mia sighs from my bed. She’s been lounging there for the last half hour while I’ve packed. “Why are you leaving me?”
I pause, sweatshirt in hand, and glance at her, my heart aching at the thought. What am I going to do without my daily dose of Mia?
“It’s just temporary,” I remind her. “As soon as Mrs. Volkova is back on her feet, I’ll be back and it’ll be like I was never gone.”
Something in my voice must give me away, because she sets her phone on her stomach and studies me, brows knitting.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
The question hangs between us while I search for an honest answer. I can’t lie to my best friend, but the truth is I don’t know if I’m okay. So much is up in the air. I’ve been dissociating, cramming each worry into its own compartment so I don’t have to face any of them.
I sit on the edge of the bed and wipe a damp palm down my thigh.
“I’m pretty nervous,” I admit. There’s no hiding it from her, she’s fluent in Nicole.
“About living with Sergei?” she asks, sitting up to meet my eyes.
“It’s a lot to process at once.” I let out a slow breath. “This could change my life, or it could be a huge mistake. I have no idea which.”
“Well, it’s a lot of fucking money,” she jokes. “I’d love to make that kind of mistake.”
I grab a decorative pillow and hurl it at her. She shrieks, then bursts into laughter. “All right, all right. Just don’t forget us little people when you’re a legit millionaire.”
“That money is going straight into an account for the baby,” I remind her, repeating the plan I made the second Sergei offered that ridiculous sum. “After all, it’s his baby—even if he doesn’t know it yet. Think of it as child support paid up front.”
“And he would probably give you even more if he knew you were having his baby,” she says, voicing the same argument that’s been circling my head since I accepted the offer. “You see how much he cares about his mom. I’m sure he’d be even more protective of his child.”
“Or he might ask me to get rid of it.”
“Does that really jibe with the interactions you’ve had with him so far?” she asks.
Her gaze sharpens, and I know she’s right. Of course she is. Sergei hasn’t given me any reason to doubt him. Sure, he never called after our date, but there was never any expectation that he would.
“The chemistry when we first met was insane,” I say softly. “I’ve never felt anything like it, and I doubt I ever will again. It was intense, to say the least. But now I’ll be living in his home as his employee, caring for his mom. The dynamic has completely changed. It almost feels… tainted.”
“Yeah, that’s a hell of a shift,” Mia agrees, sitting up a little straighter. “You don’t really know him, despite how hot the sex was. And it’s not like you trust him enough to open up about all the shit swirling inside you. He isn’t me, for Christ’s sake.”
I can’t help but laugh. I can always count on Mia for that.
“Exactly,” I agree. “And he’s clearly got so much going on with his mom. Would there ever be a good time to tell him?”
“Maybe not right away.” Mia shrugs thoughtfully. “You’re not doing anything wrong by keeping it to yourself for now. You need time. Space. And maybe once you settle in, once you get a feel for who he really is, you’ll know when the right moment is.”