Sasha: The Wallflower (The Wallflower Series Book 1) (14 page)

Hearing him moving around in his office, of which he had enclosed himself since they returned, her eyes narrowed in determination. Acting quickly, she made her way to the master bathroom, gorgeously decorated in a classic black and white pattern. The Jacuzzi bathtub was large enough for three grown men and Sasha knew the best way to calm Dmitri’s grated nerves was to pamper him. After setting up the tub, filling it with bath salts and scented oil, Sasha lightly tapped on his office door.

She almost missed his grunt allowing her permission to enter. Not at all intimidated by the glare he sent her way when she opened the door, Sasha smiled warmly. Dmitri was leaning back in his leather chair, his formerly neatly pressed shirt in wrinkled shambles and his suit jacket thrown haphazardly on the nearby loveseat. Sweetly, she grasped his hands and tugged.

“I want to show you something, Dmitri.”

He rolled his eyes in exasperation, “Sasha, I’m really not in the mood.”

When she didn’t bother letting him go, he heaved a frustrated sigh and made the effort to stand up. Leading him, she walked through the apartment to the master bathroom without saying a word. Dmitri’s eyes widened in surprise at the dimly lit room; Sasha had placed small candles throughout the fixtures and filled the tub with heated water, the steam rising to the ceiling.

It took him a moment to realize she was undressing him. Gently, he grasped her wrists between his hands, halting her movement. “Sasha,” he began to protest.

“No, I’m not going to listen to you complain anymore. Tonight started off wonderful and I intend for it to end the same way.”

Seeing the stubborn resolve reflected in her eyes, Dmitri conceded. She didn’t allow him to help as she unbuttoned his pants and shoved his shirt down his muscled arms. It wasn’t until he found himself releasing a pent-up sigh of relaxation as the hot water soothed his tense muscles that he finally spoke again.

Seeing her standing awkwardly at the tub’s edge he narrowed his gaze upon her. “Aren’t you going to join me?”

“I thought you might want time to yourself.  I mean, you have been holed up in your office since we got ho-to your apartment”, she caught herself before she called this place her home. It wasn’t, she had to remind herself.

Dmitri simply shrugged. “Well, I want you to join me now.”

Sasha smiled inwardly before undressing in front of him. Still self-conscious, she held her arms over her breasts as she carefully stepped into the tub and settled between his muscular thighs. Her eyes immediately closed in contentment once her head rested against his chest and his arms encircled her waist.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a few moments.

“Dmitri,” she finally whispered. “Can I tell you something?”

He felt himself become tense, afraid that she would speak of her love once more.

Without waiting for him to answer, Sasha turned around until she straddled him gently, her forearms resting against the soft dusking of hair on his chest. “I-I never told you about my past. I just let you believe it was simply me being abandoned by my mother, but there is so much more than that.” Her voice felt like it was clogged as she felt long-repressed emotions and memories begin to take the forefront in her mind.

“Teagan was wrong. My mother was not a crack addict. I just told her that because I never like to explain how she gave me away. She was a perfectly healthy woman who…” she took a deep breath. “I don’t remember much but there are certain days I can’t help not forgetting. She always used to call me a-a burden. I would sit for days in a closet to stay away from her when she was angry. And she was…she was
always
angry. Every little thing I did, she would yell at me and call me names. I would do all I could to make her happy or at least acknowledge me but…nothing.

“The day she sent me away, I was eight and she had promised to take me to the park. But when I woke up in the car we were in front of this strange church; she placed me on the stoop, knocked and threw me my backpack as she walked away.” Her throat felt dry as she relayed the information to him. Dmitri felt her body begin to slightly tremor.

“I remember calling out her name as she drove away. She didn’t even look back; she didn’t say anything at all. Just dropped me off like-like I was trash. But I guess I was to her. No one came to get me. I stayed on that stoop until a police officer drove by that night. I don’t remember seeing anyone before then. Maybe people didn’t see me or simply didn’t care that a little girl was crying on the stoop of an abandoned church until the middle of the night. Sometimes I wonder if my mother even knew that it was abandoned, if she even cared.”

“Sasha-” Dmitri began.

“No, there’s more. There was no real love lost between my mother and me. I wanted her to love me but it was as if she was simply incapable of it. I don’t know much about her even now. But she wasn’t a drug addict or a prostitute. She was a normal single mother that simply never wanted a kid.

“I tried to make up for her absence in my life with my foster families.” At this point, tears formed in her eyes. Dmitri gently placed a palm against her cheek, trying to soothe her. “I was good-I was always good because I wanted them to want me, to keep me. But no one ever did. I couldn’t help but grow to love them and want to be part of their family but every time I asked they would look at me with pity before eventually sending me away. That hurt more than anything else. My own mother didn’t want me and neither did these strangers.

“I made the best of my situation, Dmitri. I’m telling you this because I don’t think you realize the opportunity you’ve been given.”

At the confused look that crossed his face, she continued, “No matter how horrible you think your family may be they are all you have. I think you should try to bridge the conflict you have with your father.”

Dmitri’s face turned to stone.

They were silent for a while. Sasha could feel the tension vibrating from him in waves in her seated position on his lap. Their breathing was the only thing heard in the enclosed space. Eventually, Dmitri moved. Wrapping his large hands around her waist, he lifted her off of him and moved her to the side of the tub. She watched in confusion as he stood and stepped out of the bathtub.

Even in that moment of tension and uncertainty, she couldn’t help but admire his muscled form. His toned body glistened from the artificial lighting hitting the rivulets of water that caressed his skin. Her body reacted immediately, desiring him. But it seemed he didn’t feel the same for the instant he stepped away from the tub, he turned back to her menacingly.

“I want you to listen to me closely, Sasha. I will only say this once. You know nothing about my family dynamics except what I have willingly told you and what you have, unfortunately been exposed to today. You seem to be under the mistaken impression that your connection to me gives you a right to know about my past and make suggestions on how I live my life.”

She opened her mouth to respond but stopped at the fiery warning he gave her with his eyes.

“No, let me finish! I am sorry to hear about what you have gone through- really, I am. But your lack of a family seems to have completely deluded you into thinking that having one is always a blessing. If what happened tonight wasn’t clear enough for you then let me explain it in terms that you can understand. It will be a cold day in hell before I try to bridge a conflict that my father created and continues to incite through his ill-regard of me and my siblings. And if you can’t respect my decision, you know where the fucking front door is!”

Sasha sat there frozen, only jumping at the sound of the bathroom door slamming into the wall as Dmitri made his way out. Her body felt numb as she replayed his words in her head. And she recognized the tightness in her throat and the heaviness in her stomach as fear; fear that the beautiful relationship they had built could be over so soon. It was as if she was slowly watching things fall apart and was incapable of fighting it.

Dmitri paced in his office, the water from the bathtub still inching its way down his nude form. He tried to calm his breathing but could feel the fiery rage that coursed through his veins yearn for release. All he could see was his father’s face, continually mocking him and not for the first time he thought of his mother.

Hers was the only face that could calm him when it came to the manipulative Nikolai Vikhrov. A stubborn man in much the same way as Dmitri, Nikolai was adamant about tradition and familial solidarity, making Dmitri’s act a betrayal in the highest regard. Before her death, Dmitri’s mother Celine Durand had a way of calming Nikolai enough to see beyond his obstinacy. Losing her was something neither Dmitri nor Nikolai had ever completely faced together; as a young child, Nikolai had pushed Dmitri upon nannies while he effectively moved on with his new wife Natalia.

While not an evil-stepmother in any way, Dmitri never allowed her to take the place of his sweet and soft-hearted late mother. Instead, he kept his distance while they began a family anew. It wasn’t until he looked into the eyes of his younger sister after her birth that he felt willing to connect to someone again. Frighteningly, she had reminded him of his mother in her youth; kind and loveable, Dmitri watched over her, taking his role as an older brother seriously.  Protecting Nadia connected in his broken mind with protecting his mother from the disease that had broken her body down and destroyed her.

Emotionally fraught, Dmitri tore through one of the drawers in his desk until he came across her framed photograph. In it, she sat peacefully on a bench, her hand resting protectively upon her stomach, a few months pregnant. He felt torn; had his father been right? Did he fail Nadia by pushing her too far? Had he chosen Sasha over his own sister?

Sasha continued to sit in the bathroom until her skin protested by wrinkling. It was an hour later before she emerged from the confines of the room. The lights were off in the bedroom and she could see Dmitri’s resting form tangled in the sheets. She slowly made her way to the bed and eased herself in. Feeling the heat emanating from him, she wished to gently touch his back and turn him towards he but was afraid of how he would respond. Instead, she settled for curling into herself with one hand gently reaching out. She slid it slowly on the surface of the silk sheets until her fingertips were mere centimeters away from touching him.

“I’m sorry, Dmitri…I love you,” she whispered before closing her eyes.

Not asleep, Dmitri’s eyes narrowed.

“Would you mind covering for me, Dina? I just have to make a quick phone call.”

Dina shrugged in agreement before scurrying away to one of her tables. Sasha quickly made her way to the nearest exit for privacy as she shakily dialed the number. She didn’t know what to expect but her resolve had been affirmed within the last few days. Dmitri hadn’t contacted her since their awkward morning together after their conflict. Sasha didn’t know what to do, too afraid to call him or show up at his office for their routine lunch.

Desperate for a resolution, she looked to the source of his ill-mood. She knew after Nadia had left that he would feel guilty but that sense of shame had only been heightened by his father’s words. Even though Dmitri thought himself separate from his father’s manipulations, he was obviously still under his thumb. And Sasha knew that if she couldn’t force Dmitri to see Nikolai in a new light at least she could help him reconnect with his younger sister who he obviously loved foremost.

While he secluded himself in his office, she had taken it upon herself to look for Nadia’s number in his cell phone. She waited anxiously as the phone continued to ring on the other line. Her heart almost stopped when there was a click.

“Hello?”

“…H-hi, Nadia. It’s me, Sasha.” She waited for a response but received none. “You may not remember me-”

“Oh, I remember you just fine. What the hell do you want?”

Not surprised by Nadia’s antagonism, she continued, “Well, I’m actually calling on Dmitri’s behalf. I was wondering if you would be willing to meet for lunch. We can try to get to know each other and…start over.” Sensing that she was losing Nadia’s interest, Sasha decided to play into her ego and self-righteousness. “You are really important to him and I don’t want us to be on bad terms. I feel really guilty about what happened and so does he. We were wrong for what we did and I wanted to personally apologize to you.”

There was a period of awkward silence. Finally, Nadia responded with a heavy sigh, “You know what? Fine, I’ll give this a try. Will Dmitri be there?”

“Yes,” she lied. “But he may be late because of a previous business engagement.”

“Where?”

Sasha gave her the address of a nearby restaurant before hanging up. For a few moments, she continued to stand outside, debating whether she was doing the right thing. But then she thought of Dmitri.

“I need to do this; I can’t lose him now.”

And so, during her lunch break, she made her way to the agreed upon restaurant and waited patiently until she saw Nadia walk in. Looking glamorous, Nadia wore a sleek pair of dark pants with knee-high boots and a fur vest, accentuating her slim and long physique. Sasha waved her hand to get her attention at the bar.

“Hello, Nadia. How are you?” Sasha greeted her.

Not responding, Nadia took off her sunglasses and shoved them into her designer purse before taking a seat. The bartender immediately came over and fixed her a drink. But Sasha saw through her ostentatious display; Nadia’s cheekbones were deathly prominent and dark circles were clear beneath her eyes despite the make-up she used. The slowness to her movements did not stem from a sense of entitlement but of physical weakness.

“Thank you for coming,” Sasha tried again.

“I’m here to hear my brother’s apology- that is all. And for him to finally realize he can do much better than you.”

“You don’t even know me, Nadia. I love your brother and I would never try to hurt him in any way. Don’t you want him to be with someone like that? I know I am what is best for him.” Hearing herself say the words was a new experience to Sasha but she found that she liked saying it aloud.

Nadia rolled her eyes with a huff. “If you actually believe that, you are more delusional than I thought you were. You see, I told my father about you and being the type of person he is, he did a background check. Sasha Harmon was a pitiful ward of the state who was abandoned by her mother at the age of eight years old. Living with Teagan Peterson, a friend by default, she has no real connections with anyone in the outside world. As sure as she was abandoned by her own mother, the world will forget her once she dies. In what universe can someone like you end up with Dmitri Durand Vikhrov? I can assure you that if you don’t voluntarily walk out of his life my father will force you to disappear back into the same nothingness you crawled out of.”

Sasha’s breath hitched at the vehemence and hatred that oozed out of Nadia’s voice. She told herself not to be shocked that a man of Nikolai’s power had been able to find out so much about her in a span of a few days. Hadn’t Dmitri warned her about the scope of his influence? But, as she told him that night, she was not scared because she trusted that Dmitri wouldn’t simply step back and allow his father to take complete control over his life.

“Dmitri wouldn’t allow your father to hurt me. I don’t care how much of my past you know; I have nothing to hide from you or Nikolai because I am a part of Dmitri’s life now and you will just have to accept that. I didn’t come here to argue with you about this. I came because you need to understand that the ultimatum he gave you was for your own benefit. He is scared that you will die and your pride will prove to be your own downfall if you refuse to listen to your brother.”

Sasha lowered her voice and leaned into Nadia. “Even if you don’t think you are sick, don’t you care enough about your brother’s concerns to try to listen to him? What harm will it be to just try going to outpatient care or even a rehabilitation center? At least by doing so, you can stop fighting with Dmitri. Don’t you want that?”

Nadia’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Who the hell do you think you are? Coming in here as if you fucking know me!” She stood up and gathered her things roughly. “Was this a set up? Is Dmitri even coming?”

Sasha slowly shook her head. “I needed to talk to you; he feels awful about what happened. But he needs to know that he did the right thing. The only way for that to happen is for you to get help.”

Nadia stepped toward Sasha menacingly, “Listen, you bitch, if you ever contact me again I’ll fucking destroy you. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll make sure Dmitri realizes what a manipulative, pathetic, whore you are and I’m going to relish the look on your face when he dumps your ass back into the ghetto.”

As she began to walk away, Sasha reacted instinctively. Roughly, she grabbed onto Nadia’s forearm and pulled her back. “No, you need to listen to me.”

Nadia, significantly weaker than Sasha, tried to claw her fingers off. “Let go of me you skank!” The other patrons in the restaurant looked on in horror at the scuffle between the two women. Nadia spat into Sasha’s face and slapped her with her free hand. In shock, Sasha immediately released her but the simultaneous momentum of the hit made Nadia lose her balance. Unable to catch herself, she fell head-first into the edge of the bar before sliding onto the floor unconscious.

Sasha screamed in horror; frantically, she reached down and checked for Nadia’s pulse while screaming to the onlookers, “Call 9-1-1! Someone call 9-1-1!”

Dmitri was sitting in a board meeting when he received the call. It was Dominic. Silently excusing himself, he walked from the room and answered the phone while walking swiftly to his office.

“Dominic?”

Dominic release a breath of air in relief, “Oh, thank god you answered. Nadia is in the hospital.”

He stopped in his tracks; his heartbeat racing in fear. “What? Is she okay?”

“I just received a call from the hospital and am on my way right now. I don’t know, Dmitri. But you need to hurry. It sounded serious.”

In a rush against time, Dmitri told Jeremy his executive assistant that he would be out for the remainder of the day before making his way to his car and speeding down the street, cursing heavy traffic. His heart was still lodged in his throat when he finally made his way toward Nadia’s hospital room but he halted in his footsteps when he saw Sasha standing next to his brother, Dominic. Her face was torn when their eyes made contact.

Deciding to broach the subject of her presence later, Dmitri raised a brow at his brother. “How is she? Have you heard anything?”

Dominic glanced quickly at Sasha before saying, “Apparently, she hit her head and was knocked unconscious. She came to on the ride to the hospital and is undergoing examination. I think we can hope for the best, however.”

While Dominic’s answer did not completely quench his worry, Dmitri was at least satisfied to hear that she had not received emergency care due to any sort of organ failure because of her anorexia. He released a breath of slight relief and tried to calm his heart rate; all he could do now was wait.

Reflexively combing back his hair, he finally turned to Sasha with a questioning look. He had not spoken to her in a few days and while he admittedly felt somewhat guilty about shutting her out, her comments the night before still angered him to a degree. Dmitri simply thought it best to put some distance between them.