Deep Trouble with You

16 Scandal

“Have you completely lost your mind?!” Vicky was yelling at me while Kirill stood there silently with his arms crossed over his chest. Turns out she missed the kids so much she cut their vacation short by a few days. “You made our children lie that their own mother abandoned them! Me?!!”

We had picked the kids up from my father and were now sitting in the living room of Kirill’s house. The ones “on the carpet” were me and the kids, sitting with their heads lowered. Of course, all the backlash was meant for me, but the younger twins were also sitting there, glancing sadly at their Sony PlayStation. Only Soli acted like nothing had happened, playing with a new doll their parents had brought from Japan.

“But it was just pretend,” I tried to justify myself, and the kids nodded in agreement. “It was like a game, and they agreed to help. Not for free, by the way!”

“Oh really? A pretend game?” Kirill snapped angrily. “And is that girl aware that this is just a game? She seemed pretty sincere and sympathetic to me! Fine, your temporary flings are one thing, but why drag a good girl into this? She genuinely wanted to help you with the kids, and you?”

Damn. I really have lied my ass off beyond belief. Looks like it’s time to come clean to her. But I have to do it myself. Maybe even today.

“Don’t drag her into this,” I step in defensively. “I’ll tell her everything myself. And anyway, it was a forced measure!”

“Oh really?!” Vicky hisses, ready to claw my eyes out. “What, were your pants itching that bad that you had to drag my kids into it?! I’m just shocked! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you with them!”

“They’re not little kids anymore!” I snap back. “Yeah, they’re children, but not toddlers like you still see them! The boys already show serious business instincts and a strong grip! They’re perfectly capable of thinking clearly about a lot of pretty grown-up things!”

“Alright, you three—rooms, now, and don’t show your faces,” the blonde orders her kids, and they disappear instantly. Then she turns back to me. “I’m their mother, I know perfectly well what my children are capable of!” Victoria hisses at me.

“Oh really?! Then why don’t you let them near tech and gadgets?”

“It’s harmful!”

“Oh, come on! That’s modern reality! And the boys have real talent for it. I’m not just talking about games—they’re genuinely good with technology. But you’re not letting that potential develop. I’ve watched them, and I can tell you for sure—that’s their thing.”

“Of course! So they can grow up and create their own escort website and work there themselves!” my brother’s wife rolls her eyes sarcastically.

“Well, if I remember correctly, that’s exactly how we met,” I shoot back just as sharply. “If it wasn’t for that site, there wouldn’t be these kids, and none of your family happiness either…”

“That’s enough, all of you!” Kirill cuts in, finally reaching his limit.

“But he—” Vicky starts.

“I said enough,” my brother snaps, and I see Vicky’s face change as she takes offense. “We’ll talk to the kids later and figure something out about their ‘talents’ since we apparently missed it before. But Nazar, you do realize how messed up it looks that you used our kids for your pickup attempts?”

“They kindly agreed to help,” I remind him.

“But they’re kids! It’s not exactly hard to plant an idea in their heads,” my twin says skeptically.

“Oh, believe me! The PlayStation idea was completely theirs—and probably their long-standing dream.”

“Nazar, when are you finally going to grow up…” Kirill shakes his head tiredly.

“That’s exactly what I want!” I fire back. “That girl built such walls around herself there’s no way to jump over them. She immediately labeled me a womanizer she’s not interested in. So what was I supposed to do?”

“And she was right,” Vicky adds calmly now.

“But there was no other way to get close! And how am I supposed to prove I’m serious if I’m not even given a chance from the start?”

“So you decided to begin a serious relationship with lies and nothing but lies? Great solution! A truly serious man’s move!” Vicky reflects, not even looking at me anymore.

“Yeah,” I agree. “But… damn it. Fine. I was wrong. I’m sorry,” I say tiredly, no longer having the energy to argue.

What’s the point? In their eyes, I’m still the same liar and asshole. And they’re not entirely wrong. I’ll confess everything to Ann today, and whatever happens, happens.

I’ll lie at her feet begging for forgiveness—but I’m not letting her go. Let her be angry, let her yell, hell, let her even hit me—but I won’t let go!

I grab my things, say a quick goodbye, and leave Kirill’s house. My mood is absolute s**t, and heavy thoughts tear at my brain.

How the hell do I twist this nicely for Ann so I don’t look like a complete bastard? She’ll be hurt, angry, and definitely won’t want to see me again… but I have to do it.

I head to Moto Style to grab my metal beast. Sometimes a good ride at insane speed helps clear your head. The adrenaline and the roaring wind blasting your body make your thoughts shift.

But no matter how hard I try, Ann’s image keeps filling my head. That deep взгляд from under her long lashes, that blush on her cheeks.

Did Kirill feel like this too? And our father when he met Mom? Now their sometimes idiotic actions and decisions make sense. When you love like this, your worldview shifts, and you stop being completely rational.

After putting in quite a few kilometers around the city, I still come up with nothing on how to soften my confession. Deciding I’ll figure it out on the fly, I stop at a gas station and then head to Ann. We agreed to meet near the entrance of her building.

I arrive on time, but Ann is already waiting by the door. I kill the engine, hop off the bike, and walk up to my girl, ready to steal another kiss.

The brunette stands by the entrance, nervously fiddling with the chain of her small clutch. And again, I catch myself staring. I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want to let her go.

She’s wearing a bright yellow light dress above the knee, white sneakers, and a black leather jacket. Perfect match for me. Her jet-black hair is loose, flowing over her shoulders. So beautiful, so simple, and at the same time… special. So… mine.

I pull the beauty into my arms and kiss her without restraint. She kisses me back, wrapping her arms around my shoulders, while I press her fragile body closer to me.

“Nazar,” her soft voice whispers when we finally break apart. “You promised me a date, actually,” she laughs, still burying her nose in my chest.

Fuck… the way she gets to me…

“I promised. Then it’s happening!”