Page 88 of Born into Chaos

“True enough,” I admit, remembering all the times Vitya silently and patiently endured the all-day mall trips I used to put him through.

Mia’s not much of a hugger, so I’m not at all surprised when shejust bumps shoulders with me. I look over and smile at her. My Uncle Lev and Aunt Jolene agreed to let her get her nose pierced when she turned seventeen, and now she’s begging for a tattoo. Last I heard, they’re putting their foot down on that one and making her wait until she’s eighteen, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she gets one sooner. Uncle Lev has a very hard time telling her no.

“You gonna let me design your first tattoo?” I ask her.

She smiles, making the diamond in her nose catch the light. “As if I’d ever trust anyone else to create the perfect design.”

I nudge her back and smile. “Thanks, Mia.”

Sensing I’m getting close to becoming emotional, a thing that’s been happening far too easily lately, she turns to Dario and says, “We still have an hour.”

“Seriously?”

Mia plants a hand on her hip. “Don’t be a baby, Dario. It was just a few stitches.”

She walks away without so much as a backward glance, expecting him to follow after her. He turns his dark eyes to mine.

“Try not to stab her,” I tell him.

“No fucking promises,” he mutters right before he turns and goes after her.

I laugh and run my thumb over Vitya’s cheek. He’s sporting a light beard now, and I know he’ll want to shave it as soon as he wakes up.

“You’ll be happy to know that Mia hasn’t changed a bit. In case you missed it, she just tried to kill Dario during her first training session. He’ll have a new scar because of her.” I run my fingers over his dragon tattoo. “Maybe I should ask him to train me, too. I bet Mia could’ve kicked Shane’s ass in no time.”

When it’s clear Vitya isn’t going to be opening his eyes, I sigh and reach for my stick of charcoal, determined to get his picture done before he wakes.

On the seventh day of Vitya’s coma, I start to lose hope. I feel the weight of his loss heavy on my chest, and as hard as I’m trying to staypositive, the doubt is creeping in fast. Clutching his hand, I kiss the back of it and press it to my cheek.

“Wake up, Vitya,” I beg, leaning closer so I can kiss his face. “Wake up and come back to me. I swear I’ll never make you go to the mall again. I won’t be as big of a pain in the ass, and I’ll even give up sugar for a year. Okay, maybe not a year, but I’ll do it for a month, a whole fucking month. Do you hear me? I’ll eat your grody organic granola, and I won’t even bitch about it.” I cup his face and kiss him again. “Just come back to me.”

The moan he gives is so low I almost miss it, but then I feel his fingers move in mine. I pull back with a gasp, and when he slowly opens his eyes and I see the deep blue of them, I sob in relief and kiss him again.

“I love you so much. Don’t you dare scare me like that again.”

“Sveta,” he whispers. His voice cracks, dry and scratchy from lack of use, but it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.

“I’m here. I’m right here.”

He’s so weak he can barely move, but he manages to lift his fingers to caress my cheek. I’m still crying and hovering over him, wetting his face with my tears.

“A whole month,” he teases.

Of course he’d choose to wake up right as I make a ridiculous promise to the universe. “Your brain is fuzzy from the drugs,” I tell him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He gives me a faint smile. “I love you too, by the way.”

He lacks the strength to lift his head, but he looks around, so I quickly say, “She’s fine. My family’s been watching her so I could stay here with you.”

“How long have I been out?”

“A week.”

“Jesus,” he groans. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

I’m still cupping his face and smiling like an idiot when Tony comes rushing in. He must’ve gotten an alert on his phone thatsomething had changed, and judging by the worried look on his face, he’d been expecting the worst. Relief washes over him when he sees the smile on my face.

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