Page 6 of Merciless Union
“Likewise,” he replies, still looking at me.
I fold my hand through my father’s arm, quickly walking away from the creep. I’ve been to enough parties where much older men have looked at me in ways that made me uncomfortable. My mother always noticed and would shield me from it, but she isn’t with us today. My father’s too oblivious to ever notice those kinds of things—though I really could have used that shield.
Once we approach the Petrov family, my father introduces me to Maxim first. Now that I’m up close to him, I feel like I might lose my breath. He’s stunningly attractive. The most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life.
When we shake hands, my whole body trembles. It’s exhilarating and strange. What’s going on with me? I’ve never given much thought to a man’s looks before. I’d rather focus on painting than people. But Maxim flustered me with just one handshake.
We walk away from him to greet the rest of the family.
“George,” an older woman says as she kisses my father’s cheek. She must be Vasilisa, Gleb’s wife. “Good to see you.”
“I couldn’t miss my best friend’s funeral.”
The smile she gives him is so tight and forced I wonder if she knows how to move the muscles in her face at all. “Of course.” Her eyes land on me, and her gaze pierces through me. “And this must be Arina. I haven’t seen you since you were a little girl, red hair flying all over the place.”
My father chuckles, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “That’s my Arina.”
“Nice to meet you,” I greet.
She politely nods, but her gaze remains cold.
I glance to her right, where a beautiful woman stands—Elena, the eldest Petrov daughter.
“Hi, I’m Arina. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Elena looks at my outstretched hand but doesn’t take it. I start to drop it when she reaches out to grab it, finally shaking. “Thank you,” she says, letting go.
“Today must be tough,” I empathize, not really knowing what else to say. I fiddle my hands together.
Elena looks at me with confusion. “Why are we still talking?”
I blink, feeling heat rise on the back of my neck. My father is still speaking to Vasilisa and hasn’t even noticed my conversation with Elena. “Uh … I’m sorry?”
She sniffs as if I’m not worth her time.
I don’t know what to do, so I just pat my father on the back as I walk by, getting out of the line to allow more guests to come up and greet the Petrovs.
I watch as a cute man walks up to speak to Maxim, and together, they leave the reception hall. I feel sad for some reason. I guess I wanted to keep sneaking peeks at Maxim. When someone’s that attractive, you can’t help but want to look at them.
My father finally excuses himself and returns to me. “Ready to go?”
I nod, grateful. “Did you do everything you wanted?”
“I did. Now, I just want to go home to your mother.”
“Me, too.”
It takes a while to leave the reception since my father’s a popular man. As we head for the door, so many people come up to us to speak to my father.
Finally, after an extra thirty minutes, we leave the reception and head home.
Once my feet are through the doorway, I feel like I can finally relax and be myself. Our house is fairly large, decorated in a cozy style that makes the house feel homey. All of this is thanks to my mom—she’s always wanted me to feel happy and comfortable in my own home.
“Mom?” I softly ask after I go upstairs to her bedroom and knock on the half-open door.
She’s lying in bed and looks up when I step inside the room. I can tell it takes a lot of effort for her just to do that. “Honey?” Her warm voice always makes me feel like I’m surrounded by a cup of hot chocolate—warm, safe, and at peace. “You’re home.”
“Yeah.” I sit down on the bed, wrapping her in a hug.
