Page 62 of Night So Silent
“Mark Holloway.” I clear my throat. “A renowned therapist—Colson’stherapist—just called and offered me a position in his practice.” Then the realization hits. “Apartnership.”
“Will you accept?” he asks, stoic as ever.
I can’t help but smile to myself. I should’ve known Sergei wouldn’t be jumping up and down with excitement like Brett would be if I told her the same news. He gets straight to the point, and even though I find that comforting, I’m still trying to get used to it.
“Yes,” I say softly, still unsure whether to believe it or not. “I did.”
I accepted a job offer, on the spot, 1,300 miles away. It’s so surreal.
“Wait.” I suddenly snap out of my stupor. “Why did Holloway callme?”
“Because you’re good at your job.” Sergei says it like I should already know. “And I told him as such,” he adds with nonchalance.
My eyes round in shock. “You?But…how would you know Mark was looking for a new partner? How could you know any of that?”
“I told you. I listen when people speak. And I heard Lutz tell Brett that Holloway’s partner is moving to Arizona.” He rises from the sofa and takes a step toward me. “This is what you need, no?”
A tiny smile breaks through my confusion. Colson told Brett about Holloway’s partner? That can only mean…
Colson’s still going to therapy.
He promised me he would, but I never gave him a stipulation for how long. He made that decision himself. I give a shake of my head, trying to compose myself as the emotions pour forth.
“Yes,” I creak out, barely in a whisper. “Yes, Sergei, this is what I need.” I barely get the words out before the tears spill down my cheeks.
“You said you wanted to stay, you miss your best friend, you want to see the baby Lutz grow up, your career is stagnant, but you didn't have any prospects here. Now, I've given you one. So, now, you stay.”
Fuck it, I guess I’m just going to start bawling again right here in the middle of the living room—again.
“Yes, I want to stay. And I want to stay here with you.”
“Yes?” he nods.
I nod back. “Yes.” And without another word, I rush across the living room and throw my arms around his midsection, which is all I can reach on short notice.
He wraps his vast arm span around my shoulders and presses my head to his chest. He feels so good, like I want to staytangled inside his embrace and never leave. At first, I think I’m going to throw up from the anxiety, but then I realize it’s just all the adrenaline and all the dopamine crashing together like a whirlpool in my gut.
I don’t care if it seems impulsive. I don’t care what anyone thinks, I don’t care if it’s not logical or rational or what I’m “supposed” to do. I want to stop settling for the conventional situations that are no longer serving me. I’ve only known Sergei for a matter of days, but he’s still one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met.
I pull back and look up at him. “I want to stay here tonight. I want to have Christmas with you. Then I want you to come home with me for New Year's Day. And after that…” A wave of warmth rushes through my chest. “We can come home...together. Would that be alright?”
“You came home the last time I fetched you from the airport,” he declares. “But, as I said, I have no desire to keep you from your family. I will prove it to you by going with you to meet them in person. I will also take care of the arrangements to move all your belongings, including your books. I assume there are many.”
A smile tugs at my cheeks. The idea of spending a hectic and chaotic holiday with my family probably makes Sergei’s skin crawl, but he’s nothing if not blunt and service-driven. Maybe his love language is the same as mine.
Sergei reaches for me again, cupping my face as he dips down with a kiss that steals all the oxygen from my lungs. “I have to go,” he says when he finally pulls back. “I’ll be back soon.”
I knit my brow in confusion. “Go where?” The last time he left me here by myself, things most decidedly went off the rails.
“Outside,” he replies. “I’ll find a tree, bring it in here, and you show me how you will decorate it.”
“Now? You would go out and get a tree for tonight, just for me to decorate?”
“You want another tree? I will go get five. I told you I would give you as many Christmases as you want. But one tree is enough. More would be an environmental disaster. And too many needles.”
I’m barely able to stifle my laugh. That figures, one of the only things Sergei Mikhailov is passionate about is forest conservation. But I agree with him about the pine needles. My need for cleanliness and order would never allow it.
I grab his arm before he can turn away. “I’ll come with you. Just give me a second to call my mom and let her know I won’t be arriving tonight.”
