The Last Hope

11

His eyes travel up my bare legs, exposed by the shorts Elif lent me to sleep, then to my cast, and finally meet mine. "You felt me watching you," he says, crossing his arms and leaning his shoulder against the door frame, I say nothing, just staring at his feet adorned with black slippers, I had been surprised to see them all removing their shoes when we arrived, providing us with slippers as well.

"Elif doesn't want us wandering around with our shoes. Once, she hit Roman with a wooden spoon, right in the knee, a very strategic spot." he say with a smirk and I laugh, picturing Elif chasing Roman throughout the house with a wooden spoon. "You have a dimple on your right cheek," Nikolai suddenly says in his deep voice, surprising me, I raise my eyes and meet his gaze.

He straightens up and begins to advance towards me slowly, unconsciously, I step back, but I don't go far, blocked by the counter. He reaches my height, and I remain frozen, my gaze fixed on his shirt, his scent tickles my nose, a mix of fresh, sweet, and acidic?

He raises his hand to my face, and instinctively flinch, closing my eyes, tensing. I feel his fingers graze my chin, tracing the line of my jaw, pushing my hair behind my ear his breath brushes my forehead. I eventually lift my head and meet his gaze, his fingers trace the bruise on my right cheek, then they descend to my lips, brushing the cut, his eyes linger there before meeting mine.

"How long?" he asks, continuing to caress my cheek with his knuckles.

I feel my lips trembling as his question brings up numerous painful and dark memories. I shake my head, trying to pull away, but his hand swiftly slides around my neck, preventing me, his thumb continues to caress my throat. "No, answer me, solnychko (shining sun)." I raise my teary eyes, trying to calm myself, "eight," I whisper with a trembling voice, he takes a deep breath, bringing his face closer, and this time I don't pull back, keeping my gaze locked with his, our noses almost touching.

We stare at each other for a few seconds, and he finally leans in, brushing his lips against my cheek, I close my eyes, inhaling gently as my throat tightens—a gesture so soft and tender, one I've never experienced before.

He pulls back but doesn't release me, opening a drawer beside me and taking out a tube, "for the bruises on your face," he says, showing it to me. I raise my hand to take it but he pull back, "let me do it," he says, withdrawing his hand, my neck instantly cools, leaving me with a sense of emptiness. "I can do it myself," I retort, trying to reach for the cream again, but he steps back, shaking his head.

"I know you can do it alone, Selina, but you don't have to do it alone anymore," he insists, stepping back into my space, placing his hands on the counter behind me, framing me. "You're not alone anymore, Selina. You don't have to fight alone anymore," he says, staring straight into my eyes, and all I want to do is believe him.

Nikolaï

Selina looks at me for a few more seconds with her beautiful green eyes, hesitating, and eventually lowers her hand, giving up on retrieving the tube. I nod in satisfaction and uncork the cream, putting a small amount on the tip of my index finger. "Don't move," I say as she leans her head away while I approach with my finger, she bites her lips, closes her eyes, and remains still. She flinches when the cool cream touches her skin as I apply it to the bruise on her cheek.

I grit my teeth at the numerous marks on her face and legs, especially her calves, where the white lines stand out against her tanned skin. I move to the wound on her chin, which is starting to turn a violet hue, she moans, making me grimace. Damn it. Finally, I reach her lips, and when her eyes open, it's worse than all the bullets I've taken so far, I finish applying the balm to her wound, her breath escaping from slightly parted lips, caressing my fingers. "And there you go," I say, stepping back to put away the tube and wash my hands. "Thank you," she whispers behind me.

I hear her steps moving away, but she stops, I sense her hesitation and unfortunately, her fear when she finally speaks, "for how long? For how long do I not have to fight alone?" she asks me softly. I grip the marble, my eyes staring into emptiness, I don't respond, I can't when the shadow of the Italian danger looms over my family.
But everything fades away when I hear a discreet sniffle and footsteps moving away.

Before I even realize it, I'm near her, grabbing her uninjured arm and turning her around. Her body gently collides with mine, and a sob escapes her as I look into her teary eyes, her damp cheeks, and trembling lips. "I'm sorry, I know our presence puts your family in danger. I shouldn't have asked you that, I..." She falls silent when my thumb rests against her lips,"what have you done to me, woman? You can't even imagine all the fucking things I'm ready to do for you and your son," I say, furrowing my brows and strangely out of breath, she shakes her head, squeezing my arm. I close my eyes, inhaling, and finally release her, stepping back with my fists clenched in my pockets. "Go to sleep with your son, Solnychko," I say, turning away, there's a moment of silence before I hear her footsteps quickly fading away.

I place my hands against the island, bending, trying to calm myself, trying to clear my thoughts that have never been so blurry in thirty-two damn years. But nothing can erase the image of the woman with green eyes looking at me as if I were her last hope.