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He’s so patient.

Rolling onto my back again, I crack my eyelids and stare out into the darkness gathering beyond the windows. A gentle thump in my belly has me cupping a hand there. Two more thumps and I shift position.

“That’s my bladder, baby.” I smile, although the mild discomfort has me shifting again.

Bump.

Bump.

I roll onto my back, then huff out a breath. “No rest for the wicked, huh?”

Bump.

Sighing, I push myself up, slip out of bed, and pull on a long-sleeved top over my nightgown before heading out to the pool. The night air is cool against my skin as I make my way across the manicured lawn. The pool’s surface is perfectly still, reflecting the stars above like a mirror.

I ease myself onto one of the recliners, adjusting a cushion behind me to support my back. The night is quiet except for the gentle lapping of water against the pool’s edge and the distant chorus of crickets. Above me, the stars shine with remarkable clarity, far from the city’s light pollution.

I tilt my head back, losing myself in the vast expanse of the night sky. I find Orion’s belt, the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia’s distinctive W shape— constellations I somehow remember, though I can’t recall who taught them to me. The peacefulness of the night begins to lull me, my eyelids growing heavy despite my earlier insomnia.

“He’s gone.”

Suddenly, I’m looking into the eyes of a man I’m sure is Nick, his face pale and drawn. We’re standing outside a comfortable suburban home, and somehow, I know it’s my parents’ house.

“No,” I insist, grabbing his arms. “He can’t be. They’re wrong.”

Nick shakes his head, tears streaming down his face. “They say it was an accident,” he says. “The car went off the road, Stella.”

“No!” I’m screaming now, the sound tearing from my throat. “No, no, no!” My own screams surround me, the sound pressing in on me as I try to claw myself free from the overwhelming grief.

A hand strokes my hair, gentle but firm, pulling me from the nightmare. I’m being lifted, cradled against a solid chest. The transition from dream to reality is disorienting, my sobs still echoing in my ears.

“Shh,zaychik,” Aleksei’s deep voice murmurs against my hair. “You’re safe. It was just a bad dream.”

I blink, trying to orient myself. We’re moving across the lawn, away from the pool. Aleksei is carrying me as if I weigh nothing, despite my pregnant belly. His arms are secure around me, his body warm against the night’s chill.

“Aleksei?” My voice is hoarse from crying.

“I’m here,” he says simply, his stride never faltering as he carries me back toward the house. “You fell asleep by the pool. I’m taking you back inside.”

I press my face against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent— that warm male smell that I’ve grown to love. My tears wet the fabric of his shirt, but he doesn’t seem to mind. His hand strokes gently down my back, the rhythmic motion soothing.

“You are safe,” he repeats, his voice a low rumble I can feel against my cheek. “You just had a nightmare.”

I want to tell him it wasn’t just a nightmare— it was a memory. A terrible, real memory of learning about my father’s death. But the words stick in my throat, held back by some instinct I don’t fully understand.

Instead, I let him carry me back to his room, let him lay me gently on the bed, and pull the covers over me. His hand lingers on my cheek, thumb brushing away the remnants of tears.

“Sleep now,” he says softly. “I’ll be right here.”

He settles onto the bed, his weight creating a comforting dip in the mattress. As my eyes grow heavy again, I feel his fingers gently stroking my hair, the sensation both familiar and new. In this moment, despite all the uncertainties, all the gaps in my memory, I feel safe.

Whatever demons lurk in my past, whatever truths remain hidden, they can wait until morning. For now, I let myself be anchored by Aleksei’s quiet presence beside me.

I know he’ll take care of me.

Chapter Fourteen

Aleksei