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The only thing I can do is nod, my throat tight as they guide me away from the bathroom, through the hallway, and towards the bed.
I sit down, feeling their hands linger on my body for just a second longer, before they take a step backward away from me.
Again.
“You’ll get used to this.”
Mikhail says, his voice full of certainty.
Nikolai nods in agreement, a shadow of a smile playing on his lips.
“One day, you’ll thank us.”
A shiver runs down my spine at his words.
I don’t say anything in response, I don’t even look at them as they both pull away, ready to leave me alone.
Deep down, I know they’re not wrong.
This has become my reality now, and every day that passes, every day that I spend with them…
There’s no escaping it.
“Thank you.”
I finally choke out.
I don’t even know why I’ve said it.
Maybe it’s the weight of their constant presence, the endless days of watching them circle me like predators, always speaking to me in low, measured tones, waiting to strike at theperfecttime.
Or maybe it’s because the silence is unbearable, and my resolve is like a dam about to burst.
But it happens, and I blame the rush of hormones in my system for it.
“Nikolai.”
I whisper.
His name feels foreign on my tongue, but it lingers there, tasting sweet and dangerous all at once.
I watch him stop moving, noticing how he freezes. The corner of his mouth twitches, just the barest hint of something between a smirk and a sneer, and his icy blue eyes remain fixed on mine.
“What did you just say, darling?”
He asks me, his voice soft, threaded with something that makes my skin prickle.
I swallow hard, my breathing uneven.
The air here feels hotter now, heavier, as it slowly begins to suffocate me.
“Nikolai.”
I repeat, a little louder this time, but my voice still shakes slightly.
Beside him, Mikhail shifts.
My eyes immediately move to him.