86

“Anya, everything’s possible!” Yartsev says firmly, holding me like I’m the most precious thing he has. “Do you love Masha and Luka?”

“Yes…” I sniffle, because I really did grow to love them.

“Then that’s perfect! I won’t be able to leave them either anymore, even if I lose our bet! Look at us! We’re ALREADY a family! And I’ll do everything to keep it that way. I’ll fight tooth and nail for custody if I have to! Their mother’s out of her mind. She can lose parental rights…”

What he says honestly shocks me so much I stop crying for a second, but Yartsev looks dead serious, and I realize he absolutely means every word.

“I only need your consent. I love you more than life itself. Tell me, are you willing to take responsibility for our family’s happiness together with me?”

“Why do you even need me? Like this… I’m a broken doll, Nazar!” I try to push him away, but he only holds me tighter. “Completely useless! I honestly don’t understand what there is to love about me! I’m a stripper who can easily disappear with a client after a dance! That’s the kind of wife you want?! I’m not even a real woman anymore, I can’t give you anything! Women like me don’t get loved, they get used for pleasure! And I accepted that a long time ago, using men right back in return!”

I spill all my poison out, hoping Yartsev will come to his senses and stop ruining his life with me. I won’t be able to keep pushing him away forever. This feels like my last warning. Because no matter how hard I resist it, Nazar woke up the desire inside me to love and be loved.

“We’re not perfect, and that’s what makes us special,” the man says, taking my face in his hands and looking directly into my eyes. “Honestly, I’m glad the truth about us came out, and that it turned out this… imperfect. Because with the version of Ann I imagined at first, I was holding myself back like crazy. I wasn’t being myself. I kept trying to seem better than I really am.

“But now… you know everything about me, and I know everything about you. And finally I don’t have to worry that around you I’ll be too much. Too intense. Too overwhelming. With you, I can be completely honest and real, exactly the way I am, and I want you to stop holding yourself back too.

“Do you understand that two very imperfect people can fit each other perfectly? I can honestly and sincerely tell you this… I love you. In all my wild life, I never once said those words to any woman. I never needed to. But with you, I’m ready to repeat them as many times as I can. Stop pushing me away. It’s not going to work anyway… Do you love me?”

Those green eyes stare at me with hope, and I suddenly grow shy.

“I’m not telling,” I sniff, finally calming down from the hysteria, and he huffs a laugh.

“That’s already good. If you didn’t love me, you would’ve answered negatively right away,” he smirks and pulls me tightly against his chest again, and I hear how hard, fast, and loud his heart is beating.

I hug my beloved tightly in return and close my eyes. It feels so good with him. Like… I’m home.

I curl up against his side, snuggling into him, and he watches me in surprise. I take his hand and wrap it around myself. This way I feel… safe somehow.

Nazar lies down beside me and wraps me in a cocoon of his huge warm arms while I tiredly close my eyes.

“Anya, you still didn’t answer me. Will you create a family with me?” the brunette asks nervously.

“And do you really want that?” I ask calmly, too exhausted to argue anymore.

“You can’t even imagine how badly I want it,” I hear Nazar breathe in the scent of my hair and kiss the top of my head, holding me tighter.

“Then yes,” I close my eyes. “But only on one condition. We don’t tell the kids anything until you know for sure whether guardianship is actually possible. I don’t want us giving them false hope,” I sigh and hold Nazar’s hand tighter against myself. “If it turns out to be one hundred percent possible, then we’ll ask them whether they want to become our children.”