His Wicked Heart

Chapter Twenty-Six

hiraeth
(n.) a homesickness for a home one can't return to, or that never was

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PRESENT

GENEVIEVE

By the time we reached my home, I was almost sleepy. I guess my sudden anxiety attack had drained all of my energy.

Thinking about it now, I had never experienced these emotions before. It was the first time today, and it was so random, and strong that I hadn't realized it until Aleksandr told me.

"We're here," he informed before stopping the car and getting out. I sighed and decided to make my way out too.

As I stepped out, my feet stumbled, and I almost fell. A gasp escaped my mouth as I felt myself nearly losing balance, until a pair of strong arms wrapped around me, readjusting my posture.

The incident was so sudden that it took a while for me to fully comprehend it. When I looked up, I found the familiar emerald green eyes fixed on me, observing my face.

"Be careful there, dorogaya," he said with a teasing smile, yet his voice held genuine concern. Embarrassed, I nodded quickly and adjusted my stance. "Uhh, thank you," I said, looking down.

I walked towards my door, but I noticed that Aleksandr was also following me. I turned around, gazing up at him in confusion. He didn't do anything to cease it though.

And man was so tall that his presence seemed to intensify the atmosphere.

"Call your friend," his sudden words only deepened my confusion. "What?"

"Call Valentina and tell her to stay over at your place tonight," when I didn't respond or make any move to retrieve my phone from my bag, he continued, "You can't stay alone in your home tonight, baby. You need someone beside you, and I think since Valentina is your best friend, she could accompany you for the night."

How did he even know Val? It would be a pointless question to ask though. As far as I knew, Aleksandr was privy to almost everything about me.

"I can stay alone. It's not a big deal," I argued, not because I didn't want Val at my place, but because I believed I could manage being alone without any problems.

Moreover, she was quite angry with me after our last encounter. The information had probably messed with her mind, leading to a huge tantrum about why I hadn't told her anything. She even told me not to talk to her anymore, though I knew it was mostly a bluff. The girl couldn't go a day without gossiping with me.

And even though I had decided to make amends by treating her some drinks, I wasn't sure if her anger had subsided.

"You almost fell a minute ago."

"That was an accident."

"It could happen again."

"I'll be careful—"

My sentence was interrupted by his next words. "I don't want you to stay alone tonight, Genevieve. First, you nearly had a panic attack, and second, you're clumsy now. In conclusion, there's no way I'll leave you alone. So, either you choose to stay with Valentina tonight, or," he paused, studying my expression with keen eyes, "Me." He finished.

I nearly gaped at him, a mixture of shock and bemusement flooding my senses. I felt a slight shyness as memories of our last kiss crossed my mind.

There was no way I could trust myself to maintain my composure with Aleksandr staying in the same home as me.