Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 28 - Yep - Sucks to be Me

The water was cool, so Dimitri topped it up with warm water for the third time. The bath was now dangerously full but given we'd barely moved since he started talking, it wasn't a concern. Usually taciturn, in the last hour and a half Dimitri had barely paused for a moment.

Starting from the moment he'd seen me, he'd described every feeling through to now. And my heart was singing! I had so much more information. So much more insight. My poor Russian God had suffered as much as I. And, finally, he'd told it all to me. I hadn't thought it was possible to love Dimitri any more than I already had, yet here we were - and yeah I did.

When we'd climbed into the bath, I'd been on the edge of completely losing it in fear. Now I was calm again. I'd known it back in the cabin, and I knew it again now. I really couldn't do this without him!

"What do you need, Roza?" he asked, now he could feel me calm in his arms.

"I'd really love to cuddle up and watch a movie with you," I said shyly. "We've never had much of a chance before."

Smiling softly, he helped me to my feet, and together we stepped out of the bath. He dried me, and then himself. I elected for comfy sleepwear; a pair of cotton knit boyleg sleep shorts and a matching tank top, and he donned a pair of boxers. Grabbing a blanket and some pillows from our bed, we curled up together on the larger couch in front of the flatscreen, me leaning back against him.

"What do you want to watch, milaya?" he asked, softly.

"Well, there's this movie called 'The Notebook' I thought I'd like to see?"

Flicking through the TV menus, Dimitri soon had it started. Holding one another while we watched it, at the end tears were pouring down my face.

"I'm sorry, that was such a chick flick!" I said embarrassed.

"There's nothing unmanly about loving a woman and spending your whole life devoted to her," he said, looking at me with love. "It's what I intend to do," he said, taking my hand and kissing it.

My heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, Dimitri! I love you so much! I promise to fight with everything I have to come back to you!"

Nodding, he pulled me against him, rubbing my back and keeping me calm.

A little later he asked, "So how are we going to do this?"

"Well, Abe said they're arriving at sunset. It sounds like they're bringing Lissa in sedated. I thought we'd put her in one of the rooms up here and I'll take as much of the darkness as I can bear."

Dimitri nodded, looking bleak.

"Hopefully Adrian can guide me by reading our auras. I thought if I take some of it, it might be enough?" I said, without much optimism. "But in case not, I thought it might be best to have the doctor on hand again, in case I need to be sedated."

"That makes sense," Dimitri agreed.

"If I go crazy, don't let me hurt anyone, Dimitri," I said quietly. "And if I am sedated, please take care of Lissa until I'm ok again. Tell her about us."

"I will," he promised, cuddling me.

It was past lunchtime, and my stomach was starting to grumble.

"Come on Comrade. Let's go get some food," I said, feeling a little like I was headed for the last supper. We each put on jeans and a shirt and walked hand in hand down the stairs. At the second floor, we encountered my mother and Abe. They were standing together in the foyer, he with his arms around her. As she looked up, I could see Mom had been crying.She stepped back awkwardly.