Act Two

VII

"Don't be too loud." The words play on a loop through Yakov's mind. The man is lying awake in his full-sized bed, not able to rest. He stays staring at the dark ceiling, thoughts running a mile a minute. What has gotten into Anna's head? What made her decide to take advantage of him? That doesn't happen to men, right? Or does it? Was he about to let her get away with it? The blonde suffers from too many "what if's", causing more distress. He does not know what to do, who to tell or if he should tell anyone at all. Poor Lilia. It is all he can think. This poor woman has to carry his baggage and deal with all his problems. He feels guilty for already bothering her twice for advice. He hopes Lilia does not mind.

The man already knows he will not get a wink of slumber tonight, glancing at his wall clock every few minutes to see it's gone up just one. It is already well past two in the morning. He's been home since nine. A small part of him wants to call Lilia to distract himself but he knows he does not want to disturb her rest and cause her to not fall back asleep. That is the last thing he needs. Then, he realizes it's Tuesday and that he has another lesson today.

Shit.

That means he will see Anna again. By the way she acted after Yakov got her to snap out of it, she seemed to have gone back to normal. At least, it seemed to be that way. He can only imagine what Yaletha is going through at home. Even without him seeing her mother earlier. He does not know why Anna would tell him part of why Yaletha is the way she is. Maybe she feels the need to disclose it with others as they get to know her and Yaletha? Now knowing that Yaletha has no father figure in her life at all, it makes Yakov more fond of her. He always saw her as a little sister or niece. He worries about the emotional scarring she must have. It is now clear she has physical too.

Yakov's fingers find their way to the pink and red mark left on the base of his neck. He's messed with it at least ten times this night already. It's no hickey but it is a small bruise from Anna nipping at him. Luckily, it is low enough to conceal easily. Had this situation been involved with Lilia, the outcome would be completely different. He wishes he was with Lilia instead. The idea of losing her over this terrifies him. If she walks out of his life, he won't be able to cope and fall into an even deeper hole. This time, he would see no point in climbing out if that happens. For now, he can only rehearse what to say to her when he does see the brunette again.

Oh, how he misses seeing her bright green eyes shine in the winter sun. Her cheeks turn pink from the cold air, and the perfect smile that belongs to her. Everything about the woman is so desirable. She always keeps him wanting more. He is dying to be able to claim her, showing his love for Lilia to the world.

Love? Yakov may just be in love with Lilia now.

Yakov still plays it off as a strong bond, not knowing what true love is. He wants to wrap her in his arms, hold her close while they sway together, and call her his. He would then end it by connecting their lips, cupping her smooth cheek. As much as he wants to, he feels disgusting right now. So, the Russian gets himself up from the bed to take a shower and hopefully feel a little better. Even under the lukewarm faucet, he can not seem to wrap his head around things. Yakov's still waiting to wake up from this dream and let out a heavy sigh knowing it is not real. Unfortunately, it is not a dream but a harsh reality.

He does not want to look down at himself and remember the places Anna's hands have been. They feel imprinted on his skin, reminding him of the sinful actions they took. He regrets putting his hands on her, most likely hurting her wrists. He would never do that. It seems that even Yakov broke out of his character too. He hopes to not see Anna in the morning but no Anna means no Yaletha. He does not want Yaletha to miss out on training because of her mother. The man is scared she will snap again and throw herself on him at the rink. He does not want the opportunity to be given another chance.