Page 36 of Twins for the Bratva

I assisted her in ridding herself of her clothing and watched in awe as she got in the bath. Bending next to the tub, I lathered her in soap and bubbles. I washed her back, her legs, and feet. She giggled as I did this.

Her laughter filled the room. I felt like I was surrounded by exotic birds in a rainforest. She was so special. I wondered if she knew what power she had over me. Once she was done bathing, I picked her up and wrapped her in a large fluffy gown.

I carried her to my bed and laid her down. Sitting next to her, I grabbed the massage oil. “Turn on your stomach for a bit,” I said, opening the bottle. I massaged her back, legs, arms, and neck.

“I can get used to this,” she whispered as I was about done.

“Rest, sugar,” I said, kissing her cheek. “I have something to check on. I’ll be back in a bit, though.” I added as I left the room.

I had to follow up with Mila and the others. Hopefully, Dahlia would get some sleep and feel better once she woke up.

Mila had just arrived home as I entered the kitchen. “Any update?” I asked, pouring two cups of coffee.

“Leo and Evelina are looking into it for us,” she replied, taking her cup. “Leo said he’ll give us a call in the morning.”

“Thank you, Mila,” I said, walking out to the porch.

I was about to rinse my cup when Piotr returned. “Hey, how are you two holding up?” he asked.

“Good, thanks, but I feel tired, I think I’ll turn in for the evening. See you in the morning.”

“No problem, sleep well,” he replied as I walked out.

I slid into bed beside Dahlia, trying my best not to wake her. I felt calm, holding her even with everything milling around my mind.

Chapter 17 - Dahlia

I must have been totally worn out as I slept right through the night. Stretching out, I glanced around. The room was empty; Konstantin had already left. The sun shone in through the open window, warming the end of the bed. I wondered what time it was.

Getting up, I checked the clock. It was still early. I headed down to the kitchen. As I walked in, greeting everyone, Konstantin got up for his seat. He rinsed his cup, kissed my cheek, and left.

“He’s in a rush,” I said to Mila.

“Yeah, I think he wants to follow up on this job. I also have to go. See you later,” she said as she headed for the door leading to the garage.

Being alone at home, I spent my morning in the garden and the library. After a stroll through the garden, I put on a movie and relaxed. Rubbing my tummy, I thought about all the changes my body was going through. I had put on some weight over the last couple of months.

Yet, the pregnancy wasn’t even showing clearly. It looked more like I had gotten fat. It felt like it as well. I had some fruit and cream for lunch and took a swim. Before I knew it, the others had started arriving home. Mila was the first, followed by Piotr shortly after.

Where’s Konstantin?” I asked as we started preparing supper.

“He’ll be back soon,” Piotr said, grabbing a beer and walking out to the patio.

We had just dished up when Konstantin came in. He greeted us as he walked to the fridge. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and joined Piotr outside. Holding my cheek, I wondered what had changed.

Today, he appeared to be distant. I wondered if I had done something wrong. I played more with my meal than I ate. I suddenly didn’t feel hungry. I sat staring at him as he spoke to Mila.

My mind wandered off. Why was he being so distant? What did I do to push him away? I couldn’t make sense of it. Looking down as I held my tummy, I sighed. It had to be my body. I was getting fat, and he surely disliked what he saw.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I noticed everyone had left. Only Konstantin was still at the table. He glanced at me, got up, and cleared the table. I assisted in rinsing the dishes and packing the dishwasher.

Konstantin grabbed another beer and headed upstairs without a word. I wondered where the other two had gone. Looking on the porch and out the back, I didn’t see them. They might have turned in for the evening.

Taking a bottle of juice from the fridge, I went upstairs. I found Konstantin in the entertainment room. He sat on the couch watching a movie. I entered and sat down next to him. He moved to the side, creating some distance between us.

I couldn’t contain my confusion anymore. I felt hurt and like an outsider again. Standing, I placed my hands on my hips as I spoke loudly. “What’s wrong with me? Why do you keep moving away? Don’t you want to touch me anymore?” I had to know what was happening. Not knowing was eating me up from inside.

With everything going on and all that had happened, I was already emotional, stressed, and uncomfortable. I couldn’t take this distance he was causing.

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