Page 55 of Knocked Up By the Russian

"About what?" he answered gruffly as he fixed the cushions around her, then grabbed the remote to put the TV on. Amy winced at the sudden noise, relaxing when he turned the volume down and faced her.

"Us," she mouthed, the word sticking in her throat. From fear, she realized as he turned to face her with a frown.

"I'm so angry at you," he said softly, and her lower lip wobbled again. "There's a lot I want to talk about, but you just went through a traumatic experience, Amy. You got injured. For now, can we just watch a few movies and we can discuss the serious stuff in the morning?"

"I don't want to wait for the morning," she hiccuped, reaching up to grab his shirt. "Please, Ivan."

His hands were gentle as he removed her fingers from his shirt, and Amy swallowed down her tears as he sat beside her.There was a gap between them, an inch of space, but fuck it. It felt like a canyon.

I'm not ready to let go of him,she realized as she stared at the TV, her whole body trembling.

"Amy?" he muttered, pulling that fucking blanket he'd used when he was sleeping in the lounge. She didn't know what it was—maybe the significance, or the hormones—but she promptly burst into tears.

Russian curses reached her ears as Ivan's arm grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him. "Mishka," he muttered thickly, swollen fingers wiping away her tears. "Calm down. Why are you crying?"

"You're going to leave," she hiccuped, pressing her face into his neck so that he couldn't see the agony playing across her features. "That's why you're acting like this. Why you've been so distant," she babbled.

"Silly little bear," her husband snorted, and she shot up to glare at him.

"I'm not silly!"

Ocean-blue eyes peered back at her with bemusement. "No? Then why the hell are you talking about me leaving? If anyone's capable of leaving this marriage, it's you. You're the one that wanted it from the start."

"No, I don't!" she cried, palms reaching out to cup his hands against her face as he cradled her head between his hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied softly, brushing his lips against hers. "Now stop jumping to conclusions and rest. I need you healed so I can paddle your ass for running around when it's dangerous. Don't you have any fucking sense?"

"Clearly not if I fell for you," she sassed, biting his lip when he went to kiss her. Their bickering died down, but the tears didn't leave, and she looked at him seriously. "Do you mean it? You're not going anywhere?"

"Nowhere, Mishka," he answered, kissing the tip of her nose.

"Then why were you ignoring me?" she muttered, voice small as she settled against his chest. Her eyes drooped, his heartbeat a lullaby she couldn't resist. "I thought you decided that you were done with us. I know this marriage isn't conventional, and we've had a really shitty start," her voice softened. "But it's ours, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

They both grew quiet before Ivan snickered. "I wasn't ignoring you, crazy woman. I had a threat to neutralize," he snorted, amusement clear in his tone. "I love you, Amy."

Amy's heart swelled, warmth blooming within her even as tears continued to spill down her cheeks. "I know," she admitted through her sobs, a smile breaking through despite her emotional turmoil. "I realized it as soon as I figured out you stole my favorite coffee mug."

Ivan blinked in surprise, a faint blush creeping up his cheeks when she bent her neck to meet his eyes. "You noticed that?" he asked, a playful incredulity in his voice that made her smile widen.

"Of course! You had it tucked away in your cabinet, and I thought it was missing—you thought I wouldn't notice?"

He chuckled softly, still holding her close. "I thought I could keep it from you just a little longer."

She met his gaze, the connection between them deepening as she confessed, "I love you too, Ivan." The realization settled fully in the air between them, a powerful force that enveloped them.

Epilogue - Amy

Five months later

"Ivan?" Amy called as she stepped into the garden, her shoes sunk into the grass and a grimace crossed her face.Should've known better than to wear high heels, damn it.

Her stomach had grown huge in the past few months, protruding like a basketball under her dress, and Amy couldn't see a damn thing to know where she was standing as she walked toward the picnic. She adjusted her posture, trying to balance on the uneven ground, when she spotted the rest of the family gathered at the picnic table, laughing and enjoying the late afternoon sun.

"Adrian, you're officially the only one left single!" Zia teased, leaning back in her chair with a sly grin. "What are you waiting for? You should get it together before they start having kids."

"Yeah, seriously!" Mira chimed in. "At this rate, you'll be the last man standing while we're all fighting over who's babysitting next."

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