Page 66 of Triplet Babies
“Good morning.” He glances over his shoulder with a small smile that transforms his usually guarded features.
“You didn’t have to cook.”
“I wanted to.” He plates the eggs and turns to face me fully. “How did you sleep?”
“Better than I have in weeks.” I accept the plate he offers, and our fingers brush in the exchange. “Thank you for last night.”
Something flickers in his expression, an emotion I can’t quite read. “You don’t need to thank me for wanting to be here.”
The front door opens before I can respond, and Nina walks in carrying grocery bags. She stops short when she sees Yarik, her eyebrows rising slightly, but she doesn’t comment.
“Morning.” She sets the bags on the counter and looks between us with barely concealed approval. “Should I come back later?”
“No, stay.” I feel heat rise in my cheeks. “Yarik was just leaving for a meeting.”
He nods, already reaching for his shirt. “I’ll drive you to the estate after I’m done. Should be back around three.”
Nina busies herself unpacking groceries while Yarik gets dressed, but I catch her watching us with keen interest. After he leaves with a kiss that lingers longer than necessary, she turns to me with raised eyebrows.
“So. That happened.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Honey, the best things usually are.” She pours herself coffee and settles at our small table. “You look happier than you have since we got here.”
I join her, cradling my mug between my hands. “I am. Which terrifies me.”
“Why?”
“Because what if it doesn’t last? What if when everything comes out, when the engagement situation gets resolved one way or another, he realizes this was just a distraction?”
Nina reaches across to squeeze my hand. “From what I saw this morning, that man isn’t treating you like a distraction.”
I want to believe her, but doubt gnaws at me. The ultrasound folder sits in my purse across the room, reminding me of the three babies I carry now. Three tiny lives that will change everything between us, and I still don’t know how to tell him.
When Yarik returns a bit later, he drives me to the estate in comfortable silence. “I’ll be back by six,” he says as he drops me off. “Try to stay in the main areas of the house.”
The protective undertone in his voice makes my chest warm. “I will.”
He kisses me briefly before driving away, leaving me with a stack of paperwork to organize in his office. I settle at his desk, my work bag beside the chair, and lose myself in the familiar rhythm of filing and organizing.
The afternoon passes quietly. I work through vendor contracts and shipping manifests, and everything is legitimate and above board as far as I can tell. Around four, I realize I need supplies from the main filing room down the hall, so I leave my bag by the desk and head out to gather what I need.
The filing room is larger than Yarik’s office, with built-in cabinets containing what looks like decades of business records. I find the forms I need and spend nearly an hour making copies and organizing them by date. When I finally return to Yarik’s office to collect my things, I’m already thinking about whether he’ll want to stay at my apartment again tonight.
“Sarah.”
The voice stops me just outside Yarik’s office door. I turn to find Katya approaching, looking effortlessly elegant in a cream-colored suit. Her smile is warm and friendly, but something about it makes my skin crawl.
“Katya.” I force my own smile, hoping it doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “I didn’t know you were here today.”
“I had a meeting with the wedding planner.” She stops just close enough to invade my personal space without being overtly aggressive. “You know how these things are, with so many details to coordinate.”
The casual mention of her upcoming wedding to Yarik is like a slap, but I keep my expression neutral. “I’m sure it will be beautiful.”
“I think so.” She studies me with unnerving intensity. “You’re looking well. There’s something different about you lately. A certain glow.”
My mouth is suddenly dry, but I force myself not to react with micro-expressions, or touch my still-flat stomach, or step backward. “Thank you. I’ve been sleeping better.”
