Page 49 of Sweet Deception
But he was here.
Why?
Wordlessly, he turned and walked into the bathroom.
I exhaled shakily. What had he been doing? Where had he come from?
When he reemerged, freshly showered, he didn’t speak. Just crossed the room and placed a hand on my forehead.
I shivered. Not from fever, but from his touch.
“Come here.” His voice was low, commanding.
I didn’t argue. I moved into his arms, pressing against his warmth.
His right hand settled on my back. His body was solid, warm and safe.
I barely noticed when he picked up his phone.
“Her fever hasn’t dropped. Why?”
My eyes fluttered open.
He was talking to the doctor.
His voice turned lethal. “Listen to me, if anything happens to her, if she gets worse, I’ll rip your throat out.”
He ended the call and tossed the phone onto the bed.
I swallowed. “...I don’t understand you.”
Gleb didn’t respond.
I kept going, voice quieter now. “You hate me, but you still take care of me.”
He exhaled sharply. “I...”
I cut him off. “I already know what you’ll say. ‘You’re my wife. It’s my duty to take care of you.’ Right?”
Silence.
I hesitated, then admitted, “Sometimes... it feels like you actually care.”
He shifted. “Girl...”
I pushed him off, scowling. “Stop. I’m not a teenager.”
His hand shot out, but I yanked away.
“Come here.”
“No.”
He tried to turn me toward him, but I resisted, using what little strength I had left.
“Girl, why are you so stubborn?”
“My name is Anna.” I glared at him. “Not ‘girl.’ If you can’t say my name, then don’t speak to me at all.”
