Page 67 of The Russian's Kidnapped Bride
She lost her brother to all of this after he was all she had left.
After all this time, she’s been holding this in. And now it all makes sense.
Her fear, her resistance, and the way she looked at me sometimes like I was something out of her worst nightmare.
Silence lingers between us, and I finally manage to speak.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know how to bring it up, and I didn’t want to give you more reasons to think I’m weak,” she admits as if it has been holding her down all along.
“I don’t think you’re weak,” I murmur, closing that gap between us again. “I never have.”
Lily looks up at me, blinking like she’s trying not to cry. “You don’t see me completely. Not really. You just see me as someone who needs protecting. Not someone holding in grief and trying to maintain boundaries. The real me is overshadowed by the things you think you’re shielding me from.”
“I seeyou, Lily,” I insist, allowing that vulnerability to creep in. “I might not understand everything, especially things outside of what I’m used to, but I’m trying. You’re not overshadowed by anything in my eyes.”
Even if she’s still resistant, she searches my eyes for something. Sincerity, maybe, likely the truth.
“I didn’t know about your brother,” I murmur, trying to offer her anything that might ease her turmoil. “But I’m sorry—truly. If I had known…”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything, and that’s the problem.”
The silence that follows is hard to swallow, but it doesn’t feel hopeless. I let it all sink in before finding my words again.
“You’re right to hate the way things work in my world. There are some things that don’t sit well with me either, but I can’t change them all. However, I can change how I protect you, and how I listen.”
Lily’s expression wavers slightly, and some of that tension leaves her face. Overall, she looks tired, and not just physically. She’s been worn down by too many secrets and keeping everything in.
Carefully, I reach for her hand, and she lets me pull her closer.
“You’ve been carrying this alone for too long,” I begin, gently running my thumb over her knuckles. “And I’ve been focusing on the wrong things. I’ve been trying to push for your trust without trying to understand you more. That’s on me, and I’m sorry.”
Her chin trembles slightly, but she takes a deep breath. “I just…need you to understand why I pull away, and why it’s hard for me to adjust to everything. I’m not just trying to be stubborn.”
I nod, taking in her features. “I get it now.”
Quiet lingers between us, but as tempting as it is, I don’t push closer. Instead, I stand there with her, offering her that gentle comfort.
Then, Lily steps closer and leans in. This time, it isn’t surrender. But exhaustion.
Pulling her in, I wrap my arms around her and lean my head against his.
It isn’t a complete fix, but it’s something.
And at this point, I’ll take whatever I can get.
Chapter 23 - Lily
As much as I want to believe that everything is fine, I still don’t know how to feel.
Mikhail says that he understands, and he sees me, not as a possession or a liability, but as someone more complex than he once believed. Maybe he does. Maybe telling him about Wyatt really did open something between us.
But regardless of his reassurances, I can’t shake that subtle anxiety lingering just beneath the surface. I don’t want to hang onto that doubt, but it still hasn’t disappeared. It’s quieter now, but still impossible to ignore.
The protection he’s offering me isn’t the worst thing in the world. Knowing I’m carrying his child makes it a bit easier to stomach, but I don’t need more guards. I need freedom.
But I’ll never know that old freedom I once had. Not while I’m his wife, and not with the baby.
