Page 54 of Severance

“You think that it was easy for me to go there alone?” she demands. “You almost died, literally jumping in front of a bullet for me. I didn’t know what the fuck to do, Kai. Call me selfish, but I needed answers and it couldn’t wait. You needed to rest and heal and going to get the answers that we were looking for was the only thing that I could do.”

Dahlia keeps her eyes on mine as I consider her valid points. I’m still pissed that I wasn’t there with her, but I can’t blame her for doing what she did. She did what she felt she had to do.

Reaching out, I take her hand in mine and gently stroke her soft skin. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t there with you, to hear what they had to say.”

Dahlia’s eyes soften and she nods lightly. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“It’s okay,bambolina.” I give her a small smile. “I’m not mad at you, I just wish I was there, but I get why you went.”

Smiling back at me, Dahlia jumps as there’s a soft knocking on the door. It opens slowly and Nikolai peeks his head through the opening and he raises his eyebrows as he looks over at us.

Dahlia rolls her eyes. “You can come in, Nik.”

Nikolai smiles and pushes the door open farther as he walks back into the room. “We all good?” He inquires, but his question is directed at Dahlia.

“Yep,” I answer for her and she looks over at me, shaking her head lightly with a playful smile playing on her lips.

“Sweet.” Nik smiles and he walks to the side of my bed and directs his gaze down at me. “You’re all good to go, man. So, now you can get the fuck out of my house and go heal at home.” He winks and Dahlia drives her fist into his arm.

“I’m just fucking with you. Damn,” he huffs as he rubs his bicep dramatically. “And here I was gonna be the nice guy and give you a ride home.”

“You are going to give us a ride.” Dahlia squeezes my hand and she smiles at me as I look over at her. “Let’s go home.”

Where the fuck is that?

I stare at her, conflicted and not sure how to respond. Of course, I want to get out of here. I don’t know the extent of what Nikolai and his brother do or what they’re capable of doing and I don’t care to know. They sedated me against my will more than once and that’s enough to make me not trust either of them.

“Where are we going to go?” I ask her quietly.

Dahlia looks away as she contemplates our options, which aren’t many.

“So, our options like right now, right this second, are your place, mine, or a hotel.”

None of it makes any sense, it shouldn’t be a question of where we’re going. We have nothing that isours.

“A hotel doesn’t need to be an option because we’re not in danger anymore.” I smile at Dahlia before my face falls slightly. “I don’t know what kind of mess Luca left at my place, so perhaps we should stay at yours?”

Dahlia purses her lips as she draws in her eyebrows. “We could stay there, I suppose,” she says quietly and clearly displeased.

“Would you rather stay at my place?”

She shakes her head lightly and turns on the bed. “Let’s move and start over together. Something fresh and new… something that is ours.”

“Yes,” I respond without hesitation. “Fuck yes.”

I hadn’t suggested it, but it was in the front of my mind. It’s the only option that makes sense for us. We need a clean slate to build a new life together.

“Then it’s decided,” Dahlia says as her smile touches her eyes. “We’ll stay at my house until we work out the details and come up with a plan.”

“It’s a deal.” I smile back at her, finally feeling a sense of peace wash over me.

Everything’s going to be just fine.

???

Nikolai pulls his car into Dahlia’s driveway and leaves the engine running as he puts it in park. “You need help getting in?” he asks, turning to us sitting in the backseat.

“I think we got it from here, doc,” Dahlia smirks.

---