The elevator doors open, and he takes a step forward to follow me, but the maintenance guy is in it with a big trash receptacle and I’ve taken up all the available room. This couldn’t be more perfect.
“Sorry, no room.” I press the button to close the doors.
Maksim removes his hand when the doors don’t stop from closing. Got to love mechanical difficulties when they work in your favor.
“Sorry,” I say to the maintenance guy as we go down.
He shakes his head.
The elevator stops on the ground floor and I file out, heading to the parking lot. As I reach the doors, the emergency staircase door opens, and a breathless Maksim rushes out.
“Just listen to me.”
I stop at the door and rest the box on my hip. “What?”
“I love you.”
I give him a saccharine smile. “Nice. Bye.”
I walk out of the Fury building, but of course he follows me, running and walking backward in front of me while he talks.
“I’m serious and I know that’s not enough, but I’m going to do the work. I’m going to talk to someone. But I want to make sure you’ll wait for me.”
“You cannot be serious.”
“Please, kotik,” he says, and my last nerve sizzles and snaps.
“No!” I put up my finger. “Don’t use that word for me. You lost the right when you laughed off the idea of ever loving me to Jana. When you said those mean things to me. So my name is Paisley Pearce to you now.”
He bites the corner of his lip to stop from smiling.
God, I’d love to smack him across the face right now. “Stop laughing.”
“I’m sorry. Paisley then.” He holds up his hands. “I know you love me.”
I reach my car and put the box on the hood, turning around. “You have no idea what I feel for you right now.”
“You wouldn’t be talking to me if you didn’t. Plus, I know that the love we shared doesn’t just go away. The connection we have doesn’t disappear. Just wait for me. I promise I’m coming for you as soon as I have my head sorted out. I want to be someone you can be proud of.”
Another round of tears hits my eyes and I almost give in. I almost crack and let him back in my life, but then I remember his words and a fresh wave of pain hits me. “I am proud of you. I was proud of you. What you endured is more than most people go through and you got through it. That’s a testament to your strength and perseverance. But I put myself out there once and I got burned. I’m not sure I can do it again.”
I step forward, placing my hand over his heart. I close my eyes for a moment to gain the strength to put the final ax in this cord tying us to one another because I never again want to feel what I am right now.
“I’m so happy you’re going to get help, but don’t do it for me or for us. Do it for yourself. There’s no turning this thing between us around. I wish you the best of luck, Maksim.” I rise up on my tiptoes and kiss him on the cheek. Then I grab my box, climb into my car, and start the engine.
“This isn’t over. I’m not accepting no,” he says to my closed window.
Without looking at him, I drive off, leaving him in my rearview mirror.
I stand at the baggage claim with Nadiya. It’s been two weeks since I last saw Paisley and I’m pissed off about it. I took her advice and called the guy on the card she left me. After only two visits, I’m feeling a little better, a little more myself. He said the fact that I admitted I was having problems dealing with the past was a great start.
“So where’s Jessie?” I ask.
“I’m telling them first. I’m going to introduce them to her tonight if things go well.”
Nadiya came to me last night and said she’s going to tell her family about Jessie. She doesn’t want to marry me just for a chance to stay here longer. I told her that was good because I couldn’t have married her anyway, no matter how much I wish I could make the situation right for her. So we’re going to a very public place to discuss this with our parents so they can’t flip out on us.
Just then, our four parents come down the escalator, our moms laughing and our dads complaining about the custom lines, I’m sure. I can tell that Nadiya is nervous, so I take her hand and give it a quick squeeze. They spot us, and our moms have their arms open, walking toward us.
“Nashi detki!” they say.
I hug my mom, then we switch. I shake both of our dads’ hands.
“You too thin, Nadiya,” her mom says.
“Yes, too thin. You should feed her.” My mom elbows me.
I shake my head. “She eats fine, Mama.”
We get their baggage and climb into the SUV I rented for them to use while they’re here.
“Oh, nice car, Maksim,” Nadiya’s mom says.
“It’s just a rental.”
“He drives a fancy sports car,” Nadiya says.
My dad presses buttons on the dashboard. “Too hot. Make it colder.”
I adjust the air conditioning, but when he figures out what to press, he turns it to max and high. I’m gonna freeze my nuts off.
“We’re going to eat,” I say to the group.
“Oh no, I cook you good Russian dinner,” my mama says. “I brought all the stuff we need from the Russia in my suitcase.”
I shake my head. She’s lucky the guys in customs didn’t know that. “We want to take you out.”
“You don’t want home cook meal from me?” My mama sounds as if she’s on the verge of tears.
“Later. You’re here for three weeks.” How will I ever get through three weeks?
“Fine, but then we go to your house?” she asks.
“Da. We have big surprise,” Nadiya’s mom says.
“What is it?” Nadiya asks, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror.
Both moms snicker, but they can’t keep it in.
“I brought my wedding dress,” Nadiya’s mom says.
“How long until the restaurant?” Nadiya asks, sounding a little panicked.
I stop at a red light. “Fifteen minutes.”
“We think instead of you coming back to Russia to get married, you marry here. Maksim, you can pull strings so it happens while we’re here, right?”
“Sure, I know everyone in the government. I’m sure they’ll bend the rules for me.” I roll my eyes as Nadiya stares out the window.
I valet at the restaurant, which my parents think is ridiculous.
“We healthy. We can walk,” my dad says.
“You mean your legs aren’t freezing? Because I can barely walk.” I shiver from driving in a deep freezer the entire way here. I tip the driver and take my number. “It’s easier this way.”
We sit at the reserved table in a seafood restaurant. I’m thankful we have some people around us who will hopefully keep our parents in check when we tell them the news about our plan not to marry. I feel bad for Nadiya. I’m not sure how her parents will take the fact that she’s a lesbian. But I know they love their daughter, so my hopes are high.
We order drinks and appetizers, but I’m told those will just make me full, so I end up canceling them although I really wanted to try that crab cake.