Four Broken Pieces ✓

Thirty Four

With that blazing truth, my tilted world shifted on to its axis once more. The boys said nothing but I could see the emotion swimming in their eyes. It was alright if they didn't put it into words. 

I then noticed a certain pair of bright green eyes fixed on my jacket with an intense look of concentration. His rough palm traced the material with a sense of awe on his face. My eyes narrowed at his strange behavior. 

"It's my jacket. You're the girl from that night." His eyes roved my face like he was trying to memorize it and connect it to that night all those months ago. I'd been starved then. My cheekbones had been hollow and I'd been of a sickly pallor that was disguised by makeup. Combined with the amount of chaos in that moment, I doubted he remembered me. As he said those words however, I felt another click inside my heart. Fate was so incredibly twisted but so beautiful. It's almost like I'd always known we'd met some time ago, from the very first time I saw Mikhail at school.

"You saved me that night." They were the only reason I was even here now alive and breathing. Wasn't it all right then, to build my world around them? Wasn't it all right to give them everything I had and to risk losing myself in their love? I didn't know. Alexei traced a single finger over the back of my hand as he held it tightly in his.

"You've saved us time and time again darling. You fought for all of us when we pushed you away. You've given us a chance at happiness I don't think any of us could find anywhere else and for that, we'll always be grateful." I squeezed his hand in mine before releasing it and letting my hand travel up to the back of his head. Gently, I pulled his forehead to mine. Mikhail and Ivan leaned forward as well and we all shut our eyes. Our foreheads were pressed together, faces just inches away. Love wrapped us in its strong arms and trust wove its magic in the small space between us. I felt like I was finally breathing for the first time in years as our foreheads finally touched and even though we'd once shared a bed, I knew this was the most intimate moment we'd ever shared. The silence spoke volumes as we breathed the same air and finally slowed down our frantic hearts.

"You're our girl Roe. Always and forever." I only let out another exhale as Mikhail whispered those beautiful words into the silence between us.

I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. With a groan, I twisted in the cold sheets to get a look at my alarm clock. It was close to 9 in the morning and it was a school day. Oh no. I let out a silent groan and sat up, rubbing at my bleary eyes and praying I wasn't seeing things.

The clock still read 9. I slowly made a move to get out of bed when I noticed a figure standing at my doorway out of the corner of my vision. With a high-pitched scream, I rolled straight out of the bed and landing with a thud and a muffled groan. I was now hopelessly twisted in the sheets with one of the boys' bedroom slippers pressing painfully into my back.

"Oh my God Roe are you alright?" Mikhail rushed over and helped pulled me up as best as he could with one hand. His other hand held a steaming cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top. I shamelessly inhaled the scent like a five year old.

"Thanks for scaring me first thing in the morning love." The last word slipped out before I'd even meant for it to. I pretended to brush it off like it was no big deal. Mikhail didn't press the matter but I saw pink stain his cheeks.

"I'm sorry Roe. I'm sure this can make it up to you though." He handed me the steaming cup of hot chocolate that I took eagerly from him. Planting myself on the edge of the bed, I took a greedy sip. This was pure heaven. Waking up in the morning to the boy I loved and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Outside, there was about a foot of snow that covered my entire lawn in a sea of white. School must have been cancelled.