1.1 | The Yakuza Bride

Chapter 41

She slid between the covers, held his gaze for a moment, then purposely turned her back to him. He whispered her name, but she ignored him. Apparently, just because she had let him hold her, it didn't mean she was no longer angry. He seemed to be doing that a lot these days. Leon slowly reached out a hand, past the gap between them, and placed his palm on her back. So warm.

'I'm still angry,' he heard her mutter. 

If it wasn't for the gravity of the words he had spoken earlier, he would have laughed at her childishness. But then, who was the childish one here? He had mentioned something that shouldn't even have crossed his mind in the first place. It wasn't like as if they hated each other to the core, it was just that, he thought he could have convinced her to leave by doing so.

And her words. Her words broke him. I'm not going anywhere, especially if it means leaving you behind.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he had said over and over again. I didn't know. Or I wouldn't have said that.

'You're warm,' he murmured as he shifted closer to her. 

Why did he always say the wrong things? He wished he could kick himself in the face. Divorce, he could almost hear his father say, Divorce this wonderful girl? She'll make you a better man yet. Not that he had discussed anything with the man, but he knew he would say something along those lines.

'Hanochka, are you asleep yet?'

It was seconds before she gave him a muffled 'No'.

'Want me to hold you?'

He knew he had sounded like as if he was pleading, begging even. But without her head beneath his chin and her hand over his, he couldn't fall asleep.

'Okay,' she finally said.

He could have cheered. He scooted even closer to her, so that her back was against his chest, then hugged one arm around her.

'I didn't mean all that I said earlier.'

'You always say things you don't mean.'

A frown creased his forehead.

'Not all the time. I do mean most things I say. Like the things I say about you. Every single thing, I mean them. I don't go around dishing out praise on everyone, you know?' He brushed her hair back from her face and tucked the strands behind her ear. 

She sighed loudly.

'I should have apologised in advance before we married,' he continued testily. 'Then you at least would have a choice.'

I mean, I'm probably one of the most horrid people on earth, killing, lying, betraying, what have I not done? And why did my father get me to marry her? She would have been better off with Mosay, age difference aside. Or Val. Val's a good guy...what the hell was father thinking, really.

All of a sudden, she flipped around to face him. She took his hand in hers and pressed his knuckles to her lips.

'There you go again,' she said softly. 'Talking about choices. Some situations don't come with choices, that's why we make the most of it.'

'And there you go again,' he muttered, 'refuting everything that I say.'

'It's my job.'

She shut her eyes and snuggled into him. He tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear again, then gently stroked her head over and over.

'But really though, if you had a choice between, say..., me, my brother, or Val, or maybe some other cousin of mine, who would you - Ow! You just poked my wound!'