Dancing Away with My Heart: (Part 2 in Dancing with Artem Chigvintsev trilogy)

17

I woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of my phone ringing as loud as can be.

I rolled over and felt Maks tighten his grip around me.

"Maks." I shook him, "my phone, it might be an emergency."

He bolted awake and grabbed it on the other side of the room for me.

"Peta." He said with an un pleased tone.

"Should I answer it?" I asked

"Something tells me that it isn't an emergency." Maks said "but you never know."

I picked the phone up and said "Hello."

"Emma! My god, what the heck is going on? Is this really you and Maks, where's Artem!?" She was ranting at me through the phone. She saw the news article. That was fast. I wonder if Artem has seen it, I haven't gotten a chance to warn him yet.

"Calm down." I begged her.

"Your married, you have boys who need you and your out on a fairytale adventure with Maks.. How did you even find him?"

"Peta." I said rubbing my eyes "it is like 3am could you not yell in my ear? Yeah we were dumb and the paparazzi attacked us, but you have no idea what's going on in our lives right now."

"Artem was kissed by Janel on stage in front of everyone, so what? It was a misunderstanding, then he has to drop out of the competition and now your what?.. traveling the globe with Maks? I don't get it."

"Like I said, you have no idea what has happened."

"Enlighten me." She said

"Artem didn't just kiss her, he slept with Janel, they shared an intimate moment together the night of Val's birthday party, my husband cheated on me." I shook as I yelled back at her, "he had no intentions of telling me, Janel told me."

"What!?" She was shocked, "I don't even believe that, did Artem admit to it? Or have you not given him a chance to explain."

"Of course he did." I cried "he admitted to it and immediately wanted forgiveness and I instantly fell out of love with him, the connection was lost. I realized so much in the past few months of my life... Artem constantly being away working, and me worrying about Maks, I realized that I was making the relationship work because of the boys and I was in love with Maks all along."

"I don't get it, how did you and Maks end up together?"

"Remember when he called you? He was calling to tell you he was back in town, he didn't know who to tell he was afraid to intrude on my life with Artem.."

"And so when you went home, you and him.."

"He was there for me, like he has been since the day I met him, he held me and showed me the love and affection I so desperately was in need of."

"Why did you fight so hard to win Artem back.. 10 years ago, I mean, if you have always loved Maks." She asked "you know, when he ended things with me, he told me he would have left me for you.."

"I didn't want that for him, I didn't want to tear you guys apart, Maks was off limits the moment he began dating you."

"I don't blame him or you for my heartbreak, I am just angry at love right now, and how it tears families apart."

"I don't want this to tear apart my friendships or my family. I only recently realized that my happiness is what is important right now, I don't know what that means in the real world. I know I have to return home and deal with the life I have and what I want it to become.."

"This is all just so much to take in." She butted in. "I am sorry, I'm just slowly realizing that I was the one who stopped the obvious connection the two of you had, maybe if I hadn't been in the picture you wouldn't have married Artem. Maks could have been free to win you back and maybe you would have been much happier and carefree, like the girl you were 10 years ago. Maybe you would have had 2 Chmerkovskiy boys running around.." She sounded so upset.

I looked over at Maks who was only hearing my end of the conversation.

I put my hand in his and he smiled at me sleepily.

"I don't regret the path that has gotten me to this moment right now." I was not only responding to Peta, but speaking from my heart to Maks.

"I wish you happiness, Emma." She said before we ended the phone call and I knew I should speak to Artem again.

"Come here." Maks said holding me and stopping me from making another phone call. "I can see the stress this is causing for you and honestly I'm tired of caring about what everyone thinks, marry me." He said

My eyes darted to meet his.

"Maks that is absurd! I am still married! I have two kids..." I said barely able to breathe.