Chapter 153


    Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Three


    Sophie


    Once Misha and Andrei came back, I spent a little time ying the ne, so Misha could add to the


    recordings he already had. 1 had a new melody in my head for a new song that I thought of while


    staying awake for Ivan. I started to y with it and a new song started to form. I wasn’t sine il I got it


    from my dad, since he was the one that nted the melody of my song into my head and then let me


    tunish it. That was how I usually wrote songs. I would just think of the melody and the more I yed


    with it, the more the song would form around it. My dad has probably been nting melodies in my


    head my whole life without me knowing.


    Once I was done, Misha said, “that’s not one you’ve yed before, is it?”


    1 shook my head no. “I just thought of that one the other night. It’ll change a few more times before I


    figure it out.”


    “You just made all of that up? Right now?” I nodded,ughing at his expression. “That’s amazing. It


    sounds like a finished song.”


    “Only because you can’t hear it in my head. It’s not finished yet.”


    “I won’t tell if you don’t tell. No one will ever know.”


    We walked back through the kitchen to find van passed out on the couch. He finally gave up and fell


    asleep. I looked quickly to Misha, who ran to his room to get a charger. He rushed back as quietly as


    he could, plugging the phone in close to Ivan. He turned it on and turned the volume up loud enough


    that Ivan could hear it.


    He pulled me back toward the kitchen, saying quietly. “It’s not set up to y on repeat yet. I have to


    mess with it and the videos I took at the gallery to make one long recording, but if we stay close, I can


    just start it over when it reaches the end.”


    I looked at the time. “I think it’s perfect. I was going to start on dinner right about now anyway, so it


    works out. You can help me. Whether you want to or not.” I grinned at him.


    “Are you kidding? I will dly help you. My stomach was so lucking happyst night. I’ll do whatever


    you want. What are you going to make this time?”


    “I was thinking of making ravioli. It’s one of my favorite recipes that Max’s grandmother taught me. I


    haven’t made it in a while.”


    He just stared at me for a long moment. “I love you so much right now,” he said as his broad smile


    stretched across his face.


    I couldn’t help but smile back at him. “I know,” I said as I winked at him.


    I was still finishing up dinner with Misha when Adrik, Viktor, and Stephen got home. Misha and I were


    busy talking andughing quietly as I ordered him around the kitchen. Ivan was still passed out on the


    couch. Misha had it timed perfectly. He would run in and restart the recording just as it finished each


    time.


    He had just walked back in the kitchen and I said, “we’re going to have to wake him eventually so that


    you can stop having to restart the recording and make it longer for him. But so far, it’s working


    smashingly well.”


    Adrik, Viktor, and Stephen walked into the kitchen. I smiled at them, putting my finger up to my lips to


    ntake sure they stayed quiet. They walked over to the counter before talki


    “Ivan is finally asleep on the couch. I don’t want to wake him up just yet. He needs it,” I said.


    Adrik walked to my side, his arm sliding around my waist. “So, heating you y works just as well as


    you talking to him?” He pressed his lips to mine when I looked up at him to answer his question. I


    smiled against his lips as I nodded my head.


    “Misha got more recordings today and he’s going to put them all together so it will y continuously for


    him. Then we just have to remember to plug in the phone, so he and Viktor don’t need to wake up in a


    panic again.”


    Viktor sighed. “I’d prefer to not have to fight him in the middle of the night, but I’ll do it if necessary. It


    usually takes all of us to hold him down. He’s a beast on a good day, but when he’s like that, he’s out


    for blood. It’s hard not to take it personal sometimes.”


    “He doesn’t see you guys when he’s like that. It doesn’t matter who is in front of him, he can only see


    his memories. He’s not fighting you guys. He’s fighting his past,” I said, looking at him sympathetically.


    The fallout of trauma. It affected everyone.


    “But he sees you when he’s like that,” Viktor said, somewhat perplexed.


    I thought for a moment. I didn’t want to say too much, because I know Ivan didn’t want them to know


    and I didn’t have the best track recordtely with keeping my mo uth sh ut. Adrik still had his arm


    around me, I fell him run his hand up my back. He knew I was trying to find the words.


    “I think it’s because he and I go to the same ce. What he described to me today was exactly the


    same as what I experienced on the ne and when we were at the ranch.” I looked at Adrik, suddenly


    curious as to how he could pull me into the darkness. “Like I said before, his demons recognize mine.” I


    shrugged my shoulders, not really knowing how else I could exin it.


    “Well, whatever it is, I’ve still never seen anything like it. I’ve known Ivan for over ten years now and


    he’s never snapped out of it as quickly as he has with you. I’m d. For him. And maybe a little bit for


    me, too, because I don’t have to fight him,” he said as he grinned.


    “I wouldn’t want to fight him, that’s for sure,” I said, as I winked at him.


    “What’s for dinner, sestrichka? It smells amazing,” he said, rubbing his stomach.


    Misha said, “she made mushroom ravioli. And bread. Bro. She made bread. And she made the ravioli


    from scratch. Like everything you’re about to put in your mo uth was made by her.”


    “To be fair, the chicken was not made by me. I just cooked it. And also, Misha helped with everything.


    He’s quite the sous chef.” I said smiling at him.


    Ivan walked into the kitchen, looking better than he had earlier. He still looked tired, but nowhere near


    as tired as he did earlier- in the day, “Princess, that smells like it’s going to make my stomach happier


    than it wasst night, which is saying a lot.”


    I couldn’t help but smile at him. “Squishy, you look better. You slept okay? It worked?”


    He nodded, “Was that one a new one?”


    Misha answered for me. “Can you believe she just like sat down and yed that for the first time


    today? She was like I have this melody in my head. Ban?. Here’s a song. The End.”


    Iughed. “It’s not finished yet. It’ll sound better when it’s finished.”


    Ivan said, “I like It. It might be my favorite one so far.”


    As I stood in the kitchen, looking at Ivan tell me he liked that song, I knew without a doubt that my dad


    had put that melody in my head specifically for Ivan. I thanked him silently.


    “Oh, Boss. I have news,” Ivan said as he indicated for Adrik to allow him to the next room. Adrik kissed


    my temple and whispered, “be right back, love,” as he walked into the next room with Ivan.


    “Viktor, would you mind seeing if Andrei is awake yet? He told us to make sure and wake him up for


    dinner.”


    “If I say no, can I get his portion?” he asked, his eyebrow raised like he was legitimately considering


    saying no.


    “Do you want me to smack you with this wooden spoon? Because I’ll do it,” I said, pointing at him with


    the spoon.


    Heughed loudly, walking out of the kitchen. Adrik and Ivan walked back into the kitchen, both looking


    like they were trying to keep it together. That was serious news. Adrik walked back to me, pulling me to


    him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly, his face in my hair, inhaling deeply. “I missed you,


    solnishko.” I stepped back, looking at him, but saw only happiness in his eyes. I stood on my toes and


    kissed him gently. “I missed you more,” I said smiling against his lips.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.