Rejected: A love story-Chapter 142: Jealousy

The room was quiet, except for the soft whir of the air conditioner and the occasional faint sound of the IV drip. Viktoria was on the bed, her pale face turned a little towards the window. She looked frail, a shadow of her usual self, but there was a glimmer of relief in her eyes as she looked over at Dmitri sitting stiffly in his chair by her bedside.

"You don’t have to sit there, you know," she said, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper.

"I’m not just sitting," Dmitri said, his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on the door. "I’m keeping an eye on things."

Viktoria rolled her eyes. Or tried to, anyway. It looked more like a slow blink. "Same thing," she said.

Before Dmitri could utter a word, the door swung open, and Dmitri turned to look. His expression was neutral as Yelena entered the room, but within a second it grew dark as Nikolai also entered. She carried a bag in her hand, the sort that only a mother would think to carry, filled with treats, a bottle of water, and a sweater that Viktoria would probably not need.

"Mama," Viktoria said, a faint smile on her lips. "You didn’t have to come all the way here."

"Ridiculous," their mother said, her voice stern and loving at the same time. "Of course, I came. What sort of mother would I be if I didn’t?"

Her face was a bit worried, she moved closer as she reached for Viktoria’s hand. "My poor girl, look at you."

"You didn’t have to call Mama," Viktoria said, her voice weak and teasing.

"You scared her," Dmitri replied, his tone clipped. "You scared all of us."

Dmitri stood stiffly, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Nikolai behind her. He did not say anything, merely clenched his jaw in response to Nikolai’s entrance, which filled the small space.

"You think I’d stay behind after I heard you collapsed? What kind of mother would I be?" Dmitri did not look at Nikolai, just merely glared at him, and Nikolai did not seem to notice, he just stepped closer.

Dmitri’s eyes turned to Nikolai, and his scowl grew deeper. "I didn’t know you were coming," Dmitri said careful not to sound too annoyed or rather jealousy, whichever he failed to acknowledge. He had never really had a beef with Nikolai.

"I asked him to come," Yelena said firmly, meeting Dmitri’s glare without flinching.

Viktoria’s eyes brightened at the sight of Nikolai, and a faint blush rose to her pale cheeks. "Nikolai," she whispered, her voice slightly shaking. "You came?"

Viktoria’s smile widened, and Dmitri noticed the way her fingers twitched slightly, like she wanted to reach out but couldn’t because of the IV in her hand. Nikolai noticed too, so he leaned down, brushing a strand of hair away from her face before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"You scared the hell out of me," Nikolai said softly, his voice cracking with enough emotion to reveal his concern for her. "How are you feeling?"

"I’m fine," Viktoria said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Really. It’s just... a little dizziness. Nothing serious."

"You don’t look fine," Nikolai said in a gentle but firm voice. His eyes scanned her face, her dark circles under her eyes, her hand trembling slightly as it rested against the bed. "You look like you’ve been through hell."

Viktoria tried to smile but it came out like a weak breath. "I’ll be fine," she said, her cheeks still flushed with color. "You know me."

"Yeah," Nikolai said with a small smile playing on his lips. "I know you. That’s why I’m not going anywhere until I’m certain you’re really okay."

Dmitri shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his arms folded tightly over his chest. "She’s fine," he said gruffly. "The doctors are taking care of it."

Nikolai glanced at Dmitri for a brief moment before looking back at Viktoria. His expression was unreadable. "Good," he said smoothly. "Then you won’t mind if I stay."

Viktoria’s blush had grown even deeper in color. Dmitri saw how her eyes seemed to melt when she looked at Nikolai. She reached out with her other hand, the one not hooked up to the IV. Her fingers touched Nikolai’s arm.

"I didn’t mean to scare you," Viktoria said in a soft voice. Her voice was a little shaky.

"You don’t have to apologize for anything," Nikolai said smoothly. He took her hand in his. His thumb touched her knuckles.

Dmitri’s jaw clenched even tighter as he continued to watch the exchange between Nikolai and Viktoria. He didn’t trust Nikolai for a single second. Yet he couldn’t deny how Viktoria was looking at him. She was looking at him as if he was the only person in the world.

"Don’t fight," Viktoria said suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked between Dmitri and Nikolai, her brows furrowing slightly. "Please, Nikolai can stay if he wants to."

"We’re not fighting," Nikolai said quickly, his tone softening. "Right, Dmitri?"

Dmitri didn’t respond, his gaze fixed on Viktoria. "Just don’t overdo it," he said finally, his voice tight. "She needs rest."

"I’ll make sure she gets it," Nikolai replied, his tone calm.

Yelena, who had been watching the exchange quietly, finally spoke up. "Enough, both of you," she said, her voice firm. "This isn’t about your egos. Viktoria needs all of us right now, not your petty arguments."

Viktoria smiled faintly, "Thank you for coming," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "Both of you."

Nikolai leaned closer, his hand still holding hers. "Always," he said softly.

Dmitri stayed silent, his posture tense as he watched Nikolai and Viktoria, he didn’t really understand why he couldn’t stand Nikolai around his sister anymore.

Yelena, who stood next to Viktoria, turned her attention to Dmitri. "Dmitri," she said, her voice firm but calm. "I ran into the doctor on my way in, and he wants to speak with us about the test results."

Dmitri frowned, his eyes brows raised. "Are the test results available already?"

Dmitri shook his head, his arms crossed over his chest. "I am not leaving Viktoria alone."

Yelena rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Don’t be silly, Dmitri. Nikolai is here. She’s not alone."

Dmitri’s lips pressed together , his eyes darting over to Nikolai, who was sitting quietly next to Viktoria, his hand on the edge of the bed. Nikolai looked up, his eyes meeting Dmitri’s, calm and steady, as if to say, "Don’t worry, I’ve got this."

"I’ll be fine, Dmitri," Viktoria said, her voice weak but reassuring. "Go with Mama."

Dmitri hesitated, his eyes darting between Viktoria and Nikolai, but the glare he got from Yelena made him realize he didn’t have a choice. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he nodded his head.

"Fine," he muttered. "But I’ll be back soon."

Yelena placed a hand on his arm, guiding him toward the door. "Come on," she said, her tone urgent. "Let’s not keep the doctor waiting."

As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, Nikolai turned his full attention back to Viktoria. His eyes took on a softer expression, and his lips curled into a small, sly grin.

"Finally," he said, his voice low and teasing. "I thought they’d never leave."

Viktoria’s blush deepened, and she looked away, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of the hospital’s gown. "Don’t say that," she murmured, though her lips curved into a shy smile.

Nikolai chuckled, leaning forward slightly. He reached for her free hand—the one not tethered to the IV—and lifted it gently to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. Viktoria’s breath hitched, her cheeks turning an even brighter shade of pink.

"You’re blushing," Nikolai said, his tone playful. "I love it when you blush."

"Stop," Viktoria said, her voice barely above a whisper. She tried to pull her hand away, but Nikolai held it firmly, his thumb brushing lightly over her knuckles.

Viktoria’s blush seemed to deepen, and she turned her face aside, her hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of the hospital gown she was wearing. "Don’t say that," she said, though her lips still curled into a small, shy smile.

Nikolai chuckled, leaning forward slightly as he reached out to take her other hand, the one not hooked to the IV line, and lift it to his lips to kiss her knuckles softly. Viktoria’s breathing hitched in her throat, her cheeks growing an even deeper shade of pink.

"You’re blushing," Nikolai said, his voice full of teasing amusement. "I love it when you blush."

"Stop it," Viktoria said, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to pull her hand back, but Nikolai’s grip was too strong, his thumb rubbing lightly over her knuckles.

"I’m serious," he said softly, his eyes locking onto hers. "You’re beautiful when you blush."

Viktoria’s heart fluttered, and she looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "You’re impossible," she muttered.

"Maybe," Nikolai replied with a grin. "But you like me that way."

Viktoria rolled her eyes—or at least tried to. It came off more like a slow, tired blink again.

"What about work, Nikolai? You didn’t have to come."

"Of course I did," he said, his tone softening. "I couldn’t just sit around knowing you were here like this. I had to see you."

Viktoria smiled faintly, her fingers curling slightly around his. "You’re sweet," she admitted, her voice barely audible.

Nikolai’s grin widened. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

There was a brief pause before he leaned back slightly, his expression turning more serious. "Actually, I was planning something for us," he said. "That’s why I didn’t call earlier today. I wanted it to be a surprise."

Viktoria tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowing. "A surprise?"

"Our second date," Nikolai explained, his tone warm. "I’ve been thinking about it and I wanted it to be perfect."

Viktoria’s cheeks flushed again, and she bit her lip, looking shyly up at him. "You’ve been thinking about it?"

"Of course I have," Nikolai said, his voice soft. "After our first date... I couldn’t stop thinking about you. About us."

Viktoria’s lips parted slightly, and she stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. "Really?"

Nikolai nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. "That night, after I kissed you... I couldn’t sleep. I was too happy. I kept replaying it in my head, over and over."

Viktoria’s blush deepened, and she looked away, her fingers tightening slightly around his. "Nikolai..."

"I mean it," he said, leaning closer. "I loved kissing you, Viktoria. I loved every second of it. And I’ve been counting the days until I could do it again."