Page 42 of Break Me Apart
He really does look better.
Later, I knock on the door of Niko and Cassie’s flat. Niko opens the door immediately — like he was already waiting — and I step inside. The flat smells like garlic and something slow-cooked. Cassie appears from the kitchen with a wooden spoon in hand. Her dark hair is tied back properly and not falling out of some rushed knot. There’s actually colour in her cheeks now.
“Arseny,” she says, smiling. “I was starting to think you’d forgotten us.” She steps forward and hugs me without hesitation. “You look tired,” she says, pulling back.
“I’m fine.” She hums like she doesn’t believe me, but lets it go. A small thump-thump-thump echoes from the living room carpet. Vladimir is on the floor, propped up on his hands, rocking slightly like he’s deciding whether crawling is worth the effort.
He spots me and freezes.
His entire face changes, and the recognition is immediate. “Aaah!” he declares, like he’s been personally vindicated. He launches forward in an unsteady crawl that is more ambition than coordination. Niko moves to intercept, but I lift a hand slightly.
“It’s fine.” Vladimir reaches me and slaps both hands against my shin, looking up, his eyes wide, and mouth open in a delighted, toothless grin. “You,” I say quietly, and he squeals in response.
Cassie laughs from the kitchen. “He remembers you.”
“It’s only been a few weeks,” I say, crouching down, and he immediately grabs at my coat zipper, then my collar, then my chin.
His grip is absurdly strong for someone this small.
“No,” I tell him calmly when he aims for my mouth, then he makes a pleased humming sound and presses his forehead against mine instead, drooling freely.
I don’t move away. He smells like soap, milk, and something sweet. “You’ve grown,” I say, like he can process that. He answers by slapping my cheek with open-handed enthusiasm.
Niko snorts. “That’s affection.”
“He’s a menace,” I tease. Vladimir leans forward again, this time tugging at my hair with determined focus. I let him hold it for a second before gently freeing myself. “You will not defeat me,” I growl playfully.
He laughs — that breathless baby sound that doesn’t need language.
I pick him up, and he settles against me easily, one hand fisting into the front of my jumper, the other hand patting my jaw as if confirming it’s still there.
“You’ve been avoiding us,” Cassie says lightly from the kitchen.
“I’ve been working,” I reply. Vladimir makes a low, thoughtful noise, and presses his face into my shoulder as if he disagrees. “Betrayal,” I murmur to him. He answers by trying to chew on my face.
Niko watches us for a second — something unreadable in his expression — then looks away like he doesn’t want to interrupt whatever this is.
When I lower Vladimir into his highchair, he protests loudly and reaches for me again. “I am not your primary attachment,” I inform him. He shrieks in disagreement, causing Cassie to smile as she straps him in.
Vladimir settles once food appears in front of him. He slaps both hands into the mashed vegetables like he’s testing the terrain, then looks at me as if expecting applause.
“Remarkable,” I tell him. He grins and smears orange across his tray with deliberate chaos. “He’s been like this all week.” Cassie laughs under her breath as she takes her seat.
“He’s nine months old,” I say. “Everything is an experiment.”
Niko pours wine into two glasses and hands one to me. We eat, and Cassie talks easily. About the neighbour downstairs complaining about noise that doesn’t exist. About Vladimir fighting against naps, and about reorganising the cupboards because she “couldn’t stand looking at them like that anymore.”
There’s real energy in her voice, and at one point, she reaches across the table and brushes something off Niko’s sleeve without thinking.
“So,” she says eventually, not looking at me yet. “Niko mentioned you’ve been spending time with one of the British soldiers.”
Niko exhales through his nose. “I did not mention it like that.”
“You didn’t need to.” There’s the faintest hint of amusement in her voice. “He talks about him,” she adds, nodding slightly toward Niko.
“I do not,” Niko says, glaring at his plate.
“You do,” she says calmly. “You pretend you’re not invested, but you are.” Cassie wipes Vladimir’s chin and continues, softer now. “I just meant... he sounds important.” Vladimir squeals and drops his spoon dramatically to the floor, and Niko retrieves it without complaint. “Is he good to you?” she asks then.
