"Thank you."
Charlotte whispered sincerely, from the depths of her heart.
Despite her harsh behavior earlier, Leonid still treated her kindly, while she gave in to her anger time and again.
"Even after what I did to your cigarettes..."
"Shh, don't bring it up."
Leonid leaned forward slightly, placed the juice in her free hand, and gently took the beer from her.
"In any case, it's my duty to take care of you… especially when you don't know what's best for you."
His words were blunt, spoken out of concern, and perhaps he didn't mean to offend her but something flared inside her because of them.
"I don't know what's best for me? Are you saying I'm irresponsible?"
She furrowed her brows as she asked.
"I didn't say that."
Or maybe he did, but not literally.
Without another word, Charlotte placed the juice bottle aside and snatched the beer from Leonid's hand sharply.
Lyudmila had just finished her speech, raising her beer can high as she shouted:
"Cheers!"
"To you, sweetheart~"
Daniel clinked his can against Lyudmila's, creating a soft ringing sound in the room.
Seconds later, Charlotte joined the toast, a calm smile forming on her face as she gently tapped her can against Lyudmila's.
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
From behind, Leonid raised his can and tapped it softly with theirs, his eyes fixed just beside Charlotte's face, his gaze sharp almost piercing.
He leaned in and whispered in a low voice, laced with quiet warning:
"You'll regret drinking that."
He brought the can close to his lips, but didn't take a sip.
Why was she so stubborn today? Or had she always been like this, and he'd just never noticed?
Charlotte took a long sip, finishing half the can, then set it aside and sat quietly, watching the others as they took their seats. Leonid had pulled away from her side and returned to his seat in silence.
Daniel spoke to him in a low voice, as if asking what had happened, but Leonid completely ignored him, his eyes still fixed on Charlotte's face.
"Charlotte."
Lyudmila's voice cut through her daze, and she slowly turned toward the sound but her eyes lingered on Leonid for a moment before dropping away.
"What happened between you two while I was giving my speech?"
Charlotte blinked, surprised:
"Excuse me?"
Lyudmila leaned closer, raising an eyebrow in confusion:
"Seriously, you're not yourself today… is something weighing on you?"
"I'm fine."
Charlotte's tone was sharp, not open for debate.
"Hmm? Alright, let's say you're totally fine… but you haven't even finished your beer."
"What does beer have to do with it?"
"You like drinking, don't you think it's strange that you're barely touching it tonight?"
Charlotte's brows drew together, and a flush crept up her pale cheeks. She didn't have the courage to speak the truth.
"Damn you."
"What?"
Lyudmila blinked, tilting her head in confusion at Charlotte's tone.
"I said: fine. Let's drink. I'll show you I'm perfectly fine."
Charlotte grabbed her can and raised it to her mouth.
Lyudmila's heart skipped a beat, and she waved her hand gently, trying to stop her:
"Calm down… I wasn't trying to pressure you."
"I. Don't. Pressure. Myself."
Charlotte replied clearly, then downed the beer to the last drop.
A loud thud echoed in the room a fist slamming on the table.
It was Leonid.
He was staring at Charlotte, his eyes burning with quiet frustration.
"Ah..."
Charlotte took a breath, lowered the empty can from her lips, placed it aside, then took another and opened it calmly.
"Do I look fine now?"
She asked softly, but with no trace of emotion. She was moments away from standing and cursing everyone in the room.
"Let's drink together, Lyudmila. Or… do you prefer drinking with Daniel now?"
Lyudmila forced herself to smile.
"I don't mind drinking with Daniel..."
Then she added gently:
"But of course, I won't let you drink alone."
She winked playfully, then lifted her can and chugged it in one go.
Charlotte clenched her jaw in silence, then forced a smile as she took just a small sip before setting it aside.
Time passed quietly, and Lyudmila kept drinking and chatting until sleep overtook her and her head slumped onto the table.
At that point, Daniel stood up and carried her in his arms, ready to take her to the bedroom. His cheeks were lightly flushed from the beer. He looked back at them and said in a hoarse voice:
"Make sure to close the door and windows. I don't want to wake up tomorrow to find a wild animal playing in the kitchen."
"No need to remind me."
Leonid replied calmly, then leaned back against his chair and added:
"I'll make sure everything's locked. Now go, you look like you're about to pass out too."
"I trust you. And as for you, Charlotte… it's better if you don't sleep alone."
Charlotte's heart clenched the moment she heard that sentence. She knew Daniel meant well and was only concerned for her safety, but she wasn't ready to share a room with Leonid.
Not anymore.
She cast a sideways glance at him, but he hadn't moved a muscle. Daniel turned toward the stairs and said in a barely audible voice:
"Good night."
"Hmm… sweet dreams."
Charlotte responded while watching him ascend the stairs quietly.
Then she slowly stood up and began cleaning the table. Fortunately, she hadn't drunk too much just enough to keep up with Lyudmila by sipping occasionally so she wasn't drunk.
Leonid, however, hadn't stopped watching her from the start, even as Daniel spoke to him. He didn't miss a single move she made, especially those fleeting glances she kept throwing his way.
And once Daniel closed the bedroom door, Leonid made sure they wouldn't be interrupted.
He stood up.
Charlotte had already gotten rid of the empty beer cans and placed the dirty dishes in the sink. She picked up a small towel and turned to head back toward the table…
Only to stop abruptly.
"What are you doing?"
She raised an eyebrow at Leonid, who was now standing in front of her, unmoving.
"Are you drunk?"
"No."
Leonid answered calmly, his eyes not letting her look away.
"Then what?"
Charlotte whispered, tilting her head slightly, irritation creeping into her voice.
"If you don't need my help, then step aside... I still have a table to clean."
But he didn't budge. He stood firm, eyes locked on her.
Something stirred in her chest. She clenched the towel in her hand.
"Leonid?"
She called out to him, then quickly added:
"If you're trying to pick a fight, I—"
"I just want to talk."
He cut her off gently and added:
"Can we talk?"
His question was calm, unexpected. There was no challenge in it, no accusation just a request.
Charlotte lowered her gaze for a moment. Her lashes fluttered like her heart. She turned to set the towel on the table, then faced him.
"Is that a yes?"
He watched her nod, then said in a deeper voice:
"I'm glad you're cooperating… peacefully."
He smiled for a moment before his expression softened again. In a quieter tone, he added:
"I hope you stay calm while I explain everything."
"Just say what you need to say."
She furrowed her brows, waiting for him to get to the point.
Leonid understood from her look that she wasn't in the mood for long introductions. They were used to arguing, and only rarely had moments like the one they once shared.
"I'm not going to comment on what happened between us today… I want to talk about us."
Then came silence, heavy and tense.
"Charlotte, I..."
He stepped closer, breaching her space, gently lifting her chin.
She couldn't move away, couldn't run. Something held her there, rooted to the spot.
"I love you."
Charlotte froze.
A moment… then more moments…
Her heart pounded in her chest.
"Why are you saying this now?"
She whispered, her voice a mix of disbelief and denial and something else she couldn't quite name.
"I'm not finished. Actually… I'm sorry. I'm really, truly sorry."
Leonid kept whispering, then wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin gently on the top of her head.
"I should've held you like this instead of saying what I said back then."
His warmth enveloped her not suffocating, but comforting.
Emotions swelled in her chest until her eyelids burned with hot tears, her whole body confessing what her lips couldn't.
"I admit it anger and jealousy clouded my judgment. But Charlotte..."
Leonid paused, tilted her face upward, gazing at her tear-streaked face.
"I only wanted you to trust me… is that too much? Is it too hard for you?"
"I'm sorry…"
Charlotte closed the distance between them, burying her face in his chest, no longer able to stifle her sobs.
"But I— I swear to you, I… I do trust you."
She whispered with difficulty between gasps, while Leonid's eyes lit with a faint spark before it faded again. He wrapped his arms around her in a silent, reassuring embrace.
"I just—... I can't talk. It's hard— sometimes so hard to talk."
She tried to explain, to continue, but the crying was a wall she couldn't push through.
"It's okay."
Leonid whispered, holding her even tighter, gently.
"I know exactly how it feels to choke on words."
He'd been through something like it once. Just a fleeting moment in his life but unforgettable, no matter how easily he appeared to have moved on.
"But I'm here now. And I'll always be here."