Chapter 42: Chapter 42

Dimitri

I noticed Blair leaving the room with my peripheral vision as everyone seemed shocked at what I had said. My vision was clouded by the hatred I felt at that moment. I had had enough of this situation, they had spent the entire afternoon sending me hints, as they always did and I had borne it quietly, but to go on to offend the person I love? I would never allow it!

" What did you say? " Boris narrowed his eyes, alternating his gaze between my ex-girlfriend and me.

" Dimitri, please," Olga pleaded.

" Tell the truth," I growled.

Everyone seemed lost between our confrontation, but I didn't care.

" Dimitri!”

" Tell them that I asked you to marry me and you refused, because you would never marry me, because I would be a terrible husband and father," I snapped back, choosing not to share everything she had actually told me.

" Olga! " Irina looked questioningly at her daughter as tears began to stream down my ex's face.

" After everything you've done, I have the right to move on, and Blair makes me happy like no one ever has, so you better stop trying to ruin my life one more time!”

" Dimitri, that's enough," my father muttered as he saw Olga crying freely while her parents whispered something to her in a harsh tone.

Katia left the room looking quite shaken by the direction her wedding celebration had taken, followed by my brother. My father approached the Yahantovs, offering his office so that they could talk to his daughter with a minimum of privacy, leaving me there only with my mother, Masha, and Alexei.

" Where is Blair? " I looked around, noticing that she had not returned.

" She went upstairs and looked quite upset," Masha warned.

" Thank God she doesn't understand Russian," my mother sighed with relief.

For me that was also a relief, I could sit calmly and explain to her what it was about in a way that she could understand.

" You spoke in Russian the whole time? " Masha narrowed her eyes.

" Yes, why?”

" At New Year's I suggested she use the translator on her cell phone when she felt too lost in our midst," she bit her lower lip, looking sorry for herself.

I remembered that she picked up the cell phone just as the discussion started to become more heated.

WHAT THE FUCK!

I ran towards the stairs, but found her coming down with her suitcase. Blair had changed clothes and was red-eyed, but the determination that shone there scared me.

My mother indicated that Masha and Alexei should leave us alone, and soon everyone left.

" Blair.”

" No, I don't want to hear it," she cut me off.

" But you have to. Blair, what happened was a mistake," I tried to appeal.

" No, it's been a mistake, we've been a mistake! A mistake that I've ignored because I love you, but it can't go on," I saw her eyes fill with tears.

That sentence made despair begin to well up inside me, she couldn't be serious! It can't end like this!

" Blair, please.”

" You wanted to marry her, to build a family!”

" Yes, I did, in the past! " I ended up raising my voice as I let despair overwhelm me.

Why couldn't she understand my side of the story?

" The big issue, Dimitri, is that my father always taught me not to accept being anyone's second choice, I'm not a consolation prize, no matter how much I love you," she took a deep breath in an attempt to stop the tears from coming out.

" Blair, you're not.”

A horn sounded outside the house, attracting our attention.

" Dimitri, I can't go through with this anymore, I can't, it's killing me.”

" I won't accept it, Blair, I don't want it to end," I pleaded in a low tone.

" You can't force me to be in a relationship, Dimitri," she was incisive.

She was right. As much as I loved her, I couldn't force her to stay with me, and I didn't want to.

" Let's talk about this later," I pleaded.

" Dimitri.”

" Please, let's calm down and talk about it later, if you are sure about this, I will accept. But…”

She didn't answer me, she just took a deep breath and walked out the door, leaving me behind, watching the woman I loved get into a cab and out of my life.

I walked over to the sofa, sitting there automatically, still trying to understand how it had all come so far. It was our first Valentine's Day, we should celebrate, not break up! I stayed there for a few minutes until Yuri sat down next to me.

" Did she leave? " he asked.

I just shook my head affirmatively in response.

" I didn't know about Olga," he continued.

" No one knew, I never told them what happened, I didn't want them to know," I took a deep breath.

He shook his head, taking a deep breath afterwards.

" If I had known, I wouldn't have helped her thinking it was the best thing for you," he admitted.

" Help her? " I frowned, staring at my brother for the first time in this strange conversation.

" On New Year's Eve I told her that you were bringing Blair, and she wouldn't have come if I hadn't suggested that it would be a good idea for her to act if she didn't want to lose you for good.”

I stared at him dumbfounded as I processed what he had just revealed. Just today Blair complained that my brother didn't want her here, and I assured her that it was her imagination. But no, he was in on a plot to end my relationship!

Maybe if Olga hadn't shown up for New Year's, Blair wouldn't be so saturated and things wouldn't have gotten this far today.

" I just…”

" Get out of here," I let out between my teeth.

" Dimulya.”

" GET OUT! " I practically screamed, causing him to get up quickly and walk to the kitchen, without looking back.

My father came from the kitchen, looking surprised at my outburst with my brother, but I couldn't take it anymore, so I just grabbed my car keys and left the house. Masha was leaning against the hood on the driver's side, waiting for me to approach.

" Are you okay? " she disengaged herself as I walked toward the door.

" No," I unlocked the car and settled there, preparing to leave.

" Do you want to talk about it? " She leaned out the window.

" No." I started the car, waiting for her to move away.

" Are you going to be okay? " she took a few steps away from the car.

I didn't bother to answer. I just backed up and drove away from the house, feeling my chest tighten once again because of everything that had happened.

Would it end like this? I took so long to open up to someone and it just ends like this?

I didn't sleep that night. I tried to talk to Blair, but her cell phone was off, serving only to let the worry replace the sadness of the ending.

Only the next morning did I hear from her, when a call from her appeared on my cell phone.

I didn't hesitate to answer, watching my now ex-girlfriend with deep dark circles under her eyes and her eyes still red pop up on the screen.

" Blair, where are you?”

" I'm in Helsinki, Finland," she struggled to keep her voice steady, "I took the first international flight I could get and checked into a hotel near the airport. I'll be flying to Athens in the early evening and then back home.”

I was relieved to know that at least she was safe and not lost in some hole in the ground in a city she didn't know.

" Wait for me, I'll get a flight today," I pleaded.

" No!”

" Blair…”

" You said you wanted to talk, now's your chance," she took a deep breath.

I stared at her for a second, okay, it wasn't ideal, but we could work this out, even if it was over the phone!

" Blair, I don't feel anything for Olga, she's just a ghost from my past to me.” I decided to cut to the chase.

" I know," she declared, to my surprise.

" You're the one I love, you have to believe that feeling!”

Blair closed her eyes, holding back a small sob with the back of her hand, letting the tears run down her face.

" I do.”

I frowned, torn between feeling relieved and confused by her reaction.

Maybe she regretted it!

" Did you change your mind?”

" No.” That hole opened up again.

That hole opened again in my chest, leaving me unable to understand the reason for her attitude.

" Don't you... feel the same way about me? " I asked, dreading your answer.

" I do.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to contain my anger. I wanted to scream that she wasn't making any sense, but that would do little good.

" Why are you doing this? " I asked.

" I believe in your love and I love you too," she began her explanation, "but a relationship needs more than love, Dimitri. We're just postponing the inevitable.”

" I don't understand! " frustration began to take over me.

" Do you even contemplate the idea of leaving Russia?”

That question caught me off guard, I know we had already polled each other on this subject, but I thought that in time I would convince her to change her mind about Russia!

" My family is all here, Blair, and I…”

" You have a good job and a good apartment, I know all that," she added.

Things began to make sense in my mind, but still, I refused to let her go. I loved her and I would do anything to be with her!

" We don't need to discuss this now," I stammered.

" I won't change my mind, and I don't think you will either. Then what's the point in putting it off? " she cut me off.

" I don't want to lose you," despair crept into my voice.

" Dimitri…”

" Do you want me to move to your country? Is that your condition for staying with me?”

" No!”

Once again that wave of frustration washed over me, making me want to scream.

" I would never ask you to do something that I am not willing to do. That's the point, we love each other, but not enough to give up our vision of an ideal future. We deserve someone who has us as a priority," she cried again.

I felt the crushing weight of her words, and the worst part was that it was all true. She was right on every point, and as much as it pained me to admit it, going through with it hoping that the other would change his mind would only postpone the inevitable.

" Are you sure about this? " I forced myself to ask.

Blair merely shook her head in the affirmative. At that moment I knew there was no turning back for both of us.

" Can you let me know when you get home? I need to know that you're safe," I asked one last time.

She no longer seemed able to speak, just shook her head, choking back her heartfelt sobs with her hand as her face washed with tears.

I ended the call without saying anything more, my sister's words came rumbling back into my mind.

Are you going to be okay?

Would I be? I don't know, but I would have to move on with my life. I couldn't stop because of a failed relationship, no matter how much I loved her.

But this was easier in theory than in practice. Blair only contacted me to say that he had already landed in his city, after which I had no further news.