INSATIABLE CRAVINGS
Insatiable Cravings – Episode 16
Subtitle; {Loving You Is A Loosing Game}
TAGS: Age-gap, Mafia, Forbidden Love, Drama, Tragedy and Betrayal.
Settings: United Kingdom, Russia and others.
โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ โ
~ Dominic ~
“If it isn’t the Morozovs finally gracing me with their presence,” my Uncle Ivan said the moment Aurora and I stepped into his living room.
One thing Iโve always loved about his houses is that they have a royal look to them. While I donโt fancy being royalty, I appreciate the aesthetic.
Aurora jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly while he gingerly returned the affection. “I have missed you, Uncle.”
“I know; me too. But your silly brother wouldn’t let me see my beautiful girl.”
“Hey, I’m not silly,” I quickly interjected. “And where’s my hug?”
Ivan Morozov has been a father figure to me for years, and I owe everything to him. Before and after my parents’ unfortunate passing, he has always been there for us whenever we needed him.
He was the lenient one. When my parents denied me candy, I had him. I loved him more than I could admit, so I felt free to be a little immature in his presence.
Uncle Ivan’s smile transformed into a wide grin as he opened his arms, inviting me in. “Oh, come here.” With a few steps, I stepped into his embrace, relaxing in his warm hug. “Look at you; you’ve grown tall.”
I pulled away and gave him a look that said, “Really?” before saying, “If I grow any taller, Iโll be competing with the Eiffel Tower.”
Aurora giggled beside me while my uncle, Ivan, laughed and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“That doesn’t sound bร d, does it, Rory?”
“Nope, not one bit,” my sister replied, her smile beaming.
She is always happy here. Whenever sheโs around him, she is happyโif not happier. I liked seeing her that way: joyful and relaxed.
“I hร te it when you two gร ng up on me.”
“Who is gร nging up on you?” they both asked in unison, bursting into laughter.
“If this continues, I wonโt be spending the night here.”
“Don’t mind him,”
Uncle Ivan said with a snicker. “Wasn’t planning to.”
I watched as they made their way further into the main living room, where he liked to be extravagant with his decor. They laughed about something, and I relaxed, looking around the newly renovated space.
My eyes caught sight of a black vase in one corner of his first living room, and I approached it. I let my fingertips graze its surface, my gaze focused on the color of the vase.
Black is Genevieve’s signature color. In fact, it’s her only color, along with the occasional white she adds to her outfits.
Oh no.
Why did I think of her?
Genevieve King has the audacity to occupy every waking thought of mine, even when thereโs a significant distance between us. How does she do it?
Why do I let her?
Just as if she knew I was thinking about her, my phone pinged with a message notification. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw her name on the screen.
Vixen โ Have a great time at your uncle’s place.
Vixen โ Don’t forget to think about me.
A chuckle escaped my throat as I contemplated how to reply.
It’s amusing how she thinks I could ever have a moment to myself without my mind drifting back to her, as if it belongs with her.
I finally figured out my response and typed.
Me โ Tell that to my brain.
I imagined her grinning while seated on her bed as she read my text. Her reply came quickly.
Vixen โ I don’t think I can do that.
Me โ Come on, I thought Genevieve King could do anything. Did I overestimate you?
Vixen โ Maybe you did; maybe you did not. I don’t know. But you clearly underestimated me by asking that question.
Me โ Yeah?
Vixen โ Uh-huh. Whatever, you should go. See you on Monday.
Yeah, Iโll have to wait to see her on Monday.
Relax; itโs only Sunday.
Unfortunately, yes.
Not wanting her to think I would actually miss her, I quickly typed back.
Me โ Yeah. Take care.
Vixen โ You too.
โขโข
Uncle Ivan, Aurora, and I were all seated around his comically large dining table, enjoying dinner. An abundance of meals was arranged on the table, ready for consumption.
“Isnโt this a little too much?” I asked, glancing from one dish to another. “We wonโt finish it all tonight.”
“That’s what the trashcan is for,” he replied, and I looked up at him. “Or the maids will take care of it.”
I don’t like wasting food because my parents instilled good manners in me before they died, and I’m committed to living by those principles.
“So, how are things going with you?” Uncle Ivan fixed his inquisitive gaze on me as I chewed my food. I simply shrugged my shoulders. “Come on, child, tell me.”
“Have you run out of gossip partners?” I asked him.
“No, I just want to know whatโs going on with you. You seem different.”
Different?
I exchanged confused looks with Aurora, although hers was nothing near confusion; it was a knowing, subtle smile she tried to mask.
“I don’t understand.”
“You are different,” he repeated, only deepening my confusion.
“Different good? Or different bad?”
“Different good. You seem more relaxed than usual.”
The realization dawned on me quickly. The source of my relaxation was Genevieve King. Something about her alleviated my exhaustion from life.
“I’m always relaxed whenever I’m here with you, Uncle.”
“Yes, but not like this.”
“I don’t understand what you mean. I’m just the same old Dominic.”
But because we Morozovs don’t have “give up” in our vocabulary, he scoffed, clearly not believing me. He’s my father’s brother, after all, so I didn’t expect him to be any less stubborn.
I looked back at my sister, and she was beaming a smile my way. With a very small, barely noticeable shake of her head, Aurora assured me that she hadn’t said anything to him.
“Come on, Ivanie, I didn’t come all the way from England to Russia just to be interviewed by my favorite uncle,” I added.
He finally dropped it with a laugh. “I am your only uncle.”
“That’s what I said.”
After dinner, Aurora insisted that we stay up and watch a movie together. She didn’t last more than an hour before she fell asleep on my chest, and I let her remain there for a while, careful not to wake her.
“When will you come to Rรบssia, son?” Uncle Ivan whispered softly, so as not to disturb the sleeping girl on my body.
“When Rory finishes school,” I replied, my fingers brushing through her hair. “You know I can’t leave her alone in another country while I’m here. I need to be with her every single day, Ivan.”
The mere thought of being in a different country from my baby sister scarรฉd me. She is the only thing I have left from our parents, and I promised them that I would look after her and be a good big brother.
I also understood Ivan’s perspective. He stepped down for me, hoping I would stay here forever, and I didn’t have a problem with that. But when Rory said she wanted to attend Silverlake Academy, I knew my priorities.
“I know that, but you need to run the brร tva from here, don’t you understand?” He tried to convince me, as he always did.
“I am doing a perfect job from England, and you know it. Please, drop this.”
“Fine,” he said, grumbling under his breath as he turned back to the TV.
After a while, I picked up my sister in my arms and stood up. “Have a good nightโs rest, Ivanie.” With that, I headed to her room first to tuck her in before going to mine.
I showered and got ready for bed, praying that my insomnia wouldn’t keep me up tonight. It almost did, until I decided to check my phone for emails since I hadn’t brought my laptop.
There was another message from Genevieve.
Vixen โ I can’t help but think about you.
A couple more messages from her had been sent thirty minutes earlier. I sat up to read through them, the thought of forcing myself to sleep flying out the window, replaced by only Genevieve-related thoughts.
Vixen โ Are you thinking about me too?
Vixen โ Oh my God. That was cringe, wasn’t it?
Vixen โ I was thinking of touchรญng myself tonight.
I think my heart forgot its job for a second because it stopped beating as I reread the text to check if I had misread it.
I hadn’t.
She really sent that to me.
Vixen โ Do you want to know who will be on my mind when I’m touchรญng myself?
My throat dried up like the Sahara Desert, and I turned to see if I had water next to me. Luckily, I did.
I don’t know what made me think that drinking water while reading her text was a good idea, because it clearly wasn’t.
Vixen โ I am going to f+ck myself with my fingers and your name on my lips.
The water flew out of my mouth, choking me in the process. I coughed, desperate for air wherever I could find it.
My body was on fire, an unquenchable desire pulsing through my veins. My breaths came in shallow gasps as my chest rose and fell rapidly.
Vixen โ Anyway, good night.
Good night?!
Did she just tell me good night?!
How can I have a good night when I’m dealing with this case of blue balls?!
Jesus Christ.
That girl is going to be the deร th of me. Genevieve King will absolutely rรบin meโand sheโll have fun doing it. And now, more than ever, I really want to know who has the upper hand in this little game of ruinatiรณn weโre playing.
TBC๐โ๏ธ
