Chapter 316: Will You Catch Me When I Fall?

* I come in peace... ish (it’s a really good Sundayyy woo)

* Fuck it

* Author runs.

[FROLO]

Katya stared at the emptiness that had settled after Sergei left, and he knew nothing good would come out of this.

He had grown up with Svet and Andre protecting him fiercely, and he’d gotten used to it. But no one had prepared him for Sergei Moskowsky actually being that triggered to act on it.

And somehow it made his heart do a little flip as if he hadn’t heard that there was an actual possibility his friends had stabbed his boyfriend.

But that would come later, right? After all, what mattered was them, here right now.

So why did it feel like the apocalypse was here?

"Did he just confess in front of us?" Svet asked like she was done remembering Sergei’s words.

To be fair, Sergei Moskowsky rarely expressed himself that explicitly when he was around them. He always let his actions speak for him.

"That is the most dangerous I love you I’ve ever heard for anyone my entire life," Andre chuckled as if he had suddenly found a new thing to be amused about.

"And it was so smooth... I bet he’s been singing that to Romanov every chance he gets," Svet teased, turning to Katya, who was trying so hard not to turn red before them. But there was only so much that he could try to hold back because Andre was right.

That was the most insane of confessions, and no matter how many times he’d heard Sergei tell him he loved him, this one made him worry and stay excited at the same time. Was he losing touch with reality?

Oh, Katya.

"Which Petrov did you stab earlier, Svet?" Katya asked amid the laughter, making his friends suddenly look at each other.

"The gardener."

"The construction worker."

Both of them spoke at the same time, and Katya raised a brow.

"The construction worker."

"The gardener."

They spoke at the same time again. Their answers contradicting each other yet again.

"Andre..." Katya trailed off like he was the easiest to crack of the two.

Was he, though?

"We got into a fight with someone when we were in traffic. And they tried to stab us, and well, we defended ourselves. It was either that or we’d be the ones nursing that shit. Anyway, he won’t die if that’s what you’re worried about.

"We’re killers, sure, but death by stabbing is too easy a punishment for Petrov," Andre said calmly, smiling at his friend, who was still not trusting a word he said. But thankfully, Katya didn’t press on.

If anything, he just dialed Aleksandr much to his friends’ horror, but they schooled their expressions so well, silently praying that the stupid senator didn’t tell on them, because if he did, they would shoot him.

"What are you... Why are y—" Svet began when Katya put the phone on speaker mode.

They knew what this looked like, but fuck, had they never silently prayed that hard for the damn bastard to pick up and have a steady voice.

"Alek tried to call me early today, but I was so occupied worrying about Vladimir to pick up or leave him a message," Katya said as the phone rang a second time.

At the third ring...

The senator picked up.

"My little rose," Aleksandr breathed softly, and Svet and Andre visibly relaxed, something that Katya noticed.

Yeah, his friends couldn’t be trusted with the safety of his boyfriend.

Fuck.

"Are you alright? I saw the second video released. Where are you, little rose? Is Sergei hurting you? Please tell me, Moy lyu—"

"I’m fine," Katya said hurriedly, not letting Alek finish his sentence, much less that word.

And this time it was his friends’ turn to raise brows at him.

"I’m so sorry for the press conference, little rose," Alek said, his voice steady. He sounded like he was just waking up or even like he had been doing some work and was taking a break.

"No," Katya said, a sudden rage filling his voice.

"What?" Alek asked on the other end.

"You don’t get to use my miscarriage for your political feud with Sergei and jealousy, then expect me to open my arms when you come back with an apology," Katya snapped.

And his friends...

Stayed dead silent.

"Baby, please..."

"You’re worse than Yaroslav. At least he had the balls to admit it to my face that he loved Milan," Katya raged, and Alek breathed in sharply on the other end.

"Yaroslav, huh? The same man who hasn’t done shit about the contract his father made you sign? What the... shit... What the fuck?" Alek said, groaning in pain at the end.

And Katya instinctively looked at his friends, who suddenly realized the ceiling was well-painted. Gods, they were unbelievable.

"That’s my problem, not yours," Katya said angrily, and Alek sighed tiredly on the other end.

"Little rose... please don’t fight me on this. Let me help you. Please. I know... baby, I know what I said was irrational, and I know you put your pain on the spot like that.

"But I didn’t do it out of malice," Alek explained in earnest, like he still believed that that was the only way to solve things.

And Katya felt like he couldn’t keep doing this anymore.

He was tired of people making decisions for him.

Yaroslav had decided what he wanted and ended up hurting him.

Alek had decided what was best for him and managed to turn his lowest moment in life into a circus.

Sergei had—

Fuck... Sergei seemed to be the only one who was constantly giving Katya a choice, and Katya wasn’t even sure why he was making the comparison anymore.

What was he hoping to get?

Solace?

"No. I don’t ever want to see you again," Katya said tiredly, like that was the only option left.

"I’m sorry..."

"I know. But I can’t keep pretending your actions don’t usually end up hurting me, Alek. I... I can’t keep being the one in pain all the time.

"I’m tired of crying, of mourning, trying to heal only for my wounds to be ripped open again," Katya said in defeat, wiping his tears that had suddenly dripped down his cheek. He hadn’t even noticed when he had gotten teary.

"Baby..."

"Consider this a breakup, Alek. No matter what happens to me, no matter what the city throws at me, don’t do a thing. I’ll be fine," Katya sighed, trying to keep himself steady.

He really was tired of getting his wounds reopened.

"So, this is about Sergei Moskowsky," Alek laughed in disdain, the disgust in his voice evident like he hadn’t just been begging moments ago.

"What?"

"Many people told me you were sleeping with him, but I didn’t believe them. I chose to trust you, and now you’re cheating on me with him. How classic," Alek spat.

Svet growled lowly, forcing Andre to drag her to the balcony, covering her mouth, and holding her back.

"So that’s why you went to the Bratva?" Katya asked, pretending the accusation didn’t sting.

"Coming from the man who’s fucking his ex-husband’s father, you sure have no moral standing," Alek said, and Svet raged even more.

Katya...

He stayed silent for a moment.

Alek was right, though.

Sergei was his ex-husband’s father.

What the hell was Katya doing?

"Anyway, all Moskowskys are the same. They’ll use you and ditch you. I’ll be here for you in case you need a fallback plan," Alek laughed mockingly.

Then...

"What a pathetic omega," someone on the other end of the phone said.

"I know, right?" Alek laughed, then he hung up before Katya could let out another word.

And Katya...

He ran to Sergei’s bedroom and locked himself up.

His friends heard him sobbing.

"I’ll have his tongue," Svet raged before they left.