enough energy in me to get myself to Cliff's house, let alone argue with Nikolai about it. And since I hadn't thought to grab my wallet or phone, I didn't have a way to even call a cab or rent a hotel room. I certainly wasn't going back to my apartment anytime soon.
"Okay," I said as I disentangled myself from Nikolai's hold. He reached his hand out for mine but this time I kept both of mine clutched together so I wouldn't be tempted to take his.
He didn't want me to forget that I was just a job, so I needed to do my part to remember that fact. I followed Nikolai to the doorway at the end of the building. When he opened it, it led to two separate doors. He chose the one to the left. There were stairs right behind it. I figured that meant his apartment was just above the bakery. I wondered if the other door led to his family's home. I remembered enough from my initial research of Nikolai that his family’s address was the same as the bakery’s.
I followed Nikolai upstairs where there was another door. He unlocked it and then turned to look at me.
"It's not much," he warned.
He actually seemed to hesitate a moment before he pushed the door open. I was stunned to realize that he seemed embarrassed about his living situation. Did he really think I cared?
Nikolai stepped back and motioned for me to enter. The apartment was definitely small. It was more of a large room than anything else. Despite his bed, couch, and kitchen all sharing the same space, it didn't seem overly crowded. If anything, it had a warm, cozy feel to it. The couch was very much like the one I’d pictured in my head. It was an older style with deep cushions and soft-looking material. I wanted to sink into its comforting depths as I curled up against Nikolai’s side.
The kitchen was more like a kitchenette. It had an older stove and refrigerator, but no other major appliances. There was a small countertop microwave as well as a coffee maker on the narrow but clean countertop.
Nikolai's bed was the largest piece of furniture in the room and took up one entire corner. It was king-sized, but there was no headboard or footboard. Despite the sparse furnishings, there were lots of pictures and little personal items all over the place. On the refrigerator were several hand-drawn pictures as well as numerous photographs of Nikolai's family. There were a couple of kids’ toys strewn about the floor. On the nightstand next to Nikolai's bed was a basketball made out of Legos.
I smiled because I was pretty certain I knew who the creator of the Lego item was. The only space that was separate from the main living area was a bathroom. It too looked very dated and had just a shower, no bathtub. I suspected Nikolai barely fit under the spray considering his height. I realized my mistake in even thinking about Nikolai in the shower because my mind immediately went elsewhere.
Like whether or not two people would fit in that very shower and still be able to do… things.
"Sorry," Nikolai murmured as he began cleaning up some of the toys. "Elena sometimes brings Maks up here at night if he's not feeling well."
"Is he still sick?" I asked in surprise.
Nikolai hesitated. “No, he's over his infection, but he has trouble sleeping. Always has. His doctor just says he's being fussy, but…"
The uncertainty in Nikolai's voice was clear. "But?" I prodded as I moved closer to him.
Nikolai paused before saying, "He's not like that, Jude. He's not fussy. I mean, I'm not an expert on kids or anything, but when he's not sick, he’s one of the most chill kids I’ve ever met." Nikolai shook his head. "There's just something off about all this."
He went to a small closet and began pulling out a pillow and blanket. I could tell he didn't want to talk about his nephew anymore and I couldn't really blame him. I hadn’t known Nikolai for long but what I did know was that he had a protective streak a mile wide. He wanted to be able to fix his nephew but couldn't. It had to be killing him. I wanted to offer up a chance for him to talk more about things, but I knew it wasn't my place.
"Are you okay sleeping on my sheets?" Nikolai asked as he took the