Contract Marriage: Married to My Ex-Husband's Alpha Stepfather [BL]

Chapter 170: As Long As There’s The Two Of Us

[KATYA]

The first day Katya didn’t go back to the penthouse, a package arrived for him.

A similar bouquet of roses with a handwritten letter tucked in between.

It had been days since they had seen each other. Since they’d even been in the same space as each other and the senator, he understood.

Katya needed space after how crazy the divorce had been. And this was the senator’s way of giving that space.

Of letting the omega know that even with all that was going on, there was still someone somewhere who was always going to be in his corner.

The same happened on the second day until the end of the first week, when Katya went back to the penthouse for his phone and work backpack.

He needed it even if he was going to go to work from his parents’ house.

"Sir, there have been deliveries for you this past week," Nina greeted while Katya got in to pack.

He wasn’t in a hurry today because he wasn’t running away; he was simply going home. Picking up the voices of those who had been scattered along the way. Trying to live again.

Katya didn’t even need to ask to know what Nina was talking about.

The evidence was right there.

Roses.

So many roses.

Yet even with how beautiful the flowers were, Katya couldn’t help but find his sight lingering on the lilies on his balcony.

The lilies that he never had the courage to throw away, given that this was his house now.

The lilies he’d watered himself for days, and a de sure the staff did too.

The lilies he’d taken good care of more than he’d ever take good care of the beautiful roses.

’They’re expensive,’ Katya convinced himself each time he wondered why he wasn’t eliminating the roses now that he had no obligations.

"How many times a day?" Katya wondered instead as he stared at the flowers in his living room. There were a lot.

Too much for one peeps yet the servants had taken good care of them even in Katya’s absence. They had been trimmed to keep them alive out in better vases and water changed.

Katya, he stared like this was not healthy. But then he’d always know Alek’s love language was sending him roses. And it didn’t help that Katya hadn’t left with his phone.

Maybe that was why Alek had sent so many... Right?

"Morning and evening, sir," Nina said before adding;

"They came with letters. We put the letters in this jar for when you would come back," Nina said courteously, and Katya stared at the jar Nina was pointing at.

It was a transparent jar that was filled with letters from Aleksandr.

For a moment, Katya wondered how the senator must have been feeling throughout the week.

Maybe I need to call him, right?

"Thank you, Nina. That will be all," Katya said softly as he picked up the jar, knowing that there were probably worried letters in there.

He contemplated leaving, but there was no use, given that they were boyfriends and in a relationship.

He needed to tell the alpha that he was going to stay with his parents for a while, right?

Sighing, Katya opened the jar and picked UK for the first matter.

They had dates, these letters.

The first one came the day the divorce was finalized. Which meant that for three whole days, Katya and his friend had been too occupied with games and forgetting everything that they forgot there had been deliveries to the penthouse.

And that had Katya feeling some type of way.

Still, he opened the first letter.

"My dearest little rose, I wanted to come to you at the courthouse when I heard about the divorce going through, but I figured you already had enough on your plate. Congratulations on your divorce.

"I hope you are kinder to yourself going forward. Smile more, little rose. You deserve to be happy. Until next time... Yours ~ Alek."

Katya smiled at the letter subconsciously as he stared at how simple the alpha’s handwriting was.

It was different from the cards that usually came already typed.

This felt personal.

So, Katya picked up the second letter.

"Dear little rose, I couldn’t reach you on your phone, so please pardon my brazen choice to use handwritten letters. How are you doing? Are you eating enough? Is it hard over there? If you feel like crying, please let yourself cry.

"I’m sorry I can’t be there for now to wipe your tears, but I hope you let out what’s in your heart. Today we had to deal with the head that was delivered at the residence. There was no DNA on it other than the journalist’s.

"It was a hard one to solve, and the police say that it’s an open and shut case. I feel bad for the journalist, and I’m trying to help the officers find him justice. I hope he gets it soon.

"Anyway, before I get lost in yapping about my day, I miss you, and I hope you’re doing better. I’ll have a thousand hugs waiting for you and several movie nights that you love. Until next time... Yours ~ Alek."

The third letter was about the senator’s day, too, and how the Senate was driving him crazy while he just wanted to go home and curl up in his bed and listen to their favorite songs.

The fourth, fifth, sixth, seven even to the tenth letters were the same.

About the alpha and how much he missed Katya.

And how he hoped Katya’s day went.

The eleventh letter was different and a little longer.

"My dearest little rose, today is that day that hurt you the most. I know nothing I say can make it any better. I know it’s hard, and you need to stop for a while. If I had superpowers, I’d make it stop for you. I’d pause it so you can breathe through this day.

"I will not say sorry for what happened, because my apologies won’t ever make it better, especially on this day. But my little rose, while it hurts so badly, doesn’t focus on the pain fully. Think of how happy you were the weeks before.

"...How excited you were. Lean into that happiness. For that timeline, when you had something to hold onto. I know this doesn’t make it any better, but my mama always said sometimes pain is the price we pay for love.

"Those two weeks were real. They happened, even if they didn’t last long. But they were happier. Think of them, because they proved that you could be happier too. That you could have that too. That you were never the problem.

"Fate sometimes is cruel, and I wish I could absorb your pain, especially on this day. You bloomed despite it all, my little rose. Forgive me for the lengthy letter. I got carried away. I hope you’re kinder to yourself today, too.

"...Because you lived. You loved. And even though you lost, you still felt what love was like. I’m not a prayerful man, but I’ll pray to the moon to be kinder to you. Someday things will be alright, and you’ll be happier, little rose.

"Until then, don’t be too hard on yourself. It wasn’t your fault. Until next time... Yours ~ Alek."