"She said no..."
Lyudmila whispered as she watched Charlotte's back retreating into the distance. Then she turned to Daniel, her short red hair swaying gently over her shoulders.
"Does that mean they weren't flirting?"
Daniel narrowed his eyes as he followed Charlotte climbing the stairs, then replied without looking at Lyudmila:
"What kind of emotional intelligence do you have? They're clearly arguing. Can't you see it? They're not talking to each other, and when they do, it's like two wild cats fighting."
Just remembering Charlotte's angry face by the car, and Leonid's cold voice, was enough to send a chill through his body.
"Anyway, don't dwell on it… and stay out of it."
"But…"
Lyudmila murmured, then said in a low voice:
"From my point of view, it doesn't seem like they're fighting."
Daniel sighed and turned toward her, then cautiously wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"Listen carefully, sweetheart… No matter how it seems to you, don't interfere. Let things play out on their own."
"Alright, I won't interfere… Got it."
"Good."
He murmured in approval, then added seriously:
"Now we have one problem."
"What problem?"
"The cabin only has two bedrooms. How are we going to split up?"
Lyudmila smiled simply and said:
"Easy. You can sleep with Leonid, and I'll sleep with Charlotte."
"No…"
Daniel narrowed his eyes, imagining himself lying next to Leonid in a double bed. Just the thought made him furrow his brows.
"I'll never sleep next to him."
"Seriously? Then sleep with Charlotte, and I'll sleep with Leonid."
Daniel raised an eyebrow in silent protest, making Lyudmila shrug indifferently.
"What?! You don't trust me? Then, idiot, just share the room with him and get it over with!"
"Don't call me an idiot."
He said seriously, then let out a deep sigh.
He started thinking of a plan. Sharing a room with Leonid was out of the question it would be awkward and gross.
As for Lyudmila, he simply couldn't allow her to sleep with another man... whoever he might be.
So, what's the solution?
In the end, the only option would be to have Leonid and Charlotte share a room.
Suddenly, he heard a faint sound. He turned to the side and saw Charlotte crouching by the glass door, gathering scattered cigarettes and a lighter off the floor.
Her chestnut hair flowed down her back and around her face in soft waves, now loose after undoing her braids.
"Is she so mentally exhausted she even undid her braids?"
Lyudmila whispered hesitantly, watching Charlotte with questioning eyes.
Suddenly, Charlotte raised her head and stared at them.
"Listen…"
She spoke in a calm tone, yet it was soaked in fatigue.
"What?"
Lyudmila replied quickly, while Daniel answered in a low, respectful voice, pulling his arm away from Lyudmila:
"I'm listening."
Charlotte said, toying with the lighter between her fingers:
"About the bedrooms… there's no need to argue over me or Leonid. I can sleep anywhere in this cabin."
"Impossible! I won't let you sleep on the floor or the couch."
Daniel objected immediately, and Lyudmila nodded quickly in agreement.
But Charlotte ignored their protest, gathered all the scattered cigarettes including the used ones and quietly turned away after glancing past them, entering the cabin without a word.
"What do we do now?"
Lyudmila asked, pinching her chin in thought.
"Charlotte's very stubborn. She won't change her mind no matter what we do. And if we force her... she'll never forgive us."
"Hmm…"
Daniel murmured as he closed his eyes, deep in thought.
Should he really give in and share a double bed with Leonid? Unbearable.
"I'll sleep on the couch. No need to overthink it."
"Huh?!"
"What—!"
Daniel and Lyudmila turned around in alarm, finding Leonid standing behind them, as calm as always, his face blank, as if it meant nothing.
"I said I'll sleep on the couch. Or in any corner of the cabin. It doesn't matter where I sleep… what matters is that she sleeps in a proper bedroom."
His voice was quiet, emotionless, as if stating a fact beyond discussion. He ignored Daniel's shock and Lyudmila's unreadable look, walking past them silently into the cabin.
"Oh my God…"
Lyudmila's heart fluttered as she recalled Charlotte's words moments ago, comparing them to Leonid's response.
"That's… really romantic."
"I don't think so. I bet he heard what she said and decided to copy her."
Daniel rolled his eyes, then turned toward Ludmila with a cautious tone:
"Anyway, stop staring at him. I don't like it."
The sparkle in Lyudmila's eyes dimmed slightly, but she smiled faintly and whispered:
"So jealous..."
Her voice was soft, teasing on purpose. She raised her hand slowly, tracing her fingertips lightly along his neck, then leaned in, pressing herself to his chest.
"More than you can imagine."
Daniel whispered warmly, leaning toward her, his lips brushing the air between them so close to hers, yet not touching.
Lyudmila's lips trembled in anticipation of the kiss she longed for, her breath unsteady, her eyes shining under thick lashes.
"What are you doing?"
She whispered shyly, her voice fragrant with warmth.
"Watching you..."
Daniel answered with a sly smile, then suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her lightly into his arms. Her legs wrapped around him instinctively, as if her body knew its way to his.
"You look sweet today… just like every day."
"Stop the sweet talk, and kiss me."
"Hmm~"
He murmured in his deep voice as he touched her lips, deliberately delaying despite her boldness. He savored the tremble of her mouth beneath his breath, and finally, he gave her a long kiss before gently setting her back down.
"Alright, let's get through tonight without trouble."
"Count on me. I'll keep Charlotte busy with me and away from Leonid until dinner. Then, I'll put her in the bedroom… whether she likes it or not."
"I'm counting on you."
Daniel smiled and raised his fist confidently. Lyudmila smiled back and bumped his fist with hers in a pact, then they walked together into the cabin.
Inside, the atmosphere was stifling.
Charlotte sat on the couch, harshly trying to return the scattered cigarettes back into their pack. On the other side, Leonid leaned against the armrest, silently watching her hands.
It looked like a separated couple… still tethered by something unresolved.
Leonid spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his voice:
"I don't think there's a point in putting the cigarettes back in the pack after they've been all over the floor."
Charlotte responded without looking up:
"What I do is none of your business."
He raised an eyebrow coolly, then tilted his head back, stifling the smirk that was creeping across his face. He used to love her boldness but not this time.
A heavy silence fell between them. It was thick with bitterness. Charlotte could feel his disapproval bleeding through his quiet gaze. Her hands froze. Then she looked up and met his eyes.
She spoke steadily:
"You're the one who gave them to me, weren't you? You said I could do whatever I wanted with them… and that's exactly what I'm doing."
"Are you trying to justify your rudeness?"
"No."
She replied simply, then dropped her gaze back to the cigarette pack, trying to close it with fingers that had begun to tremble unknowingly.
"Lying, are you?"
Charlotte stopped her futile attempt, then set the pack aside on the table next to the lighter. She had already tossed the used cigarette into the trash earlier with a kind of quiet defiance.
She raised her eyes to him again, her voice calm and serious:
"I'm not lying."
He scoffed, shaking his head in deliberate mockery.
"You say you're not lying… but to me, you're extremely good at it."
"I'm not good at it at all!"
She snapped, her voice trembling despite its volume. At that, his mocking expression faded, replaced by a cold silence and a sharp stare.
"Oh really? Then tell me why did you hide all those secrets from me? And why are you still hiding more?"
Charlotte narrowed her eyes and suddenly turned her face away, as if fleeing something she had no answer for.
"What is it? Why don't you deny it? Why can't you just say you're not hiding anything?"
He paused, and this time his voice carried genuine anger, stripped of any sarcasm:
"Cat got your tongue?"
"Alright, alright!"
Daniel quickly stepped in, waving his hands in an attempt to defuse the tension. He approached Leonid and leaned in slightly, saying:
"Come on, man. That's not how conflicts get resolved."
"Shut your mouth."
Leonid replied coldly, then stood and walked toward the table. He bent down to pick up the lighter and the cigarette pack but Charlotte was faster. She snatched the pack before his hand could reach it.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise and stared at her.
"Give it to me."
"No."
Charlotte refused firmly, then stood and quickly headed toward the kitchen. Leonid stood there, eyes fixed on her back with barely contained annoyance, then followed her with heavy steps. Daniel made a move to intervene again, gesturing toward Lyudmila to step in, but she remained frozen in place. She had fully expected Charlotte to act like this when her pride was wounded.
"I said give it to me."
"I won't. You're the one who handed it to me have you forgotten?"
Charlotte answered sternly, standing at the sink.
She turned on the water forcefully, deliberately, as if warning him of what she intended to do.
"Don't you dare!"
Leonid shouted, rushing toward her.
But Charlotte ignored his threat completely and dropped the cigarette pack into the running water.
Leonid froze in place.
He stared at the sink, watching as the water soaked what was left of his cigarettes.
Behind him, Daniel stood stunned, looking between them, trying to make sense of her fierce defiance.
But he found nothing clear in her expression.
Charlotte's eyes were fixed on the whirlpool in the sink, calm on the outside while her heart thrashed inside her chest.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Leonid asked, trying to keep control of his burning voice.
He had never been treated this way.
Not by anyone and certainly not by a woman… he loved.
He didn't know whether her act was rebellion, mockery, or for his sake, but it had stirred his anger more than he'd expected.
"Maybe. And why not?"
Charlotte replied coldly, raising her eyes to meet his without fear, without retreat.
Leonid clenched his fist.
The distance between them was short he could cross it in one step and confront her but suddenly...
"Leonid!"
Daniel placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Enough. Not like this."
His voice was low, but firm in its calm.
Leonid hadn't lost his temper yet not completely.
It wasn't the cigarettes that mattered now, but the defiance, the challenge, the audacity.
He stared at her for a long moment… then backed away in silence and walked out of the cabin.
"Wait!"
Daniel called after him and followed, closing the glass door behind them.
Silence fell.
After a moment, Charlotte turned off the tap, then slowly slid down to her knees.
Her fingers were trembling, and tears streamed down her face without a sound.
Lyudmila rushed to her side, kneeling beside her and gently placing a hand on her back.
"Are you alright?"
Charlotte nodded faintly.
"What did you just do, Charlotte?"
Lyudmila whispered in quiet frustration.
Charlotte lifted her hand slightly, as if she were about to explain but then let it drop again. She mumbled:
"I don't know… I wasn't thinking. Suddenly, I just… did it."
Lyudmila gently patted her shoulder and said in a soft voice:
"I know… When anger takes over, we do things we only understand once it's too late."
She paused, then added kindly:
"And if you ever feel like you need someone to listen, I'm here. Always."
Charlotte's tear-heavy lashes fluttered.
She lifted her eyes to meet Lyudmila's with silent gratitude then looked away once more.