Can I Trust You?

Nick looked at Elena with surprise and slight bewilderment; he did not expect the woman to hide such important information all this time, "You... Well, you, you remember?"

"What exactly should I remember?" Elena asked, the question sounded with obvious subtext.

What exactly? The thoughts in Nick's head began spinning at a new speed. Firstly, she knew for sure that he was somehow connected with the Teser family. But then what answer was she expecting from him? Was this a test of sincerity, or did she remember only part of what had happened? Then what could he confirm and what could he hide?

Elena watched with a smile as the emotions on the face of the young man were changing one another. He was clearly thinking hard about something, frowning and biting his lower lip.

"Ahaha God, relax! And then I feel like an investigator during interrogation," the woman patted Nick on the shoulder and turned to face the mirror, at that moment the need to put her hair in order was a priority for her.

In the reflection, she saw Nick's blue eyes, looking at her in complete confusion. "By the way, it was interesting to me from our first meeting, but who did you inherit such beautiful eye color from? When I look at them, it seems to me that I look at the clear sky. Everyone has brown eyes in David's family, but I haven't seen your parents, so I don't know if this is from your mother?

Although, on the other hand, Sean has heterochromia, so there is a possibility that the blue pigment is transmitted along my line, along the Teser line. So it could be from my grandfather, and from grandfather of David. So, can you satisfy my curiosity?"

Nick opened his mouth but did not know what to answer. If he says that this is from his parents, and here Elena clearly meant David's uncle, whose family is somewhere in the excavations in Africa, then sooner or later this lie will become obvious. He could not block the connection of these relatives with the Andersons for a long time, all that was left for him was two weeks of time.

Nick knew that even though Elena was a kind person, this did not mean that she was naive and trusting. And now, when his every move could be critical, the young man could not take risks and go into conflict with her.

Recognition of the truth was the best choice in his case, as it provided an opportunity for further negotiations.

"I don't know," Nick answered in an uncertain voice, but he really did not know who he had this trait from.

"Hmm, strange... But I just remembered that Uncle John had blue eyes. How come you don't know the color of your father's eyes? Is that possible?"

Dang. Nick mentally cracked himself on the head, the woman's question was a test, which he failed miserably.

"Um, Elena, let me explain everything-"

"Nick, listen to me carefully now, and think again before you say something," the woman turned to face him, the young man first saw her so serious and even a little cold,

"I don't know what is happening to me, after I woke up, there was a huge mess in my head. I see heaps of pictures and incomprehensible fragments that I just can't put together. I remember that you and I had a conversation, but I don't remember what we talked about. And whatever you tell me now, I will take it for granted. But as you see, I trust you and speak about it openly, therefore, I hope you also trust me in return."

"Then... why did you call me Teser?" the young man asked in surprise. If Elena did not remember anything, where did she get this phrase?

"I don't know where I got it from, maybe I dreamed it. But I'm sure I heard Lina's voice, and she addressed you that way. Or am I wrong?" the woman tilted her head to the side, her steady and open gaze deprived Nick of his last chance of retreat.

"No, you are not wrong at all," the young man bowed his head and stared at the floor, waiting for his fate as a criminal who confirmed his guilt. But he did not expect what Elena did afterwards.

The woman did not answer, but simply walked up to him and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, I am very glad," Elena whispered and stroked his back. She vaguely remembered her mother and did not know anything about her father, but now, she had someone who was her family. Someone from her own family.

"Hmm, Nick Teser, huh? Nice to meet you," Elena looked at the embarrassed young man with a smile. Now she understood why, from the first instant, she was so attached to him, the power of blood, after all, is a powerful connection. Whoever this guy was, they were tied together by invisible threads, like any other relatives, whom it was impossible to get rid of, even if they were abandoned.

"So, tell me about yourself?"

Elena's question sounded with such sincerity and warmth that Nick wanted to open up his entire soul to her in that very second. He was afraid of their meeting, like fire. Even when he saw her for the first time from a car window in a parking lot near the exhibition center, Nick's heart froze from the feeling of worrying.

He just sat and waited for Lina to return, not even daring to look inside the gallery, and when Lina finally returned, it was a complete surprise for Nick to see Armand and Elena next to her. He did not hear their conversation and thanked the universe that the windows of the minivan were tinted, as this allowed him to openly watch every gesture of the woman who was now looking at him with a smile and waiting for his answer.

"I don't know where to start," Nick said barely audibly, he anticipated the possibility of this conversation, but he did not dare to reveal everything as it was.

"Hmmm, let's do this way. In the evening, when I return, you and I will walk along the shore, and you will tell me everything calmly, okay? I know that our family is not the most ordinary one and there are secrets that can not always be revealed. But I also know that when something bothers you, family support works wonders. You agree?"

Nick closed his eyes to hold back the tear that strove to slide down his cheek, "Elena, you are so wonderful. Thank you for not hating me."

The woman smiled and stroked his head, although the difference in height was not very big, she had to reach out to touch the top of his head, "Silly boy, why should I hate you? Don't you yourself make up different nonsense that does not exist. So, do you agree? Or I'll call David right now to ask his opinion."

"No! No need to call David!" Nick immediately got alarmed, although he had nothing against David, the stern look and demanding tone of the man always made Nick feel nervous.

"Pffff, okay, don't be so scared. Let it remain our little secret, but only until the evening!"

"Yes, ma'am," Nick gave Elena his charming smile, "May I go with you?" he made the last attempt to ask for permission to join their journey.

"Why are you so fixated on this? Do you know something?" Elena squinted her eyes, her eyes as a scanner read facial expressions of a young man.

"The fact of the matter is that I do not know! This bothers me the most! Elena, Marcus cannot be trusted, you can't imagine how insidious and two-faced he is!"

"Nick, with all due respect, but I know much more about Marcus than about you. And if I can at least somehow suggest his further actions, then in your case I do not know anything - neither who you are, nor your motives, nor your goals. The fact that we are relatives does not mean that you are doing the right thing. So tell me, can I trust you?"

"Of course you can trust me! I will never do anything to harm our family!" the young man said with resentment in his voice, he did not care about the opinions of others, but it did not include her opinion.

"Then you must trust me. I am asking you to look after the most valuable that we have. So be a good boy, play with the children, and in the evening we will discuss everything," Elena clapped him on the shoulder, looked in the mirror for the last time, and nodded to the guy towards the exit, "Come, I don't want to make such a crowd of respectable men wait for me."

Nick grinned and with a businesslike bow opened the door of the room, "Well, please, Madame. The queen always comes last," he winked and accompanied Elena to the hotel exit.