Chapter 10

10

RILEY

W hat in the ever loving hell is Nikolai doing here? My eyes roam his body from head to toe, in shock. I honestly can't believe my eyes. Maybe I fell asleep and I'm dreaming. Because there is no way that he's standing in front of me in a freaking school uniform.

I close my eyes and open them again. Still here. I would have laughed because the tattoos that run up and down his arms are such a stark contrast to the polo shirt, but I am too taken aback.

"Why are you not eating lunch?" Nikolai walks up to my table. It's my favorite one. It sits in the back corner, away from everyone else. It serves as a hiding place for me.

"What are you even doing here?" I whisper. We are in a library, but that doesn't faze Nikolai.

"I go here now." He pulls out a chair, sitting down in it.

"You go here now," I repeat. Nikolai said it like that's completely normal.

"Did you eat your lunch?"

"I'm not hungry." My stomach is in knots.

"You need to eat." Nikolai stands back up. "Stay put," he orders me. "When I get back, you're going to tell me why you've been crying." Crap. He's still asking about what happened the other day, and now he found me crying. He's never going to let this go.

I shove my glasses up my nose. "I haven't been—" My words cut off when Nikolai grabs my braid, using it to gently tilt my head back before bringing his mouth down on mine. It is a firm kiss.

"Don't lie to me, sweetness." He called me that nickname Friday night too. Nikolai releases his hold on me. I stare in shock as I watch him stroll back out of the library. What the hell is going on? I'm in the twilight zone.

This can't be good. Nikolai has no reason to be here except for me. He's been on me about my knees, but would he really enroll in my freaking school to find an answer? That is so over the top. Why would he do that? Unless he told Matteo and my sister about it and Matteo is making him.

I scratch part of that thought. If my sister knew I was having problems at school, she would have been all over me about it. I've done everything in my power to keep her from finding out. Mona spent all of our childhood trying to take care of and protect me. She has her own little family now. That is where her focus should be. She already spent too much of her life doing that. Now she gets to be free. I need to learn to take care of myself.

"It must be my lucky day." Oh God. I fight not to roll my eyes at the sound of Brent's voice. He embodies every cliché you've read about or seen in movies about the popular jock. I don't think he even knows my name, so why is he talking to me?

"Hey." I force a polite smile, not wanting to create any more issues for myself by being rude to him. Brent has always given me an uneasy feeling. We have a few classes together. A few times I thought maybe he was staring at me, but it was likely because I'm new. He is, however, Becky's boyfriend.

"You're Riley, right?" He leans up against the table.

"That's me."

"I've seen you around a lot." Well, yeah. We have a few classes together, and I've been here for months now. I notice he doesn't tell me his name. He expects me to know it. I mean, I do, but I also know the names of the other students in all my classes.

"I don't want any problems." I glance around, hoping that no one sees the two of us talking. The last thing I need is more problems with Becky. She has it out for me as it is. Imagine how bad it will get if she thinks I'm talking to her boyfriend.

"No problems." He smirks. "I want your number." I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be a question, but he doesn't make it sound like one. He's cocky, but not in a way that works. Brent can't pull it off. Not the same way Nikolai can. Brent sounds like an entitled jerk when he makes demands.

"What?" Do I need to remind him that he has a girlfriend? One that enjoys making my life hell? I'm starting to think they have some sort of open relationship or something. Considering she demanded earlier that I get Nikolai's number for her.

"Your number." He repeats this again, pulling his phone out. "I'm having a party this weekend." Okay, maybe he's not hitting on me. However, it's possible that he's planning a practical joke to humiliate me. I could have a Carrie moment that would complete my high school experience.

"I don't do parties. Sorry." A part of me wants to be a snot and say I don't do them because my brother-in-law gets me into some of the most exclusive clubs in the city. But I don't want to be a dick. Brent hasn't done anything outright to me.

"There is a first time for everything." Brent steps closer to me, crowding me.

A hand comes down on Brent's shoulder, making him jump. Even without spotting the tattoos, I know it's Nikolai.

"The fuck?!" Brent tries to turn and jerk out of Nikolai's hold, but that's pointless. I know this from experience. Once Nikolai has you in his grasp, he's not letting you go until he wants to. And by the expression on his face, he's nowhere near ready to let Brent go.

"All of Riley's first times belong to me." He gives Brent's shoulder a squeeze, making him wince before he finally lets him go.

"The fuck do you think you are?" Brent half shouts as he spins to face off with Nikolai. He takes a quick step back.

"Who I am is none of your fucking business." Nikolai sets down a tray filled with food on the table. Food isn't allowed in here, but I'm sure no one wanted to step up and inform him of that.

"Do you know who I am?" Brent might have taken a step back from Nikolai, but his ego isn't going to let this go. He also might think he's safe because we're in school. So he can run his mouth.

"Do I look like I give a flying fuck who you are?"

"You should." Brent keeps running his mouth. I'm not an advocate for violence, but I wouldn't mind Nikolai putting this cocky jerk in his place. Because Brent is definitely not a nice person. He may not have been a jerk to me yet, but I've seen him in action on a few occasions.

A slow smile starts to spread across Nikolai's face. I sit back in my chair. Nikolai jerks his shoulders forward in a quick move, but his feet stay planted. Brent stumbles back, thinking Nikolai is lunging for him. He slams into a bookcase, sending a few books tumbling to the floor.

I put my hand over my mouth, trying to stifle my laugh, still respecting the library rules. It takes Brent a second to get his bearings. "You'll regret that," Brent snaps, but there is a quiver of fear in it. He's the definition of a bully. All big, bad, and tough until someone puts them in their place.

"Is there a problem here, boys?" Dean Soto asks. I snort when I hear someone refer to Nikolai as a "boy." Nikolai flicks his eyes toward me. I want to slide down in the chair. Why do I have to snort like a dork? But Nikolai smirks at me. It's not a cocky one either. His eyes went soft for a second.

"No problem," Brent says. Embarrassment flushes his cheeks red.

"Then let's move along." Brent does as Dean Soto instructs, but as he passes Nikolai, he lets his shoulder run into him. Brent almost bounces off of Nikolai, who doesn't move even a millimeter.

"Nikolai," Dean Soto says with a sigh. "You've only been here a few hours." The dean picks up the fallen books, putting them back onto the bookcase.

"Only an hour," Nikolai corrects him, pulling out a chair to sit diagonally from me. He pushes the tray of food toward me. I wonder if the dean is going to say more or comment on the food, but he merely shakes his head.

"Tell Cattaneo I said hello" is all he says before he leaves Nikolai and me all alone.

"The crying."

"Oh my God." I can't help but laugh at this point. "You're relentless."

"You have no idea."

He's right. I don't. However, I'm sure he's going to show me.