“I didn’t steal any of your beers!” I growled. “You were probably too drunk to remember you drank them all!”
I finally whipped my spoon on the back of his head, and he released me, laughing.
I stood upright again and slammed down into my seat, scowling. Asshole.
Dipping some bread into the soup, I stared down, eating and trying to keep my damn mouth shut. The warmth spread through my mouth and down my throat, filtering through my body as I tried to ignore everyone’s eyes on me.
“So, how much penance did you get? Huh?” Ilia nudged my shoulder, not letting up. “Stealing my beer, not doing as you’re told like a good girl…” He listed my sins. “You having any impure thoughts yet?”
“Ask your girlfriend,” I retorted, my mouth full of food. “She eyeballs me more than she does you.”
Lev snorted.
“You little shit,” Ilia gritted out, jabbing his fingers into my stomach.
I jerked away, but he circled his arms around my body and tickled me. I squirmed, hitting him in the chest. “Leave me alone!”
But he just laughed, moving his hands under my arms and then back to my stomach.
“Leave her alone,” I heard David say.
“Mmm.” Ilia’s hand “accidentally” found itself close to my ass. “Getting kind of perky back there, aren’t you?” He pinched me through my jeans. I wiggled away and swung my hand at him, slapping him on the neck.
“Alright, enough,” Marina barked. “Out of my kitchen. Go. All of you. Now!”
Ilia and Lev chuckled, jostling the benches as they rose and left the room, Ilia flicking me on the side of the head as he left. David stood up, emptying his coffee and setting down the mug before leaving the room without another word.
I downed a few more spoonfuls of soup and stood up, ripping a hunk of bread off the loaf on the table to take with me.
Climbing off the bench, I walked toward the back stairs, leading up to my room.
But a voice from behind stopped me. “Nik.”
I halted, squaring my shoulders to brace myself. I had hoped to escape, but I was too late.
Marina wasn’t my mother, but she assumed the job. We had an agreement. I came and went as I pleased, and she reserved the right to tell me what she did or didn’t like about that.
My real mother could barely take care of herself, much less me.
Turning around, I took a quick bite out of the loaf in my hand, hoping that would signal I didn’t want to talk.
But she approached anyway, her blue eyes leveled on me and a sympathetic tilt to her smile. “Try as he might,” she said, “your brother can’t stop time. No matter how you cover up or how big you wear your clothes, you can’t hide forever. Your body is changing.”
Heat immediately rose to my cheeks, and I wanted to look away but didn’t. “So?”
“So, men are starting to notice you,” she pointed out, more urgent. “You’re a pretty girl, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to…” She paused as if looking for the right words. “I don’t think they should be handling you like that anymore. They’ll start to get ideas.”
She raised her hands and rubbed them up and down my arms, adding, “If they haven’t already, that is. You’re a woman now, and your body is yours.”
This time I did look away, inhaling a heavy breath.
A woman. I wasn’t growing up. My body could change all it wanted, but I’d never be a woman. I’d never be anything other than what I was right now.
“It’s okay to grow up,” Marina nearly whispered as if reading my mind. “It’s okay to dress and wear make-up like other women do, if that’s what you want.”
I held in my bitter laugh. “I don’t see how that makes any sense. I don’t want those g
uys to notice me—” I jerked my head to the hallway where Ilia, Lev, and David had just walked, “—so why draw further attention to myself?”