I glanced down at his large hand splayed across my hip. “Says the guy touching an untouchable.”
He didn’t deign to look at me, but his lips broke into a wide smile, showcasing his gleaming white teeth and dimples. My head swam with how beautiful this man was.
“I don’t count.”
I wished things were different. So many times, I prayed to every god imaginable that this stunningly handsome man would look at me as more than just his best friend’s little sister. Someone to protect. Someone to guard and shield. But he didn’t. And I was just another teenage girl craving a person I could never have.
Maybe one day, things would be different. Maybe one day, he would see me as a woman and not some girl he needed to keep an eye on. Alas, I was just a family friend to him. Nothing more. And I was sure that when he touched me, he felt no more than platonic friendship while my every nerve ending was set on fire by a simple glance of his fingertips.
I didn’t ask for much in life. Sure, I had everything I needed, so I never had to ask for a single thing. But if the gods were listening, I hoped they heard my prayer. I only wanted one thing.
For Vik to look at me with the need of a man who wanted something he couldn’t have.
Me.
He wasn’t wrong though. He didn’t count. Because my father trusted him… and for the secret fact that I was head-over-heels in love with Viktor Nikulin.
Nastasia
Age 16
He was punishing me.
Of course, he didn’t outright come out and say it, but I had a deep, unwavering feeling he was indeed attempting to reprimand me. I could never ask though, because what if he wasn’t? I wasn’t so full of myself that I believed Vik’s every movement revolved around me.
I watched him with her. It was torture, but I couldn’t tear my eyes off them. I wasn’t spying. We just all happened to be at the same place at the same time. And I couldn’t look away.
Why couldn’t I look away?
It was a Friday night, and, as per usual, the upper echelon of New Providence High School’s student body made our way over to our current hot spot, Joe’s, for a slice. If I was being honest, not many of us actually ate. It was just an excuse to slide into booths with cute boys and nurse a soda while wishing we were at home in our ratty sweats and mismatched socks.
My excuse was that I was expected to be there. What was Vik’s excuse when he was not? The only flickering thought in my mind was that he wanted me to see him.
The minute I walked into the decently-sized restaurant, Anika came flying at me. With an excited squeal, she hugged me tight, and her musical laughter washed over me. “Can you believe we won?”
I’m sure she didn’t expect any more than what I gave her. I waved an invisible flag and muttered sarcastically, “Go team.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Where’s your team spirit, Nastasia?”
I glanced down at her cheerleading uniform and smiled. “Don’t fret. You’ve got enough for both of us, Ani.”
My gaze flittered over to a booth, and the moment I saw him, my stomach knotted. Anika locked onto my line of sight and rolled her eyes. “So, yeah. My brother’s here.”
I could see that. But I was more interested in who he was with.
Chastity Davis.
My not liking the girl had nothing to do with her, and I had to give credit where credit was due. She was smart, she was kind, and—fuck me—she was beautiful. Chastity was a senior, and Vik had graduated the year before. He’d never mentioned her, so I was a little stumped at the sudden need to go out on a very public date a week after I—
“…sleeping over at Melissa’s house tonight.”
I found focus once more. “Sorry, what?”
“I’m sleeping over at Melissa’s house tonight.” Without a second thought, Anika asked, “Want to come?”
Here was the thing. Anika was sweet; she always had been. She and I were very different people, but we always came back to each other. I wasn’t sure whether it was because our families were friends or the fact that we both knew what it was like to see our fathers covered in blood… and not their own.
Anika and I had a connection that seemed unbreakable. We had a love for each other that didn’t judge, and over the years, that connection turned solid. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her.
Except sleep at Melissa Forman’s house.
“I don’t think so, Ani.” My hesitation was clear.
Her face fell, and I hated that it made me feel bad. Anika wore her heart on her sleeve. “Are you sure? Her parents won’t mind, I swear.”