Chapter 9
Y ulianna – Three Weeks Later
“This is incredible,” I squealed as we pulled into the parking lot of the movie theater. I stared up at the glowing sign and couldn’t wait to get in there.
“You’ve really never been to the movies,” Marcus asked.
I shook my head.
“What the heck? I’ve heard of strict parents, but that’s just abuse,” he said.
“Shut up, Marcus,” Eddie said, jumping to my rescue. “Let’s go so we get good seats.”
I climbed out of his black SUV radiating excitement. I was still adjusting to the American dialect back home, it was an off-road vehicle. Ella choosing to stay behind in the dorms tonight made me sad, but I had been waiting for this experience my whole life.
Marcus, Paul, and Lawrence all knew about us, so Eddie and I were free to hold hands and kiss in front of them. I linked my fingers with his as soon as he walked around and closed my door for me. We walked inside, and my senses were completely overwhelmed with popping sounds, loud voices and dinging machines. It was incredible. I took a deep breath of the popcorn-filled air.
“Mmm, that smells amazing.”
“Here, go play some games in the arcade. I’ll get our tickets and a bunch of food for you to try,” Eddie said, handing me cash.
“Oh…I’m so stupid.” I looked up at him in horror. “I didn’t bring any money with me.”
Eddie laughed, but I didn’t find it funny. How was it that I could be so intelligent and yet feel so ignorant about common things? Everyday at Wayward had felt the same. There was always something that made me realize just how sheltered my father had kept me. But knowing it and facing it were completely different.
“Ana, don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have let you pay anyway. This is a date, so it’s my treat.” I crossed my arms and stared at him. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”
“No, I’m not. I just expected you to pay like I was out with Frida and my guards. That was so entitled, rude, and oh my god, I’m an annoying princess,” I said, horror filling me. “I’m a rich, spoiled brat.”
Eddie gripped my shoulders to stop the tangent that he knew was coming.
“First of all, you are not a brat. You could never be a brat. You are one of the sweetest, most down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. Second, you’ve never had to bring money with you anywhere. Can you even tell the difference between the bills of this American money? It all looks the same,” he said with a smile and a playful nudge. “Give yourself a break, Ana. No one is judging you, especially not me. I invited you out on a date. In my mind, that means I pay. But, if it makes you feel better, you can pay on our next date.”
“Okay, but will you teach me how to read their money and buy stuff?”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “Yes. I will teach you anything you want to know and anything I don’t know we’ll look up.” He kissed my forehead. “Then you can say you have a sexy teacher with great abs that makes you melt,” he whispered, making me shiver.
I laughed nervously, picturing him shirtless. He might have been teasing, but it was a very accurate description. Feeling a little better, I nodded. Eddie was wrong. He was the sweetest person who had ever walked the earth, especially for an aspiring Don of Dons. I worried about the cost of making that dream happen. Would he become someone I didn’t recognize? Would he turn into a cold, heartless man like my father?
“Thanks, Eddie. I feel better, but if I was left on the side of the road, I’d have no skills to find my way home, let alone survive on my own. I read a lot, but other than church, political parties, or family gatherings, I never left my house. I was never allowed to live in the real world. It makes me so angry.”
Eddie gave my shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
“We come from a different world. You’ve stepped through a portal and seen what the rest of the world sees. You can be angry with your family, but wouldn’t it be better to treat each day like a new adventure? One we can have together.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I need to stop being angry and learn as much as I can with my favorite person in the whole world.”
His smile lit up, and I blushed even as he let my shoulders go and shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Okay. And, if you’re up to the challenge, I have another idea for you?”
My chin rose as I rolled my shoulders. “What kind of a challenge?”
“Wayward offers survival retreats. We could sign up. They teach you how to?—”
“Yes, whatever they teach, the answer is yes.” I jumped excitedly and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tight as he held me. “You’ve always believed that I could be more. Thank you, Eddie.”
“I love you, and that means I’ll always support you, anima mia . Never question that.”
As we stared into each other’s eyes, all I could picture was punching him in the nose on the first night we met. It amazed me that he even wanted to see me again, let alone fell in love with me. I was so lucky.
“Are you guys coming or what,” Marcus yelled. Eddie rolled his eyes.
“Steal Paul, he loves arcades. He’ll show you how to play,” Eddie said as we headed in their direction.
My adrenaline was still pumping even after the movie finished. It was like being right inside all the action. My ears were ringing, and my heart raced with the excitement. Who knew that popcorn and candy were so filling? I’d tried so many new things and couldn’t choose a favorite. Eddie chuckled at my enthusiasm, but I couldn’t help it.
“Why don’t we hit up Q before heading back to Wayward,” Lawrence asked when we walked outside.
“I don’t know, man. It’s already nine,” Eddie answered.
“It’s Friday night,” Marcus said, punching Eddie in the arm. “Let’s go for a couple hours, and we will still be back before you turn into a pumpkin.”
“Funny.” He looked down at me. “It’s up to you. Do you want to go?”
“What is Q ?”
“It’s a billiards place, but they allow all ages.”
“Can we,” I asked, eager to keep this night going.
“Okay,” Eddie said, and Lawrence and Marcus high-fived.
There was so much I was learning with my new found freedom. I’d never given a high-five in my life and had to ask what it meant the first time I saw it. Rules were different, the food was new and delicious, and even the slang words were ones I’d never heard before. The guys called each other terrible names, and yet it was all a big joke that I still didn’t understand most of what they meant.
I’d always known that I spoke with an accent, but I didn’t realize how thick it was until coming here. Wanting to blend in, I found myself trying to suppress the Russian lilt. I’d been different my whole life, and for the first time, I was just another girl in the crowd.
We sang a song called Loser on our way to Q . Eddie looked like he wanted to throw us all out of the vehicle as we screamed at the top of our lungs. He cringed in the driver’s seat as we pulled up to park in one of the few open spots.
“Don’t worry, I know the owner. We’ll get a table quick,” Lawrence proclaimed as he hopped out and jogged for the front door ahead of us.
True to his word, we only waited ten minutes before we were waved over and bypassed people who’d been here first. The place was packed, and I could feel the energy buzzing against my skin as we walked to the empty table at the back.
“We’re an odd number,” Paul said.
“Let’s do winner plays next up,” Marcus offered, and we all agreed.
Lawrence and Paul squared off first. I learned the game, leaning against Eddie while he pointed out moves and told me how the stick was held as we waited for our turn.
“Are you thirsty,” Eddie asked, and I nodded. “I’ll go get some pitchers of soda and water.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“No, you’re up next, and they’re almost done. I’ll steal Marcus,” Eddie said, wrapping his arm around his friend’s neck and dragging him away as Marcus complained. The two of them made me laugh.
I took the alone time to really look around. The building was large and dimly lit except for the lights hanging over each billiards table. People were packed in like sardines, playing pool, watching, or dancing in the middle of the room. Large television screens showed different sports, but everyone cheered the most for the football game. I still struggled to call it that when I pictured what they called soccer. Regardless of the name, it was super popular and held my curiosity.
“Yulianna you’re up,” Paul said, handing me his stick that Eddie called a cue. “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.”
Taking it, I rubbed some of the blue chalk on the end like I’d seen the guys do before they started.
“Do you want to break,” Lawrence asked.
“No, you go ahead.”
He put the colorful numbered balls together in the triangle thing and brought the white one down near where I was standing.
“You sure you don’t want to try? I can show you how if you want,” he offered, holding out the white ball.
“Okay, thanks.” Plucking it from his fingers, I placed it in the very middle of the table, lined up with the tip of the colorful triangle.
“I wouldn’t put it there. Unless you have a really strong break, hitting it head-on won’t really do anything.” Lawrence grabbed the ball and moved it off to the side. “Here, aim for just behind the lead ball.”
Eddie had shown me how to hold the cue, but now that I was bent over, it was far more awkward than it looked. It kept slipping out of my guiding fingers, and when I brought the stick forward, it skimmed off the top of the white ball.
“Wow, this is harder than I thought it would be,” I said.
Lawrence grabbed the ball and placed it in the same spot. “Here, try again, and I’ll help you.”
I nodded, grateful for the guidance.
When I got into position, Lawrence practically draped his body over mine and gripped my arms. I tensed, not knowing what he was even thinking. No one but Eddie had ever entered my personal space like this before.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m showing you how it’s done. This is the only way to get your stance right,” he said, breathing beside my ear. He hadn’t said or done anything inappropriate, but this felt wrong.
I tried to stand, but Lawrence’s weight kept me in place.
“Let go, please. I want to stand up.”
“Just take the shot, you’ll see.”
“No, I’d rather do it on my own,” I said more firmly.
“Don’t be like that, Yuli. Just take the shot.”
“My name is not Yuli. Please don’t call me that, and back away. I want to stand,” I said.
“So what, only Ed gets to use a nickname?”
“Yes, actually. Now move,” I commanded this time, pushing up with my body as hard as I could.
“What the fuck!”
Lawrence was still over me one second, and the next, he was gone. I jumped as Eddie growled and slammed him up against the wall.
“What the fuck are you doing to my girl?”
“I was just trying to help her. She didn’t know how to take the shot.”
“She asked you to get off of her. I heard it, you can’t deny it, and you didn’t move.”
I’d never seen Eddie like this. He was always so sweet and gentle or teasing, but right now…there was a dominance exuding off of him that was as alluring as it was unnerving. Lawrence glared at me and then back at Eddie as he held out his arm toward the table.
“Fuck, I just wanted her to take the shot so she could see. I wasn’t hitting on her. And as far as I’m aware, she’s not yours until your name is on a marriage contract,” Lawrence said.
Eddie sucked in a deep breath.
“What the hell did you just say to me?”
“Guys, knock it off. It’s been a long day, and we should get back. It’s already midnight. Just apologize, Lawrence, and let’s get the hell out of here before we’re thrown out,” Marcus said, placing his hand on Eddie’s shoulder.
Lawrence rolled his eyes but looked at me.
“I’m sorry, Yulianna, I really only wanted to help.”
I wasn’t sure that I believed him, but I nodded anyway. My only priority was to try and stay out of trouble so I didn’t get yanked back home.
“It’s fine, Lawrence. Thank you for trying. Like Marcus said, it’s been a long day.”
Eddie didn’t release Lawrence even when I touched his arm.
“Come on, Eddie, let him go. It was a misunderstanding. I may have overreacted.”
He didn’t look at me, but he dropped his arm, only to poke Lawrence in the chest.
“Don’t fucking test me. I’m your friend, but I will put you in the ground if you touch her again.”
Lawrence held up his hands like he was surrendering.
“Sorry, man. Fuck, if I knew you were going to be this much of a pill, I wouldn’t have come.” Lawrence marched away, grabbing his hoodie off a chair as he went.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start anything,” I said as Eddie looked down at me.
“Don’t be. There are other ways he could’ve helped you. That was a dick move, and he knows it.” Eddie smoothed back my hair and kissed my forehead. “If he ever does anything like that again, tell me.”
“But….”
“No buts. You tell me, and I’ll make sure he never touches you again.”
At that moment, he didn’t look like my Eddie. I’d seen that same darkness in my father and in the guards who took lives as easily as drinking a glass of water. It scared me a little to see it in Eddie’s stormy eyes.
“Okay, I’ll tell you,” I said and prayed that day would never come. His face relaxed, and his eyes softened until my Eddie was back.
“Come on, this will all blow over,” Marcus said, and I hoped he was right.
Paul gave me a small, reassuring smile on our way out, but what had started as one of the most amazing days of my life had ended with a sour taste in my mouth. One that would last a very long time.