Chapter 13 #2
Before we can say anything, Allie walks in with several drinks. “Oh my god, Misha, relax. They’re not alone. I just walked into the other room to grab us some drinks. Talia ran up to get Lyra, and Ev should be back up in just a sec.”
She hands a can to me and then gives one to Sitka before sitting down next to her. Looking up at Dima who’s standing closest to her, she ignores him and looks at Bran instead. Fun day?
He walks over and holds his hand out. She gives him her Coke so he can have a drink before he signs, Yeah, pretty fun.
She laughs while she signs, I know that’s code for you got to kill someone.
He grins and takes a seat in the corner so he’s facing everyone.
It’s easy to fall into the rhythm of signing while speaking, and even if Bran turns his head, not caring or wanting to follow along with everyone’s conversations, we all keep doing it so he can easily jump in whenever he wants.
When Talia walks in with Lyra, Max pulls her in for a kiss before grabbing his daughter. He doesn’t get her for long, because as soon as she sees Bran, she squeals and lunges for him. Bran grins and takes her from Max when he’s close enough.
Several minutes later, Aleks and Yulia walk in, both of them carrying an armful of pizza boxes.
“Finally, I’m starving,” Kostya says, already reaching for one of the pizzas.
“Please tell me you remembered and one of those is Hawaiian,” Dima says.
“Of course we remembered,” Yulia tells him, handing him one of the boxes she’s carrying.
“I never doubted you for a second, Yulia,” Dima tells her. “It was your brother I doubted.”
Aleks flips him off with a grin while Dima takes the seat next to Allie. She watches him and scrunches up her nose when he opens the lid.
“That’s the grossest pizza in the world,” she tells him. “I don’t know how you eat it.”
While they bicker, I chance a quick look at Sitka, watching her reach for a slice of pepperoni. My mind immediately pictures her naked, and when her eyes meet mine, I force myself to look away. I can’t stare at her and hide how I feel. It’s impossible, so my only choice is to not look at her.
The boxes are passed around, everyone eating their fill and then some.
I know a lot of them will hate me when they find out what Sitka and I have been doing, but I hope one day they’ll get past it, because despite their future desire to kill me, I really can’t help but like this family.
I’m hopeful that one day they’ll welcome me in.
We hang out until Talia and Max take Lyra upstairs for her bath.
Once they’re gone, the others make plans to stay the night.
Evidently, everyone will be sleeping here, and when I catch the grin that Misha gives his brother, I shoot a quick look to Ev, because those two are definitely up to something.
I can tell by Ev’s expression that he’s noticed it too.
When Misha stands and tells his sister and Allie that they’ll be sleeping in one of the upstairs guest rooms, I can’t say I’m all that surprised.
There was never a scenario where Sitka and I were going to be free to sneak out like we did last night.
It still pains me to know she’ll be so close and still so far out of reach.
“You guys are way too bossy,” Allie tells him. “You gonna come up and lock our door from the outside too?”
“Maybe we will,” Dima says. “Stop arguing and get your asses upstairs.”
“Dima, we’re at Talia’s. What the hell do you think is going to happen?” Allie asks.
“I don’t think nothing is going to happen. I know it isn’t,” he tells her.
Allie looks like she wants to scream and possibly throw something at him, but instead she turns on her heels and starts to march upstairs, calling over her shoulder as she goes. “Come on, Sitka. Apparently we can’t be trusted around fresh meat.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Dima groans. “Stop being so dramatic, Allie cat.”
Her response is an annoyed grunt. Sitka takes off after her, but before she disappears around the corner, she looks back and shoots me a quick flash of a smile.
The corner of my mouth lifts the tiniest bit, but I refuse to give it free rein.
When I look over, Bran’s staring at me. He lifts a brow and signs Smooth, Damien.
Ev snorts out a soft laugh, but everyone else is too busy figuring out where they’re going to sleep to notice. Instead of a crazy night of partying, Yuri grabs the remote and puts on some action movie before claiming the couch as his bed and lying down.
“Well, I’m gonna go study some more,” Ev says.
Since I didn’t get any sleep last night, I stand up to join him. I nod to the others and sign a quick Night to Bran when I walk past. Instead of signing it back, he watches me and when I’m blocking him from view of the others, his hands form two quick signs: morning and surf.
He grins at the look I give him. I knew these fuckers were up to something that went beyond guarding Sitka and Allie for the night.
Ev’s already in his room by the time I get down there.
I think about warning him, but then I huff out a laugh, remembering the fun he’d had making me say Pop-Tart the other night.
Nah, no point in telling him right now. It’ll just ruin his night. Better he doesn’t know what’s coming for him. It doesn’t feel like payback. It feels like more of a kindness. I wish I didn’t know where my ass was going to be before the sun’s even had a chance to rise.
I’m about to walk into my own room when I hear footsteps behind me.
Turning, I see Misha and Tyoma walking towards the couch and chairs that are in the main room off the small kitchen, the one I have to walk through if I want to sneak out onto the veranda or go upstairs.
Evidently, the girls aren’t the only ones being babysat tonight.
Ignoring them, I shut the door to my room and grab my phone. Memories of Sitka fill the space now, and when I lie down on the bed, I swear I can smell her fresh, wild scent and hear the echo of her soft whimpers in my ears.
She’s left me a message, typed instead of recorded since she’s with Allie, so I put in my earbuds and listen to a voice that isn’t hers read it to me.
“I’m sorry about my family. I was worried they suspected something, but Allie looked out the window and saw surfboards in the back of Misha’s truck. Prepare yourself. I think they’ll be waking you up very early. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure I’m up, and I won’t let you drown.”
Even though it’ll probably make her wonder why I’m doing it, I record my message like usual.
“Yeah, Bran warned me as I was heading downstairs. Misha and Tyoma are sleeping down here with us. It’s the slumber party I never asked for.
I wish you were down here with me. I swear I can still smell your sweet scent on my bed.
If I survive tomorrow, we need to celebrate.
And I thought I told you last night, besyonok. I’m already drowning.”
Her reply is a voice message, and it’s just as sweet as she tastes.
“I’m drowning, too, Damien, but I’m not letting go.
Start thinking about how you want to celebrate.
I’ll figure out a way for us to be alone.
I wish I was in your bed, too. I bet sleeping with you is way more fun than sharing a bed with Allie. ”
I grin at the soft laugh she gives before she says, “I hope my brothers’ wake up with sore necks for being such stubborn cavemen. I’ll be thinking about you, Damien. Night.”
“I’ll be thinking about you too, Sitka. Night, baby.”
I send the message and then get ready for bed. If I have any hope of surviving tomorrow’s suicide surfing session, then I need to at least get a few hours of sleep.
I feel like I’ve just closed my eyes when I hear Misha’s voice in my ear as he nudges my arm hard enough to jolt me awake.
I groan and squint at the harsh light because the fucker’s turned on the overhead.
Blinking my eyes open, I see his way too happy face grinning at me like a lunatic.
He’s in a wetsuit and looking way too chipper for the time that it is.
“Get up,” he tells me, tossing a wetsuit onto my lap. “Time for a surfing lesson.”
“I don’t suppose a no thanks will work?” I ask him.
He laughs and starts to leave my room right as I hear Ev from across the hall say, “Yuri, I swear to fucking god, I’m two seconds away from punching you.”
Yuri laughs just like his brother had and says, “You’re going to love it, Ev. Trust me. Way more fun than studying.”
“Fat fucking chance,” my cousin groans.
Holding up the wetsuit, I ask, “What the hell do you wear under this thing?”
Misha grins. “Nothing. You’re going commando.”
“You can’t be serious,” I say, already imagining how cold my junk is going to get and cringing at the mere thought.
“It’s all part of the experience,” Yuri says from the hall. “Make sure to put these on.” He tosses us each a set of neoprene boots and gloves that I’m hesitant to believe will actually keep my feet and hands from freezing.
“Jesus, I’m gonna look like a giant condom,” I tell them, but they just laugh and walk off.
Ev stares at me from across the hall, holding the wetsuit up like the foreign object it is to us and shakes his head at me. “I’m going to freeze my fucking nuts off.”
“Yeah, well I’ll be right there with you,” I tell him.
“That’s the only thing making this even slightly bearable,” he grumbles before kicking his door shut.
I can’t help but laugh as I do the same.
Getting into the wetsuit is an experience all on its own, like wearing a really tight onesie that leaves nothing to the imagination.
If I get hard in this, I’m so fucked. Small mercy, at least the hood is attached and it zips in the front so I don’t have to walk out there with the crack of my ass showing.
I slip on the boots and gloves before stepping out.
“Oh fuck,” I say with a laugh when I see Ev.
“I don’t know why the hell you’re laughing,” he mutters. “You look just as stupid as I do.”