Chapter 18 - Marco #2
I stood there between them, still a little shaky from the whole encounter, but a tiny, traitorous part of me almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous they both were.
Dimitri the terrifying heir who could probably snap someone in half pouting because his “fairy” called him out.
And Rei, who normally stood up to anyone, blushing like a schoolgirl.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
A: Cute little shield act.
The rest of the day passed in a strange blur.
Rei and I had the same classes after lunch, so we stuck together the whole time.
It felt good to have him beside me again.
We whispered during lectures, passed stupid little notes back and forth like we used to, and he kept sneaking me strawberry gummies from his pocket.
By the time the final bell rang, I was smiling more than I had in days.
Rei walked me all the way to the main doors, chattering about some ridiculous story Dimitri had told him last night.
I listened, nodding and giggling at the right parts, even though part of me still felt guilty about how much I was hiding from him.
At the entrance, Dimitri was already waiting, leaning against one of the stone pillars with his arms crossed.
Rei turned to me with an apologetic little smile. “I have to go. I’ll text you later, okay?”
I nodded, trying not to let the tiny flicker of disappointment show. “Yeah, of course. Be safe.”
He pulled me into a quick hug, then jogged over to Dimitri. The taller boy immediately wrapped an arm around Rei’s shoulders and steered him toward the parking lot without a word, though I caught the way Dimitri glanced back at me once.
I watched them go for a second, then headed out to the main parking lot myself. The afternoon sun was warm on my face, and I was still half-smiling from the day with Rei when I spotted the familiar sleek black car near the edge of the lot.
Alexei was leaning against the driver’s side door, arms crossed, watching me.
Then he pushed off the car and started toward me.
My brain short-circuited. The memory of how intense he had been that morning - glaring at Rei like he wanted to rip his head off - flashed through my mind.
Was he mad? Oh god, he must be mad. Maybe because I spent the whole day with Rei.
Maybe because I stepped in front of him earlier. Maybe because -
I flinched back on instinct, taking a half-step away as he closed the distance.
But instead of anger or harsh words, Alexei’s hands shot out, and before I could even squeak he lifted me clean off the ground.
I blinked, completely baffled.
He spun me around in a circle, exactly the same motion Rei had done that morning, only bigger, stronger, and somehow more overwhelming because of how tall he was.
My feet left the ground completely. The world tilted for a second, my curls whipping across my face, and all I could do was grab onto his shoulders out of pure surprise.
When he finally stopped the spin and held me there, suspended in his arms, I was still blinking up at him like an idiot.
“Am I doing it better?” he asked, like this was an actual important question.
“W-what?” I managed.
Alexei’s green eyes narrowed just slightly. Not quite a glare, but close. “Who is better at picking you up,” he said, tone flat. “Me or Rei.”
Oh.
Oh.
A startled little laugh almost escaped me, but I swallowed it down fast. The situation was ridiculous - Alexei Morozov, the terrifying Void King who had literally had me on my knees swallowing him yesterday, was now competing over who could spin me around better.
It was so absurdly jealous and petty and weirdly cute that I didn’t know whether to laugh or hide my face.
“You,” I answered softly. “You’re better.”
He studied me for a second longer, like he was checking whether I was lying. Then a satisfied hum rumbled in his chest.
“Hm. Good.”
He lowered me back down, setting my feet on the ground.
I was still a little dizzy from the spin - or from him, I wasn’t sure.
As we reached the passenger side, he opened the door for me without a word. I climbed in, still feeling the ghost of his arms around me and the ridiculous, fluttery warmth in my chest that I really didn’t want to examine too closely.
Alexei slid into the driver’s seat a second later. Before he pulled out of the lot, he glanced over at me.
“Buckle up, Malyshka.”
The drive to my house felt shorter than usual, or maybe I was just too lost in my own head to notice the time passing.
By the time he pulled up in front of the house, my palms were sweaty.
I reached for the door handle, then stopped. My fingers fidgeted with the seatbelt instead, twisting the strap between them.
“Um…” I started.
Alexei turned his head slowly, one dark eyebrow arching.
My hands twisted tighter in the seatbelt.
“Um, so my mom—she, uh—” I swallowed hard, voice getting smaller with every word.
“She said if you could maybe join us for dinner? Tonight? I mean, only if you want to. You don’t have to!
I can totally tell her you’re busy with family stuff or whatever.
It isn’t a big deal. Really. I can just say you had plans or—”
I kept going, unable to stop. “You really don’t have to come! I know it’s probably weird because….because you’re not…. I mean, we’re not actually boyfriends or anything—”
I was about to ramble again when his hand came up, fingers curling under my jaw. He tilted my face toward him until I had no choice but to meet his eyes.
“I’ll join.”
His lips met mine in a kiss that stole every word right out of my mouth. It wasn’t rushed or rough like some of the others had been.
When he pulled back just enough to speak, his forehead rested lightly against mine for a second.
Then we got out of the car.
My legs felt a little wobbly as I stood. Alexei didn’t let go of my hand. He just laced our fingers together and started walking.
He was coming to dinner.
With my family.
As my “boyfriend.”