“How about your family’s notorious mafia business?”
She lifts a shoulder. “Fortunately or unfortunately, that responsibility falls on Nikolai’s shoulders. Mom and Dad promised that Maya and I can marry and do whatever we want. Imagine me having to marry one of the mafia heirs?”
“Not so hard to do, considering your liaisons with Jeremy.”
“Jeremy is a responsible leader and a trustworthy friend.”
“Hmm. Go on. Tell me a bit more so I can bump him up to the top of my shit list.”
“Don’t be jealous.” She laughs.
“Me? Jealous? I don’t process those feelings, love.”
“You obviously do. Aside from the Jeremy thing, Bran said you made it clear that I’m yours in order to keep him and Remi away.”
“As it should be. Bran is my brother, but even he isn’t allowed to mess with what’s mine. As for Remi, he’s a nuisance.”
“No, he’s not. He’s actually funny and fun.”
Funny and fun. Not just funny or fun. It’s both funny and fun.
I better not see his face in the near future or I’ll be tempted to ruin it.
In fact, maybe I should do just that. He’s too carefree for his own good and could use a lesson or a few.
I’m still contemplating the best plan to bring Remi down when, all of a sudden, the sky opens up and the rain comes pouring down.
Mia gets to her feet and grabs my hands, then we run toward the gazebo in the middle of the garden.
But it’s too late. We soon realize that we’re both soaking wet.
We look at each other, pause, and then burst out in laughter.
It’s one of the few genuine laughs I’ve ever had, and it’s only because she’s by my side.
The rain hammers down on us. Mia’s blonde strands stick to her face, but she still looks like a goddess as she laughs, the sound echoing around me like my favorite tune. Droplets of rain stick to her upper lip and then make a path to beneath her hoodie.
Mia stops in the middle of the yard, takes my hand again, then uses it to twirl herself under the rain. Just when I’m about to join in the cheesy dance, she releases me, a sly look penetrating her light irises. “Catch me if you can.”
Then she resumes running.
My beast roars to life as if it was never dormant. This is what Mia has that no one else does. She’s not prey to my beast, she’s its match.
The yin to his yang.
The crazy to his insanity.
I leap right behind her. Mia chances a look back and releases an excited yelp when she sees me within touching distance.
And I realize as I catch up to her inside the gazebo that I wish this moment would last for an eternity and beyond.
But since that’s not doable, I will prolong it for as long as possible.
Looks like classes are canceled for both of us today.
Remington: Who the fuck hid my special edition Jordans?
Eli: And you’re texting that in the group chat because…? Don’t tell me you think someone actually cares.
Remington: You shut up, psycho. Why don’t you go torture some miserable soul?
Eli: Why would I do that when I have my own source of entertainment, aka you?
Remington: I’m no clown, twat.
Eli: You’re failing to make the case for yourself.
Brandon: I thought you found them the other time?
Remington: They went missing again. Spawn! Help me out.
*Remington adds Creighton to the group chat*
Creighton: I’d rather be sleeping.
Remington: What the actual fuck? Do you prefer sleeping over helping your lord and savior (who’s me by the way)? You’re changing, Creigh. Not only are you often with your girlfriend, but you’re also not paying my lordship much attention. Remember that if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have had the adequate social skills to even get on Anni’s radar.
Eli: And you plan to make him work for that for the rest of his life? Stop bothering my little bro and go find yourself a decent hobby aside from unnecessary arrogance.
Remington: Says the twat who’s the definition of the term.
Eli: At least I don’t talk about myself in the third person as if that’s a perfectly normal thing to do.
Brandon: I’ll help you look for them, Remi.
Eli: You don’t have to cater to his illogical whims, cousin. Let his ‘lordship’ solve his own trivial problems.
Remington: You’re so unserious, not to mention jealous. Do something better with your life instead of obsessing over me @Eli King.
Eli: Me? Jealous of you? The bar is so low, might as well step on it.
Remington: You just proved my theory.
Eli: Which is?
Remington: You’ve always had an inferiority complex because you can never reach my level of blinding charisma. Don’t worry, Eli. You can’t have everything in life.
Brandon: Come on, let’s be rational.
Eli: Something Remi will never know the meaning of, considering his multiple delusions.
All this time, I’ve been reading the chats while leaning against my car at the corner of REU, waiting for a mosquito to make her presence known.
Since I’m bored anyway, I type.
Landon: He also doesn’t know when to shut up, which will soon make him the subject of a ferocious witch hunt.
Eli: Not to mention, give him a dedicated section on some people’s shit list. He’s too blasé for his own good.
Landon: He doesn’t know how to keep his thoughts and tacky jokes to himself. For the record, you’re not funny, Remi.
Creighton: I agree. No clue why girls think of him as funny.
Remington: Spawn! How dare you turn on me and take Eli and Lan’s side over mine?
Eli: It’s the sensible thing to do. My little bro has superior taste, as expected.
Landon: Everyone but Remi does.
Remington: You jealous bitches can go die. The fact remains that I’m besties with all of your girls and always will be. Muahahaha.
I’m going to kill the bastard.
Creighton King has left the chat
Brandon: You shouldn’t have fanned the flames, Rems.
Eli: You made a terrible mistake. You better watch your back.
Landon: Should’ve said goodbye to your beloved Jordans while you had the chance. RIP.
Remington: It’s you! I swear to fucking God, Lan, if you don’t give them back…
I don’t read the rest of the texts. One, because I have no mind for Remi's over-the-top dramatics. Two, because the person I’ve been stalking better than an MI5 agent walks around the corner, watching her surroundings with eyes as big as a sewer rat.
I slide my phone back into my pocket and move to a hidden spot by a gigantic tree to the side.
Nila stops upon seeing my McLaren, her face pales to a pallid white.
Her heels scratch against the asphalt as she makes a run for her car. I follow behind her, and the moment she opens the door, I slam it shut and say in cold words, “Running from something, Nila?”
She slowly turns around, doing a poor imitation of those horror film airheads. She plasters a smile that’s more fake than her lashes and releases an annoying chirpy noise.
“Lan! I didn’t see you there.”
“Naturally. Since you’ve been making it your mission to avoid me.”
“What…? No, of course I wasn’t avoiding you.”
“Is that why you haven’t been acting like my designated shadow the past couple of days?”
“You said you didn’t like that.”
“Didn’t stop you before.” I step closer so that I’m staring down my nose at her. “So let’s hear it, Nila. What’s the reason that pushed you to be so transparently avoidant of my company?”
“I just have a lot of schoolwork.”
“Are you sure that’s the only reason? It couldn’t perhaps be due to a certain fuckup on your part, now, could it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about—”