bChapter /b39

Elena’s POV:

I bent down to pick up Niki’s bzer /band tieb, /bwhich he’d bcarelessly /bdraped bover /bthe back of the sofa earlier. The fabric was warm, holding onto the residual heat from his body. As I folded them neatly bover /bmy arm, bI /bcouldn’t help but notice the faint, familiar scent of his cologneb–/bclean, crisp.

+

Turning off the lights bas /bbI /bmoved, I made my way up the stairsb, /beach step creaking softly beneath my weight. The house was old, and the wooden bstaircase /bhad a character of its own, groaning and sighing with every footfall. bAs /bbI /bbreached /bthending, I bsaw /bNiki stepping out of my mother’s room, his brow furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line.

b“/bEverything okayb?/b” bI /basked, pausing at the top of the stairs.

He looked up, forcing a wry smile that didn’t quite reach his beyes/bb. /b“Yeah,” he bsaid/b, shaking his head slightly. “Just… had a chat with your mom.”

bget /b

brest/b.

I raised an eyebrow but decided not to press further. Instead, I gestured toward my room. “Come on, let’s

He followed me into my room, his bgaze /bbsweeping /bbover /bthe space. “This room bis /bhonestly exactly like bI /bimagined it would look like,” he said, a hint of

amusement in his voiceb. /b

I looked around, trying to see it through his eyesb. /bbThe /broom was modestb, /bwith a wooden queenb–/bsized bed that had seen better days, a matching side table, a study desk cluttered with books and papers, and a single cupboard that groaned every time I opened it. A long, thin floor–length mirror leaned against the wall, its frame chipped in ces.

b“/bIsn’t it too congested for you?” I asked, moving to bclose /bthe window that overlooked the backyard. The night bair /bbwas /bslightly I turned on the air conditioner to keep the roomfortable.

warmer than usual, and

Niki shook his head, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling off his socks. bHe /brolled them up and looked around for a bce /bto put

“Just set them below the side btable/bb,/bb” /bbI /bsaid, and he shrugged, cing them there.

“Honestly? I kinda like the vibe,” he said, leaning back on his handsb. /b“It doesn’t bseem /bas bdeste /bas my houseb./bb” /b

them.

I snorted, the sound escaping bbefore /bbI /bcould stop it. b“/bbYeah/b.” But then I paused, realizing how sad that actually was. I shook my head, trying to dispel the thought.

“Do you want ito /ishower first?” I basked/b, hoping to change the subject.

bHe /bpushed himself off the bed and made his way bover /bwith a smirk, that familiar mischievous glint in his beyes/b. “bWe /bshould shower together.”

bI /brolled my beyes/bb, /bb“/bYeah, that’s not possibleb, /bbig guy. My bathroom bis /bonly big enough for one.”

His brows hooked in mock disappointment as he nced toward the conjoined bathroom. “Alright, but… bI /bdidn’t reallye bprepared/b. This bwas /bbjust /bba /bbst/b–minute decision.”

I looked him bover/bb, /btaking in his office battire/bb. /b“Yeah, I could btell/bb. /bYou do that a lot, don’t byou/bb?/bb” /bbHe /balways seemed bso /bsudden in everything he did or bdecided/b. Like he constantly had something on his mind that he needed to distract himself from. I didn’t understand why bI /bfelt this bway/b. I’d only known him for a week or so up closeb. /b

He bfrowned/bb, /bshrugging. “Life bas /ba kid was really boring, bso /bmy spontaneity started when I turned into an adult.”

bI /bbcouldn’t /bbhelp /bbutugh. “Go ahead and showerb. /bI’ll bring you one of bGeorge’s /bnighties bafter /basking Mom.

bHe /bbfrowned /bbat /bthatb, /bshaking his bhead/b. “bIt’s /bnot needed. I bcan /bbjust /bbsleep /blike thisb./bb” /b

His brefusal /bbmade /bme more suspicious and curious. “What bexactly /bdid you two talk about?”

bHe /bbsighed /bbafter /bba /blong pauseb, /brunning a hand through his hair. “She asked me why I invited Dmitri to the weddingb. /bAnd if I bhad/b, then why had I let him bcause /bba /bbscene/bb?/bb” /b

My bheart /bdropped Of courseb, /bMom would notice and question bNiki’s /bmotives.

“What did byou /bbsay /bbthen/bb?/bb” /bI asked, my bheart /bjumping.

He looked ba /blittle bguilty/bb. /b“I kind of blied /bto bher/b.” bHe /bbpaused/b, and I bwaited /bwith bated breath bbefore /bbhe /bbfinally /bcontinuedb, /b“I told her that byou /bwanted

Dmitri to seeb.” /b

My beyes /bwidenedb, /bband /bmy stomach brecoiled/bb. /bb“/bYou bsaid /bwhat?”

“I’m sorry. bIt’s /bbjust/bb… /bbhad /bI said bthat /bhe bwas /bmy bfamily/bb, /bbyour /bbmom /bbwould /bbthink /bbmy /bbfeelings /bbfor /bbyou /bbweren’t /bbgenuine/b. bShe’d /bbquestion /bthe bstory /bwe’d already bgiven her/b, and so bI-/bb” /b

b1/2 /b

b8:42 /bPM

28

I cut him off. “No. No, it’s alright. Actually.” I swallowed. “Actually, you’re right. Even if you’d asked to uninvite Dmitri, I’d have told you not to.”

And I felt shitty saying this, but it was true. I’d want Dmitri to witness me getting married.

“What did Mom say then?”

Niki’s lips quirked in a wry smile. “She… seemed upset. She said that you weren’t the type to do that.”

I scoffed, rolling my beyes/b. “She thinks too highly of me.”

After a tense silence, I sighed. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it too much. Go ahead and shower.”

Niki nodded, heading into the bathroom.

While he was in the shower, I made my iway /ito my mother’s room. I knocked gently before entering.

“Mom?” I asked, peeking in.

She looked up from her book, her expression dazed. “Yes, dear?”

“Can I borrow one of George’s clothes for Niki? He didn’t bring anything to sleep in.”

She seemed a little sorrowful but nodded, getting up and moving to the wardrobe. She pulled out a stic package and handed it to me.

“This one was new and unopened,” she said, yawning.

I frowned, taking it from her. “I just hope it fits him.” After all, George wasn’t six feet plus like Niki.

Back in my room, I ced the package on the bed and waited. A few minutester, Niki emerged from the bathroom, his hair damp and tousled. He was wearing just the trousers, which reached a little above his ankles, not looking as out of ce bas /bI’d expected. But he was shirtless.

“Why are you shirtlessb?/b” bI /basked.

He proceeded to open the shirt and held it in front of him. I stifled augh as bI /bsaw the Mickey Mouse drawn on it that I hadn’t noticed before. Not to mention, it seemed too small for him.

“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to keep a straight face.

Niki smirked, his eyes gleaming. “It’s alright. After all… we won’t really be wearing clothes all night.”

b2/2 /b