Eli pulls off his knitted hat, then stuffs it into his jacket pocket. “So, you really kicked Viktor in the face?”
I snort. “What, did my stepbrother tell you about that?”
Fine, I’m poking to see if he’s talked to Zach without asking outright.
“Viktor’s my best friend and my boyfriend’s cousin.” He chuckles as we grab empty trays. “He texted me about it, complete with a picture, demanding I come take care of him.”
My head whips toward him, and I blink excessively. “Shit. I’m . . . Well, no. I’m not sorry I kicked him.”
Eli’s mouth is agape as he blinks rapidly.
I wave a haphazard hand in the air. “What? He said he was going to take Zach “for another spin” or some bullshit. Didn’t need Zach’s sexual history thrown in my face.”
Because my stepbrother already did that . . . when he mentioned him and Raiyne had hooked up. But that doesn’t bother me as much because I have my own history with the ginger bitch. As in, he’s fucked me.
Occasionally, I’ve thought about throwing that in Zach’s face, but God knows what those two have done outside of oral, and I’m not sure I want to find out.
Eli cringes, his cheeks turning red. “Uh, no one really knows what happened between them. But Viktor’s totally in love with Beckett.”
“Is that why he’s always gotta be touching Zach?”
He stares at me, shaking his head the tiniest bit. “Viktor needsa lotof attention. And he can be overly dramatic to get it too.”
I roll my eyes because, yeah, Viktor gives off that vibe for sure. “Should I be worried about your boyfriend wanting to kick my ass for hurting his cousin?”
“Alexei thinks it’s funny you broke his nose.” Eli grabs a muffin and places it on his tray. “He’s still pissed Viktor hijacked our first date. Showed up at this fall festival we were at and basically appointed himself my new best friend.”
“Seriously?”
He nods. “He grows on you.”
“Sounds more like he’s a fungus.”
I order a side of fries and a strawberry milkshake as Eli grabs a drink. We pay, then make our way to an open table.
“How did you and Alexei meet? I mean, you’re nice, and the rest of them are . . . dicks.” I take a sip of my milkshake. Maybe it’s unfair to lump his boyfriend into the mix with the rest of Zach’s friends since I never met the guy.
Eli shakes his head, chuckling. "It's actually kind of ridiculous. He was a total asshole at first. Knocked my books around, shoved me into walls—realmaturestuff."
And now I don’t feel so bad about my earlier comment.
"Then, one day, he followed me into a bathroom at a party and pinned me against the door, trying to intimidate me. I stood up to him, and a few days later, we ended up. . .” He turns bright red and takes a big bite into his muffin.
I quirk a brow. “Got kinky, huh?”
He blushes even more.
I sigh, picking at a French fry. “Sorry, you got dragged into Zach’s whole stupid revenge plot.”
“Trust me, it’s not the worst thing they’ve done. As misguided as they act, they do it out of love for each other.”
My chest tightens. I have no idea what it feels like to have people who have your back. To never be alone. None of them had to help him, yet they were by his side in Miami to kidnap me.
To kill me.
Because I had hurt him.
I take a large gulp of my milkshake, swallowing past the growing lump in my throat.
