“She’s my sister,” Susanna explains. “Come along, Nina.”
I follow behind Susanna when Luca gently sets his hand on my arm. I jerk away.
“Do you do everything your friend tells you to do?” he asks.
Susanna gives him an annoyed look before grabbing my arm and dragging me from the room. Sean leads us back to the bar and grabs the back of the bartender’s jacket and speaks low to him. Within just a moment, the bartender is serving me and Susanna a soda each.
“Thank you,” Susanna says, taking a big sip of her drink. “Ah. That’s the best tasting soda I’ve ever had.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Because I earned it. Now, let’s dance.” She leaves her full glass behind and pulls me onto the dance floor. All that work and she barely even took a drink of it.
“Susanna, I’m getting tired,” I admit, swaying back and forth.
“How are you tired? We just got here.”
“Because you made us talk to the boss. You always make such a big show out of everything. It’s tiring.”
“Sorry for being a good sister. I got us drinks, didn’t I?”
“I never asked you to do that.”
“So what? I’m your sister. I know what’s best for you. Now, let’s dance.”
But I’m pulling away when she tries to grab my hands. “I want to go home now, Susanna.”
“Well, I want to stay. You’re not going to leave me by myself here, are you?”
Of course not and she knows it. So, I push down my sigh and force myself to dance with Susanna. After a few minutes, I feel eyes on me. Looking over Susanna’s shoulder, I see that man – Luca Moretti – standing in the hallway entrance, his eyes right onto me. I can’t make out his expression. A cross between excitement and darkness. It doesn’t make any sense to me.
He doesn’t look away. Does he know something I don’t?
I tug on Susanna’s hand. “Let’s go.”
“No.”
“Susanna. Let’s go. It’s been a few hours already. What if Mom wakes up? What if Alek comes by and finds us missing? We’ll be in big trouble. Let’s go.”
“No.”
“I’m the older sister here and I’m putting my foot down. Let’s go.”
That finally makes Susanna listen to me. “Fine,” she grumbles. “But you are a party pooper and I don’t like you.”
“Likewise.”
We finally head for the entrance but before we leave, I look back over my shoulder and find Luca watching me still. When I leave the club, I can still feel his eyes imprinted into my back.
Susanna and I make it back home without any problems. Our mom, Maria, doesn’t wake up at all. No one will know we snuck out tonight to have some fun.
Susanna gives me a surprise hug. She’s not one for doing it too much. “Thank you for at least going out with me tonight.”
“Of course.” I pull away from her. “But you should know that you put me in an uncomfortable spot tonight and I’m not happy with you about it.”
She rolls her eyes. Everything with Susanna is dramatic. “Whatever. I’m going to bed.”
I manage to fall asleep despite my pounding heart but I can’t get Luca’s eyes out of my mind, even after sleep takes me. His eyes are still on my mind the following day when I eat breakfast and even when I head over to Alek’s house to spend time with Katya.
