“Get a hobby.”
At the sound of her voice, Nikias turned to look at her, a smirk and the beginnings of what was clearly going to be a semi-witty but ultimately subpar reply when it all vanished. He just stared at her with parted lips.
Was this part of the act?
Aimilia reached up and brushed her hair off her shoulders, letting it hang down her back and at her sides. Nikias’ eyes tracked the movement until she cleared her throat. “Haven’t we seen enough of each other for the day? Can we just give this a rest?” She gestured between them. “I promise, tomorrow morning we can go right back to whatever this nonsense is.”
The haze in Nikias’ eyes cleared as he brought his gaze back to her face. “I’m afraid not.”
“Fine, just make it quick. My hair will frizz in this heat and humidity.”
“It’s not an act.” Nikias stepped forward, voice sturdy as he held her gaze. His green eyes burned. “I’m not trying to put on a show for you. I know you’re too sharp to fall for it should I try, and I have no desire to do so anyway.”
Aimilia wasn’t certain of that. She’d fallen for his lies and manipulation before. Could she be certain she wouldn’t again?
“I believe that you believe that. But that doesn’t mean much to me. You can believe wholeheartedly in this new man persona, but that doesn’t make it real. You can think you’re a different man. That’s not the same thing as being a better man.” Aimilia shook her head, unable to stop her voice from softening. “Let it go.”
“I can’t.” Nikias had crossed the distance between them. As he reached her, his eyes darted over her hair before finding her eyes once more. “Has it ever occurred to you I just want a fresh start with you?”
Aimilia laughed, shifting back, crossing her arms. “Please, you don’t have to pretend anymore. I’ve got you all figured out. We both know you’re not truly interested in starting over.”
Nikias took another step toward her, and she moved back accordingly until her back hit the stone of the bathhouse and there was nowhere else for her to go as he braced his hand against the wall while he leaned in. “Clever girl.”
She cursed in her head. She should have been paying better attention. How could she have let him corner her like this?
But she just lifted her chin and said, “I’d hardly call myself clever for that, given how transparent you are despite the conclusion flying in the face of all rational logic.”
“Really?” Nikias breathed out. “You still think it so strange?”
“Look, it’s a little late for either of us to wipe the slate clean, not even to try to be friends. You’ve more than proven your point with these exams. We do work well together, but that’sall.”
“Believe me, I have no intention of being your friend.”
Why was he so close? Did he really think she’d swoon and give into him simply if she could feel the soft brush of his breath against her cheek?
He was handsome, certainly, but Aimilia… did find it distracting. Maybe that was the point. Trying to get her to lower her guard. It wasn’t like there was a woman alive whose heart wouldn’t be racing with him looming so close, looking like he might kiss her at any moment.
It was just her heart racing wasn’t racing in anticipation. It wasn’t fear either.
It was… something else.
“Oh, good, we’re done pretending we both don’t know what you’re doing here. Perfect, that means I get to do this again. And I’ll do it again and again and however many times it takes.” Aimilia shifted forward, forcing him to pull his head back just a hair to avoid her crashing her chin into his. “I am not going to marry you. You can’t argue your way into an acceptance. Stop wasting time trying to narrow in on all your flaws and trying toconvince me you’ve cured yourself of them. It doesn’t change my answer.”
But instead of backing down, Nikias stayed exactly where he was.
“Of course you haven’t changed your answer. I might have miscalculated before, but I’m not stupid enough that I haven’t learned from that. Do you see me offering you an engagement necklace?” Nikias’ lips twitched up in a grin at her silence. “I know what your answer is right now. You’re not going to marry me. Yet.”
“Yet?” Aimilia couldn’t help the way she laughed out the word, but Nikias was unfazed.
“Yet.” He just shifted closer, his arm brushing her shoulder. “Somewhere along the way, I misread you and thought you were already open to me and just needed some time to come to terms with the idea. I thought I had already earned your faith and proved my character to you, and that despite any misgivings you might have, you did care for me outside of your relationship with Gavril. And you can say what you want to try to deny it, but I know you. You would not shed tears by my bedside simply because I’m Gavril’s brother. That’s enough for me. I’ll be the one to make myself clear in no uncertain terms. It’s up to you how long you’ll drag this out, but this only ends one way. When I remarry, it will be to you, and when you marry me, it will be because you want to.”
Aimilia’s mind had gone silent. This was… insane.
Nikias truly had lost his mind again. That was the only explanation she could think of. Now that he could no longer fill the void in him with his desperate need to get revenge on Hypatia, he was replacing it with this.
“Ah, while I do so enjoy listening to you, it is nice to know I can render you speechless. Goodnight, Aimilia, I’ll see you in themorning.” Nikias finally pulled back, a wicked smirk on his face she wanted nothing more than to burn off with a blast of vitae.
She stood, back still pressed up against the stone, trying to catch her breath even though she’d done nothing that would cause exertion enough to lose it in the first place.
