“Get some dignity and self-respect,” Honey told Rheagan. Rheagan blanched, looking affronted, and Nikos hoped a fight wouldn’t break out in his loft.
“Who are you to tell me that—”
“Someone with self-respect, who would never depend on a man for anything,” Honey said, and Rheagan flinched. “Don’t bother with an asshole like him and love yourself first, and then no man will ever have the power to break you down like this.”
Tears fell down Rheagan’s eyes again as they all stood in tense silence before she stormed out of his loft, humiliated. Nikos watched her back as she left, hoping that she would listen to Honey’s words, even if he were the asshole in the end in both of their eyes.
C H A P T E R
27
THE SPELL CAST IN THE ROOM EARLIER THAT NEARLY MADE THEM KISS WAS GONE. Immediately after Rheagan left, Honey grabbed her things, ready to storm out herself. Nikos shoved his fingers through his hair. He had fucked up. He had been so angry seeing Rheagan at his place again asking for money that he had completely forgotten that Honey was there. He hadn’t wanted her to hear those things. But it was too late to live in regret now. The damage had already been done. Honey tried to breeze past him, but on instinct, his arm shot out to grab hers.
“Wait, Honey,” Nikos said.
He didn’t want the night to end like this. Not after they had had such a good day together. He didn’t want it to all be ruined because of a mistake on his part. He hadn’t wanted her to see that version of himself. The version of himself that he had been running away from ever since he came to America. He wasn’t proud of what had happened between himself and Rheagan. And, to be quite honest, he was still ashamed of it.
“What do you want?” Honey asked tersely. She was clearly angry, but he didn’t want her to leave tonight feeling that way about him.
“Please, don’t leave like this,” Nikos said. He was afraid their relationship would change after this. He didn’t want their relationship to be like it had been before. He didn’t want to lose the friendship they had.
“It’s late, and I have to go,” Honey said stubbornly.
“Please,” Nikos said, and he was surprised by his own pleas. Honey finally looked at him again, eyeing him with suspicion.
“Just hear me out,” Nikos said. It was quiet as they stood there for a moment until Honey finally sighed.
“Okay,” she relented.
She sat on his couch, and Nikos went into his kitchen, grabbing two glasses and a bottle of wine. He returned to the living room and poured himself and her a glass. Honey took it even though there was still a frown on her face. They quietly drank together until Nikos finally gathered the courage to speak about something he had been avoiding since he came to New York.
“I know that everyone at the club is wondering how I know Rheagan. I know her because I dated her older sister,” Nikos admitted.
“I’ve gathered that much,” Honey snarked, and Nikos chuckled. It seemed that she had been eavesdropping on everything, though he couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t exactly been using his inside voice, and already, he regretted speaking so harshly to Rheagan. He didn’t regret his words, but he did regret his tone.
“About a year ago, when I was at a club, I met Rheagan’s sister, Raelyn. She stood out in the club, and all I could see was her,” Nikos admitted before he laughed when he thought about their first interaction. “Her friend wanted to talk to me, but the entire night I did whatever I could to talk to her.”
Honey snorted.
“It almost sounds like you had to chase after her,” Honey said, “which couldn’t be possible with the charming, flirtatious, handsome guy you are.”
There was clearly sarcasm in there, but Nikos could only focus on one thing.
“You think I’m handsome?” Nikos asked, amused.
“I can go,” Honey said as she attempted to stand, but Nikos quickly grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“I’m kidding. I’m kidding,” Nikos said, and Honey rolled her eyes before getting comfortable on the couch again as she took another sip of her wine.
“I did have to chase after Raelyn because she didn’t want me,” Nikos admitted. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but that was a first for me, and besides yourself, Raelyn is the only other woman to turn me down.”
Honey looked surprised, but it was the truth. It had never been hard to get women. Even women who said he wasn’t their type would fall for him. But with Raelyn and Honey, it had been different.
“At the time, I just thought I wasn’t her type. I didn’t realize the real reason she had turned me down until later,” Nikos said, and Honey looked intrigued.
“I spent months with Raelyn, and we had become close instantly. I had never been that way with another woman before. I even introduced her to my family because that’s how crazy I was about her. I felt like Raelyn understood me, and it’s hard to come across that, someone who truly understands me,” Nikos said. “When most people find out who my father is, they think I love being Giannis Drakos’s son. But all I’ve ever wanted to do was run and fly from it, and Raelyn understood that. I knew that Raelyn saw me, and I thought we would have a future together until I found out the truth.”
Being with Raelyn had been a breath of fresh air. She was unlike any woman he had ever met before, and immediately, he felt a close connection to her. He thought they had something special, but everything came crumbling down when he learned the truth from her best friend.
