Dimitri grumbles in response. And before I can even grasp what’s happening, he’s standing up, slapping a wad of money down on the bar to pay the tab and grabbing my arm. “Let’s go, Savina. Your night out ends here.”
“But…but I can’t just leave!” I plead with him, struggling against his grasp.
“Yes, you can, and we are,” he says with a finality that has me stopping in my tracks.
“What about Darby? I can’t leave without telling her.”
“Already texted her.”
Ah, so that’s who he was texting when he first got here.“Wait, you have Darby’s phone number?” I ask, curious. I want to ask him howhe got it, but I think I already know the answer to that. The same way he got mine. Illegally.
“Just for emergencies,” he clarifies.
“And this is an emergency?” I ask while stumbling behind him as he leads me through the crowded room.
“Clearly,” he says dryly.
Dimitri navigates me outside of the club, which is no easy task considering I have high heels on and can barely walk straight. The fresh night air feels good on my face. I didn’t realize how hot I was in there. I must have been burning up.
We start our trek down the sidewalk, and Dimitri’s long strides make it hard for me to keep up. “I have little legs!” I exclaim, which earns me a curious glare; but in turn, Dimitri slows down his gait. We continue moving, and I groan out loud. “When you said we were leaving, I didn’t know walking would be required of me,” I whine.
“Would you rather I carried you?” he offers.
“No,” I say quickly. Just the thought of being plastered up against his body while he’s dressed like Mr. Hotty McHotterson is not the temptation I need when I’m completely inebriated and I left every single one of my inhibitions behind at the bar. At least I have that much sense.
We start walking again, slower this time, and I think back to our conversation at the bar right before we left. Something clicks in my alcohol-laden brain, and I stop and say, “Wait. What did you mean before?”
Dimitri stops and stares down at me, cocking a thick, dark brow.
I point a finger at him. “You saidagain.”
He waits, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Use more words, Savina, please,” he says impatiently.
“You said ‘all I need is for someone to spike your drinkagain’. When did someone ever spike my drink?” I question with narrowed eyes.
Dimitri grumbles and turns away, clearly not wantingto answer me. I take a few steps, stumbling on the uneven sidewalk. I almost faceplant, but he manages to save me at the last second before scooping me up in his strong arms. “Looks like you’re not walking after all,” he grinds out.
I stare up at him, the night sky above us, the stars disappearing and appearing between the darkness of the streetlamps littering the streets as he walks, carrying me. “Answer my question,” I demand, sounding rather pathetic given my current state.
“Your high school boyfriend spiked your drink at the party that night,” he answers quietly.
His words have my blood running cold. “Corbin?” I hiss out.
He nods. “The one and only.”
I kick my feet. “Wait. Put me down.”
Dimitri reluctantly adheres to my request, gently placing me back on the ground. His hand reaches out and grabs my elbow to keep me steady as I sway on my high heels.
“Corbin tried drugging me the night you pushed me in the pool?” I blurt.
Again, Dimitri nods. He drops my elbow and shifts on his feet, avoiding my gaze.
I never knew the reason for Dimitri’s anger that night. Turns out, he wasn’t even angry at me. He was angry about what had happened…and what could have happened had he not been there. He was angry at Corbin and the situation he had created.
“You were so stubborn and wouldn’t put down that damn drink,” he sneers. “I had to do something.”
“And so, you pushed me in the pool,” I say in awe as the pieces of the puzzle slowly lock into place, letting me see the bigger picture. Dimitri wasn’t pushing me in the pool to humiliate me in front of my classmates. He pushed me in the pool to keep me from drinking a laced cocktail from my shitbag boyfriend. Before I can even think about that weekend or the following events, he’s grabbing my arm and ushering me down the sidewalk once again.
