“Heard he’s like Yulian’s watchdog,” Gareth continues.
“Nah, he’s not that strong.” Niko throws a dismissive hand in the air. “I say we go for it. What do you think, Jer?”
“No,” Jeremy says without lifting his head.
“Come oooon!” Niko kicks the foot of a chair. “I’m revoking friendship rights if you don’t have my back on this. I already did the hardest part by weakening Yulian.”
“You didn’t weaken anyone.” Jeremy finally pockets his phone. “You only knocked him out because he was distracted, and he jumped back from that as if nothing happened.”
“No, I won fair and square. Whose side are you on, motherfucker? I thought we were bros!” He swings his head in my direction. “You saw me knock him out, right?”
I release an affirmative sound, not really saying anything as I steal a look at Jeremy. He’s not Nikolai, who’s mostly oblivious to his surroundings, so it makes sense that he noticed Yulian got distracted, but does he know by what? Orwhom?
That damn prick is too much…too in your face and readable. I’m wondering if Jeremy saw the way he looked atme when he came within touching distance and reached out for me. Did Jeremy notice the awe and the joy and the brightening in Yulian’s mismatched eyes? Because for a second, I could see my reflection in his brown one.
Even with his face bloodied, swollen, and bruised, the entirety of his attention was on me.
That used to be suffocating, unsettling, really, as I didn’t know what to do with that ball of energy.
But earlier tonight, I was physically struggling not to walk to him or let him touch me.
For a moment, the world around us seemed to disappear and he was right in the middle of it, under the lights, hogging the spotlight and my attention.
It’s strange to be this attuned to one person, to be so into them and focused on them that I forget about reality.
I only snapped out of it when the world crashed back in, so I moved out of his way at the last second.
Now, my muscles tighten at the thought that Jeremy saw all of that, including quite possibly the way I looked at Yulian. I have an impressive poker face, mostly by design. I’m not that expressive by nature, so I’m probably safe from Jeremy’s scrutiny.
Ihope.
“See?” Nikolai snaps his fingers in my direction. “Vaughn agrees that I was a total badass beating Yulian to a pulp and taking him off the map.”
“You didn’t beat him to a pulp,” I say, half annoyed, then purse my lips.
Jesus Christ. Am I offended on Yulian’s behalf right now?
“Yeah, he was completely fine,” Jeremy says, apparently not picking up on my tone.
“You should’ve tried harder to pummel the prick,” Gareth says, not looking up from his notebook.
Reminder to give him an identity crisis about his feelings for his professor when we speak later.
Yes. It seems, I am, in fact, not happy with all this violence talk directed at Yulian.
“I still inflicted damage,” Niko argues. “I basically did all the work.”
“How about we do more work on your ED situation?” Killian asks with a grin.
“You motherfucking Satan’s heir, how many times have I told you it’s not ED?” Niko grabs the waistband of his shorts and pulls them down, terrorizing us with the view of his pierced cock.
“Nikolai!” Gareth jumps. “Put your fucking dick away, man.”
“I’m just proving a point to your stupid brother.”
“Point proven,” Jeremy says. “Just stop stripping, Niko.”
“I assure you that no one here wants to see that.” Gareth points in his general direction with a look of disgust.
