Page 12 of Devious Knight

“I didn’t know Aleksander was going to talk the whole time.” Annika frowns, walking closer to the twins. Since she has the same platinum hair color as them and dainty features, she looks like she could be their sister.

“That was actually short.” Mackenzie’s frown deepens. “Back in high school when the football team won the state championship he spoke for two hours straight.”

“Two hours?” Annika’s mouth drops. “What the hell?”

That was a day no one will forget. Annika never experienced crazy incidents like that because she went to high school in L.A.

Mackenzie purses her lips and gives Annika a sidelong glance. “He’s pumped about the football team. So God knows what he’ll be like for the rest of the year.”

That’s because of Kade and Dmitri. They were all the talk from the moment we started our freshman year. Kade was the quarterback and Dmitri a linebacker for the high school team. They took the team to victory every single year.

Raventhorn University has a great football team, but they didn’t do so well last season after their star players graduated.

Kade and Dmitri didn’t even need to try out for the team, and they more than proved their worth at the start of the season when the team started winning again.

“I can’t believe we’re already in the second semester of this year,” Eilish says, tossing her lilac hair over her shoulders.

She’s in her junior year but she’s the Thetas’ student counselor. Because we know each other so well she took us under her wing right from the first day of college. Things would have been a million times worse for me during the hazing period if she hadn’t been around.

I smile back at her and nod. “Before you know it, it will be summer and we’ll be moving on to the next year.” I sound like a hypocrite. I won’t even be here at that time, so I have no right to say anything.

“Bittersweet truth.” She giggles. “I don’t want the time to go so quickly, but at the same time, I do.”

“Me too.”

Annika and I glance at each other, biting back knowing smiles and the secret that the only reason Eilish would want time to fly by is so she can see Lucian again.

According to the world they’re quote unquote best friends who grew up together.

But unknown to them and the rest of the world, Annika and I caught them kissing on the night Lucian left for his internship in Russia.

He’ll be gone twelve months so he’ll return this time next year when they’re in senior year.

Despite the discomfort I previously felt over Kade, thinking about what might transpire for Lucian and Eilish warms my heart. They’re just one of those couples you want to see together because they’re so well matched you know they’ll share true love.

I suppose Annika would know what that feels like, too. She’s been dating—is basically engaged to—Thorne Ivanov since last year.

I grew up with Thorne, who is also friends with Eilish and Lucian. He’s also Aleksander’s nephew. I’ve never seen him treat anyone as special as he does Annika. The guy worships the ground she walks on.

It’s nice. At least I know some of my favorite people will be taken care of when I leave.

As if on cue Thorne rushes up to Annika and places an arm around her, pulling her close to him. With his sharp appearance he looks like a cross between a Ken doll and an anime villain.

“Time to go to lunch, Bambi,” he says to Annika, referring to her by the nickname he gave her when they first met.

“Where are we going today?” Annika beams, giving him her dreamy-eyed stare.

“Pizza.”

“Yayy.”

“You too, Eilish.” Thorne nods at her. “I’m supposed to look out for you.”

Eilish rolls her eyes at him. “I’m not ready to eat yet. And I’m not having pizza.”

“Too bad. You’re coming with us. Lucian will never forgive me if I allow you to perish on that shit diet you’re on.”

Eilish blushes at the mention of Lucian but tries to frown. “The Atkins diet is not shit.”

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