Page 97 of House of Lilith

But now Nikolay’s Fiain Academy buddy ismy fuckbuddy. And the last time I saw him…

For a second, I find myself flooded with images of him shirtless, looking at me like that. It makes my breath catch and my mind scramble to relive it all, from the moment I smelled him to the moment he slid his hand between my thighs, thinking we’re not done.

It took me by surprise, that I couldn’t register him using any ‘moves’ on me. I don’t even know what that would mean, but you expect that kind of guy to have them and you expect for them to be used on you. This was more like… breathing out as things happen at just the right time, each more delicious than the last.

Holy shit, there I go again.

I expel a breath and I force myself to look,reallylook out the window, the car already gliding down the path leading all the way up to the Academy. As I told myself a week ago, it’s one thing to have a fuck buddy. It’s a whole other to spend all your waking hours daydreaming about his hands, his lips, or the way it felt, what he did to me...

But I did tell him I’d text him when I got back, I think to myself, my eyebrows pulling down.Whenshould I do that? As soon as I arrive? Tonight? A couple of days from now, so as not to appear too eager?

I waste the whole half an hour ruminating, only snapping out of it once I hear Wolfgang say, “We’re here, Lady Romanov.”

I look around, seeing we’ve stopped at the end of the path leading from the Dame Gothel statue to the Elevator.

My head snaps back to the driver and I give him a smile, my hand already on the door handle when I say, “Thank you. You can send my stuff straight to my room, I’ll be joining my brother and cousin in the cafeteria.”

“Will do, Miss.”

And I step outside, taking in a lungful of fresh winter air, my eyes scanning the grounds. There are cars parked all around me, other students stepping out of them and saying bye to their families, some of them heading straight for the Elevator, like I am.

Determined to find a way to enjoy the start of second term, I put on a smile and come to stand behind them. The group of girls in front of me keep looking around, waiting for someone. And then that someone runs up to them, a loud squeal piercing my ears when they all spot each other and fall into each other’s arms.

As they start chatting about this and that, I roll my eyes a little, but a smile dances on my lips.

It’s only once the Elevator door rises out of the ground and we all walk in that the last girl to appear takes off her coat, revealing a sweater with a fox head on it.

It makes me frown. Then it makes blood rush to my cheeks. His cheerleaders. I see they’ve started knitting, I think to myself.

It’s a second too late that I tear my eyes away from the sweater. The others keep chatting away, but this particular girl catches me looking. And our eyes meet for a second, and I see her recognize me, but instead of the usual hesitance that that brings out in people, I sense something else.

Scorn?

The thought makes me frown. But it’s at that very moment that the Elevator stops, and the girl looks away and steps out into the buzzing Entrance Hall, continuing her conversation with her friends.

I keep walking, too, straight for the cafeteria as if nothing happened. But there’s still the image of the fox head on the sweater flicking before me.

And all of a sudden, I understand I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself, thinking I should actually text him.

He’s Dahrian Howe, for crying out loud. And sure, we had a deal, but who knows how many other girls he’s been with since we last saw each other? If I went and sent him a message, I’d probably get one of those ‘Who dis?’ in response.

My eyes fixed on the archway into the cafeteria, I have to fight not to let the embarrassment overwhelm me. This is good, I tell myself. This iseasier.

And besides, he’s not even that hot.

*

“Anyone want these fries?” Nikolay asks as he puts his phone down and takes his headphones off. There are faint video game sounds coming from them. His eyes are darting from me to Hilde, both busy wolfing down our burgers.

“I wouldn’t mind a few,” Hilde drawls with her mouth full, but Nikolay’s eyes stay onme.

I swallow the last of my food and lick my fingers. “No, thanks,” I say.

“You sure?” he insists. “I remember you saying you like how crispy they are.”

It almost makes me crack a smile. Ever since I told him off, that time in front of Uncle’s office, he’s been super attentive. And I haven’t even seen him with Max, not even once. I guess he really is trying to be supportive.

“Just eat them, dumbass. I know you want to,” I say in a warm voice.

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