Page 77 of The Failed Audition

In a whisper, he says, “And I’ll still train you.”

The next kiss is so soulful that I feel the promise within it: to never stand in the way of my dreams. I breathe heavily as he draws back again. His chest rises and falls deeply, waiting for me to speak, giving me a choice to accept or deny this new turn.

Nikolai may assume a lot of things, but when it comes to my own life—he steps back and lets me pick left or right.

“You’re complicated?” I ask, eyeing the red glow necklace.

He stiffens. “My past relationship is. I haven’t been looking for anything recently, and I didn’t even look for you.” He pauses. “This was unintentional.”

It became something more without noticing. Without realizing. “Am I a mistake—”

“No, myshka. You’re just the unexpected, beautiful thing in my life.”

My heart is full tonight. I can hardly breathe as it swells. I’ve never felt this way. “As long as she’s not still in the picture…” That scenario is too devastating to jump into.

“She’s not,” he forces like he’s promising me. “You can trust me.”

I nod. It’s not as blind as the first time we met. I trust him a lot more now—because he’s been here for me. And I believe that he wouldn’t hurt me. Not intentionally, at least.

“Okay,” I breathe, placing my hand on his, the one that warms my cheek.

He kisses me, powerfully, sensually, and his other hand finds my zipper by my shoulder blades. He slowly unzips my tight black dress, stopping at the small of my back. His lips drift to my neck, sucking on the most sensitive spots. His body thrums against mine.

“Nik…” I shudder and remember something—something more important now than it was before. “I’m moving out tonight.”

His hands fall underneath my ass, supporting me around his waist. And he looks at me with a frown. “You decided this now.” He states it.

“No…” I shake my head. “No, I meant to tell you tonight…I signed a lease for a studio apartment. And maybe it’s…better that we don’t live together, I mean. It’ll make things slower.” I hesitate to add the rest.I want slow. I’m not used to fast.But he already knows I’ve only had sex twice. That’s the exactnumberof times. It’s not even just two different people.

Before he responds, the storeroom door swings open. Camila startles back the minute she sees us: my legs around his waist, my dress partially unzipped. His hands on me.

I cover my face with my palm, my fingers splayed so I can most definitely still see her reaction morph from surprised to something happier.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry.” She’s smiling. “Continue on.” She even flashes me a wider, excited grin. When she shuts the door, I actually go to zip up my own dress.

Nikolai sets me on my feet. “Come here.” He tugs me closer and his fingers brush my bare skin as he zips me up. Just as slow as he unzipped me. His eyes dance around my features. “I’ll help you move in to your place tonight.”

“Actually, I think I should do that on my own.” I worry he’ll see the shoddy apartment and convince me to stay with him.

He hesitates, his gaze darkening. I think he must read my intentions. “It’s in a bad area.”

“No,” I refute. “It’s a good area.”Sort of.It’s not the worst area, so I’m not lying exactly.

“If it was, you’d let me see it.” He combs some of the flyaway hairs out of my face. “Okay.” It takes me aback but he adds, “I trust you. And I can understand wanting your own space.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. “Are…you also okay with slow?”

His lips rise like it’s funny.

“It’s not—”

“It’s cute,” he says again, this time laughing. “Slow is cute, and I’d go slow for you.” He kisses my temple. “Ready?” He nods to the door.

I never thought there would be more paths to choose. I came here thinking I’d already picked my course. The dark, mysterious one—filled with potholes and faraway dreams.

I’ve found that life is a series of crossroads, dead-ends and U-turns. There is no real destination. There is no goal to end all goals. As long as we’re living, we’ll always keep driving.

I’m more satisfied with this than I would’ve been before Vegas.

---