Page 91 of Brace and Chase

“Here you will get a lot of attention,” Nik tells Beau with an amused smirk, and gestures to the whole club. “But you won’t be tempted to get over someone by getting under someone else.”

I’m surprised at the insightfulness, but still shake my head at him with that smile he always brings out of me stamped on my face.

Beau looks a little bit less depressed with each drink, and Nik loses the accent little by little the more he drinks. I haven’t seen him drink since he brought that ridiculous bottle of vodka to my house when he moved in, but I can tell he can pack them away like no one’s business.

Beau taps out early and waves off our offers to walk him to their room. He’s sober enough to promise me he’ll text when he’s safely in bed, and I do get that picture ten minutes later, so I can’t complain.

Finn, on the other hand... well, he’staking advantageof the scenery and having the time of his life.

We finally drag him out of there at four in the morning and get him to the floor of their room safe and sound. I can’t wait to get to bed and I know how long the drive home is going to seem in a cab or an Uber, but we have a late practice tomorrow so I’m not that worried.

But Nik has other ideas apparently.

He pushes the button to the third to last floor wordlessly and still says nothing when he sees my questioning gaze. I can’t find it in me to ask out loud, because I’m damn tired, so I don’t protest when he takes my hand, leads me down the hallway, and opens a door with a key card I didn’t see him take out of his pocket.

Did he get us a room for the night? He looks ahead, my boyfriend. This is something I didn’t know about him...

And that’s when I notice there’s something different about this room.

First off, it’s a suite with a living room and kitchenette, but also there are paintings and picture frameseverywhere. I can’t seem to focus on any of them for too long, but I know this isn’t usual for hotel rooms. I’ve been in more than my share of them.

“What’s this?” I finally find my voice.

“This is my place.” His voice is way too low. He was shouting the lyrics to whatever songs they were playing at the club not twenty minutes ago.

I turn and see him looking down and... is that a blush on his cheeks?

It hits me then.

But I can’t say anything until I confirm.

There’s only one detail Nik has told me about the place where he lives, so I sprint to the bedroom, find the door that I guess leads to the bathroom, and stop in my tracks when I see the huge—as big as promised—hot tub disguised as a bath.

“Well damn,” I whisper to myself. Still not quite sure how to interpret what this means.

“Yeah.”

I jump on my feet at the sound of Nik’s voice right behind me, then spin to watch him sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

“Thisis your place?” I emphasize just to make sure.

“Mm-hmm.” He nods. I... don’t know what to say. I have too many thoughts, too many feelings. “I know,” he mumbles without looking up. “Pathetic, huh?”

That snaps me out of my stupor in zero-point-two milliseconds.

“Nikolay Brotnik,” I start sharply and slap my hands on my hips. He finally looks up, his icy blue eyes guarded. “You are a lot of things—stubborn, infuriating, sometimes ridiculous—but you are not and never have been pathetic. I better never hear you say shit like that again.” I point a finger at his face. “Do you think I’d have a pathetic boyfriend?” I demand.

He doesn’t answer, his jaw hanging somewhere by the tiled floor.

“No I wouldn’t. Because I know I deserve the best, and that’s exactly what you are. So pick up your jaw, and let’s go to sleep.” I walk past him and choose the right side of the bed—same one I use at my place—flip the duvet back, undress, then get the fuck in.

“Are you mad at me?” he asks as he starts taking off hispants. He sounds confused but not hurt, so I don’t start another rant but I do soften my voice.

“No, I’m not mad at you, Nik. Get in for God’s sake.”

“You sound mad,” he mumbles.

“Well, maybe I am a little mad,” I confess in a mutter. “But not at you.”

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