Page 45 of Bad Teammate
He sighed. “Katerina …”
“It’s okay. I should go to bed, anyway. It’s late and I’m tired.” I began to take off my heels, but my body froze with a sudden realization. “Unless … maybe you’d like to sleep in your own bedroom tonight?”
“No, of course not. As long as you’re here, this is your room. I’m fine with the couch.”
“Are you sure?” I patted the mattress and gave him a wink. “You might need it tonight.”
His shoulders dropped with disappointment. “Listen. It’s not like that.”
Uh huh. Sure.
“Just let me know if you change your mind,” I said. “You can even wake me up if you need to kick me out. Really, I won’t mind.”
He stood and stared at me, as if something was heavily weighing on him. But whatever was on his mind, he didn’t share. Instead, he turned and made for the door.
Quietly, he shut the door behind him.
I let out a heavy sigh. I’d done exactly what Emma and Austen told me not to do: I’d debased myself and pursued him, just like those loud popular girls in the kitchen. And, just as they’d warned, it backfired.
And I thought I was made from a different mold than those girls?
I was no different.
I’m such a fool. What was I thinking?
16
Derek
I carried the weight of a thousand pounds on my shoulders as I made my way down the hall and back to the party.
Katerina was so different from the girls I was used to. The fact that those puck bunnies would make nasty remarks at her—a genuinely sweet girl whoseonlycrime was not being part of their inner circle—only made it more obvious.
Did they see her as a threat?
Because theyshould.
Next to them, Katerina didn’t look like she was from a different country. She looked like she was from another world entirely. There was something about her so innocent and pure. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I’d never felt such a magical connection with any other woman before.
She wasmadeof what those party girls could only pretend to have.
But none of that mattered, because she was Niko’s sister.
None of that mattered, because my job was to follow her into that bedroom and trampleallover that magic. I had to nip it in the bud before wereallyscrewed up.
Nearly broke my goddamn heart when I told her I couldn’t go to the symphony. I could see the hurt and embarrassment in her eyes … God, how I wanted to hold her and hug her and tell her I’d love to go with her, but I justcouldn’t.
Because she was Niko’s sister. And other people were starting to notice we were getting maybe alittletoo friendly with each other.
And hell. Who knows?Maybe Hath was right. Maybe it was true; maybe I only liked her because she was absolutely off-limits. I mean, whenwasthe last time I actually liked a girl? Could I really trust myself? When was the last time I’d had a girlfriend? Did I even know what to look for in a woman anymore?
Or did I just find theonegirl I knew I shouldn’t have, who was only in the States for a limited time, and decide she’d be a hot little disaster to get myself into?
I didn’t know. I’d probablyneverknow.
And that’s why I felt like the world’s biggest piece of shit as I made my way back to the party.
The party was still raging. A bunch of the bachelor guys were grinding and booty dancing with a group of the girls. Who’d invited them all over here in the first place? It seemed like they just kept coming and coming …
