Page 38 of Best Man
“Wait, youdidn’ttell her?”
She sighed. “No. I wanted to, Niko, believe me. I wanted to get him back. But it all happened so fast, I barely even knew what was happening—I was more shocked and confused than I was angry. He shook my hand and then he rushed his family out of there. It was so much to process. And I couldn’t have done something like that in front of Charlie.”
“But have you told her since?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought,” she said. “But nope. I just can’t do it.”
“Why not?”
“When I was younger, I found out my best friend was getting cheated on by her boyfriend. So I told her. You know what happened?”
“What?”
“She didn’t believe me. She called me a jealous, lying, psycho bitch. Apparently, her boyfriend made up some story about how I secretly tried to fuck him behind her back.” She smiled bitterly. “Guess what? They’re still together today. Married, in fact. And she still hates my guts. She turned some of our other friends against me, too. I tried to do the right thing, and I ended up losing a few friends in the process.”
“So you don’t think the wife will believe you,” he said.
“Honestly, I don’t know what she’d believe—I don’t know her well enough. But after that experience with my best friend, I don’t want to get involved in other people’s relationships atall. What’s the point? They’ll just make me into the bad guy. Besides, it’s not my business.”
Niko sighed. “I see your point.”
“I mean, it sucks,” she said. “But I figure he’ll get his comeuppance on his own. It’s just not my place.”
“Maybe,” Niko said, but it was hard to agree, and righteous anger bubbled in his stomach. “What a piece of crap!” he said in a sudden outburst. “I’d kill that guy on the ice, if I could.”
“Well, he doesn’t play hockey, so you’re out of luck.”
“Yes. Out of luck. Unless—who knows?—maybe Scott has a run-in with the Russian mafia,” he said, sounding deadly serious. “You know I have connections, right?”
He was convincing enough that Paulina grew quiet. She turned to him slowly, a graveness in her eyes. “Wha’ …?”
He touched her arm and laughed. “I’m kidding, Paulina. I don’t have connections. Sorry if I got your hopes up.”
She laughed, too, but with relief. “You didn’t get my hopes up. I’m mad at the guy but I don’t want tokillhim. Besides, I’d be really bummed if you could take people out like that.”
“Really? Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to be a killer, Niko! You seem like a nice guy. I’m tired of guys seeming one way, and being another way entirely.”
Niko chuckled. “Sorry. It was a bad joke. I promise, I’m not like that.”
“I know you’re not,” she said. “Can I say one last thing about Scott?”
“Sure.”
“He was supposed to be my wedding date.” She scoffed. “The part that kills me is wondering, was heseriouslygoing to come to the wedding as my date while living this double life? Or was he just stringing me along? Would he have no-showed if things got this far?”
“With a guy like that? Who knows,” Niko said, shaking his head with disgust. “I can’t stand to think about this guy.”
“Me neither,” she said, grinning. “Why don’t you tell me a story about yourself?”
Niko told her all about his past, growing up as a young hockey phenom in a cramped apartment in Moscow. He told her how poor his family was, and how hard his mom worked to hold everything together. But when Mama died of cancer, Papa’s struggles with alcohol worsened and he drank himself to death—he died of cirrhosis, a grisly death. He told Paulina how he’d faced his own struggles with alcohol, too. He’d hit rock bottom during his rookie year when Katerina began dating Reavo. Getting that tale off his chest was never easy—it was his greatest personal shame—but something about Paulina’s nurturing nature made it so easy to share. She was sweet and caring and, best of all, she didn’t judge him at all. She seemed to really understand.
Paulina told him about her past, too, mainly about growing up on the farm. Her parents were free-spirit hippie types, and while the family never had much in the way of money, they always made ends meet, and always stressed the importance of having each other. She told Niko how Piper had left the farm when she turned eighteen, which made things a little harder on Paulina, as she soaked up more responsibility around the farm.
“Was it tough when she left?” Niko asked gently. “Were you angry at her for leaving?”
“Was it tough? Yeah, because she’s my best friend, and I missed her. Still do!” Paulina said. “Was I angry? Nah, not at all. She always talked about how she wanted to leave, so it’s not like it was a surprise when she left. Especially once she broke up with her first boyfriend—then shereallycouldn’t wait to leave. I couldn’t blame her for leaving. And look where she’s at now—she’s ahugesuccess. First with her bakery, then with the dating app. She’s invested so much money into the farm that we basically never have to work again, if we don’t want to.”
