Nick leaned around Axel to the dark-haired guy with the girl in his lap who was draped all over him with her tits in his face. “Tell fuck boy to give me the remote. Is he even playing the game?”
“Not well. Fucker thinks he is, but he also thinks he can multitask the game and her and handle his liquor.” Axel nudged the guy next to him. “Dmitri, give over the remote. Nick wants to play.”
“I can multitask and handle my liquor, asshole, I’m Russian.” Dmitri shifted the girl on his lap as his face made an appearance from behind a veil of chocolate brown hair. His puffy lips were well-kissed and swollen but lifted in an arrogant tilt, and giving zero fucks, he tossed the controller across to Nick.
Nick and Axel both burst out laughing as though sharing an inside joke. Axel finally said, “Let’s play.”
“Hey, it’s about fucking time you showed up!” Someone shouted behind me and I craned my neck out of curiosity. And I knew. Call it a sixth sense. Call it common sense because half the football team was here, so it was only natural he’d be here too.
Theodora
Roman was here. It was like his presence made everyone demand his attention. His dark hair was thick on top and recklessly styled. He wore a black T-shirt and dark jeans. His cool eyes scanned the room with no emotion as he shifted on his feet while some guy was nudging him and talking non-stop. Roman hated small talk. Regardless, I felt anxiety in my chest seeing him so close. Perhaps I should’ve been more apprehensive, because it didn’t take long before he saw me, and the unease sped up double-time as I was caught in his relentless gaze, while stark darkness filled his eyes. He was several feet away from me across the expansive room, but it didn’t seem far enough. Even worse when he took a step forward in my direction. I held my breath, preparing myself for another uncomfortable encounter.
All the bravado inner pep talks I gave myself about not caring whether I saw him again were beginning to get skittish and threaten to run and hide like frightened cats. Reality beat me over the head. Hanging around a crowd of adoring fans was his domain, and I should’ve steered clear of him. In my defense, it’s not like I sought him out nor knew we’d even end up at the same school. As far as I knew, Roman had interest in going to one of the bigger colleges in the SEC. But that was in the past…much like our history. He took a few more steps closer, his jaw tightened with determination as though he were on a mission to truly destroy me.
“Roman, there you are.” A girl with jet black hair stepped in front of him. Someone who looked very familiar. Whose family was just as wealthy, if not more so than the Martinez family. Taylor Shields. He kept his glare on me as Taylor was coaxing him into making her a drink, signaling to the bar. Finally, he relented and allowed her to lead him to the back of the room.
I turned to Nick, who was focused on the video game talking smack to his friend. “Where’s the restroom?”
“Go back up the stairs, and it’s the second door on the left. If it’s full, just use the one in my room at the very end of the hall.”
I rose and went over to the door flashing a glance to my right to catch his eyes again, watching me like I was a wounded rabbit in an open field. Soon, he turned his head at something Taylor said and his face wasn’t so severe. Peeling my eyes away, I slipped out and made my way up the steps. How my heart could beat faster with unease and yet sink to my stomach at the same time was pathetic. I was still trying to digest how we’d come to this. My thoughts rifled through an internal folder of memories. Remembering how there was a time when Roman’s face softened around me. He’d always been someone who was somewhat withdrawn and serious around everyone, although he was the person everyone gravitated around at school, at parties, everywhere really. Back then he never let his guard down, but he would around me. Until all hell broke loose.
When I emerged from the stairs, there were several people congregating around a closed door, a solid line waiting for the bathroom, so I continued down the long hall until I reached the end. Opening the door, I turned on the light and gazed around Nick’s room. He had a queen-sized bed with a plaid comforter, a dresser, and nightstand. Some football paraphernalia and a few family photos. I picked up one of the photos seeing him in his football uniform in between an older man and woman who I assumed were his parents. Both were blond and striking as well. Setting it down, I made a move to the bathroom. At least, it smelled somewhat clean and looked tidy. When I took care of business and washed my hands, I flicked off the light, opened the bathroom door and saw the motion of a tall figure pass through the door. The enemy was upon me.
“You don’t listen very well, do you?” Roman’s deep, contempt-laced voice bounced off the walls above the muffled background noise from the living room. The bedroom door was now closed, and he leaned against it with his arms overlapped.
“What do you want?” I stood my ground fighting something bubbling inside. Maybe it was fear, or maybe it was the thought of challenging him, I didn’t know. Lord knew he was hate-glaring at me with a sick smile on his face. I’d seen that look before when he was on the football field after an opposing defender fucked with and taunted him before he went off like a madman. He thrived on getting the best of someone. Thrived on winning. Knowing that information, a saner person would’ve sprinted back in the bathroom, locked the door and called for help. I rubbed my palms over my shorts. “I was invited. You do know what that word means?”
“Well, I’m uninviting you.” He pushed off the door, stalking closer with his never-ending resolve when he set his mind on something, while I fought the urge to run. However, I dug in my heels. The two drinks I’d downed gave me courage. Not saying that was the smartest decision. Or best justification.
“Uninviting me?” I paused deliberately, tilting my head in question. “Oh wait. I’m sorry, but who the hell do you think you are?” I goaded, shrouded with my shield of fake confidence, but a twisting in my stomach reminded me I wasn’t completely immune to this dread. To him.
His footsteps reverberated against the hardwood as he neared; his unmistakable scent of maleness and dominance ruled my senses. He didn’t stop until his chest pressed mine, crowding me in. A vein in his neck bulged as he craned over me. His thick chest rose and fell slowly with his every breath as he nosed around my face like a German Shepard picking up a scent. Finally, lowering his head under my chin as he whispered, “I’m the one who haunts your dreams. So if you want to save face, I would suggest you get the fuck out.”
The air felt too thick to breathe, and our bodies were a hair’s breadth away. He was intimidating, which was his goal, wasn’t it? However, I countered, “You must be mistaken to think your threats mean anything. What are you? An eight-year-old on the playground playing bully?”
As soon as the words came out, fingers dug into my arm. I fought to yank away, but it was futile. He warned softly, “No. Just trying to get rid of the trash. By the way what the hell are you doing in my friend’s room?”
“Screw you, Roman, you have no say in what I do. Nick invited me.”
“Nick?” he growled, showing his teeth. His eyes darkened, a brewing blackness was unleashing, growing more frightening with each passing second.