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“Since when is bruschetta a movie snack?”
“Since you got a fancy pants boyfriend whose personal chef makes bruschetta and who has every streaming service in existence.”
We pile onto the couch in the living room and make it halfway through Taken—Kayla’s choice, despite my protests that it’s more than a little bit on-the-nose—when the front door opens.
When the front door slams open and bounces off the wall, actually.
I sit up, my heart thundering. I’ve always felt safe in this house, but maybe Yakov was right. Maybe bringing Kayla here was a bad idea. Maybe someone followed her and now they’re here to kill us both.
Then Mariya storms past the living room.
“Don’t slam the door!” Yakov bellows—at the exact moment Mariya slams her bedroom door closed.
“Uh-oh,” Kayla whispers, sinking down into the couch. “Looks like that nonstop day of super-fun brother-sister bonding didn’t go so hot.”
A second later, Yakov slams his own office door.
I wince. “Guess not.”
Kayla and I finish the movie, but I don’t register anything that’s happening. All I can think about is going to Yakov. I want to know what happened, if he’s alright, if there’s anything I can do to help.
When Kayla is finally getting into the car, she squeezes me tight and then pushes me back towards the house. “Now, go check on your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever he is, I can tell you’re worried about him.”
“Things with his sister are a bit… tense. His mom sent her here without telling him. Now, Yakov is kind of playing Dad and taking care of her. I’m trying to help where I can, but there’s only so much I can do. I just want the two of them to get along. He’s trying to do what’s best for her, but Mariya can’t always see that.”
“Wow.” Kayla shakes her head, a wary smile on her face. “You are in deep, Loon. I’ve never seen you like this over a guy.”
I cross my arms as if I might be able to shield my feelings from my best friend, even though it’s obviously too late for that. Kayla has only been here a few hours and she sees right through me.
I give her another hug. “I’ll see you again soon.”
“Now that your boyfriend approves, I’ll be allowed to visit?” Kayla rolls her eyes. “I don’t know what he thought I was going to do, show up wearing a wire or something? I am not a narc. I’m cool.”
“I know that. Now, Yakov does, too.”
I close the car door and stand waving until the car pulls down the drive. Then I head inside and straight for Yakov’s office.
“Come in,” he booms before I can even knock.
I crack the door open. “You can see through walls now?”
“I heard footsteps. Since they weren’t angry stomps, I made the leap that it was you and not my sister.”
“Boring ol’ deduction. Not as fun as magic powers.”
He half-smirks. “I never said I didn’t have them; just that I didn’t need to use them.”
I close the door softly behind me. Part of me wants to leave it open as an escape route. Being in enclosed spaces with Yakov does weird things to my body. Even when he had me pinned against the counter this morning, shouting ridiculous accusations at me, I wanted him to touch me.
I blow out a ragged breath and face him. “So how did?—”
“Kayla is okay,” he grunts.
“What?”
