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The students around them gasped. He had known they would and didn’t give a fuck. He hated this kind of public display with a passion, but he figured that this was the only way he would get MJ to listen. He drew out the roses he held hidden in his back and shoved them at her. “Yours.”
She almost ended up eating the roses, with the way he had shoved it in her face. Would have choked on it, too, because she was stunned by the fact that Helios Andreadis was doing this. The only time he liked being in the center of the attention was when he was on a bike and this time, he was...not.
Finally finding her voice, she asked, “Wh-why are you on your knee? And w-what’s with the roses?”
He looked like he was itching to kill her now. “What the fuck do you think all this is?” he snarled. “You said you wanted a fucking normal guy. Isn’t this what a normal guy does when he wants to get his girl back?”
Across her, Katya whispered, “He kinda has a point, MJ.”
Yes. He did. And it just showed how little she knew about normal guys even if all this time, she had professed to want to go out with one. The thought had her paling even more. Jack was a normal guy and he had wanted her to go out with him. But in the end, she had said no. What did she really want?
“MJ?” It was Helios, his voice rough.
“You should get up now,” she mumbled under her breath.
He forced himself to say the cheesiest words in history. “I’m not going to stand until you tell me we’re together again.”Fuck.He wanted to gag right this moment. He had no doubt somewhere in this suddenly-silent cafeteria, people were recording his every word and movement. In minutes, the boys would know about tonight, and his life would be officially over.
But if this was the way for him to get MJ back, the humiliation would be worth it.
MJ could feel her face flaming at what Helios had just said, and he hadn’t even bothered to lower his voice. If he wasn’t embarrassed for himself, she was more than embarrassed for him. Didn’t he realize how silly it was for someone like him to prostrate himself like this for someone like her?
She shook her head vigorously. “Please, Helios, please get up.”
“You know what to say to get me off my knees.”
She asked haltingly, “Did it work out in Greece? Will the rumors stop then?”
Ah, fuck, she had to ask that of all things.Helios took a deep breath. “It’s...going to continue for a while.”
MJ froze.
He continued tautly, “It appears my family’s butting in again, and they got Rick involved.”
She gasped. “Your old tutor?”
He nodded curtly. “My stepmother says she has him. Her condition for keeping him safe is for me to let the rumors slide. They’re to convince the board of Andreadis Enterprises that I’m a not fit replacement as chairman for my older brother.” He exhaled harshly. “I hope you understand that there’s nothing I can do at this moment. I can’t unknowingly risk—”
MJ grasped his hand, unable to stand the torment in his voice. “You don’t have to explain,” she said softly. “I know what Rick’s done for you. He’s helped me, too.”
When she tried to pull her hand away, he didn’t let her go. “And me?” Helios forced himself to ask. “You really don’t have anything to say about me?”
Her head lowered once more, and a second later he felt something fall on his skin.
Tears.
MJ’s tears.
“I just feel like everything’s going against us all the time, you know? I don’t think we can keep knocking our heads against the wall—”
“Just tell me what you want.” He tried not to sound desperate but realized it was impossible. Hewasdesperate. A man about to drown, a man about to starve, a man about to die. They were all desperate, and he was all three without MJ.
“Listen, MJ. Listen to me carefully, please.” He tightened her hold on her. “If you really want a normal guy, I can do that. I’ve given up my bike for you. If I can give that up, I can give up anything. You understand? I only need you.”
He was about to say more, but the sound of the doors crashing open once more interrupted him.
“IS HELIOS ANDREADIS IN THE FUCKING HOUSE?”
Helios moved lightning fast at the sound, knowing trouble had come searching for him. He bent down, whispering to MJ, “Whatever happens, stay here,” before striding away.
