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“Like what?”
“For starters, he must be very protective of you.”
“Why do you say that?”
She took a sip of coffee. “He snapped at Axel the other night for touching you after you left, and then they had an altercation at practice yesterday. It seemed a little…extreme for him. Dmitri never loses his composure.”
I toyed with the corner of my napkin. “I guess old habits die hard,” I said lightly, thinking back to his behavior yesterday, as well as back in high school. Most of his overbearing role was spurred by Arty because I’d overheard him telling Dmitri before I started public school how I was their responsibility to keep safe and protected as if I were fine china or a sheltered mafia princess. It was ridiculous. Apparently, Dmitri took his role very seriously most of the time. Other times whatever happened between us was something else entirely—like the whole stretching incident.
“We knew we’d find you here.” I glanced up, and Roman pulled up a chair beside Theo, laying a lingering kiss on her lips.
“Missed you,” he said. Then, the blond guy, who was built like a brick wall, gathered Kenzie in his arms and delved into her mouth. Must be Nick. When they finally pulled apart, he dropped down in the seat with her secured tightly on his lap. He nudged his chin at me with an eyebrow raised. “Hello again, Dmitri’s ward. Interesting seeing you here with the girls.”
“Sorina,” Kenzie emphasized my name, “happens to have psychology class with us, and we decided to invite her for coffee and chat.”
“Of course, you would. Such a polite welcoming committee,” Nick said smoothly, and he side-eyed Roman as though sharing an inside joke. My brows drew together.
“Don’t mind them.” Theo studied my face and swatted her hand in the air. “They like to tease but mean no harm. We’re just excited to know someone close to Dmitri because he’s a very private person.”
“That fucker is as closed up as a vault,” Nick added, twisting a lock of Kenzie’s hair between his fingers.
Dmitri was a reserved person. I had no clue what went through his head the majority of the time, but I didn’t like the feeling the girls had an ulterior motive for inviting me here. I was beginning to feel uneasy. “So, you invited me here to ‘chat’ about Dmitri?”
“No,” Theo backpedaled. “We want to know more about you. I told you we are like a family, and since Dmitri is part of it, and you are part of his family…” Theo turned her head to the others, looking for the right words or searching for help to convey the message.
“Look, you’re part of the family now by proxy.” Roman leaned on the table, tapping his knuckle on the hardtop. “So, get used to seeing us around.” His words were blunt and to the point. Not to mention strange, but whatever. Was he about to say I was in the circle of trust or some shit? I’d only seen them twice, but knew I’d see Theo and Kenzie all the time now in class. Was this like the mafia or something?
“I think what we’re all trying to say is…we hope to be good friends,” Kenzie said softly. “It’s difficult starting somewhere new, and it’s always nice to have a friend. I hope you’ll see it that way. We want you to know you can reach out to us if you ever need anything.”
Before I could answer, I heard, “What’s up, lil’ troublemaker?” I looked up, and Axel grinned down at me, flashing two perfect dimples. He had a truly arresting face and seemingly easygoing personality. Didn’t seem like he was too worried about what had happened between him and Dmitri in the past few days. Or he hid it well.
“Hi?” I answered tentatively. For some reason, I glanced over my shoulder in caution.
“Don’t worry. Dad isn’t here.” Axel smirked, scratching his tan, muscled bicep. “If he were, I’d toss his ass out. He’s been asking for it anyway.”
My eyes shot back to his.
“Oh my gosh, y’all. We are making the worst impression with her.” Theo rubbed her temple. “You’ll soon figure this out, Sorina. You can’t take anything Axel says seriously.”
“That’s not fair. I have a serious side, too.” Even his tone indicated the exact opposite. He still carried that charming smile, though.
“Yeah, youseriouslylike to drive people bat-shit crazy,” Nick scoffed, with his arms enclosed around Kenzie and his chin on her shoulder.
“No, I don’t.” He popped a shoulder. “Not all the time.” He read the room, clearly seeing everyone staring at him. “Okay, maybe sometimes.” He ran a finger under his chin in thought. “But, I seriously will kick D’s ass all over the fucking field if he pulls that shit with me again like he did yesterday.”
My eyebrows reached my hairline. What kind of “family” said this? I was somewhat concerned about Dmitri because Axel looked like he could take care of himself with ease. And Dmitri was…well…Dmitri. These two could totally hurt each other if they wanted to.
“Oh, brother,” Roman groaned under breath. “He’s joking. For some reason, Axel likes to fuck with Dmitri, but I assure you, it’s all in good fun. Most of the time, at least.”
I heard the scrape of a chair, and Axel spun it around backwards and threw his arms over the headrest. “What can I say? He’s an easy target.” He winked at me with a conspiratorial glint in his warm, chocolate eyes, and for some reason, I understood what he meant. Dmitri seemed far too serious, and I’d always tried to get a rise from him. Axel seemed like the total opposite of Dmitri, personality-wise, and obviously wasn’t bothered by his cold, grumpy attitude, either. “I can see you and I are going to get along just fine.” He winked.
Sorina
A cannon fired off as time on the clock expired, followed by the loud roar of the crowd. “The Hillside Falcons win their first game of the season!” The announcer’s voice vibrated through the speakers over the overcrowded stadium as one of our drum majors tapped out the eight count before the band went into our fight song. I bounced in time to the music, shaking my pompoms to the customary Hillside Cheer victory dance. The excitement buzzed in the air as the crowd pumped their arms to the beat.
The Falcons gave a clinic in football dominance today, and Dmitri played an essential part by scoring two touchdowns. He was amazing; I had to admit, begrudgingly. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him whenever he was on the field. Only in the way someone appreciates a top-tier athlete, of course.
“Up we go,” Julian warned behind me as his hands landed on my waist, lifting me up so high I was nervous, but I knew he had my back, and my feet landed on his shoulders as I pumped my right arm out with each phrase we all chanted. “Falcons soar! Falcons fight! Falcons win!” The stadium erupted into a tidal wave of frenzied excitement as the fight song ended.
