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“Could’ve fooled me with how childish you’re behaving.”
Eli turned so abruptly that Nik almost collided with him. Nik rolled his eyes in that condescending way he liked to do. “Are we really going to do this again? It didn’t work out so well for you last time.”
Eli looked around theatrically and spread his arms. “There’s no one here to interrupt us this time. I don’t know. Could be fun.” His voice hit an unnaturally high octave. He hated that Nik had this power over him, but he’d finally snapped. Nothing would be more satisfying than pummeling him into the ground.
“Why does it matter to you what Ali does?”
Eli squinted. The answer was so obvious and so hard to explain at the same time. She meant everything to him. She was all he’d ever had. All he’d ever really known. She was an extension of him. He shook his head, too flustered to respond, and continued walking.
Nik jogged to catch up. “What is it? What is your deal? Are you in love with her or something?”
Eli spun around once more. “Of course I’m fucking in love with her. And you? You don’t even fucking know her, so what are you doing?” The rage he’d been holding back was seeping through the cracks.
Nik waved him off. “Love. Infatuation. That’s my business, quite frankly.”
God, is there ever a time when he isn’t a condescending, sarcastic douchebag?
“You don’t deserve her,” Eli snapped.
“Deserve?” Nik’s face twisted in disgust. “No one deserves anyone. And if you love her like you say you do, you wouldn’t play these bullshit games with her. You can’t just take away love when she doesn’t act the way you expect her to. I don’t think you love her at all. I think you love the version of her that you made up in your head.”
He shoved Nik back a few steps. What did he know? He knew nothing about Eli and Ali’s relationship, the things they’d been through. They had so much history together.
Eli gritted his teeth. But Nik wasn’t entirely wrong. It was a childish reaction to keep pushing Ali away anytime she upset him, rather than talking about it like adults. Like friends. Like family. His anger was on the verge of exploding.
He lashed out at Nik. “And what about you? What do you deserve, Nik? You think you deserve to sit here in your luxury town with extravagant balls and slave labor to put food on your table? You deserve a lavish home and a woman who can’t afford to tell you ‘no?’ You think you’re better than me?” Eli had so much resentment toward Nik that went beyond his attention to Ali.
Nik was in Eli’s face now. “You think Ali doesn’t want me? You think I forced her or something?” His nostrils flared, clearly angered by Eli’s insinuation.
“You said it yourself that you would get what you want. How do I know you didn’t play dirty?”
Nik took a step back. “Would you listen to yourself, man? I’m not playing anything. And I didn’t have to trick or coerce Ali into anything, either. She is free to make her own decisions.”
“Does she know that?”
Nik’s lack of response was telling. He just continued to stare at Eli, scandalized. Something like recognition dawned on his face, and his shoulders slumped.
Eli huffed. “That’s what I thought.”
This entire evening had exhausted him. He wanted to crawl into bed and forget any of it had happened. He stalked away from Nik, who was still lost in thought. If he was a better person, he might’ve felt bad for the guy. He clearly hadn’t considered that Ali might not want him at all.
Eli didn’t believe that, though. He only said it to get under Nik’s skin. Ali didn’t do anything she didn’t want to do. But then again, Eli wondered just how well he knew Ali. Was Nik right? Did he have his own version of her in his head that didn’t truly exist? Or had the version he knew just morphed into a different person? Grown up to become someone else?
“Wait.” Nik was jogging again and fell into step with Eli, who sighed. He just couldn’t get rid of him. He exhaled sharply as his feet hit the ground. “Do you want to get a drink?”
“A drink? Are you fucking serious right now?” Eli laughed humorlessly. Why on Earth would he want to get a drink with Nik? Still, the thought of having something to dull the pain was more enticing than going to his cell and staring at the ceiling while his mind raced in anger.
“Dead serious.”
“Fine,” he spat.
Nik led him to a bar that he’d passed many times before. The rusting metal sign above the door said “the Spotted Salamander.” He followed Nik through the old wooden door. The place was entirely empty except for the bartender behind the counter, who was sitting and drinking from her own mug. Apparently, since everyone else was at the ball, she had decided to drink on the job.
“Evening, Marlena.”
“Nik? I didn’t expect to see you here tonight. Or anyone, for that matter.” She hiccupped and then pulled out two more mugs. She pointed at Eli. “Haven’t seen your face before. Who’s your friend?”
“We’re not friends,” they both said in unison.
