Page 114 of Matteo
“No.”
He grinned, towering over me like a skyscraper. “Maybe you should be partying. Sometimes those result in… interesting revelations.”
“Like what?”
He hooked his arm over my shoulder and we started walking together up the steps and down the hallway.
“Like forgetting shit.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Forgetting troubles and heartaches.”
“It sounds like you’re speaking from experience, Nikola.”
“I’m telling you, give it a try.” He waggled his brows. “Trust me, Ari.”
The nickname had me gritting my teeth, but I didn’t say anything. I wouldn’t be the one to bring up Matteo.
Nikola smiled mischievously at me, almost as if he was reading my thoughts, and continued. “By the way, I was serious when I offered to step in as Matteo’s replacement.”
I stopped ten feet from my classroom and narrowed my eyes on him. “You and Matteo are good friends. Why would you care whether or not I have a replacement?”
“It could be mutually beneficial.” Unsurprising, his answer was vague. His eyes flitted behind me and darkened to deep frozen pools. When I looked, it was to find Skye running to class from the opposite direction.Looks like I’m not the only frazzled one today, I thought to myself.
“How could it be beneficial?” I asked hesitantly, although I suspected. Scratch that, I knew.
“It’ll deter one infatuated girl away from me and my deviant tendencies. And you’ll get to show Matteo what he’s missing.”
“So you’re trying to scare her away?”
He lifted his one shoulder. “She’s delusional and thinks I like her. I don’t. What better way to convince her I don’t give a damn about her than by dating her friend?”
“Skye’s my friend and I would never do something like that to her.” I poked a finger at his chest. “Besides, you’re crazy if you think I’d ever invite your…” I paused, looking for the right words, but settled for blunt and direct. “…deviant shit into my life.”
Nikola scoffed, his pale blue eyes returning to me. “As if I should be crazy enough and you lucky enough that I would touch you. Trust me, I don’t have that kind of death wish.”
He was rambling and I was done listening to this man—any man for that matter—speaking nonsense. As if they ever spoke anything else these days.
“Well, if you’re looking for someone to fake date, look elsewhere. I’m not doing that to Skye, and if you were decent, you wouldn’t either.”
“Who said I’m decent?”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes, sick and tired of the crazy Russian. “Besides, why not just find someone in one of those exclusive clubs? Surely they share the same interests.”
“Thank you, but no. I’ve been told through the grapevine that Skye has started paying membership fees.” My brows shot up, but before I could comment, he added pensively, “You think… she’d be into?—”
“Please stop or I’ll have to bleach my brain,” I said, wrinkling my nose, but he didn’t seem to hear me.
“Or maybe… hmmm, maybe I should test how far Skye will go.”
“I really don’t want to know,” I muttered. “Break her heart and you’ll have to handle her father and your uncle Sasha. But it’s your funeral. I’ll try to make it. Even bring flowers.”Not.
If he touched Skye and word got out, anyone associated with this crazy idiot would be on the hit list by default.
Skye was lucky—or unlucky—enough to have two equally crazy father figures that would tear anyone who hurt her into shreds. If Nikola had a death wish, may the gods be with him. I might be brokenhearted, but I wasn’t suicidal.
“You know what?” he piped up as he grinned. “I’m up for the challenge.”
“Well, I’m not,” I said dryly. “And for the love of God, button up that shirt.” No sooner had the words left me than guilt burned my throat. This shitty situation with Matteo wasn’t Nikola’s fault.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose, and against my better judgment, I continued. “You shouldn’t discount Skye. She’s more badass than all of us combined, and if you want to have the approval of her parents, take it… slow.”
