Page 42 of Eternal
If they’re claiming me as theirs tonight, who am I to argue?
I blink back to the present, realizing I’ve let myself drift too far. Viktor and Kat are whispering now, arguing over something while pretending not to draw attention. Viktor, of course, is laughing, his smirk widening every time Kat gets more annoyed.
And then there’s me, standing here, caught in my own head, when I should be focusing on the people around us, the ones who might be watching too closely, the ones who might want us dead.
The air inside feels heavier now, overwhelming, with too many faces and too many memories threatening to surface. I don’t even notice when I start fidgeting, but Viktor catches it.
“Let’s get out of here,” he says, already standing closer to me.
“Seriously? We’re leaving?” she complains, but she’s already grabbing her coat.
“Stop whining,” Viktor replies, nudging her with his elbow. “Consider it a family outing.”
We both head out, Viktor lights up first, the orange glow illuminating his face as he takes a drag. He offers the pack to Kat, who waves it off, muttering something about ruining her red lipstick.
But I’m only wearing gloss tonight, so I pluck one out without hesitation, and he hands me the lighter.
“Better out here?” Viktor asks, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
“It’s cold,” Kat grumbles, shivering while she wraps her arms around herself. “If you two are going to smoke and complain about life, I’ll wait inside.”
“Oh, come on,” I say, taking my first drag. “Stay. Be miserable with us.”
She glares at me, with a smile, and shakes her head.
Viktor smirks, the cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. “Think of it as training, Kat.”
“Training for what? Frostbite?” she shoots back, earning a laugh from both of us.
“It’s literally not cold at all. How are you even shivering when we’re all dying from heat?”
She shrugs. “What can I say? I am a delicate thing.”
“It’s ninety degrees, woman, even at night. You’re insane,” Vik says.
We stand there, the silence only broken by the faint hum of music leaking through the doors. Kat eventually leans against the wall, her gaze flitting between the two of us.
“So,” she says, breaking the quiet. “Are you going to tell us what’s been on your mind all night, or are you going to keep us guessing?”
Viktor raises a brow, feigning innocence. “What makes you think I have something on my mind?”
“Oh, please, Vik,” Kat scoffs. “Your eyebrows are so tight they might break your face in half.’”
“Sounds about right,” I chime in, smiling.
He chuckles, taking another drag before answering. “You two are such a pain in the ass, I’m thinking about how to take vacay without you.”
Kat groans, throwing her head back. “Can I kill him?Visha, back me up here.”
“Kill your own brother?” I mock gasp, flicking the ash from my cigarette. “How could you even suggest such a thing?”
“Oh, don’t act like you wouldn’t enjoy it,” she quips, narrowing her eyes at me.
Viktor smirks, exhaling smoke as he glances between us. “You’re asking my best friend to kill me? You’d betray your own flesh and blood like that?”
“You’re annoying enough to make it worth considering the worst,” Kat snaps, though the corner of her lips twitches.
I straighten up, forcing a laugh through my teeth, but it’s too late, Kat’s sharp gaze flickers to me, narrowing like she’s caught me red-handed, Viktor follows her line of sight, and his smirk deepens.
