Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Eight Years Ago (Continued)

Tiana stood frozen, her heart hammering against her ribs as every pair of eyes in the room bore into her.

"I… I can't," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Can't?" Mike laughed, stepping forward with a cruel grin. "Come on, Head Girl. Don't be such a buzzkill."

"Yeah," someone else chimed in. "It's just a game."

Declan crossed his arms, his smirk widening. "Unless you want to pay the fine. Five thousand dollars. Right here, right now. That's the rule for refusing a dare."

Tiana's breath caught in her throat. Five thousand dollars? She could barely afford her bus fare home. Her scholarship covered tuition, but her stepmother made sure she had nothing extra, nothing for herself.

"I… I don't have that kind of money," she admitted, her voice trembling with humiliation.

The crowd erupted in laughter, cruel and mocking. Her face burned, shame washing over her in waves.

"Of course you don't," someone sneered.

"Charity case strikes again."

Nikolai stood there, watching her with those dark, unreadable eyes, then he took a step toward her, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator approaching cornered prey.

"You don't have to worry," he said, his voice surprisingly soft, almost gentle. "We'll go to one of the rooms upstairs. No one will see anything. It stays between us."

Tiana's heart stuttered. Was he… trying to reassure her?

"Don't ruin the fun, Tiana," he continued, his gaze locked on hers. "It's just a dare. Nothing more."

"Yeah, yeah!" The crowd erupted in agreement. "Don't ruin the game!"

"Besides," another voice added, "after tonight, we'll never see you again. Our paths won't cross. Make this last encounter worth it."

Tiana's mind raced, torn between panic and the fact she didn't want to admit. This was Nikolai Toriaga. The boy she'd secretly watched for almost three years. The boy who made her heart race even when he was cruel. The boy she'd dreamed about in the quiet, lonely nights when her stepmother's harsh words still echoed in her ears.

This was what she'd always wanted, wasn't it? This is exactly what she always fantasized about, and now he was, offering her exactly that.

How could she refuse?

‘Maybe this is your only chance.’ a thought creeped in.

Slowly, almost against her own will, she nodded.

The crowd erupted in cheers and whistles, but Tiana barely heard them. Her eyes were fixed on Nikolai, who gave her a smirk that made her heart beat so hard she thought it might burst from her chest.

He extended his hand toward her, and after a heartbeat of hesitation, she took it.

His hand was warm, his grip firm but not rough. He led her through the crowd, past the stares and whispers, toward the staircase at the far end of the hall. Her legs felt like they belonged to someone else, moving without her permission.

They climbed the stairs in silence, the noise from the party fading with each step. The second floor was quieter, dimly lit, with several doors lining the hallway. Nikolai led her to one at the end, pushing it open to reveal a small, tastefully decorated room with a bed, a couch, and soft lighting.

He closed the door behind them, and suddenly, the world felt impossibly small.

Tiana stood near the door, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, her heart racing so fast she felt dizzy.

Nikolai turned to face her, and with slow, deliberate movements, he began unbuttoning his shirt. Her breath hitched as the fabric fell open, revealing the full extent of the tattoo she'd only glimpsed before… a fierce, beautiful design of what looked like a wolf, intricate and powerful, sprawling across his chest and ribs.

"It's my spirit animal," he said, noticing her stare. His voice was softer now, lacking the sharp edge it usually carried. "Got it last year."

She couldn't bring herself to speak, she could only watch as he shrugged the shirt off completely, letting it fall to the floor.

He stepped closer, his gaze searching hers. "Have you done this before?"

She shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "No."

He nodded slowly, as if he'd expected that answer. "I'm not a condom person," he said bluntly. "But my pull out game is strong. And I'd believe you're clean since you're a virgin."

The words felt odd, clinical, out of place in a moment that should have been… something else. But before she could process it, he was there, right in front of her, so close she could feel the heat radiating from his skin.

He reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Don't be scared," he murmured and then he kissed her.

Tiana's entire body went rigid, her mind screaming at her to pull away, but his lips were soft and gentle, his touch was very romantic and melting, not at all like she'd imagined Nikolai Toriaga would be.

He kissed her slowly, carefully, as if giving her time to adjust, to breathe. And despite every logical thought telling her this was wrong, her body betrayed her. She melted into him, her hands tentatively reaching up to rest against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her palms.

He deepened the kiss, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer. She felt herself being guided backward, toward the bed, her mind too hazy to resist.

He was so romantic in a way that made her heart ache with longing and confusion.

He laid her down on the bed, and fixed his eyes on her with those dark, unreadable eyes, she desired him honestly, she reached for him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him to a deeper kiss for deeper experiences.

For that one brief, beautiful, heartbreaking moment, Tiana Selma let herself believe that Nikolai Toriaga cared about her.