" You're ashamed of me? " - Kathy's violet eyed wearing a long floral dress.
" You know, that's not true, " - Yuri
" Then you will let me do this? " - Yuri, paused.
" If it's truly what you need. " - Yuri spoke with audible reluctance.
A smile that transformed her face into something untouchably ethereal, and then she was murmuring in a breathz voice.
" Thank you, Yuri. " - Kathy said. She raised herself up to place a kiss on Yuri's cheek.
After, she hurriedly but gracefully walked past her companion. Her steps were light and nimble, it was as if her feet didn't seem to touch the ground. 'Score for the girl', Leo Blaze Arlotta thought in amusement.
The tableau that unfolded in the corner of the admissions center had interested Leo greatly, mostly because it was the first time he had seen. Yuri Daniel Athanas with a girl who was neither his sister nor a girlfriend of one of his brothers in the Alcolytes Triad.
He had amused the younger guy would reject the idea of having a known player like him take on the role as official school guide for his girl, but that showed how little he understood of Greek Billionaires or, in this case, their sons.
" I will be with you as soon as possible, Mr. Arlotta. " - Kathy said formally.
" I'll wait for you forever, Ms. Rewis. " - Leo said.
" I assure you, Mr. Arlotta. It will not take forever. " - Kathy's extraordinarily pretty face remained expressionless. And then she was gone.
" If I may speak with you for a moment, Mr. Arlotta? " - Yuri, murmured beside Leo.
He had known this was coming and only lifted a brow on a biker.
" Am I supposed to refer to you as Mr. Athanas, as well? " - Leo's voice was mocking. He might be dirt poor in this people's eye, but he didn't give a damn. None of them intimidated him.
" Whatever pleases you, Mr. Arlotta. " - Yuri said politely. While Leo almost rolled his eyes.
'What was it with these two and their too formal attitudes?' Leo thought.
" Let me make it easy for you, " Leo, said suddenly impatient.
" You're going to warn me off your girl because you've heard the stories about me. You swear to kill or ruin me or whatever other grave threat you can think of if I even look at her the wrong way. " - Leo, said to Yuri.
" We can get to that later. What I have to say is more important. " - Yuri said simply. Then he continued.
" Kathryn Ice Rewis is my fianceé. I would rather you do not speak of this for her sake, but I won't hold it against you if you do. It would only mean I'd have to request for a change student assistant from Admissions. I don't think you want that anymore than I do. " - Yuri said softly, courteous tone.
Leo's jaw clenched, but he wasn't surprised Athanas had found out about his scholarship and that he was largely dependent on his supplementary income from his work with the university. When Leo didn't speak, Yuri continued speaking.
" My fianceé is a very special girl, Mr. Arlotta. She's... Different from the rest. You'll see this for yourself when you spend enough time with her. As such, I like to be thorough when choosing the people whose company I trust her with. " - Yuri said.
Blue eyes that were deceptive in their gentleness settled on Leo's face.
" When the school told me about assigning you to my fianceé, I admit to having reservations. In the end, however, your reputation for being honorable has worked in your favor. " - Yuri, added.
Leo was torn between feeling insulted oq bemused. Also, Yuri Daniel Athanas was the only guy in college he knew who had 'honorable' in his vocabulary, much less have an actual need to use it in conversation.
" If you're counting on me to kiss your feet in gratitude, you're insane. " - Leo said finally.
" Of course not. " - Yuri's gaze narrowed.
" That's truly all the warning you'll be giving me then? " - Leo asked. While Yuri's blue eyed raised one brow.
" Such as? " - Yuri asked.
" If I flirt with her... " - Leo said.
" Ah. " - Yuri said.
A flicker in those eyes, but it was gone too fast for Leo to decipher what it was.
" What you do is your business, Mr. Arlotta. And if she chooses to flirt back, well, that is her business and mine. " - Yuri, added.
'Bastard!' Leo thought. What a fucking cold bastard. Kathryn Ice Rewis, for all her formal ways, was a waste on this man. Leo Blaze Arlotta was helping Kathryn into one of the school's golf carts by the time Helios, Kellion and Andreus caught up with their friend.
They stopped dead at the sight of the good-looking and rather notorious Italian playboy holding Kathy's hand and Yuri simply standing on the steps of the admission center, doing nothing without it.
'Was Yuri made of fucking stone? If it had been MJ'. Helios thought grimly, that guy would have been on the ground and sporting a bloody nose... For starter. The golf cart was driving down the main road now, and the officers slowly went to Yuri.
" What the hell's that about? " - Andreus asked in his customary blunt fashion.
" Leo Blaze Arlotta has been assigned by the school to serve as Kathy's official guide. " - Yuri's voice was perfectly even, and Helios would have been fooled by it if he hadn't caught sight of the club's vice president cracking his fists as he spoke.
" You do know, " - Kellion drawled.
" That the majority of freshmen hookups begin with those tours, don't you? " - Kellion, added.
A pause.
" No, I did not. " - Yuri said.
And then Yuri was striding towards his bike without a word. Helios raised a brow at his friends, 'He's jealous, isn't he?. Andreus smirked in response while Kellion laughed out loud.
" He probably doesn't know it yet. The boy's stubbornly in denial with those things, but... " - Kellion headed towards his own bike.
" That's what we came out to see. " - Kellion, added.
In seconds, the three officers of the Alcolytes Triad and their beasts shot down the main lane, the sight of them driving in their famous V routine causing the girls they drove past to shriek and run after them. For once, the officers of the Alcolytes Triad were without any of their real or rumored girlfriends. It was something to take advantage of, right away!
" You really didn't notice anything, did you? " - Leo, asked his companion two hours later.
They were at the end of their tour, and not once had Kathryn Ice Rewis acted like she was aware that the officer's of the world's most popular underground racing club had been following them from the start like bodyguards on red alert.
And of course, where the so-called Heart Races were, their multitudes of groupies followed. It had gotten so bad that eventually the security personnel of the school had to join forces with the private guards employed by Helios Jake Andreadis, Kellion Mico Argyros, Yuri Daniel Athanas and Andreus Fin Economou.
Their main responsibility: to prevent the girls from mobbing those they loved ( a.k.a The Bikers ) and hated ( a.k.a Kathryn Ice Rewis, who turned out to be the mysterious girl who had been with Athanas in his recent visit to Athens ). None of this, however, seemed to have registered with Kathryn.
" What didn't I notice? The architectural detail of the caféteria? " - Kathy, asked.
" No, ... " - Leo was incredulous to see the heiress completely serious expression.
" Then, perhaps, " - Kathy murmured thoughtfully.
" You're referring to the part where you spoke to me about the chef the university managed to lure away from the two-Michelin star restaurant in Dubai -- " - Kathy, added.
" Are you deliberately fucking with me? " - Leo, asked.
" That kind of language is unbecoming, sir. " - Kathy stiffened, said.
'Unbecoming? Who the hell taught this girl English anyway? Jane Austen's ghost'? Leo shook his head in disbelief.
" You really haven't noticed a thing. " - Leo, said.
" If you tell me what should I notice. " - Kathy, answered readily.
" Then I will not forget. " - Kathy, added matter-of-factly.
" I am a fast learner. " - Kathy said.
He beckoned her to come close to the windows and pointed at the crowd of starry-eyed girls waiting outside the caféteria.
" That. " - Leo, said. Kathryn followed his gaze.
" Oh! Them, " - Kathy shook her head.
" Grandmother told me about them, and it's alright. I understand their devotion to my fianceé. He is an easy man to love. " - Kathy, added.
'While she', he thought, 'was not at all easy to understand'. How could she say something so easily, and to a stranger? Leo was beginning to understand why the biker had warned him about Kathy being... Different, and it was turning out to be a vast understatement.
" You know, your boyfriend is here, too, right? " - Leo almost gaped at Kathryn's wide-eyed look.
" Are you serious? What do you think those girls are here for? " - Leo, added.
" For me, " - Kathy answered.
" I thought, because they're fans of Yuri, they have realized that they must like me, too. After all, they love Yuri and Yuri loves me. " - Kathy, said.
This time, Leo mentally threw his hands up in surrender. There was no point-absolutely no point telling this girl that life would never be that simple or straightforward. 'No wonder Yuri Daniel Athanas entrusted the heiress with him', Leo thought broodingly. The biker had known his so-called honor wouldn't allow him to take advantage of Kathryn's incredible naiveté the way other guys could.
" He's here with his friends. " - Leo, said. He turned towards the Alcolytes Triad direction so Kathy would see where the officers were seated.
All of them, except for the more sophisticatedly dressed Kellion, were in shirts and jeans, but even so their uniform good looks and powerful auras made them appear like a postcard-perfect ad for a luxury denim brand.
" Oh! I see them now. " - Kathy, said.
" I gotta admit, " - Leo, murmured.
" I was surprised Yuri Daniel Athanas let you spend time with me. " - Leo, added.
" Why, shouldn't I? " - Kathy, frowned.
" Jealousy. " - Leo, answered simply.
The girl repeated the word in a puzzled tone, and it was obvious she was mulling it over in her mind. Privately, Leo didn't think there was anything to think about. Jealousy was an extremely basic reaction, and one either felt it or not. It was clear Yuri Daniel Athanas didn't, and as such, it went to reason that he didn't care that much about Kathryn Ice Rewis.
'A pity', Leo thought, when she seemed like a nice girl, despite being different.
" Is he supposed to be jealous? " - Kathy, asked.
Leo was reluctantly charmed by the lack of coryness in Kathy's questioned.
" Yes, " - Leo, said finally.
" If he cares about you, he should be jealous. " - Leo, added.
" Then he's jealous, " - Kathy said.
" I just told you he couldn't be, " - Leo, said. He countered in exasperation.
" Also, we're on the last leg of our tour, and I'm duty-bound to finish telling you about the-- " - Leo, added. Kathy was shaking her head at him.
" No, Mr. Arlotta. This is more important. Love, " - Kathy said clarified gravely.
" Is more important than anything else. And I'm telling you that he is jealous. " - Kathy, added.
'Stubborn girl', Leo thought.
" I'm also telling you he's not. " - Leo, said.
" How do I prove to you he is? " - Kathy, asked.
Deciding the biker needed a kick in his guts to be reminded of what he had but could lose, Leo looked at the girl with a hooded gaze.
" You really want to know? " - Leo, asked to Kathy.
" How does it feel to be at the losing end of the stick this time? " - Kellion, asked.
Yuri pretended not to hear Kellion's question, instead saying.
" It might be a while before Kathy's tour ends. " - Yuri, said politely.
A lie, of course, since he knew to the exact second how long her tour was and the end was just five minutes away. 'That or as soon as Leo Blaze Arlotta stopped flirting with his fianceé', Yuri thought, whichever came sooner.
" I don't think there's any need to ask, " - Helios, said drawled.
" It's written all over the boy's face. " - Helios, added.
Yuri rolled his eyes at the way the two insisted on calling him 'boy' even though he was only a few years younger than them. He checked his watch, 'four minutes'. At the moment he heard Kathy's laugh tinkle in the air, a silvery sound guaranteed to seduce anyone with a dick. Everyone in the table stilled... Except for Yuri.
" You don't mind that? " - Andreus asked finally.
" She just laughed. " - Yuri answered patiently.
" It wasn't an ordinary laugh, " - Helios, said. Before Yuri could answer Kellion cursed.
" Well, this time she's placed her hands on his shoulders, and she's goddamn smiling into his eyes. " - Kellion, said. When Yuri didn't turn around.
" I'm not lying. " - Kellion, said with snapped. Then Yuri slowly turned.
'Ah', Yuri thought.
It was the truth indeed. Kathryn Ice Rewis had her hands on Leo Blaze Arlotta's broad shoulders while the Italian hand clasped her slender waist with his large, strong hands. Something blazed inside of him, but Yuri ruthlessly buried it before it could develop into feelings he had to acknowledge.
" You're still not going to do anything? " - Helios said. He demanded under his breath when Yuri turned his back on the couple and returned his attention to his phone.
" They're not doing anything illegal or harmful. " - Yuri, said while pointed out. All of three of his friends looked at him like he was insane.
" Is this a fucking act?! " - Andreus, asked darkly.
" You want to play the cool bastard for some reason?! " - Andreus, added.
" I followed her here because Kellion said that school tours may cause something to develop between my fianceé and her tour guide. I came here out of concern to ensure he wasn't going to push Kathy past her limits. That's all. " - Yuri, answered.
" That's all, huh? " - Kellion said while leaned back against his seat. Yuri raised a brow.
" Are you trying to make some kind of point? " - Yuri, asked.
'Yeah', Kellion thought. 'And my point is that I never thought your fear of falling in love could actually turn you into a heartless, pompous prick'. But out of loud, Kellion's tone was deceptively casual as he answered.
" Not really. " - Kellion said. His eyes went back to Kathy.
" Just that your fianceé's about to kiss another guy. " - Kellion, added.
'Now let's see you handle that', Kellion thought.
Helios, whose thoughts ran in the same direction, decided to give the vice president one minute before his control vanished and he tore through the caféteria to break the two apart. Andreus, who knew Yuri a little bit more than the other two, mentally gave Yuri ten seconds. Both of them were wrong. Yuri was out of his seat in a flash.
Reaching Kathy's side just before her mouth reached the other man's. Yuri unceremoniously dislodged, Leo's hands and replaced it with his own Kathy gasped, her eyes flying open, but he didn't pay her any heed, only tightening his hold on her waist before lifting her off her feet and placing her behind him.
Then he faced Leo Blaze Arlotta. The Italian returned his gaze with impressive equanimity. 'Would it mean he was jealous?' Yuri pondered seriously, 'If he planted his fists on the Italian's too-pretty face?' Before he could make a decision, Kathy had stepped around him, making Yuri's face turn hard.
" Kathy--- " - Yuri, said. But Kathy was looking at Leo.
" I told you. " - Kathy, said. The Italian gave her a mocking bow.
" You win then. " - Leo, said.
His enigmatic gaze rested on Yuri for a moment before turning to walk away. Yuri's urge to punch the other guy in the face intensified. 'He must have been mad', Yuri thought. 'to entrust Kathy with him'. That man was too handsome for his own good. Beside him, he felt Kathy's fingers gaze the sleeve of his shirt.
" Yuri? " - Kathy, asked.
" What? " - Yuri, asked. He heard himself without taking his gaze off Leo Blaze Arlotta's back.
" Were you two talking about? " - Yuri, added. But inside him, a mocking voice taunted Yuri about the real question he wanted answered but couldn't make himself ask.
Even now, he couldn't get rid of the image of Kathryn Ice Rewis' mouth a second away from coming into contact with the Italian's. When she didn't answer, he swung around to face her. He expected her to look anything from guilty to furious, but she was none of those. Her beautiful face bore its usual placid expression, but the look in her gaze was decidely soft. A suddenly realization hit him.
" Why, you little minx? " - Yuri, said. While shook his head.
" You set it all up, didn't you? " - Yuri, added.
Her lips twitched the slightest bit, but her voice was the soul of meekness when she answered.
" Yes. " - Kathy, said.
She took a step closer towards him, and suddenly Yuri found himself surrounded by her scent and his sight blinded by the temptation of her soft curves. Her violet eyes captured, enslaved.
" Mr. Arlotta told me If you really love me, you wouldn't have let me go with him. " - Kathy, said. 'Leo Blaze Arlotta had a big mouth', Yuri thought.
" I told him he was wrong. He told me If you loved me, you would be jealous and I said, then of course you would be. I asked how to prove it and he told me I should laugh like he had said the funniest thing on earth. " - Kathy, added. 'Leo Blaze Arlotta was a dead man', Yuri thought.
" He also said I should touch him because no man in love liked seeing his woman touch another guy. " - Kathy, said again. 'Leo Blaze Arlotta had the right, but he was still a dead man'. Yuri thought.
" And finally, he said I should kiss him-- " - Kathy paused. Yuri interrupted her sharply.
" I don't want to hear anymore. " - Yuri, said.
Kathy obediently stopped speaking, but the way she looked at him was all womanly instinct. Now he knew. 'A woman didn't have to be normal', Yuri thought dryly. 'to know when she had a man wrapped around her finger'.
" Let's go join the others? " - Yuri, asked. Then she nodded but didn't move.
Remembering there was only one way to get Kathy moving, he offered his hand. She took it. As they walked back to his friends table.
" Kathy? " - Yuri, asked.
" Mm.. " - Kathy, answered.
" Don't make me jealous again. " - Yuri, said.
" I promise. " - Kathy, paused.
" But I also want to ask you a thing. " - Kathy, added.
" I won't make you jealous either. " - Yuri, said. She surprised him by shaking her head.
" Not that. " - Kathy, said. He frowned.
" What is it? " - Yuri, asked.
" Don't lie to me. " - Kathy, said. He stilled, which forced her to halt beside him.
" Why would you ask me that now? " - Yuri, asked.
" Because, a while ago, when it took so long to make you jealous, I was afraid. " - Kathy gaze didn't waver from his.
" I started to think that you lied to me. That you didn't really love me and it... Hurts... Here. " - Kathy suddenly beat her chest with her fist, hard enough for him to immediately hold her wrist so he could stop her from doing it again.
Regret sliced into Yuri. He remembered Andreus' question and wondered now if the other biker actually knew him better than Yuri knew himself. He hadn't allowed himself to even consider the possibility that he was jealous. He had wanted to play the role of a cool bastard because cool bastards didn't feel pain. And so he hadn't, but he had ended up hurting an innocent girl in exchange.
" I'm sorry. " - Yuri, said tautly.
" I didn't mean to make you doubt... What we have. " - Yuri, added.
Instead of answering, she twined her fingers with his again, and the warm, forgiving gesture made Yuri swallow. 'God.Damn.It'. How different she was. How special she was. And how unworthy he was for someone like her.
" It's okay. " - Kathy, said.
Her voice was soothing, and Yuri's self-loathing increased when he realized she was actually trying to comfort him.
" You can make it up to me next time, Yuri. Be quicker to show your jealousy. " - Kathy, added.
'Ah, Kathy'. Yuri thought. Her words something only she could say and actually have it make sense had him torn between laughing out loud and just walking away, never looking back.
Kathy started tugging on his hand, and he obeyed her silent command. They joined his friends, and the other three immediately did their best to make Kathy feel at ease with them. He watched them fawn over her, watched Kathy alternate between frowning and almost smiling at his friends' teasing, and only one thought ran through his mind.
'Too fast... Too goddamn fast... Everything was happening too goddamn fast'. Yuri thought. Kathryn Ice Rewis had only been in his life for barely more than a day, most of that spent in a fucking airplane, and she had already remolded his world into something he didn't recognize.
Because Kathy was different, because she was special, none of the rules applied. His beautiful violet-eyed girl didn't feel the need, the pressure, to get to know him first. She didn't give a shit about what people would say if they learned she and Yuri had only met once before he had come to take her away from Greece.
For Kathy, insta-fucking-love was real. For Kathy, love was a choice and a promise. And Kathy had chosen him. Yuri Daniel Athanas. The heartless bastard who had lied to her.