kiss to my cheek, his lips lingering for a few seconds. My eyes rolled shut. I didn't like the feeling of this kiss. It felt too much like goodbye.
He lowered his head and jammed his hands into his pockets. "Another time, another life… You look absolutely breathtaking tonight, malysh."
He turned and left without another word, softly closing the door behind him, and rendering me speechless.
Once outside, I made my way back to the tent. I spotted my parents with Kova and Katja, each with freshly filled tumblers and their laughter filling the air. Dad saw me and lifted his crystal, and smiled. Both Mom and Kova turned my way. My stomach contracted with anxiety but I kept my face neutral. Mom turned her head the other way while Kova looked at me for a split second before returning his attention to Katja.
His entire demeanor changed and my stomach revolted against it. His vibrant emerald eyes flashed with excitement and lust. I swallowed hard and looked to find my friends, who stood an arm length away.
Hayden saw me first and met me halfway, followed by Avery and Holly.
"Where did you go? I looked for you," he said, his voice low but concerned. He placed his hand on the small of my back and drew me closer to him.
Naturally, I lied. I relaxed my face and slid on a peachy smile, though shame ate away at my insides. I knew without a doubt, he'd been waiting on me when the ball dropped.
"Oh, ah, I heard one of the servers saying they couldn't locate the champagne glasses."
"And did you pour all of them and serve them too?" Avery asked jokingly. She looked tipsy.
I laughed. "They needed help, so I offered." I eyed Avery, hoping she'd get the hint to shut the hell up and cover my lie. Eighty-seven years later, understanding finally dawned in her glossy eyes. She knew I was lying.
"I was looking for you when the countdown started," Hayden said, staring into my eyes, but there was another pair of eyes I could feel even stronger on me.
"I'm sorry I wasn't back in time," I said, feigning remorse.
Hayden's eyes softened. "If I'd known we would've missed our kiss, I would've found you sooner." I blushed, and averted my gaze to the grass. "Or at least made our earlier kiss more worth it."
"Adrianna," Kova called my name firmly. I looked over at him. His eyes were as hard as the grip he had on his glass of clear liquid. "I was just telling Frank, even though you are not competing in the meet that you should still come and watch. You can see what you are up against." He took a drink, his eyes hard. Telling.
He heard what Hayden had said about our kiss.
The last thing I wanted was to go to the meet as a spectator, not to mention, it was an asinine thing to suggest. Typical Kova.
"I don't think it's necessary to tag along. I've been to plenty of meets and know what to expect. I'd rather stay back and train."
Kova eyed me, downing the contents of his glass in one gulp.
"Would you like another vodka?" Katja asked him.
He looked at her. "Yes. Get one for yourself as well."
"I actually think it’s a fabulous idea that Ana tags along," Dad agreed. He sipped from the tumbler plastered to his hand.
"You might learn and a thing or two," Mom added in a snide tone. "Everything is already paid for anyway, so why not?"
With my chin up, I said, "I'd rather train."
"You can room with me!" Holly said, her innocent blue eyes huge with excitement. If she wasn't in the dark about everything, I would be furious with her for suggesting that.
"Then it's settled. Ana will still go and support her teammates," Mom said, then excused herself. She always had to get the last word in.
I glared at Kova, pretending I had the power to drill holes into his head for proposing the idea. But he wasn't looking at me, he was staring affectionately at Katja.
He leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Her giggle was soft and feminine, her iridescent blue eyes glittered with delight. The way they were looking at one another didn't allude to infidelity. Not even close. They looked at each other as if no other soul in the world mattered. Like they were deeply in love and connected by an imaginary string that forever bound them together. It nauseated me. I turned my head, unable to