Love Him Desperate (On the Market #5) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,51

come out to her. Sometimes I regret it, you know? Like there’s this piece of me she never got a chance to reject. But I know it’s better that way. I get to keep parts of her that weren’t entirely full of hate.”

Dmitri bit his lip, and Raphael knew the pain he felt—the suffering from his parents and how fucking much they didn’t deserve the man he had become. “I’m glad you got out of there.”

Rian’s smile softened. “Yeah. I mean, we all make our escape eventually.” He turned his gaze, sharp and pointed on Raphael. “Don’t we?”

“Something like that,” Raphael muttered. He didn’t think he’d have to explain to Rian—or anyone at that table—the cost of that freedom. Clearing his throat, he reached behind him for his bag and pulled out his wallet.

“I don’t fucking think so,” Lorenzo muttered.

Raphael and Dmitri immediately withdrew, but Rian locked eyes with him. “I’m happy to cover half.”

Dmitri snorted, and a quick smile played at the corners of Lorenzo’s mouth. “You should let him. He’s stupid loaded.”

Rian hesitated. “That doesn’t mean he should waste money…”

“Oh, it absolutely does. He has a benefactor,” Raphael teased, and Lorenzo kicked him under the table.

“Don’t be a dick,” Lorenzo said.

Dmitri grinned. “That makes it sound all, incestuous.” He turned a sweet smile on Rian that Raphael suddenly hated. “His brother’s a porn star and, basically, made his entire family rich.”

At that, Rian choked a little, his cheeks flushed pink. “I…see.”

“So, pizza’s on the sex industry,” Lorenzo said and tossed his black card on the table.

Ten minutes later found them all back outside, Lorenzo and Rian talking cars while Dmitri and Raphael hung back. Dmitri was close enough, Raphael could have reached out to touch him if he wanted—and god, he still wanted—but it was good enough just to be close again.

“So, you like him.” Dmitri’s tone was almost resigned, but also a little reassured, and Raphael frowned at him.

“I think he’s probably a very good professor.”

Dmitri laughed and dragged a hand through his hair. “He is.”

“I think you—” Raphael said, but he stopped because he couldn’t give Dmitri his blessing. God help him, he couldn’t let him go that easily, even when he knew he should. “I think your semester is going to go well.”

Rian laughed, interrupting the moment, and he gave Lorenzo’s arm a pat. Dmitri softened with something like relief—like maybe he was putting the newcomer to a test of friendship and acceptance. It would hardly be a fight—Lorenzo was kind and still starving for affection, even after all this time. But Raphael couldn’t find a good reason to reject Rian anyway.

“I should get back to campus,” Dmitri said after a beat.

Raphael wanted nothing more than to take Dmitri into his arms and hold him until he was forced to let go, but instead he nodded, grabbed the wheels of his chair, and pushed off.

Chapter Ten

“Mr. Williams, do you have a minute?”

Dmitri stopped packing his bag and glanced up at Rian, who almost looked nervous. With a frown, he zipped his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Yeah, for sure. What’s up?”

Rian’s gaze darted toward the door, then he sighed. “Meet me in my office in twenty. It’s…I’d rather not say here.”

Dmitri felt about seven levels of panic hit him at once. Was he being kicked out? Had Rian finally decided that he wasn’t worth the effort? He’d spent the first week and a half coddling Dmitri’s anxiety of doing this whole school thing, and Dmitri wouldn’t have any trouble believing that Rian was over it.

He hunched in on himself and tried to remind himself that one single person’s opinion of him didn’t actually matter at all. It wouldn’t change who he was—and he was loved for who he was by more than a few people. He didn’t owe anyone anything except himself.

The pep talk didn’t do much to buoy his spirits, but he grabbed a coffee from the self-serve café, grimacing at the too-sweet taste of the creamer, then he made his way up the elevator to the tutoring gallery, which hosted teacher offices. He’d been there once, to beg Rian’s help on his first paper the day they went to lunch and ran into Raphael and Lorenzo—and frankly he wasn’t sure he ever wanted a repeat of that.

His hand shook a little as he knocked on the closed door, and after a beat, Rian pulled it open and gestured for him to come inside. It was barely the size of a walk-in