Our Flame

xiii

read authors note at the end.
NADIA

"Won't we get in trouble?" I ask Vera as we sneak out of our rooms. "Aren't we already in trouble since we're here." She tells me.

"Live a little bit, Nadia." She pecks my lips.

Vera is the only person I trusted enough to ever tell my real name to and she has kept it a secret so far.

We're in a recovery facility but it's not as good as it sounds. It's poorly funded, the staff sucks, the male staff love the younger girls and all around it's a hellhole.

It makes you wish you never took a pill or drink in the first place.

I met Vera my second day here, she's in for alcoholism while I'm here for substance abuse. That's when we became friends then slowly a little more.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She asks while we stand on the rooftop, we'll definitely be in so much trouble.

My eyes never leave her as I answer, "It is beautiful."  Vera turns around kissing me, more than a peck this time.

I can't help but smile into the kiss as our hands are intertwined at our sides.

"I'm so glad I met you in this stupid place." Vera whispers, I smile kissing her again.

Is this love?

I smile sadly at the memory of Vera, pretty sure I just opened another old wound of mine.

I don't know if it was love. I'd like to think it was but it ended badly. I don't think love should be portrayed like that. Ever.

"Woah Nadia, you're blushing."

I groan forgetting I was around my brothers, "I don't blush." I mumble. "If you have a boyfriend I'll kill him."

"What about a girl?" I tilt my head.

"Fuck, I knew it. Pay up Vadim." Niko cheers as Vadim hands him three hundred dollars. "Did you guys bet on me?" I question.

"Correction- we bet on the gender you'd end up with."

Viktor looks to be deep in thought, "You have a girlfriend?" he asks. I shake my head. "We were friends who had the same...interests."

Forgetting about our pain, that was the interest.

I look back to Vadim and Niko. "It's wrong to bet on people." I fake pout. The two chuckle at me, "How'd you guys meet?"

I open my mouth then close it wondering if I should give them the truth. "A mutual friend." I lie. They nod and go back to what they were doing. Then Gianna enters the kitchen breathlessly.

We look to her, "What's wrong?" Aleksi gets up going over to her. She slaps his hand away as he looks her over for injuries.

"I'm fine, are you?" She asks as they both look over each other.

"You two are so gross." Luka sighs. The two stop what they were doing and Gianna speaks, "There's a race tonight, I want to go watch."

My brothers give her a bored look, "I thought it was something serious."

"This is serious, it'll be Nadia's first time watching a race with us." Gianna claps.

"How fun." Vadim rolls his eyes. "Nadia, come on. I know the perfect outfit." I smile standing up, "That's my cue." I exit the kitchen.

**

"That's so ugly." I admit as Gianna holds up a bright yellow shirt. Gianna gasps, "This was on sale." I chuckle. "I can see why."