Our Flame

xxiii

NADIA

"Repeat that." I say despite knowing I heard it correctly. I put Misha in Niko's hands before I walk towards the other set of twins.

"You said- on my eighteenth birthday I would meet him, not today. I still have time." I point to both Vadim and Viktor.

They both open their mouths to speak but I go on, "You lied to me, even after I tried to put behind me the fact that Vadim is fucking besties with this man, and you Viktor, I can't think of anything you've done yet but when I do I'll be angry." I huff.

"We aren't besties." Vadim mumbles. I glare at him causing him to stay silent.

"We're getting this house though, right?" Niko and Luka speak up interrupting my argument.

I glare at the two of them going back to Niko to take Misha from his arms.

"But yeah we're getting the house." Viktor scratches the back of his neck. I roll my eyes walking away. "Wait, Nadia." Gianna follows me.

"I want to cry." I look away from Gianna. Not sobbing but cry- like a few tears. I want to aesthetically cry.

"Cry then."

Gianna says, I can practically hear her smile through her words. "I can't." I shrug turning back around.

Gianna shakes her head at my antics, "Talk to me." She takes a seat on the steps. "There's so much I haven't done, now I just have to meet my future husband."

"I don't want to get married G." I admit.

For as long as I could remember the thought of marriage has scared me. I grew up only seeing the negative sides of it.

Now it's all I can think about when marriage comes to mind.

"I haven't even graduated yet." I speak. "Holy shit, I'm a dropout."

Gianna bites her lip trying not to laugh and maybe not tell me how stupid I sound. This does sound stupid.

"Fuck Gianna, I'm a drop out." I run a hand through my hair. "Nadia, it's not the end of the world I promise you."

"We can put you back in school." She reminds. I nod frantically. "Why is graduating so important?" She finally asks.

This time I bite my lip as my eyes start to water- if I cry right now it will not be aesthetic. "Because of Vera." I whisper.

I let out a small chuckle at her confusion, "We always talked about how after we got out of rehab we'd graduate together and then move out of America."

I sniffle, "It's stupid but part of me feels like I owe it to her to graduate. Then maybe just for a second, it'll be like she's there with me."

"Nadia it's not stupid." Gianna sighs bringing me into her arms. "She's always with you. Graduate or not." Gianna assures.

Now I want to sob.

"You want to cry now, don't you?" She questions as I'm still in her arms. I nod as she sadly laughs. I am now crying in my best friends arms.

I pull away as Misha barks in my arms, "It's okay Nadia." Gianna wipes my leftover tears from my face.

"We should get-why is Nadia crying?" The boys interrupt our moment.

"Because I'm a dropout." I rub my still teary eyes. "So am I." Niko and Luka both say. "That's so embarrassing." I mumble.

I now see why Vadim and Viktor never forced school upon me.