Once Upon A Lie

Twelve:

Twelve:

Aleksander liked the rare occasions Alina stayed in the Morozova home. Her room was right next to his. He liked not having to worry about where she was or what she was doing. Right now, with her attention fixated on Mal Oretsev, he worried about that a lot. Alina had gone almost three years without getting distracted by anyone in their school. He'd warned off anyone that had had eyes on her.

It hadn't been easy. Kaz Brekker had lurked around her for a while until he got distracted by the transfer student from Os Kervo that was a gymnast. Inej something. Although Kaz wouldn't have been a bad choice, because Aleksander knew nothing would have happened between them physically. Kaz had a thing about touch.

And then, of course, there had been Nikolai's older brother, Vasily. Vasily had thought that there was a chance that he could convince the Starkov's into switching the arranged marriage. All it had taken to get Vasily to leave Alina alone had been beating his ass over the summer, and him going to University.

There wasn't anywhere that he could send Mal. He had watched them all week at school. Alina sat with him and Genya every day at lunch. He was happy Alina finally had a friend. He wasn't so happy about Genya's brother always being there.

The other day, Alina had placed her hand on his shoulder while laughing at something Mal had said. On Tuesday, she'd wiped something from his cheek. And on Wednesday, he'd walked by their science class to see the two of them texting furiously to each other while they smiled.

Nikolai had had to hold him back to keep him from punching the guy's lights out.

But it was fine. Alina was part of his world. Their parents were best friends. They lived right next door to each other. They had a future together.

And now, Alina was in his house. Exactly where she should have been. He could hear her in her room, singing softly along to some pop song. He had been trying to finish up homework before Wylan arrived but all he could focus on was Alina in the next room. He put away the math that he was supposed to be doing, then got up, and went to her room. Aleksander opened the door.

Alina had changed out of her school uniform and into a pretty blue dress that she was dancing in by herself. She did a little spin, and Aleksander caught her in his arms. Alina let out a startled yelp and looked up at him with her brown eyes, wide with fear. "Saints! Aleksander! What are you doing in here?"

He grinned. "I wanted to come to see you. I was trying to do homework, but I was distracted by someone singing."

Alina blushed. "I'm sorry. I'll be quieter."

"No, it's fine." He brushed her hair back and stroked her neck lightly. "Is that perfume?"

Alina nodded. "Your mother gave it to me for Christmas last year."

"I like it. What's the smell?"

"Irises."

"Let me know if you run out. I'll make sure to get you more."

"Aleksander, you don't have to do that. You remember you're not the only rich kid in the room?"

"I want to get you perfume. Let me get you perfume."

She blushed. "Fine."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tightly to him. "You really want to do this? You can't just be a good girl for me until your eighteen?"

Alina glared. "I hate when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me sound like a child."

"You're seventeen."

Alina scowled. "And you're only eight months older than me. I was born in June. You were born in March. You'll turn eighteen this Spring. We're the same age. You're in a different grade than me, that's it."

"Lina I've had you trailing after me for as long as I can remember. You'll have to forgive me if I think of you as someone that needs to be protected."

She blushed. "That's one thing. But that's not how you treat me."

"How do you want me to treat you?" Aleksander asked.

"I don't want to be ignored."

"So, you want to go public? Because you know the minute that we do that, everything changes."

Alina shook her head. "I want you to not ignore me. I want...we used to be friends, Aleksander. I want my friend back."

"You're going to be my wife."

"Husbands and wives can be friends, Aleksander."

"Not the ones that I know."

"You mean our parents?"

"Exactly."

Alina laughed. "Well, our parents are insane. Not every marriage is like that. We could make things different if we really wanted to. All you would have to do is just---"

He pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm not ready."

She furrowed her brows together. "What do you mean, you're not ready?"

"Once I graduate, I'll have to start working with my father. Training to take over his position. I'll stop being Aleksander Morozova, and being Morozova."

"And you think the same won't happen to me? I'm going to marry you, and be a trophy wife. At least you get to do something."

There was a knock on the door then. "Lina? Aleks? Are you two decent?"

It was Wylan.

Alina pulled away from him, and he clenched his fists. He had never been more annoyed with his cousin in his whole life. "Come on. We've got to go greet your cousin."

"I hate my cousin," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes. "You don't hate Wylan. You're just pouting because things aren't going your way for once."

"Oh don't worry," he said with a grin, "I'll find a way to pick things up again."