Stay With Me

44

"You know I went through this a few years ago with my oldest daughter. Dating isn't so bad, it gets easier." Damien informs him before taking a bite out of his BLT.

Alexei shrugs his shoulders. Honestly, he didn't care about his son going on a date. He didn't see the big deal.

"I'm not worried."

"Really? You met the girl?" Damien begins to question him.

Alexei shakes his head. "No, but Nikolai is smart."

Damien tsks before he places the sandwich back on the tray. He looks at his cousin before letting out a loud sigh.

"He's a bit odd." Damien notice.

Immediately Alexei turns to his cousin. His head tilts to the side as he looks at Damien, a cold look in his eyes.

"What do you mean my son is odd?" Alexei asks him.

Damien notices the sudden mood change and leans back in his chair.

"He's quiet and a little awkward whenever he's given a chance to speak. No offense."

"My son is perfectly fine. All three of my sons are perfectly fine." Alexei states before grabbing his cup of tea.

Suddenly Damien tsk once again. "I don't know, that Matteo is not normal. Sometimes he scares me." Damien mumbles the last sentence under his breath.

Alexei rolls his eyes.

"Bitch." Alexei says before taking a sip of his tea.

"Whatever, don't you have to pick Alexander off at Mercedes's grandmother's house right now?"

Alexei shakes his head. "He's mad at me so he asked her to pick him up."

"What did you do now?" Damien asks with a slight smirk.

Alexei rolls his eyes thinking about it. Raising kids was supposed to get easier with each child. But he felt like he started over once Alexander was born. Alexander was the hardest child, Alexander was stubborn, so-called independent, and had a temper.

But he loves Mercedes. He was always well-behaved and loving towards his mother. But whenever Alexander was left alone with Alexei all hell broke loose. Alexander hardly listens to Alexei. Whenever Alexei tries to communicate and connect with him, Alexander's temper always got in the way.

The littlest things could set him off. And the little boy was only six years old. It not only annoyed Alexei but made him just a bit angry. He never once thought of hitting a child but the idea was always there whenever he thought about Alexander.

"I told him to clean his room or he wouldn't go over to his grandmother's house. So he got upset and threw one of his fucking toys at me." Alexei tells his cousin.

Chuckling softly Damien run his fingers through his hair all while Alexei could feel himself getting annoyed all over again.

"Alexander is my favorite," Damien says as his laughter trails off.

"He's starting to get on my fucking nerves. I wish they just act like kids. All I have are kids with disciplinary issues, have problems with authority, and they talk back all the fucking time."

"Now imagine when they become adults."

"I feel bad for anyone who comes across them, genuinely." Alexei sighs.

❍

Alexei glances over at Nikolai. He was nervous, Alexei could only sigh as they pull up to the outlet mall. Putting the car in park before turning to his son.

"You look like you're about to shit yourself." Alexei comments.

Nikolai's head turns to him before rolling his eyes.

"Thank you so much, that's all I needed to hear." Nikolai sarcastically says.

"This is your first time going out with a girl?"

"I don't think this is the right time to have this talk," Nikolai tells him while shaking his head.

Alexei flicks Nikolai's forehead causing him to groan softly.

"Nikolai-"

"Bozhe moy, chto teper'?" Nikolai speaks Russian.

"You meet a girl, you like her if you want to fuck her you wear a condom. But you're young, don't do anything you don't want to do or are not comfortable doing. Just have fun and if this is not a date don't buy her shit. Vy ponimayete?"

"Yes sir," Nikolai says nodding. "You should leave the girl's advice to mom," Nikolai says before he gets out of the car.

Alexei watch as Nikolai left, he let out a loud sigh.

"At least he's into someone." Alexei sighs out before looking away.