Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 32

Ria's POV:

The cold November air still clung to my skin as I stepped into the warmth of my apartment, shivering slightly as I shrugged off my jacket and kicked off my shoes, while setting down my cold keys. The days were getting shorter, the nights colder, and I could feel winter settling in, creeping through the cracks and seams of the old building. I changed into my favorite pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweater, seeking comfort in the softness of the fabric as I made my way to the kitchen. Stacy wouldn't be home until later tonight—something about a long lecture running until 7 p.m.—so I decided to get started on dinner. Something warm and comforting. Maybe a veggie stir-fry or a creamy pasta. I wasn't in the mood for anything too complicated, just something to fill the growing hunger in my stomach.

As I opened the fridge and started gathering ingredients, my phone rang, the sound cutting through the quiet apartment. I glanced at the screen and saw Nikolai's name flashing. Again. He'd been calling—not texting—calling me almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, even when we didn't have a tutoring session scheduled. It was like he found any excuse to call me, whether he needed help with something or just wanted to chat. I knew what he was doing, and while I wasn't a fan of talking on the phone, I found myself picking up more often than not.

I sighed, swiping to answer the call as I leaned against the kitchen counter. "You know I'm not the biggest fan of calling, right?"

On the other end, I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "Well, hello to you too, Victoria. Always a pleasure."

I rolled my eyes, but a small smile tugged at my lips. "What do you want, Nikolai?"

"Straight to the point. I like that about you." There was a pause, followed by the sound of shuffling papers. "I just wanted to let you know that we'll have to move our tutoring sessions to the weekend. There's another hockey game tomorrow, and we usually hit Greek Row afterward. You know, to celebrate our inevitable victory."

I snorted at his arrogance, already reaching for the vegetables in the fridge. "Inevitable, huh? Don't get too cocky, or you might jinx it."

"Cocky? Who, me?" He feigned innocence, but I could hear the teasing in his voice. "Speaking of which, you should come tomorrow."

I snorted at his ridiculous joke. He can't be serious. "Funny."

"I'm serious. You should come." He insisted, and I could hear the genuine invitation behind his playful tone.

I set the phone down on the counter, switching it to speaker mode so I could use both hands. I started chopping the carrot, letting the rhythmic sound fill the space between us. "Why on earth would I want to go to a dark room with loud music full of drunk, sweaty people?"

"Because I'll be there." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like that alone should be enough to convince me.

I shook my head, the knife moving steadily as I cut the vegetables. "That's not exactly a selling point, Nikolai."

"Aw, come on, Victoria. Live a little. What's the worst that could happen?" He sounded genuinely curious, as if he couldn't fathom why I'd refuse.

I sighed, placing the knife down and leaning against the counter, staring at the phone as if it could somehow show me his face. "Do you really want to know why I don't like going to parties?"

"Yeah. I do." His voice softened, the playful edge fading into something more serious.

I hesitated, but something in his tone made me feel like I could be honest with him. "I just hate it, Nikolai. I'm scared that the second I wear something more revealing and put myself in a situation with drunk, horny guys, something... bad will happen...again."