Ice & Prejudice

Chapter 36

Ria's POV:

I stood at Nikolai's front door on a Wednesday afternoon. With mid-terms looming and deadlines piling up, it was time for another tutoring session. I was bundled up in my navy blue hoodie and matching beanie, blue jeans, a warm coat, and black gloves, but the frigid air still managed to seep through. The lack of snow was surprising, but it did nothing to ease the cold.

Nikolai opened the door, wearing black sweatpants and a fitted black shirt. "Aren't you freezing in that?" I asked, shivering as I stepped inside.

Nikolai smirked. "I'm fine. You should come inside before you turn into an icicle."

I slipped off my wet shoes at the entrance, mindful of not making a mess on their clean floor. "Thanks."

He gestured toward the staircase. "Go ahead to my room. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

I made my way through the hallway, glancing briefly at the kitchen and living room as I passed. The house was as pristine as ever, though the scent of something faintly sweet lingered in the air, likely from whatever Nikolai had been up to. I climbed the stairs, and as I reached the top, Nikolai appeared, carrying two cups of tea.

"You like black tea, right?" he asked, and I nodded, though I had no idea how he knew that. He pushed open his ajar door with his hip, juggling the cups.

As I entered behind him, I stopped short. The desk we'd been using for our study sessions was in pieces, scattered across the floor.

"Don't ask," Nikolai said, his tone almost defensive. "You really do not want to know."

I raised an eyebrow, giving him a skeptical look. "Fair enough," I muttered, scanning the room for an alternative workspace. There wasn't one in sight.

Nikolai set the cups down on the nightstands beside his bed. "I figured we could study on the bed until I fix the desk—or just buy a new one, since this one looks pretty unfixable."

I plopped down cross-legged on the bed, while Nikolai settled against the headboard on his side. Then he tried handing me the cup of tea, probably noticing my cold, red hands and nose. "Drink your tea."

I hesitated before reaching for the cup of tea he'd offered. Despite our friendlier terms, I wasn't ready to accept a drink without seeing it prepared. Nikolai seemed to sense my hesitation.

Nikolai gave me a reassuring smile. "Give it to me," he said, holding out his hand.

I handed him the cup, and he took a generous sip before showing me his tongue with a grin, proving he had swallowed the tea.

"See? Safe," he said, handing it back.

I took a cautious sip, feeling the warmth spread through me. Damn, that is good tea. As I settled cross-legged on the bed, Nikolai propped himself up and flashed a playful grin.

"So, Harvey and Dickie won't be around to bother us. Harvey's in class until the evening, and Dickie's off for groceries, which he tends to stretch into an expedition. Padma and Noah are just hanging out in Noah's room, so it's just us."

"Great," I said, rolling my eyes at his casual tone. "More peace and quiet for you to try to focus."

Nikolai chuckled as he opened his textbook. "So, what's on the agenda today? We tackling that psych theory you mentioned?"

I began to explain a recent psych concept, diving into the details with enthusiasm. "So, this theory involves..."

"Theories of consciousness." I respond. "We'll start with the basic concepts and then move on to some of the more complex theories."